Green Mountain and the Be Green Energy Tag
In 2009, our friends at Green Mountain Energy donated enough carbon offsets to make High Sierra a carbon neutral event. We also sold 283 BeGreen tickets which purchased 70,750 kWhs of Renewable Energy Credits. Investing in renewable energy helps reduce demand for electricity produced by traditional fossil fuels. 70,750 kWh of renewable energy helps avoid over 98,867 lbs of CO2, which has the same environmental impact as not driving your car over 109,852 miles or the annual forest sequestration of over 5,938 trees. Furthermore, this is equivalent to recycling over 243,364 aluminum cans or recycling over 39,547 pounds of newspaper!

Ride Sharing
Looking to share a ride and carpool to the festival? Visit our new High Sierra Ride Board.

Recycling
Once again, High Sierra is excited to be working with Clean Vibes, a company formed and dedicated to responsible on-site waste management of outdoor festivals and events. For the tenth year, Clean Vibes will be onsite helping to ensure that we as a community recycle as much of the waste produced on site as possible. With the help of the festival goers, Clean Vibes will divert tens of thousands of pounds of recyclables from the landfill. Interested in volunteering with Clean Vibes? Visit cleanvibes.com.

In order for Clean Vibes to do the best possible job, they need your help! When arriving, each vehicle will be given two bags: one for trash and one for recycling. Any glass, aluminum, and plastic beverage containers can be recycled. You can carry your bags to the nearest dumpster or collection station, and use the collection stations around the venue which will be regularly maintained by Clean Vibes volunteers and staff. You can also help Clean Vibes sweep the concert field at the conclusion of each night's shows on the Grandstand and Big Meadow stages. Think before you throw - and the material in the recycling dumpster will be spared from the landfill! While enjoying this beautiful site, please help Clean Vibes cultivate cleanliness and ensure that we as a community leave nothing but footprints this weekend. More information will be available in the High Sierra program guide, and you can also visit the Clean Vibes website.

Red, White, Blue and Green Campsite Challenge

With thousands of people camping on the fairgrounds, it is vitally important for HSMF fans to embrace the "Leave No Trace" camping philosophy. In collaboration with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, we will be honoring campsites that excel in creative, sustainable camping. Tips on greening your campsite are available for download here.

Details about the Red, White, Blue and Green Campsite Challenge, including how to participate and the fabulous prizes you can win, will be available this Spring.

Composting
Since 2007, we have had a composting program, partnering with local Plumas county farmers to keep organic scrap by-products created by our food vendors, caterers, and hospitality staff out of the landfill. More than 1000 gallons of fruit and vegetable waste are kept out of the landfill by the composting team each year. This year, we will once again join forces with local Grange members and farmers to expand our composting efforts.

Global Cooling
Clif Bar and High Sierra Music Festival encourage festival-goers to minimize the environmental impact of their travel to and from High Sierra by purchasing a $2 Cool Tag – a renewable wind energy credit that will keep an estimated 300 lbs of carbon dioxide (CO2) – the main contributor to global warming – out of the air. Cool Tags are available at the Clif Bar booth at the festival.

Cool Tag offsets roughly the same amount of global warming emissions generated by traveling 300 miles in the average car. How far is your drive to High Sierra?

Artists are also doing their part. Recently, Clif Bar created the GreenNotes program to help bands like John Butler, Michael Franti, Brett Dennen and others reduce the environmental impact of their touring and encourage their fans and fellow artists to follow their lead. Clif Bar has also worked with some music festivals, including High Sierra Music Festival, to do the same and spread the good, green word.

New Belgium Brewing Company, makers of Fat Tire Amber Ale and a host of Belgian-inspired beers, are joining Clif Bar and High Sierra Music Festival in the effort to Start Global Cooling. New Belgium began operations in a tiny Fort Collins basement in 1991 following Jeff Lebesch's bike ride through Belgium. In addition to producing world-class beers, New Belgium takes pride in being a responsible corporate role model. New Belgium has never lost focus of the commitment to environmental stewardship, as stated in their Core Values and Beliefs: minimizing resource consumption, maximizing energy efficiency and recycling. New Belgium is wind-powered, 99% sustainable, and employee-owned.