The Science of Glastonbury
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The science of the Glastonbury Festival is the unusual subject of this week's special summer edition of the Naked Scientists. Ben Valsler joins in the fun to find out what it takes to turn a farm into a city (and back again) every year, scrutinises the operation's green credentials and also hears how the organisers keep clean water flowing in, and waste flowing out, for nearly 200,000 revellers. Greenpeace, Water Aid, and even the Rap Guide to Evolution also featured at the festival, and Baba Brinkman, Paloma Faith, Josie Long and Robin Ince argue for more science on the setlist in future.
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Turning a farm into a city and then back again, is no easy feat. For the festival to run smoothly there must be adequate water, sanitation, road access, and electricity. Phil Miller speaks of the challenges of managing this succesfully and Georgie Pope takes us on a tour of the ...
The Glastonbury organisers pride themselves on doing as much possible to reduce their impact - not just on the farm itself, but on a global scale. Lucy Brooking-Clark coordinates the festival’s green initiatives...
Ben meets Mark and Lorraine - shipbuilders who used recycled plastics to produce the playship that dominates the childrens field...
Helen Heathfield explains how festivals compare with more traditional forms of entertainment when it comes to sustainability...
Will Luton explains why a festival is good place to get environmental issues across...
Melanie Tompkins explains Water Aid's role and presence at Glastonbury...
Ben Valsler chats with The Optimum Population Trust about their message at Glastonbury and for the wider world...
Michelle Osbourn from the Somerset Wildlife Trust explains how they're trying to tackle the loss of biodiversity by taking action at the local level.
Alex Gadsden tells us about his pedal-powered washing machine - how it works and what it can do.
Baba Brinkman on his own brand of hip-hop, and bringing science to the poetry and spoken word tent at Glastonbury.
Paloma Faith discusses why Glastonbury is so important for a performer and how the environmental message hits home.
Stand-up comedian Josie Long, performing in the cabaret tent, feels that politics and environmental messages have a strong root in Glastonbury.
Broadcaster and comedian Robin Ince incorporates a great deal of science into his comedy, quoting from Carl Sagan, Charles Darwin and Richard Feynman among others in his sets. I asked him if he felt that science could find a home at music festivals.
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References
We'll be talking to the Somerset Wildlife Trust about British wildlife.
If you’re interested in the wildlife around you, or want to know what species share your local area, then why not join the Open University’s iSpot online community?Related Content
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