Environmental trek to Burning Man; the law on loud cars

Beyond the love-fest, drug-fest, art-fest that is Burning Man, the giant party in the Nevada desert is also a study in sustainable and eco-friendly transportation -- at least that's what some devotees tell me. Who knew running around half-naked in 102-degree heat could be part of something good for the environment?

As you read this column and wrap your head around another work week, about 48,000 people, including many from Santa Cruz County, have taken time off to trek to Black Rock Desert, 120 miles north of Reno, to join in the weeklong Burning Man festival, which culminates at the end of the week with the torching a large wooden man.

Maybe you saw some so-called "Burners" on the highways over the weekend. Their brightly colored, fur-covered convertibles, hybrids and clunkers are hard to miss, even at 70 mph.

A group of San Francisco-based Burning Man acolytes explained to Street Smarts that getting to and from the desert is where the focus of environmental stewardship for the annual celebration begins.

This particular group of 30 split up and piled into five or six cars to save money on fuel and cut down on the number of vehicles spitting out fossil fuels as they caravanned to their spot in the desert. Read more at Mercury News.