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Campus to Celebrate Earth Week with Challenge of “Choosing to Change”
Pat Jacoby | April 14, 2008
It isn’t easy being green, according to Kermit, but UC San Diego students and staff are proving the well-known frog wrong with a palette of green activities amassed into Earth Week April 20 to 26.
“This year’s theme, ‘Choose to Change,’ illustrates how people can select from a number of alternatives that make it easy for them to contribute to helping the environment,” said Maggie Souder, campus sustainability coordinator.
UC San Diego’s Earth Week celebration this year is concurrent with the 40th anniversary of John Muir College, and many events are jointly sponsored.
One highlight of Earth Week events is a Clean Car Show scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 22 on Warren Mall. The event will feature an electric “Mega Truck,” one of only two in existence in the U.S., and a smart car aptly called “Gidget.”
Other April 22 activities include a “Garbage Sort” demonstrating how much ordinary trash contains recycled items. From more than 1,000 pounds of trash collected from the nearby Price Center, students will sort out the recyclables on huge tarps set out in the Price Center Plaza. The weekly Farmer’s Market will continue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Library Walk, and an “eco fair” will be held by student organizations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Warren Mall to highlight their green contributions.
Eleven winners of Campus Sustainability Awards will be recognized by Chancellor Marye Anne Fox at a special ceremony at 4 p.m. April 22 at Eucalyptus Point, Room B, during which Fox will note the winners work, across disciplines, to come up with innovative solutions for pressing environmental challenges.
April 23 activities begin with a tree planting to be held from 8:30 to 11 .am. at the intersection of Hopkins and Voigt Dr., followed by an Eco Job Fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Career Services Center. The purpose of the Eco Job Fair is to bring together socially and environmentally conscious business organizations with students who want to apply their skills and enthusiasm in the sustainability arena.
The arts and the environment will be celebrated with two special events in the Price Center Theater on April 23. “VidFest” will feature original video projects of 10 minutes or less produced by UC San Diego students that demonstrate imagination and raise awareness of environmental and sustainability issues. The public screening will run from 4 to 8 p.m. Meanwhile, in the foyer of the Price Center Theater, an exhibition of environmentally-themed art by students and staff will be on display. An organic reception honoring the artists, filmmakers and researchers will follow.
At noon on April 24, Earth Week participants will join John Muir College in the continuance of its 40th anniversary activities at a “Choose to Change” lunch featuring guest speaker Matt St. Clair, sustainability manager for the UC system. St. Clair will discuss efforts UC students are making to achieve a more sustainable world.
This anniversary event also features a daylong series of presentations and workshops on the Muir campus. A panel discussion by Gary Matthews, vice chancellor of Resource Management and Planning; Jim Ruby, Campus Fleet manager, and Steve Casad, Dining Services director, will detail the new initiatives being undertaken to make the campus more environmentally friendly and sustainable. The day will culminate with a series of student workshops suggesting ways to get involved in promoting environmental responsibility.
And one of those individual ways will be illustrated with a 7:30 a.m.“bicycle breakfast” April 24 at the Gilman Information Booth honoring those who bike to campus.
The week will end with the traditional Muirstock Concert and Festival to be held from 4 to 11 p.m. on April 25 on the Muir College campus.
Nightly organic dinners will be served throughout the week at different campus eating establishments, and 1,000 reusable bags will be given to participants during the week to promote sustainability.
For more information about UC San Diego’s Earth Week activities please visit: http://earthweek.ucsd.edu. For more information about green practices and other sustainability efforts at UCSD, visit http://sustain.ucsd.edu.
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