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Mission
Mission
The RAT is an international, all-volunteer participatory community group. We educate and mentor artists and others to abandon the use of fossil-fuel-burning generators to power their installations.
We help people with little or no knowledge about renewable energy systems suitable for use in Black Rock City and the world.
Introduction
Introduction
Doug Hanson "Radio" at Spacecats Final Landing
The Problem
The Problem
Thousands of electric generators that burn gasoline and diesel fuels are used each year at Burning Man. While they have provided the electricity needed to power Black Rock City the generators produce noise, odor, harmful air pollution and greenhouse gases. Also, generator operations can cause hazardous liquid spills on to the playa that require expensive cleanup. And, the generators are a health and safety hazard because they emit air pollutants including carbon monoxide that can cause adverse health effects and even death.*
The Solution
The Solution
The Renewables for Artists Team (RAT) was formed to assist artists to move away from having to use generators to power their art installations and helps artists who have no or little knowledge about renewable power systems that are suitable for use at Black Rock City and the world.
Strategy
Strategy
The RAT is comprised of individuals who are concerned about the detrimental human and environmental effects the electric generators produce at Black Rock City. Their collective vision is a hands-on approach to moving Black Rock City towards using renewable energy sources as much as possible that will have a real and quantifiable impact on reducing noise, odor, harmful air pollution and greenhouse gases.
Tactics
Tactics
The RAT's Technical Advisors provide hands-on education and mentoring to artists who want to transition from powering their art installations with generators to renewable power systems. The RAT assists artists with:
Completing an installation electrical load analysis or electrical inventory
Designing the system
Providing advice about the acquisition of system components
Troubleshooting the systems on the playa
Call for Artists
Call for Artists
The Renewables for Artists Team is Looking for Artists to Mentor for Black Rock City 2025
The Renewables for Artists Team is Looking for Artists to Mentor for Black Rock City 2025
“Tomorrow Today”
“Tomorrow Today”
If you are interested in working with the RAT please see the information about our 2025 Targeted Guidance Mentoring Program
In addition, the RAT is also looking for new members to mentor and assist artists with transitioning from generators to renewable energy to power their art installations. If you are interested in the RAT’s mentorship program please see the RAT Membership Information
Have you wondered if your BRC or regional camp/Village/HUBS or art installation can transition from fossil fuels to solar? Then meet the Renewables for Artists Team - RAT. Bruce Cooper and Ken Rehor from the team share about how RAT has helped dozens of artists on playa exchange their generators for renewable power. The same concepts can be used in camps, art cars and art installations. Learn how you can transition from generator to renewable solar. Learn how you can help RAT with this excellent project.
Set in Black Rock City 2022, this latest project from the International Wood Culture Society delves into sustainability initiatives in BRC — from Burning Man Project and from a variety of theme camps, artists, and participant groups. Through a series of interviews, “Tales of Dreamers” tells the story of how sustainability projects are coming to life in diverse and innovative ways, and highlights some of the technology being used to make it all happen.
The Burning Man Project aspires to power the infrastructure and art of Black Rock City via energy from the sun by 2030. Organizations, camps, and artists are heeding this call, engaging Black Rock City and neighboring communities as a testing-ground to research and develop ways to harness and utilize solar power, not only during the annual event on playa, but throughout the rest of the year. As they learn to power The Man, The Temple, camps and MORE, emerging systems, networks, and best practices mark this endeavor to make Black Rock City a carbon-neutral model for future civilization.
The RAT thanks Terence Pratt and the Profiles In Dust media team for producing this important documentary.
Partners
Partners
Burning Man Hive is a space for the Burning Man community and the Burner-curious to share their skills and knowledge, to learn from one another, and to support each other’s work in the world.
Built by Solarians The Solar Library helps small art in Black Rock City convert to solar by providing sculptural solar panels for battery charging.
A Burning Man community practicing zero carbon renewable power generation since 2000!
Burner Leadership Achieving Sustainable Theme Camps
BLAST is a green camp rating system that offers a framework for energy and resource efficient, environmentally conscientious, and regenerative theme camps. We provide an incentive to “Green Your Burn,” awarding camps and their members for successful sustainability efforts.
Burning Man Project Sustainability
The nonprofit Burning Man Project and the global Burning Man community are working to make the Burning Man event in Black Rock City more ecologically sustainable. This web page summarizes sustainability efforts.
Black Rock Labs has been created to help bring Ideas and experience together to become scalable solutions for energy, habitat, water, food, creative reuse, infrastructure, transportation, communications, ecology, and all facets of living and experience that is Burning Man.
We think it’s wild that the world isn’t already running on free, abundant energy provided by the sun. To change that, we created SOLARPUNKS — an interdisciplinary ecosystem designed to help creative industries transition to renewable energy.
Burning Man Generators and Electrical Systems
This group is for discussion of everything that creates or delivers electricity at the Burning Man event. It is focused on theme camp organizers but smaller personal questions will be answered as you are the future large camp leaders.
Fossil fuels burning generators produce emissions including criteria air pollutants that harm human health and greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
Burning gasoline and diesel fuels creates harmful by products like carbon monoxide that can cause serious injury and death to Black Rock City participants, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons, benzene, and formaldehyde - all direct human health hazards.
In addition, generators emit greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, and methane and nitrous oxide in lesser amounts. Global warming has caused the worldwide and regional climates to change resulting in potential adverse effects to the environment, human health, and safety.
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