The Green Scene

This year's Earth Day celebration on McKeldin Mall dwarfed past tributes to Mother Nature, bringing together twice as many student groups as last year and capturing the attention of more passersby in an effort to raise awareness about climate change.

The event's coordinators said "Earth to College Park" was a success largely due to two recently formed university organizations and increased media attention on climate change and conservation methods.

The Office of Sustainability was formed last summer to help the university meet the American College and University President's Climate Commitment to become carbon neutral, while the Green Groups Roundtable, an umbrella organization that coordinates the efforts of the university's environmentally conscious student groups, was the result of a Student Government Association initiative completed within the past few months.

"We used the Green Roundtable as a forum for communicating what we were going to do and what other groups could do," Joanna Calabrese, a member of the Green Groups Roundtable, said. "It was instrumental in bringing [environmental groups] together."

The "Earth to College Park" event's popularity was obvious to annual participants, who said more visitors came out to see the various booths.

"[The event] is double this year; it's really catching on," Greg Thompson, associate director of Dining Services. "He stood in front of an exhibit that explained how food from the university's dining halls is composted and used to grow herbs on campus roof tops.

Last year, students walking past his buckets of mulch and rotting food would ask, "What the hell is this?" Thompson said. "This year they all seem to already know what I'm doing."

Joining the usual eco-friendly student organizations and university departments were some groups less often associated with global warming and deforestation.

Terrapin Israel Public Affairs Committee, or TerPAC, had a table showcasing Israel's advances in renewable energy use and research, particularly with regard to the country's work with solar energy.

Ari Rosner, treasurer-elect of TerPAC, said Israel's environmental efforts aren't often highlighted.

"Israel's more than just a conflict zone," he said. "They do great things, too."

The Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu cultural club, also made its Earth Day debut this year. Bhagavad Gita President Jahnavi Sankla, dressed in a shining green traditional Indian dress, spoke about the human race's seven mothers, one of which is the Earth.

"It is our duty, that is, our Dharma, to protect the Earth," she said.

Her group advocates a vegetarian diet, noting the harmful impact raising livestock has on the Earth's natural resources. Producing a kilogram of beef requires 100,000 liters of water, while producing a kilogram of wheat requires 900, according to a 1997 Cornell University study.

The increase in number of booths and stands helped attract more students on their way to class, many of whom didn't even notice last year's event.

"This year's [Earth Day event] is bigger, because I didn't even know about it last year," sophomore communication major Chelsea Dearing said. After hearing what the university's environmental groups had to say, she said she'd try to do "small things" such as unplugging her laptop when she isn't using it, but she added she isn't "going to go out and plant a tree."

"Earth to College Park" featured several events, including a concert by four student bands.

The Office of Sustainability calculated students' carbon footprints, which both amused and surprised many visitors.

"I'm well below the American average," said sophomore computer science and math major Tim Meyer, "but I'm twice the world average."

The average American causes 27 tons of CO2 emissions a year, while the world average is around 5.5 tons, Mary Ellen Kustin, a volunteer with the Office of Sustainability, said.

Students who measured their carbon footprint were entered into a raffle to win a backpack with solar panels, capable of charging an iPod or laptop computer.

Another big draw for students was Maryland PIRG chairwoman Lauren Kim, who was dressed like a polar bear and serving free snow cones.

"It is extremely uncomfortable," Kim said from beneath her flowing white fur. "I feel like I'm a polar bear in a changing climate."

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