Anonymous — so sorry! I didn't see your comment until today. Too late to photograph the spot you were talking about.

informative post! thx! pls pls pls … on the north side of the oval, at west side, the point where the curve is about to begin, near the west end of the concrete steps, could u film that area by those gnarly old bushes… i'd like to see how they are using that space …

Enjoyed the RadioHead song. What about a song for Fake Plastic Fish, a hit worldwide.

Ugh, the green washing at that event was horrible. As my friend and I crunched over the many plastic cups, i wept inwardly at the incredible waste of it all. Incidentally, my friend, M. was allowed in with her kleen kanteen of water. Not a problem with our body searchers, apparently.

And since I didn’t eat or drink at the festival, I was able to avoid the crap as well.

Radiohead was superb. Gawd, what a band they are.

I thought I was the only one who spent an hour searching for a water fountain. Thanks for the posting…Outside Lands wasn’t as eco as I thought but at least the music was great!

Oh gosh … this post was beautiful and sad at the same time. Big public events are almost not worth going to because the waste is so depressing.

Beth, thanks so much for writing out the full frustration of trying to do the simple act of filling a water bottle at a big event. I’ve been attending events like that since I was a teenager (and I’m almost 30 now) and have always have been “eco” conscious — the water vessel of choice used to be the plastic nalgene (pre-kleen kanteen) before we new the horrors of BPA. Anyway, it’s always killed me to attend events that try to promote how much recycling and “zero” waste they have – but are selling water in plastic bottles, etc. AND it’s always extra frustrating to try to encourage others to make smart eco-choices when you are in a situation where you can’t even fill up a water bottle after trying and trying. You lucked out finding the hose the vendors are using (and a vendor nice enough to let you use it)…but we all know the thousands of people attending the event couldn’t do that if they wanted – of course if everyone demanded tap water and refused to buy bottled water then the event promoters would be forced to provide a way to get it. It’s extra frustrating to know that those putting on the event probably are applauded themselves for a job well done and for “diverting” lots of waste…it’s time things are brought to the next level.

I’ll cite one example to prove it’s possible. Last November I attended the Net Impact conference at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
Brita was a sponsor so they gave everyone a “Filter for Good” Nalgene (in our giftbags-which i know concerts don’t give out but there is still a way) and provided filtered water all over the conference to fill up your bottles with. NO plastic water bottles. Now we know (as stated above) why plastic Nalgenes are not the best choice, but they definitely saved thousands of disposable bottles over that 3 day event. Obviously every event has room for improvement and I didn’t like that they were providing juices, etc. (from other companies sponsoring the conference) in plastic bottles, but at least it was a step in the right direction. Also – while I try not to drink out of bottles that can leach BPA – I still use this one Nalgene sometimes when I’m in a bind (I just make sure I don’t put it in the dishwasher to reduce potential BPA leaching) so at least it’s STILL being used.

….Anyway, I truly applaud you for your efforts and continued persistence!

Hi Beth-

Speaking of “green washing” I’ve been witness to scandle at Rainbow Grocery over the weekend… I saw one of the workers dumping individualy plastic wrapped bags of cherries into the “bulk” bin of cherries. And then the ironic thing is that people then take another plastic bag to fill up the quantity of cherries that they want. Seriously it would just be better for them to just leave them in the original plastic bags in the first place! I was so horrified I couldn’t speak… And here I was thinking I was being a good citizen by filling up my re-usable chico bag with cherries from the “bulk” bin. It’s a constant battle… It wears me out. It wears me out. :(

Beth, I just want to say that your efforts and your observations, along with your fortitude and your politeness (in your letters) are inspiring to me. I am making changes, one by one, many of them inspired by you. Thanks. Maya

As I read this post I felt as if I was at the festival with you because you are such a good writer. But that means I was pissed before I even got through the imaginary gate because I had to pour out my Berkeley tap water, from my own kitchen, which I brought with me so I wouldn’t have to pay big bucks for it at the show, because some dipstick told me I had to do it or else I couldn’t go thru the imaginary gate. That just gives me cramps! Do you think Radiohead knows how its fans are being treated? Do you think Radiohead would care if it knew? Do you think entertainers would boycott playing live shows that ripped off their fans who already paid big bucks just to get thru a silly gate?
I am so pissed! and I don’t even care about Radiohead.

One thing that really burns my toast is when they make you dump out a water bottle to go into a concert or sports event and when you get in they want to charde upwards of $4 for a bottle of water- I think it is asinine for public officials to charge for water and at $4 I should say “gouge the public” for water
Way to go Beth

I’m pretty sure that (on this side of the pond), anywhere that sells food is legally obliged to provide tap water free of charge. It’s a fact I have put to use many a time when I go to restaurants (student!)

I can’t wait to read your letter either Beth, be sure to post it. The problem of recycling plastic is what it gets ‘recycled’ into.

Usually it is a lesser quality product, toothbrushes, clothing etc and so it eventually ends up in landfill.

Abstinence from plastic is the only answer!

Interesting story for all fishies…

“Prices for high quality plastics such as high-density polyethelenes (HDP) have more than doubled to between 200 and 300 pounds ($370-560) per tonne, from just above 100 pounds a year ago, according to experts in the waste industry.

With this in mind, leaders of the world’s waste management industry are planning to come together in London in October for what is being billed as the first ‘global landfill mining’ conference”

Full story at https://uk.reuters.com/article/lifestyle-waste-landfill-dc-idUKLJ40413520080826

With the hose water…I’ve heard we should never drink water from a hose because of the lead from hoses. Is that totally fake, or is it something you don’t know/don’t worry about?

Oy! As I was looking at the concert pictures I thought “Sweet, I hope that totally made up for the hour search for water” then you just had to go and end on that plastic note :( What a bummer.

I’ve been volunteering at the DNC and their goal is 85% “resource recovery”. They got vendors to go with corn based containers and utensils, we recycled our asses off, picked through half eaten food and just when we were feeling good….the volunteers were served their lunches in huge #7 containers which are not recyclable here. Son of a….

Thanks for doing what you do. I literally think of you every time I see a piece of plastic.

PS – I reaaaaaaaaaaally would have liked to see Manu Chao and Ben Harper but the prohibitive cost of the tickets (I anticipated the bullshit about water from the website), the no re-entry policy — just made it not worth it for me. If I can’t bring my picnic and a bottle of water to an all day concert of 80K people in a park – not worth it.

First, I would like to challenge you to all give up the idea that “water could contain LSD or ecstasy” — those are far more easily carried in tablet or pill form.

A business card in your wallet could have enough acide for you and all your friends for the entire weekend — they don’t make you pull paper out of your wallet, do they?

Water is a commodity — it is now something that airports and concert venues have realized can earn a HUGE overhead. Hence the response from the official-looking guy — “We have no intention of providing free water to everyone at this festival. I don’t know why you’d think that.”

To me – that is bullshit. New Orleans JazzFest provides city water in taps and fountains all around the grounds to 100K and more people for every day of the 7 days of festival. You know what? That doesn’t cut into the vendors’ take at all. They are still making a LOT of money.

Airports and concerts need to give up the asinine and transparent pretexts about possible contaminants in water. All they have to do is say “can you drink for 5 seconds without stopping?” — take a big swig of what you have in your bottle or throw it out. If it has drugs or explosives, you clearly won’t drink it.

People, please stand up to these stupid regulations that have nothing to do with public safety and everything to do with making a buck.

Providing free tap water is a basic right and only civil. ARRRGH!

I’m SO jealous that you got to see Radiohead! I love them!! Please do write a letter to the organizers about eh water issue. I’d love to see what they have to say for themselves.

Oh and forgot to say I just finished reading some back e-mails from Ideal Bites and was reading the one about water filters and was thinking “this sounds like Beth Terry” and then at the bottom “tip submitted by Beth Terry.” :)

I think it’s so cool that Radiohead is making there concerts greener. My brother loves them and went to a concert and he got a organic cotton and recycled plastic shirt while he was there.

I think recyclable plastic is of course better than something that will go to the landfill but it is of course best to have neither. It’s sad how hard it is to do that. I envy you! lol

That picture of the public fountain fenced off says it all. In letter-writing mode, I would check with the city and see if it is legal for a private party to deliberately prevent public assess to public water in a public park.

It’s amazing how the concept of “free water” is so outrageous to some people (i.e. the uniformed dude). Everything is about making money. Ugh.

Beany: You clearly don’t go to that many shows. They never let water in. It’s just how things are. It’s more than alcohol: water could have LSD or ecstasy or any number of things other than water or cocktail in it. If I were a guard, I would never drink somebody elses water or vice versa. Who knows what kind of germs they have (herpes, anybody)

Oh, look at that ecodreamboat filling up his water bottle. I go to Bonnaroo in TN every year. It too bills itself as green. I don’t get all the plastic crap they constantly hand out: plastic ponchos, plastic buttons, things in plastic bags, CDs nobody wants, the list goes on and on.

The organizers’ attitude really ticked me off. Of course I’m against being searched on principle, but then emptying water? Why don’t the guard just drink it to see for themselves? Afterall you forked over $85 to get in. I’m so impressed you stuck to your values.

I had a similar problem at the Pitchfork music festival in Chicago… The issue then, though, was that they were serving beer in those compostable cups, but it wasn’t clear where one could actually compost them.

Uggg! I’m always amazed by things being billed “eco” and then stuffed with disposables and worse yet, “recyclable plastic.”

You are right on target when you call this an “‘eco’ scheme.’ I am so sick of the word “green” and so frustrated with people who think that recycling plastic is the answer.
Ellen

Alas, people just don’t get it.

I can’t wait to read the letter. You’re going to send a letter right?!? And maybe even a letter to the editor.

Ah – the world we live in! I applaud you sticking to your principles. Beth Terry rules!