UMaine Observing Earth Day with Climate Change Film, Discussions and Return of ‘Green Bikes’
Contact: Leigh Stearns, 581-1491; Susan Kaspari, 288-2046
ORONO — The UMaine Sustainability Alliance has organized a slate of Earth Day activities for April 18, which include environmental and conservation discussion groups, the screening of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” and by releasing 50 “green bikes.”
The day also will feature Maine-produced foods in the Bangor Room of the Memorial Union.
Susan Kaspari, a Climate Change Institute Ph.D. candidate, Alliance member and an event organizer, says activities are designed to educate and raise awareness on campus about environmental and conservation strategies.
“This is the first time for Earth Day to be sponsored by the Sustainability Alliance,” Kaspari says. “There are a lot of people on campus who already are doing good things, but we can definitely do a lot more to improve the dialog between the different groups and individuals.”
The day begins with booths and displays in Union Central in the Memorial Union and free bike tune-ups on the patio outside Starbucks, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Significant events are scheduled 2-4 p.m. in the Bangor Room of the Union, says Kaspari. Refreshments will include samples of Maine-produced cheeses, salsa, bread and smoked salmon, prepared by Auxiliary Services’ Executive Chef Glen Taylor.
At 2 p.m., UMaine President Robert Kennedy will offer his thoughts on sustainability in a university environment.
From 2:15-2:30 p.m., the UMaine Sustainability Alliance is scheduled to explain the university’s environmental footprint from 1990 to today.
From 2:30-3:30 p.m., a community dialog is to cover increasing public awareness of energy conservation measures and sustainability on campus; ways to encourage car-pooling, use of public transportation, bicycles and walking on campus; incorporating sustainability into the curriculum; and how to secure funds to promote sustainability.
From 5-6 p.m., rain or shine, sustainability alliance members invite everyone with a bicycle to join them for a “critical mass bike ride” around campus, Orono and Old Town to promote alternative modes of transportation. Members of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity will make available 50 newly reconditioned “green bikes,” to be used randomly around campus by members of the student body, faculty and staff.
The day’s events wind up with a screening at 7 p.m. of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” in the Bangor Room, to be followed by a discussion afterward lead by researchers from UMaine’s Climate Change Institute.
“I really hope people who doubt the existence and or causes of climate change will come to the showing of ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ with an open mind and some good questions for the researchers from the Climate Change Institute who will be available for questions and discussion,” adds Joshua Parda, coordinator of the UMaine Green Campus Initiative, part of Property Management for Auxiliary Services.
Free pizza will be available during the 2-hour evening event, and a free raffle will take place after the discussion.
Kaspari says the sustainability alliance is working on a variety of ways to promote sustainability, energy conservation and environmental improvement measures at a local level. They include consideration of the university buying renewable energy credits.
The UMaine Sustainability Alliance website (www.sustainability.umaine.edu) has more information.