“Living in a Changing Climate” Earth Week 2013!

The theme for this year is “Living in a Changing Climate”, giving the SSA, Science Division and the Office of Sustainability a flexible and pressing issue on which to base this year’s events. With a changing world, both environmentally and politically, it is the perfect framework on which to communicate the complicated issues we will face over the course of our lives, while hopefully providing solutions that will create a culture of hope and awareness moving forward. Earth Week is a time in which the entire campus engages in a conversation about the environment. To help that conversation along, we work to provide engaging events to help spark interest and create the dialogue needed to find solutions. Earth Week kicks off on Monday, April 22 with an exciting look at electric vehicles. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. an EV car and bike show will take place in the central courtyard, featuring plug-in electric vehicles from companies such as Tesla and Nissan. At 9:30 a.m., local weather guru and University of Washington professor Cliff Mass will present an informative talk about the impacts of global warming on the Northwest. Other events include:

• Lectures throughout the week featuring Bellevue College instructors and speakers from the Sierra Club, NOAA, Microsoft, T-Mobile and other organizations.
• Comedian Yoram Bauman, known as the “Stand-up Economist,” will perform a routine on economics and climate change, Thursday, April 25 at 9:30 a.m.
• Showings of several films about environmental issues, including “Chasing Ice” and “Climate Refugees”
• The fourth-annual BC Farmer’s Market on Tuesday, April 23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring a small number of vendors selling organic fruits, vegetables, honey and dairy products

Volunteers Needed for Earth Week!

BC’s annual Earth Week celebrations are quickly approaching! To make our events run smoothly, Sustainability depends on the assistance of students like you! If you’re free during Earth Week, here are some opportunities on how to help out! Contact Alvin at ssapres@bellevuecollege.edu

Climate Teach-In Challenge 

This Earth Week we are asking all faculty to pledge to teach climate change in some way, big or small. We have a goal of reaching 500 sections and thousands of students during Earth Week; April 22nd to 26th. If you’re the first to convince your professor to take the pledge, you can earn a $5 café card – while supplies last! All you have to do is get you teacher to make the pledge here, and then email us by April 22nd at sustainability@bellevuecollege.edu with proof it was you who got your teacher to commit. Proof could be an email correspondence or a written note. We will review and confirm with pickup instructions by email. This is a great chance for you to engage with faculty to help create a conversation around climate change!

Earth Week Haiku Contest