Since its inception in 1970, Earth Day has spread awareness of environmental concerns and initiated change on a global level. One of the most common means of achieving this goal has been through the tried-and-true grassroots method of bringing the message directly to the people. On April 22, 2008, this was certainly the case here at Binghamton University.
If you stumbled upon the scene near the Dickinson Dining Hall and the Old University Union this past Tuesday, you may not have felt an urgent concern for the environment because the general atmosphere of this Earth Day celebration was very relaxed and pleasant. Free food, great music and student groups abounded to make this an educational and enjoyable occasion.
The Earth Day celebration was virtually a who’s who among BU’s activist groups including the Outdoors Club, NYPIRG and the Student Environmental Awareness Club (SEAC).
Through spreading practical wilderness skills and the love for the outdoors, the Outdoors Club is hoping to create an entire generation of future environmentalists. They were out at the celebration with photo albums of their past outings, information about the group, as well as an exhibit of making cordage rope out of natural — and invasive — plant species from right here on campus.
NYPIRG was also in attendance, and they stressed action. The group has coordinated an Earth Day Cleanup for this Sunday, April 27 at 10 a.m. They plan to meet at Recreation Park in Downtown Binghamton, where students will stop at several locations to roll up their sleeves and participate in the true spirit of the day. They will also return to the park later in the day for free refreshments.
SEAC sold T-shirts to raise money for future events and also shared information about past events such as their America Recycles Now, which took place this past November.
“Our main goal is to educate the University and community about environmental issues and to initiate action,” SEAC member Caitlyn Edmundson, a sophomore math and economics major, said.
Along with the student groups, free organic fruit was provided for the public, and booths offered information about recycling on campus as well as quick tips to reduce one’s ecological impact such as using public transportation, using power-saving light bulbs and turning off your computer while sleeping or going to class. There were also local musicians who provided the ambience for this event, and the sound piped through the portable solar-powered stage and sound system, set up specifically for these types of events.
The Merriwethers, two faculty members here at BU, brought two alpacas from their local farm. The alpacas were sponsored by Amnesty International, who gave out information about the ongoing China-Tibet dispute and raised money through voluntary donations to provide water purification systems for Tibetan refugees. This event is not strictly environmental, but reflects the broad progressive goals of Earth Day.
Eric Budde, an E-Board member of Amnesty International said the alpacas weren’t their first choice but they still worked.
“We couldn’t get the Dalai Lama, but we brought something llama-esque!”