April 16-20 is Earth Week and the Columbia campus will be participating with activities aimed at educating students, faculty and staff about the importance of living a green life and establishing habits of recycling and other earth-friendly practices.
Sponsored by the Columbia Recycling Program, the Columbia Department of Science and Mathematics, with support from Recycling Services Inc. and Community Energy, Columbia Earth Week activities include free screenings of An Inconvenient Truth at 2 and 5 pm, Wednesday April 18 in the Hokin Theater; Vegetarian information and treats at the screening and during the afternoon of April 17; Recycling Information Forum at 2 pm on April 19. For a complete listing and more information on Columbia Recycling Program go to www.colum.edu/recycling
“Our Earth Week activities are just the latest in a growing list of institutional initiatives that support our commitment to greening the Columbia campus,” says Alicia Berg, vice president for campus environment.
Under Berg’s leadership, the school recently signed a two-year contract with Community Energy, Inc. to purchase 30% of the institution’s electricity energy through renewable wind resource credits. In addition to the energy purchase, the school has engaged in a proactive program of energy-saving retrofits as they maintain and develop their current properties in the city’s south loop. They have also committed to meeting the intent of LEED certification in any new construction projects. Historically, Columbia has purchased and rehabbed existing building stock for academic and administrative purposes, a practice that has been applauded by both environmentalists and preservationists. These initiatives and practices have earned Columbia membership in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partners [www.epa.gov/greenpower/partner].
For more details on how Columbia is working to build a green and sustainable campus, contact mleventhal@colum.edu.
-end-