Earth Week 2013 was a huge success! Here is a brief wrap-up on some of Earth Week’s highlights.
Remember! Treat every day as Earth Day!
Climate Pledge– In the weeks prior to Earth Week we began to ask faculty to make a Climate Pledge. The pledge entailed integrating climate change into classroom curriculum during Earth Week with the goal of reaching as many students as possible. The more people engage is a discussion about the climate the easier it will be to collaborate on solutions that will benefit everyone. We reached thousands of students during Earth Week. The instructors that pledged brought the discussion to 140 class sections and thousands of student during the week! This was huge success and hopefully helped plant a seed of hope and empowerment in students minds. The problems of climate change seem much more navigable when we are able to really think critically and discuss them.
Lectures and Film Series– The annual lecture and film series was full of interesting speakers and topics. From Cliff Mass, a UW Atmospheric Scientist who spoke about Northwest impacts on climate change, to our own Nancy Gonlin, who gave a talk on climate change and ancient cultures, the theme of Living in a Changing Climate was addressed from many different perspectives. The lectures were packed all week and the diversity of topics meant there was something to interest everyone.
Car Show- The car show was a hit! With the desire for emission free commuting on the rise, we set out to show the potential of driving electric. Hosting a Tesla and some Nissan Leafs provided students with the opportunity to talk with EV owners and really hear firsthand the beneficial impact this technology can have on one’s personal life as well as the planet. We also had the pleasure of hosting Gregg’s Cycles and Seattle E-Bike to help promote bike riding as a means of alternative transportation. Thanks to Zack Boucher for organizing our first electric vehicle show.
Farmer Market- The Farmer’s Market this year was a crowd favorite. Many students loved the opportunity to buy fresh baked goods, honey, produce, and flowers in between classes. Sarah Fisher put a lot of work into organizing the market, so a big thanks to her!
Art: Photography Club / Linda Thomas Exhibit- Photography Club made a trip out to the beautiful Olympic Peninsula to take pictures of the old growth forest. They displayed the artful pictures in the Fishbowl through Earth Week. Art professor Linda Thomas did an art display in C-Courtyard. This display was meant to show the impact climate has on art over the week. It consisted on 4 lines with many hand drawn sketches hanging from them.
Infographics – We decided to put up a display of different infographics pertaining to climate change. We are going to be working on developing our own Bellevue College infographic to display our metrics and the work that has been accomplished in reducing our GHG emissions.
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SG BBQ – This year the ASG decided to have their annual ASG Election BBQ during Earth Week. This came with the stipulation that the event would be zero-waste. To make the event zero-waste, items such as chips and ice cream sandwiches, which have plastic or non compostable wrappers, were replaced with fruit. All drink containers and table clothes were properly recycled and everything else was composted
Ice Sculpture– The ice sculpture is a returning feature to Earth Week, having featured one several years ago. This year seemed the perfect year to display one shaped as an Earth as our theme was “Living in a Changing Climate”. We were able to watch the globe melt as the day went on, giving a micro-example of what is happening every second at the Poles.
Rob Viens- Without Rob, Earth Week would not exist. A giant thanks to Rob Viens for another great year and another awesome Earth Week!
Capes – The ASG BBQ was a great place for Sustainability to stand out. With the ice sculpture being displayed, we wanted to make sure people knew we were present and playing an important role in the weeks events. There was no better way to accomplish the outreach we wanted than to don glorious green capes. We could be seen gallivanting around like superheroes out to save the planet. Check out Dr. David Rule, BC President, wearing a green cape! Dr. Rule is committed to sustainability and wore the cape to show it!
Haiku Contest- Here is a link to the contest page where you can read through the great haiku that were entered this year!
See all the photos.
Last Updated September 24, 2014