ROTHBURY
TACKLES THE HUGE TASK OF
GREENING A LARGE SCALE EVENT.

BECOMING THE FIRST MAJOR U.S. CAMPING FESTIVAL TO COMPOST
THROUGHOUT THE SITE IS JUST ONE OF MANY SUSTAINABILITY
INITIATIVES IN ACTION AT THE INAUGURAL EVENT.

ROTHBURY:
A FESTIVAL CELEBRATING MUSIC, ART AND ACTION
JULY 3 - 6, 2008 IN ROTHBURY, MICHIGAN

As leaders in the evolving art of sustainable large-scale event production, ROTHBURY is 100% committed to taking every possible step to reduce the environmental impact of the festival.  While such a commitment does not come without its challenges, ROTHBURY, together with local and national partners who share the same pledge, will indeed demonstrate the vast possibilities in sustainability and hopefully highlight those areas that need serious attention.

ROTHBURY, working with Green Chief Sarah Haynes of the Spitfire Agency, is the first major U.S. camping festival to aim for a near zero waste event by composting throughout the entire festival site. All disposable food service items have been replaced with plant-based compostables.  Compost will be pulped on-site thanks to Morbark, then processed by Spurt Industries in Grand Rapids.

In an effort to reduce plastic water bottle waste, ROTHBURY is working with Klean Kanteen to encourage crew and festival-goers to bring or buy reusable bottles and to take advantage of free refill stations in the campgrounds, within the festival site, and in the backstage areas.  For those who choose to buy disposable water bottles, the only front-of-house provider on-site  will be Earth Water.  In passing up the big companies and going with Earth Water, ROTHBURY will contribute to building wells in refugee camps all over the world.  100% of Earth Water's profits go to building wells; and $500 builds a well.  That's a lot of wells!

For those darn bottles, ROTHBURY will offer 200 waste reclamation stations throughout the site, most of them manned by a 500 person green team of volunteers committed to helping avoid contamination. The Green Team will also work around-the-clock backstage to re-sort all recycling bags that come in. An additional 55 people will work for three straight days post event to sift every single 'bad' item out on tables, much like a conveyer belt system.

Additional ROTHBURY sustainability initiatives include the use of biodiesel.  ROTHBURY's local B99 biodiesel provider, Next Diesel, is the first company to be a part of Michigan Governor Granholm's green business incentive program. The biodiesel used by ROTHBURY is actually a waste product from manufacturing ethanol. So not only is it plant based, it is also recycled and on it's second life at ROTHBURY.

In addition to offsetting carbon emissions with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, ROTHBURY has partnered with RVL 7 by RE:VOLVE Apparel, Black Rock Solar and Grand Rapids' own Bauer Power to create the ROTHBURY Solar Schools Program, to support the local community and honor our energy independence theme. The 2008 recipient of the Solar Schools Program, which donates fully installed solar panel systems  to local area schools, is Michigan's Shelby High School. With many ROTHBURY attendees opting in for the festival's Green Ticket (which allows ticket buyers to contribute to the Solar Schools Fund), ROTHBURY's initial $50,000 donation is rapidly growing.  Many thanks to local heroes Bauer Power for offering to build for free so even more money will go to outfitting the school with solar power.

Part of ROTHBURY's objective and sustainability in general, is to support local companies and farmers and organic products whenever possible.  All foods collected in the Conscious Alliance Food Drive will be donated directly to local food pantries and charities to benefit neighboring communities and the on-site Farmers' Market will be powered by area farmers, who are also learning the benefits of organics and how to begin growing organics in their own farms.  To further promote the use of organic goods, RVL 7 by RE:VOLVE will provide all ROTHBURY staff with crew shirts made of a blend of organic cotton and recycled polyethylene terephthalate, or RPET, t-shirts. ROTHBURY has donated to Michigan's chapter of Global Re-Leaf, a tree planting organization that will plant trees in the Muskegon area following the event.

For those interested in taking a piece of this sustainability mission home with them, ROTHBURY is hosting on-site Think Tank panel discussions with some of the top thinkers in the field of Climate Change and Clean Energy.  Attendees are encouraged to take part in the discussions, help develop solutions, and start making changes at home.  The Better World Books bookstore on-site will be stocked with books that match ROTHBURY's ideals and will host signings by many of the participating panelists as well as Our Planet, a guide to saving the environment, created by MySpace. 

While producing large-scale sustainable events is far from a perfect science, ROTHBURY is leading the mission to encourage discussion, promote creative thinking and seek new ideas in this effort - not to mention, throwing a serious party.

www.rothburyfestival.com

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About ROTHBURY:
On July 4th weekend 2008, ROTHBURY emerges as a new American celebration. For this next generation of the rock and roll music festival, ROTHBURY sets forth as a huge party with a purpose. Hosted at the one-of-a-kind Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan, the four day, environmentally sustainable music and camping festival promises to be an inspiring cultural assembly; one where music fans, artists and progressive thinkers gather to celebrate much more than music. It is ROTHBURY's goal to harness the unique energy of the live music community into a durable social movement toward an important cause: Climate Change and Clean Energy Alternatives.  In addition to a diverse and stellar lineup of over 70 bands (Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic, John Mayer, 311, Phil Lesh and Friends, Trey Anastasio, Modest Mouse, Primus, Snoop Dogg, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Thievery Corporation, STS9, Colbie Caillat and many others), ROTHBURY will host a Think Tank and Epicenter Fair, and features unprecedented audience participation opportunities. www.rothburyfestival.com

ROTHBURY 2008 Partners: 
This year, ROTHBURY is pleased to be partnered with RE:VOLVE Apparel /
www.revolvebrand.net (partnering for ROTHBURY's Solar Schools Program); Major League Baseball / www.mlb.com, and Gibson / www.gibson.com (partnering for ROTHBURY's Music in Schools Program); Guitar Hero / www.guitarhero.com; X Box / www.xbox.com; Merrell / www.merrell.com; Myspace/ www.myspace.com; OurStage / www.ourstage.com; Next Diesel / www.nextdiesel.net (Official B99 Biodiesel Provider for ROTHBURY); Barefoot Wine / www.barefootwine.com

The Spitfire Agency
The Spitfire Agency is a full service production, promotion and marketing agency dedicated to nonprofits, responsible businesses, and other cause-related ventures. Spitfire is managing the Sustainability and Event Greening for the ROTHBURY Festival. www.spitfireagency.com

Morbark
Morbark, Inc., established in 1957, is the leading manufacturer of industrial grinders for professionals. Offering both tub and horizontal grinders in a variety of horsepower ranges on tracks or treads, Morbark can recommend a heavy-duty machine for any recycling application.  In addition to their heavy-duty, reliable equipment, Morbark's first class parts and service professionals provide unmatched customer support.  Morbark is providing their industrial grinders to pulp ROTHBURY compost on site, so that our shipping impact is greatly reduced (about 15 to 1). 
www.morbark.com

Spurt Industries
Spurt Industries LLC is west Michigan's largest commercial scale compost and organics recycling facility, providing compost based soil products and mulches throughout Michigan for 15 years. Once pulped, Spurt will process the ROTHBURY compost and will track the soil's final destination. It will take approximately 3 months for the items to become rich usable soil. http://www.spurtindustries.com 

Next Diesel
Next Diesel is the brand name for the biodiesel fuel produced by Biofuel Industries Group LLC it's facility in Adrian, Michigan. Next Diesel was the first business to be awarded designation in the state of MI's Renewable Energy Renaissance Zone, a program that encourages entrepreneurs to build state of the art technology which would make MI the leader in the renewable energy industry. www.nextdiesel.net

 

Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF)
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation is dedicated to increasing the supply and use of new renewable energy by developing and marketing green power products for consumers who care about global climate change.
www.b-e-f.org

RVL 7 by RE:VOLVE
RVL 7 by RE:VOLVE designs stylish + sustainable apparel and accessories featuring iconic graphics and positive social messages.  Each piece in the men's, women's and children's lines is made from 100% eco-friendly fabrics, fibers or recycled materials.  The Park City, Utah-based company was founded by eco-mavericks, Amy and Joe Tomlinson, to create fashion that inspires people to think, act, and dress more consciously.  RVL 7 by RE:VOLVE pioneered the use of ECOLOR™, a groundbreaking technology that reduces energy use by up to 85%, eliminates water and toxins from the manufacturing process and produces only recyclable by-products.  RVL 7 by RE:VOLVE carries the Loudermilk Luxury Eco Stamp of Approval and is the first apparel brand manufactured in the United States to utilize GOTS-certified dying processes.
www.revolvebrand.com

Black Rock Solar 
Black Rock Solar is a nonprofit project with a simple goal: take on climate change and speed the adoption curve of renewable energy by building large arrays of low or no cost solar power for schools, hospitals, and community centers. This goal is achieved by designing and building low or no-cost solar power, proving that solar power can be accessible to everyone. Black Rock Solar's Executive Director Tom Price, who will oversee the execution of ROTHBURY's Solar Schools Program, was chosen as one of four American "Environmental Heroes" by PEOPLE Magazine in 2008. 
www.blackrocksolar.org

Bauer Power
Bauer Power is a passionate and experienced renewable energy installer and educator, providing customers with the smart and affordable alternative solutions to conventional power choices in Michigan. Thanks to Bauer Power, who will build and install the solar panel system at Shelby High School, we are able to put more dollars into panels and benefit the school even more than originally planned. Support Bauer Power! 
www.bauerpower.com

Better World Books
Better World Books is the official bookstore for the Rothbury Music Festival. Located in the Epicenter, the bookstore will be open throughout the festival from 11am-8pm with musicians and speakers from the Think Tank stopping by for signings each day.  With over $4 million raised for literacy worldwide, nearly 160 jobs created in Mishawaka Indiana, and affordable books with free shipping on BetterWorld.com - Better World Books is the online bookstore with a soul.
www.betterworldbooks.com

Eco Products
All compostable products were provided thanks to Eco-Products, the largest manufacturer of biodegradable/compostable products in the US.
www.ecoproducts.com