The University of Idaho Argonaut

Earth Week volunteers persevered through snow, rain and wind this week to spread the message of Earth-love and environmental responsibility.
On Monday, members of the Earth Week committee held Alternative Transportation Day in front of the Idaho Commons.
Environmental science major Elle Jordan, who organized the event, was glad to see the cold winds and snow weren’t deterring students from Earth-friendly transport.

“The weather is kind of crazy but there are still a lot of people walking and not driving,” Jordan said.
Rollerblades, skateboards, bicycles and a good pair of walking shoes are transportation options that have no emissions, unlike those from gas-burning cars. Even riding a bus is a greener choice.

“The idea is to start thinking about ways of transporting yourself (environmentally),” said Tom Nagawiecki, a graduate student and employee of the University of Idaho Sustainability Center.

The exhibit included a showcase of eco-conscious vehicles. Some were gas/electric hybrids or ran on alternative fuel, such as biodiesel or electricity. Toyota and Subaru vehicles from local dealerships were included to inform students about the companies’ efforts to protect the environment.

Jordan hopes people will start to take advantage of the tools they have to build a more sustainable life. She expressed concern about Americans’ attitudes toward energy consumption.

“In Japan, they don’t say ‘It’s cold in here,’” Jordan said. “They say, ‘I’m cold’ and they put on a sweater.”
On Tuesday, students had a chance to actively celebrate Earth Day by participating in Campus Day, a day dedicated to projects that beautify UI’s campus.

“Many of these projects still will be in use 50 years from now, so it lets students who are involved in a project create positive memories of their stay here at the University of Idaho,” said Charles Zillinger, director of landscape and exterior services in the university’s Facilities Services department.
This year’s projects included work on the College of Art and Architecture Central Rain Harvest project, general campus and railroad cleanup, aquaculture windbreak and sunscreen seedling planting, a wetlands improvement project, a family housing playground improvement project and the second phase of tree planting on UI’s golf course.

Wednesday was Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Day. The Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute hosted a composting workshop in front of the Commons and students could attend a Webinar about the importance of buying, preparing and eating locally grown foods.
Nagawiecki organized The Amazing Energy Race, a scavenger hunt with energy-oriented clues, for Energy and Green Design Day on Thursday. The UISC held the Student Sustainability Project Symposium.

Today is Food Systems and Social Justice Day as well as National Arbor Day, and UI will celebrate with a tree-planting ceremony at noon at Pitkin Forest Nursery. The Critical Mass Bike Ride, a coordinated bike ride that celebrates cycling and asserts cyclists’ rights, will depart at 5:30 p.m. from Friendship Square.

Saturday is Rock the Earth, a daylong Earth Week celebration with music, food, and organic beer. Festivities begin at 3 p.m. on the Tower Lawn and will end around 10 p.m..

“It’s the culmination of everything going on this week,” said junior Ashley Clampitt, an event planner for the Sustainability Center.
Throughout the week, students were also treated to free movies, music performances and games dedicated to entertaining and informing students about the importance of Earth Week.