Bonneville Environmental Foundation Works with Second Annual
Virgin Festival By Virgin Mobile
in Commitment to Maryland Solar Schools Initiative
Working to Offset Carbon Dioxide Emissions for its August 4-5 Event,
Music Festival Teams with Local Companies and Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Matching Additional Contributions in Support of
the Maryland Clean Energy Schools Program
Baltimore, Md. (August 1, 2007) - This year’s Virgin Festival By Virgin Mobile has incorporated the highest standards of sustainability to reduce impacts on the environment in order to deliver a “near zero waste” music experience to festival attendees.
Among the event’s many sustainable strategies, Virgin Festival By Virgin Mobile is working locally when possible including a contribution towards the development of new renewable energy resources located in Maryland. Through a partnership with the non-profit Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) and its national Solar4RSchools program, Virgin Festival By Virgin Mobile has committed resources towards supporting the recently launched Maryland Clean Energy Schools Program.
Maryland’s Clean Energy Schools Program is a new initiative of the Maryland Energy Administration, seeking to install a solar or other clean energy demonstration project at a school in every county in the State within the next year.
Projects will be designed to offer students the opportunity to learn about clean, renewable energy first-hand while offering schools experience with technologies as it develops a long-term strategy towards the deployment of renewable energy.
“Virgin Mobile USA is proud to be making contributions towards a meaningful environmental legacy and giving back to this region,” said Ariel Rosen, director of pro-social initiatives for Virgin Mobile USA. “It is our hope to set an example and foster the continued development of renewable energy in Maryland.”
In addition to partnering in support of the Maryland renewable energy program, Virgin Mobile USA, on behalf of Virgin Festival By Virgin Mobile has purchased Green Tags from BEF in order to offset the carbon dioxide impacts of event activities. Offsets will be sourced from clean renewable energy (such as wind and solar power) and will cover the emissions from the event’s biodiesel generators and the Festival staff and performer travel.
“Virgin Mobile USA thanks Bonneville Environmental Foundation for providing the offsets to make this a more carbon-neutral event and for identifying the opportunity to support projects locally in Maryland,” added Rosen.
About Virgin Festival By Virgin Mobile
2007 is the second year of the music festival held at the historic Pimlico Race Course® located in Baltimore, MD. This year’s featured musicians on August 4-5 include The Police, The Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, Interpol, 311 and many others. The Festival is hosted by Virgin Mobile USA, Virgin USA and concert producer I.M.P., each encouraging and enabling Virgin Festival attendees to "green it like they mean it."
Green initiatives planned at Virgin Festival By Virgin Mobile include:
- Best efforts to eliminate trash
- Food and food service items composted locally
- Waste reclamation Stations
- Recycled paper use
- Use of biofuels
- Green power for plug-ins
- Carbon-offsetting for impacts that cannot be reduced
- Eco-friendly building materials
- Encouraging public transportation and carpooling for attendees
- Sustainability education for attendees
About Bonneville Environmental Foundation
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), a non-profit organization, was established in 1998 to restore watershed ecosystems and further the development and use of new renewable energy resources. Through revenues generated from the sale of green power products, BEF funds projects that restore damaged watersheds and support new renewable energy projects from solar, wind and biomass. Revenues generated from its sales of Green Tags directly support additional new watershed restoration and renewable energy projects such as the national Solar4RSchools program. More information is available on the web at www.greentagsusa.org and www.solar4rschools.org.
