Earth Week: One Big Celebration

The week of April 17-22 was one of special importance to the green at heart, and UGA was certainly no exception. Months of planning by organizations such as Students for Environmental Action, Go Green Alliance, and the Office of Sustainability provided numerous opportunities for students to come out and celebrate the Earth. Each day of the week focused on a specific environmental issue and had corresponding events on campus.

Monday kicked off the week’s festivities by addressing conservation. Students were encouraged to stop by East Campus and investigate the mysterious sheep herding and privet removal projects. The evening featured a screening of “Tapped,” a documentary confronting the bottled water industry and its associated social, environmental, and economic impacts on society. Afterward, a group of ever-hungry college students gathered around a bonfire for s’mores, scary stories, and further eco-bonding.

Tuesday continued on a similar vein by highlighting consumption with a waste audit of the MLC. The numbers this year were a staggering improvement with a near 500 lb reduction in trash, and almost 50% increased recycling! One can’t help but wonder if this was a result of the new strategically placed recycling bins...That evening, amazing local restaurants such as Farm 255, Last Resort, and Five &Ten donated delicious food for a “no-waste dinner” where students brought their own eating utensils and enjoyed an informative panel discussion on sustainable food.

Wednesday’s theme of transportation featured the main on-campus event with “Car-free Day” and tabling of environmental groups such as Take Back the Tap, Dawgs Ditch the Dumpster, and Real Food UGA. Students were encouraged to carpool, walk, or bike to campus that day and check-in with the Office of Sustainability to get free pizza, soda, and enter prize drawings. Free bike tune-ups by The Hub and Sunshine Cycles were a special Earth Week treat for those who biked as well.

Thursday’s focus was energy, which is currently a major issue not only for UGA, but for the nation as a whole. Tours were given of UGA’s own Central Steam Plant throughout the day thanks to the Physical Plant and UGA Beyond Coal. Students were encouraged to think about the types of energy they wished to see on campus and worldwide in the future.

Kalle Cubitt, Blog Author

Finally, the long-awaited Earth Day arrived on Friday and the excitement was palpable despite the poor turn in weather. Justin Gillis, a UGA alum and NY Times Environmental Science and Policy Reporter, gave a very interesting and informative lecture in the chapel on the hot topic of global climate change. Audience members were formally given the chance to ask questions after his talk, but Mr. Gillis proved his passion by staying on stage to further address students’ concerns even after the allotted time had expired.

Earth Week seemed to come and go in a flash, but if this week proved anything, it’s that the UGA community’s enthusiasm for environmental awareness is sure to remain for years to come.