EarthFest hopes to help Singapore turn earth hour into every hour! On September 26, Singapore will join other nations like Australia, the United Kingdom, Denmark, New Zealand and Canada by hosting its first recurring sustainability festival: EarthFest.
The aim of the festival is show people how you can live a modern, fun lifestyle in a sustainable way. “The future is full of potential.” says volunteer EarthFest Director, Michael Broadhead. “The Singaporean government has been one of the most progressive in the world with their sustainability policies and long-term planning. EarthFest is a place where all of us can be inspired to do our parts by living a modern lifestyle in a sustainable way. Together, we can all make Singapore a country that inspires others.”
EarthFest is being created in collaboration with Marina Barrage, one of the most beautiful examples of modern sustainable architecture in the world. It’s Green Roof uses 100% recycled plastics and eco-friendly drainage cells and its Solar Park generates 76,000 kWh electricity per annum, equivalent to about 180 average households in Singapore.
“Collaborating with Marina Barrage has allowed us to really make EarthFest as sustainable as possible. For example, no air con or fans are needed as the design of the building funnels air through, keeping it comfortable. The roof also covers many of the open air spaces, so we have designed the festival’s site plan to be under this cover so EarthFest can operate rain or shine without the need for tentages. We analyze everything to see how we can design EarthFest to do more with less. Each time we reduce what is needed, we reduce the environmental footprint,” explains Michael.
EarthFest will feature a Farmer’s Market and Food Festival of more than 40 local businesses that are leading the way in sustainable business practices and corporate responsibility. Visitors will be able to discover more sustainable versions of the common products and foods they consume, while engaging directly with the business owners and supporting the local economy.
As one example, the Social Entrepreneurs with Integrity Association (SEIA) has come on board with its biodegradable and natural non-toxic cleanser, ETL No.9 All Purposes Green Formula.
“ETL No.9 has kickstarted a #nopesticidesmovement in Singapore. We believe that through loving and creative collaborations with EarthFest, we can set the trend and culture of sustainability and ‘pesticides-free’ lifestyle in Singapore and beyond,” explains Océane Yong, one of the change-makers behind the enterprise. No Singaporean event would be complete without food, and EarthFest will not disappoint! A Food Fair that features delicious new age and international foods from several highly rated restaurants in Singapore will help inspire healthier and more planet-friendly eating habits.
EarthFest is partnering with more than 10 organisations to set up fun, interactive kiosks where people can learn and be empowered to live more sustainably daily. Local entertainment is a key focus of EarthFest: local artists will perform and the theme song for EarthFest was chosen from the National Environment Agency’s Eco-Music Awards and was created by Singaporean artists.
EarthFest will have something for everyone, including families: carnival games with sustainable twists will be run by local and international school groups and Marina Barrage itself has many amenities for the family day out. Local companies and organisations will also be running various edutainment activities that give all ages a hands-on experience with sustainability issues. For those interested in more depth of sustainability topics, organisations will also be able to host talks, workshops and documentary screenings. Collaboration is key to a community-based event like EarthFest and all organisations or businesses interested in sustainability are invited to join.
EarthFest is being designed from the ground up to be as sustainable as possible by reducing waste, energy usage, and carefully choosing which businesses are allowed to participate and what the products sold are made of. “We are rethinking everything,” says Michael Broadhead, “As we plan, we track all the potential waste that could be produced and strategize how to prevent that waste from being created, or create a plan to ensure it is recycled or disposed of responsibly. We are the first festival in Singapore that will compost its organic waste and no products can contain palm oil unless it is certified sustainable.”
EarthFest also introduces economic incentives for its vendors to not create waste and is the first festival in Singapore to ban plastic bags from being given out. Its food festival will feature reusable plates and cutlery that are washed and reused during the festival and EarthFest will be one of the first festivals that is carbon offset. “We are very serious about embodying sustainability at every level,” notes the Director.
“This is a fun, positive and non-profit community festival,” Michael Broadhead emphasizes, “so anyone reading this that wants to be part of EarthFest, we welcome you. We want to impress you and make you look forward to coming back to each EarthFest. We want to inspire and empower you to make a modern and sustainable future possible. We welcome media partners, sponsors, businesses, organisations and school groups to be a part of this. Tell us what you want to do, we will try to make it happen. The more we work together, the more positive impact we can have.”
The first EarthFest premieres September 26, 2015 and free tickets are available via the official EarthFest Singapore website. You can see who is already involved and follow the development of the festival on their website: http://earthfestsingapore.com and social media.
Talking Points are available here: http://goo.gl/kBjKfX
Interviews, requests for musical performances, or other inquiries can be directed to hello@earthfestsingapore.com
A media kit is available at: http://goo.gl/Vg0wZr
Facebook: http://facebook.com/EarthFestSG
Twitter: http://twitter.com/EarthFestSG
Instagram: http://instagram.com/EarthFestSG
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