Colman Ridge
Director, Greenfest

Can you give us a background on Greenfest? 

Greenfest is Australia's largest free green festival commencing on World Environment Day, Friday 5th June.  It is about fresh energy and bringing people together to accelerate culture change for a cooler planet!   Both senses of "cooler" planet are intended, we think that "cooler behavior" on planet Earth is also the precursor to a cooler climate.  We can try and pretend it's all intellectual and mystical but we know in our heart the reality of inconsistencies.  The beautiful thing about this time is that reality is coming to the fore and Greenfest celebrates that fresh thinking and energy!      

What were the highlights of Greenfest last year? 

Seeing people of all ages and cultures enjoying themselves without a sense of identity or anxiety, relaxed and happy in a bond of common hopes.  From my perspective of a twenty year career in marketing, it is refreshing beyond belief to attempt to attract people across the community to a common goal and see it work.  As you know a lot of marketing is about grooming special interests and identities which often isolate people and drive them apart, this is undoing that process and the result is something to really enjoy and drive hard.     

What plans do you have this year for Greenfest? What's going to be different?     

In 2009 we are very proud to welcome Brisbane City Council as presenting partners and their support has been essential in making the rest of the good news possible.   As a result we have stepped up the content to include fantastic music acts such as Ash Grunwald, Tame Impala, The Boat People, Kevin Borich and more for free.   We have also moved location and time, the City Botanic Gardens and commencing on World Environment Day.  If you are going express yourself in one way for the planet this year, do it on World Environment Day in the peace-fest atmosphere of concerts, speakers, innovations, organic food, workshops and more at Greenfest.   Lastly we are starting to attract the world's best in allareas, such as Australia's first confirmed appearance of the Tesla Roadster, see the full story at http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25137276-5010760,00.htm l   

How do you believe young people are tackling the environmental issues they face today?   

I think young people have it spot on, in fact their attitude ignited my inspiration for the festival reflected in the "fresh energy" theme of Greenfest.  The older you go the more there is a tendency to treat the environment as an abstract, the younger you go the more it becomes matter of fact and real.  So beyond the accelerating interest and consensus of focus you also have a key demographic at work.  Each tick of the clock hands power and decisions from the abstract to the real. Each tick of the clock brings us closer to unattractive possibilities but also into more capable hands.  This is the basis of my passion and positive excitement for the future, I have faith in humanity's finer side in tough times and am looking forward with great anticipation towards the cleaner greener world that we are going to invent together. The way forward is not standing around listening to oldies pulling on the handbrake, it's supporting emerging talent and new ideas to change the world for the better.