At this halfway point between burns is good to reflect on the "leave no trace" ethos of burning man. We bourgeois bohemians are clean, brave and (ir)reverent, and we want our environmental hygiene to show it, even out in the middle of the North Nevada desert.
Thus: the subject of this post: Matter Out Of Place, or MOOP. We have all sinned against the "leave no trace ethos" at one time or another. Some of the general offenses include
1. cigarette filters
2. feathers (from wind-shredded boas)
3. bottle caps
4. glowsticks
5. grey water sludge
Of course, this creates a MAJOR pain in the ass for the people who have to pick up after us in the weeks and months after we have gone home to our boboesque enclaves (Berkeley, Sedona, Taos, etc.)
Many of us bobos are obsessed with typical bourgeois matters: keeping up appearances, competing with our neighbors, buying fancy new gadgets. Being bohemians at the same time, we also feel guilty about such obsessions. Chill bobos, it's "all good." In this case, these so-called "bourgeois" obsessions can bring "progressive" & socially responsible results!
1. No one wants to be a slob. Just think the last time you drove by a swap meet. Think of your neighbors who don't mow their lawn. The bourgeois in you says "low-class." The bohemian in you says "maybe the grass just wants to grow." But keeping your camp tidy means less MOOP in general. Don't feel like you're a "Sell-out" just because you're keeping your camp nice and clean!
2. Be "Greener-than-thou". Competition is such a "bourgeois" trip, especially where it comes to establishment values, like making more money or getting your kids into an Ivy League school. But what if you're competing to be the "greenest" camp? if you're going to look down at your neighbors, let it be for something justifiable, like them generating too much MOOP! Use the handy map from the BRC website to determine where you stand: www.burningman.com/environm..._map.html
3. Feel guilty for always trading in for a new car, for changing your computer every few weeks? The cycle of planned obselence is a vicious one, and if you're a bobo, chances are you've fallen right into it. But sometimes newer IS better. In the coming weeks, check this space to find out the tools you need to be the greenest, most functional, MOOP-free camp ever!
Suggestions for how to cut down on MOOP would be most welcome. Regards, HJ
Thus: the subject of this post: Matter Out Of Place, or MOOP. We have all sinned against the "leave no trace ethos" at one time or another. Some of the general offenses include
1. cigarette filters
2. feathers (from wind-shredded boas)
3. bottle caps
4. glowsticks
5. grey water sludge
Of course, this creates a MAJOR pain in the ass for the people who have to pick up after us in the weeks and months after we have gone home to our boboesque enclaves (Berkeley, Sedona, Taos, etc.)
Many of us bobos are obsessed with typical bourgeois matters: keeping up appearances, competing with our neighbors, buying fancy new gadgets. Being bohemians at the same time, we also feel guilty about such obsessions. Chill bobos, it's "all good." In this case, these so-called "bourgeois" obsessions can bring "progressive" & socially responsible results!
1. No one wants to be a slob. Just think the last time you drove by a swap meet. Think of your neighbors who don't mow their lawn. The bourgeois in you says "low-class." The bohemian in you says "maybe the grass just wants to grow." But keeping your camp tidy means less MOOP in general. Don't feel like you're a "Sell-out" just because you're keeping your camp nice and clean!
2. Be "Greener-than-thou". Competition is such a "bourgeois" trip, especially where it comes to establishment values, like making more money or getting your kids into an Ivy League school. But what if you're competing to be the "greenest" camp? if you're going to look down at your neighbors, let it be for something justifiable, like them generating too much MOOP! Use the handy map from the BRC website to determine where you stand: www.burningman.com/environm..._map.html
3. Feel guilty for always trading in for a new car, for changing your computer every few weeks? The cycle of planned obselence is a vicious one, and if you're a bobo, chances are you've fallen right into it. But sometimes newer IS better. In the coming weeks, check this space to find out the tools you need to be the greenest, most functional, MOOP-free camp ever!
Suggestions for how to cut down on MOOP would be most welcome. Regards, HJ
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Re: MOOP - it's not just a band on South Park
Thu, March 27, 2008 - 3:23 PM"this halfway point between burns is good to reflect on the "leave no trace"
From what I know about Burning Man, it is a struggle to put on every year because of lawsuits, and responsibility issues. So, littering is the least of the festivals problems, however I do like the idea of a leave no trace motto, and with that, make sure you take care of yourself out there, the desert can be a scary place.
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Re: MOOP - it's not just a band on South Park
Tue, April 1, 2008 - 2:09 PM"leave no trace" ethos of burning man. We bourgeois bohemians are clean, brave and (ir)reverent, and we want our environmental hygiene to show it, even out in the middle of the North Nevada desert.
Even though I am not a fellow burner, I do find the event interesting. Not only does it sound like a wild time, but is a weekend of performance and visual art. I agree with the leave no trace ethic and practice myself. In fact I usually pick up other peoples trash when ever I am out. At burning man is there an award for the greenest camp? Who crews the last clean up before everyone leaves? Well I find your topic interesting and look forward to other postings.
