News
Earthstock 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Well the earth certainly contributed its share on Friday, April 18, 2008 to help make Earthstock, Stony Brook's annual sustainability festival, a huge success. This event was held on the academic mall and SAC plaza; where over 90 participating organizations displayed their commitment to sustainability, while Mother Nature used solar power to warm it up to over 80° F.
Environmental Stewardship had several displays on hand, including the recurring favorite Spin-to-Win wheel, where participants pledge to perform an environmentally friendly action, represented by green footprints, in return for a raffle entry for some pretty cool eco-friendly gifts. (click here to see who donated what).
We also introduced our 'Better Idea' display in which folks could have their photos taken behind a character board (painted by Stony Brook's own - Carlos Bermeo) with either an inefficient incandescent or energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulb over their head. (click here to view more photos) The display also had electric meters to show the dramatic reduction in energy by using the "better idea" CFLs. This display was totally off the grid, as we received our energy from the solar panels on display from GoSolar, Inc. (Thanks guys!)
Many visitors lined up to take a guess at how many dead batteries we had in the jar. This display was intended to show how using non-rechargeable batteries can have a real impact on our landfills. The prize was a battery charger (with rechargeable batteries).
Our most popular attraction was the Nike® Reuse - A - Shoe program. We collected over 100 pairs of sneakers ranging in condition from barely used to why do you still have those? In addition to being removed from the waste stream, the sneakers will be recycled into playground mulch and other athletic surfaces. Look for drop off locations around campus as we plan to continue these collections. People really dug through their closets for some they could donate. A couple of participants actually took the sneakers off their feet on the spot; (see photos below) because for every pair of sneakers donated during Earthstock you received a raffle ticket for a brand new, shiny green, Gary Fisher mountain bike: with a helmet and jersey! The bike was donated by Honeywell SES, one of our contractors here on campus. The helmet and jersey were donated by Campus Bicycle, a local shop.
it was a beautiful day to help celebrate sustainability; demonstrating both things we're doing on campus and things you can do on your own, as well as creating an awareness of the impact we make on the planet and what we can do to minimize it.
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