A Greener Burning Man

For years, Burning Man organizers have espoused a mission to "leave no trace." And many participants say that goal has, in fact, made their conscientiousness about cleaning up after themselves continue after returning from northern Nevada's Black Rock Desert, where Burning Man is held late each summer.

Even as that philosophy has spread to the more than 80 Burning Man-esque regional events around the country and the world, however, the event has been seen by some as a poster child for hypocrisy. Creating hundreds of pieces of fire art that spew smoke and ashes into the desert air, and bringing millions of dollars worth of food and drink in non-recyclable packaging, participants have hardly been leaving no trace.

Last year, however, a group calling itself Cooling Man, decided to raise the money to buy carbon offsets for the environmental impact of the burning of "The Man," the wooden effigy that serves as Burning Man's central art piece and is immolated near the end of the event each year.