Campus Sustainability Day
Wednesday, October 26th is Campus Sustainability Day! In its honor, there are several events taking place at Cofc that you will want to check out!
First, from 10:00am to 2:00pm the Office of Sustainability will have a table set up in the Cougar Mall. People are encouraged to talk to the Office representatives and ask questions about sustainability, in addition to digitally signing a Sustainability Pledge. There will also be a chalkboard that people can write a word they associate with sustainability, in which the collections of words will be turned into a word cloud that will be posted on the Office’s website!
The second event is the inaugural installment of the “Greenbag” Lunch Series that will be held from 12:00pm to 1:30pm in the Alumni Hall in the School of Education, Health and Human Performance on the corner of St. Philip and Wentworth (86 Wentworth Street). The entire series focuses on sustainability issues and discussions around different topics where guest speakers/panelists will be invited to talk about their interests in sustainability. This week’s lunch is a “Meet the Director” themed discussion and open forum about sustainability at CofC, the Office’s vision for the future and to voice questions to the Director, Dr. P. Brian Fisher. Drinks and snacks will be provided, but bagged lunches are encouraged!
The third and final event is a film screening hosted by Green CofC of “Earth Days” held in Maybank 100 from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. “Earth Days” presents a history of the environmental movement in the United States over the last century and some of the key concepts of sustainability. It features important figures in the movement, such as Denis Hayes, organizer of the first Earth Day in 1970, and Stewart Udall, President Kennedy’s Secretary of the Interior. It is a thought provoking and truly inspiring film that both teaches where the movement went wrong in the past, and motivates people to pick up where others have left off. Food will be provided and it’s a great way to build knowledge about sustainability!
“Earth Days” on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1230130/
View the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwRNj0Op61I
Sustainability is a complex idea that brings together many different aspects of human life today. Don’t be intimidated by this! There are many ways every person can make simple life changes that can lead to a larger overall movement. Try eating three entire vegetable based meals a week, or walking to work, or cleaning with baking soda instead of harsh cleaners. These actions may seem insignificant now, but once they become part of a daily routine, it’s amazing what other small life changes a person can make without even realizing it. Turning lights off in an empty room, reducing the amount of trash a person throws away, and other easy changes all can lead to a bunch a people doing the same changes. This is how a movement is started and every person can and needs to be a part of it. These events on Wednesday are great ways to gain knowledge about sustainability and meet others who are just as motivated to be part of the movement!