Since 1970, April 22 has been internationally recognized as a day of contemplation, action, and celebration of the planet that sustains us all. This year at Rensselaer, Earth Day observation will be taken to the next level and expanded into a week-long event. Headed by Ecologic, numerous events will give everyone a chance to get involved at many different levels, from staying out all night in solidarity of environmental action to simply grabbing an organic beer at the Rensselaer Union. Here’s an overview of what will be happening:
Camp ’86
This 24-hour camping experience will be a visible presence for support of Earth Day. Come ready for pick-up frisbee and volleyball, open mics and drum circles, and the first ever “Hippie Olympics,” featuring the best of hackysack juggling and handstand artistry. Bring your tent and camp out!
Global Greening
An expo featuring presentations and displays of everything green happening on campus. Come and see what is being done at RPI to help the environment. Or, better yet, bring your poster or ideas to share!
Green Drinks
Although the drinks won’t actually be green, the Clubhouse Pub will be the venue for this sustainable happy hour, featuring a variety of local, organic microbrews. There will also be non-alcoholic green drinks served at the same time in the Environmental Education Center in the Games Room of the Union.
Face the Waste
For those of you who somehow missed the giant plastic cubes last year, here’s your second chance. Face the Waste is back and better than ever, so be ready to answer trivia, win some prizes, and face your waste!
Earth Fest
A festival of all sorts, with plenty of food, music, and eco-activities to make this the headliner of Earthweek. A culmination of all the week-long events, it is the perfect chance to get outside and just have some fun.
Additional weekend events include an Earthweek hike, a trip to the Troy Farmer’s Market, and the campus-wide Sustainability Charrette, an all-night event in which all students, staff, faculty, and administration members will work to develop avenues for the implementation of sustainability at our university (http://www.rpi.edu/about/sustainability/).This is an exciting year to get involved, so even if you have never participated in an Earth Day event before, there has never been a better time to come check one out. For details on the different events and a calender of dates and times, visit http://ecologic.union.rpi.edu/wiki/Earth_week/
Editor’s Note: “Sustainability: Inside Scoop” and “Sustainability: Outside Scoop” are columns granted to the Student Sustainability Task Force by the Editorial Board to discuss issues of sustainability on the Rensselaer campus and around the nation.
