EcoHusky's first annual "Green Week," beginning today and ending Friday, will promote awareness of environmental issues and encourage students to conserve energy.
Brittany Larsen, a 7th-semester pharmacy major and one of the co-directors of the event, said that another purpose of Green Week is to promote the Presidential Climate Commitment, or PCC. The PCC is an agreement made by various university presidents, including UConn president Michael Hogan, to reduce global warming emissions at their colleges and integrate sustainability into the classrooms. UConn has a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Each day of Green Week will focus on a particular theme: energy conservation, recycling, wildlife conservation, water conservation and sustainable living.
Monday's theme will be energy conservation. During the day, a demonstration will be given on a remote control fuel cell car provided by the depot campus and on compact fluorescent lightbulbs, or CFLs, which will be given away on Fairfield Way. According to the Energy Star Web site, Energy Star qualified CFLs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.
At night, a star-gazing event will be held at the Planetarium and a tour will be given of one of the Biofuel labs, where Professor Richard Parnas will explain how biofuel works and how UConn has been using it. The fuel, for example, is used in all of the campus shuttles.Those interested in the tour should meet in front of the Chemical Engineering office in room 204.
On Tuesday, Recycling Day, there will be an event titled "Caught Green-handed," where EcoHusky members will walk around campus and give prizes to students they see recycling. During "Man the Can," another event on Tuesday, EcoHusky will monitor what goes into the garbage pails and recycling bins.
"The purpose of this event will be to educate students about what can be recycled," said Alysse Lembo, a 7th-semester natural resources management and engineering major and co-president of EcoHusky.
The group will also go "trash can diving" in the Northwest and North dormitories to find recyclable materials.
Wednesday's theme will be wildlife conservation. During the day, a greenhouse tour will be given. The movie "Fern Gully," an animated feature about rainforest preservation, will be shown at 7 p.m., followed by a panel discussion featuring professors from the ecology and evolutionary biology and natural resources management and engineering departments.
Thursday's theme is water conservation. A tap vs.bottled water taste test will be set up in the Student Union, and aerators will be installed in dormitory faucets to reduce the water flow. Students will be encouraged to conserve water by not taking showers on this day, deemed "No Shower Day."
"We thought this would be a good way to get people to notice the issue," Larsen said.
The last day of Green Week is Sustainable Living Day. On this day, tours will be given of the EcoGarden. The EcoGarden club produces some of the produce that is served in the dining halls on campus. The documentary "Garbage Warriors" will be shown at night and EcoHusky will feature displays about sustainable living at Late Night.
The Green Week event will fill a seasonal void for EcoHusky, which hosts most of its major events in the spring, Lembo said.
Be the first to comment on this article!