Today marks the 40th observation of Earth Day, an annual celebration of the earth and organized effort to protect the world’s diverse natural resources.
This year, the College of Education and Human Development is partnering with students from the Environmental Issues Committee and sponsoring an on-campus informational festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the base of Harrington Tower.
Mary Strauss, the sustainability programs coordinator for the City of Bryan, said the goal of Earth Day is to help students become aware of ways they can get involved with environmental causes.
“Become a part of the solution,” she said. “Be the change you wish to see in the world, as they say.”
Organizations and businesses will be setting up informational booths and handing out free products, including reusable water bottles and shopping bags, to promote sustainable living. The Brazos Valley Farmers’ Market will sell fresh produce at the event.
Fabiola Molina, co-chairwoman of the committee and a junior biomedical sciences major, said students not only have fun at the event, but walk away with greater awareness of the significance of Earth Day and a deeper appreciation for the environment.
“The amount of change I have seen on this campus in the three years I have been here has been incredible, but I still believe there is room for improvement,” she said.
Kelly Wellman, of A&M’s Sustainability Office, said there is overlap among different environmental groups, and the first step to improved sustainability is becoming aware of what resources are available.
For instance, Strauss works to create biweekly online news show for http://BeGreenInBryan.com, which features various “go green” organizations in the community. Students may be surprised by the different environmental opportunities available to them through such student projects as the Aggie Community Garden and the committee’s curbside recycling program.
“As we aim to reduce our impact, we are increasingly seeking more efficient ways of doing things. Sustainability enables our generation to take innovative ideas and put them to action,” Molina said. “I think students have shown, especially this year with the passage of the Aggie Green Fund, that we care about green initiatives, and more importantly, that we are ready to lead them.”
Strauss said it’s not only big cities like Houston and Dallas that are making sustainability a priority — College Station and Bryan are doing their part as well. She said environmentalism should be important to students because it affects the future and future access to natural resources.
“We need to think of how much energy we use to keep the campus up and running. For some buildings, that means 24 hours a day,” Wellman said. “I’m sure everyone has been on campus at some point really late at night.”
She said A&M Utilities and Management has saved an estimated $90 million in energy costs between the years 2002 and 2009. The office is working to reduce this year’s energy spending by 20 percent.
As part of this goal, they have annual residence hall energy challenges to see which hall can reduce the most energy use. Last year, the winning dorm received a donated water filter with which to refill their water bottles.
“The campus is getting bigger, but we’ve been able to use less energy than, say, eight years ago,” Wellman said. “Always being energy conscious is really important.”
Improved environmental living is not limited to energy use, but also includes recycling efforts, alternative transportation, water consciousness, community gardening and organic food.
“Getting involved with environmental causes has followed a type of logical progression for me. I’ve always felt that we should be conscious of our decisions and what type of impact they are leaving for the generations behind us,” Molina said.
Five Conservation Tips
1. Try to walk, bike or take a campus bus whenever you can.
2. Save water — limit time in the shower and only run the dishwasher when it’s full.
3. Don’t use paper or plastic bags at the grocery store — bring your own reusable ones.
4. Use a refillable water bottle instead of purchasing bottled water.
5. Avoid the drive-through. Idling your car wastes fuel and pollutes the air.