Sustainability Comes Alive During UC San Diego’s Earth Week Celebration April 16-20

Photo-Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Publications

Students, staff and faculty at the University of California, San Diego will pay homage to Mother Earth during the university’s annual Earth Week celebration April 16-20. This year’s theme, “A Better More Sustainable U,” will be recognized with tree planting, sustainability awards show, e-waste collection, a special film screening and more. As part of the 2012 celebration, students will commit to make sustainable choices in their daily life––not just during Earth Week, but for the entire year through the “Own Your Own Impact” campaign.

“This year’s Earth Week is a testament to the passion and dedication of UC San Diego students, staff, and faculty for creating a more sustainable world,” said Kristin Hansen, sustainability analyst at UC San Diego. “Many of the week’s events are student-led. Our university’s commitment to sustainability has been possible because of our campus’s collaborative spirit and because of the initiative of our students.

The Earth Week 2012 celebration at UC San Diego includes:

• Thursday, April 12, Geared Up––Leading up to Earth Week, UC San Diego’s student organization “Geared Up” will visit the Preuss School UCSD at 2:30 p.m. to donate used sportswear to young Tritons. The Preuss School UCSD.

2012 RecycleMania Tournament

The 2012 RecycleMania Tournament wrapped up March 31 with UC San Diego recycling more than 400,000 pounds of paper, cardboard, bottles and cans during the 8-week competition. UC San Diego's cumulative greenhouse gas reductions were approximately 305 metric tons of CO2 equivalent—that’s equivalent to 162 cars off the road or the energy consumption of 80 households. The official final results of the competition will be posted April 13.

• Monday, April 16, John Muir Week Kickoff Fair––From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., John Muir College will celebrate sustainability with resource tables featuring information on how to be more green, and on the history of Muir College and the legacy of its namesake, John Muir, famed environmentalist, nature writer and founder of the Sierra Club. John Muir College.
• Monday, April 16 through Thursday April 18, E-Waste Event––Everyone is encouraged to bring old computers, stereos and cell phones to the corner of Rupertus Lane and Russell Lane between the Student Services Center and the Music Building. The e-waste will be reused, refurbished or recycled. Rupertus Lane and Russell Lane.
• Tuesday, April 17, “The Revolutionary Optimists,” Film Premier––The film, beginning at 8 p.m., follows Amlan Ganguly, a lawyer turned social entrepreneur who has made a significant impact in Calcutta by empowering children to improve their environment. The Loft.
• Wednesday, April 18, Gardening Gone Wild––At 1 p.m., join a discussion about where to find local foods in our community, opportunities for getting involved in campus gardening efforts, and the opportunities and benefits community gardens offer. The Zone.
• Thursday, April 19, Tree Planting––From 9 to 11:30 a.m., students will plant trees to help the environment. Oxygen released by urban forests is one of America’s first lines of defense against adverse climate change. West side of Revelle College Administration Building (near “Stonehenge”).
• Friday, April 20, Sustainability Awards––Beginning at 3 p.m., the Advisory Committee on Sustainability will recognize individuals and groups that have made the UC San Diego campus more sustainable. The Loft.

UC San Diego was listed third in Sierra Magazine’s 2011 “Coolest Schools” report and received an A- grade in the Sustainable Endowment Institute’s “Sustainability Report Card.” In addition, UC San Diego was named the first college in California to earn a “gold” sustainability-performance rating in the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) survey.

For more information on Earth Week events, go to http://earthweek.ucsd.edu/index.html. For more information on sustainability efforts at UC San Diego, go to http://sustainability.ucsd.edu/.