Campus Sustainability Day (CSD) is an annual celebration of sustainability in higher education. Every October, colleges and universities are encouraged to create events to recognize the achievements of, and challenges for, the tens of thousands of students, faculty and staff working to instill sustainability principles in higher education institutions and their surrounding communities.
MCC’s Sustainability Steering Committee and other college departments are sponsoring the following programs and initiatives at the Brighton Campus and the Damon City Campus that you are invited to participate in:
BRIGHTON CAMPUS
Sustainability Practices Among the SUNY Campuses
10:00 – 10:50 a.m. in the Empire Room (3-209)
James R. Cronmiller (Biology) will discuss the varied sustainability projects being conducted by SUNY Administration and individual campuses, including alternate efficient energy sources such as biofuels. These projects are providing a learning and research opportunity for students.
Safe Bicycle Commuting: A Bicyclist’s Guide to Surviving in Traffic
12:00 – 12:50 p.m. in the Forum (3-130)
Yes, it’s a pain to drive the car to school or work. Sick of getting stuck in traffic? Sick of gas bills? You know it's contributing to climate change! You’d love to ditch the car, but riding a bike in rush hour is… well… kinda scary, right? It doesn’t have to be. In fact, it’s fun if you know the facts. Lifelong bicyclist, veteran of Trans-America and Great Divide tours, and regular commuter Brian Managan, along with cyclists Jim Downer and Jason Smith, will show you how to easily save money and reduce stress by cycling your way to car-free freedom. Come learn a bit of history about cycling in America, and something about the myths and misperceptions that prevent people from riding.
Electronic Vehicle Expo
Noon to 2:00 p.m. in Lot N
The New York State Electric Auto Association will have the following electronic vehicles for people to view: Chevy Volt, Ford Energi, Nissan Leaf and possibly others.
Sustainability Day in The Market Place
Customers are invited to fill out a "Green Pledge Card" (made of recyclable cardboard) with what action they can take to reduce waste. The cards will be displayed on their Green Pledge Wall in The Market Place. Customers who fill out a pledge card will receive a coupon for 50% off an MCC Dining Reusable Mug – a $1.50 value. Reusable mugs provide customers a "green" way to enjoy their favorite beverage and also get a discount at the register.
Art Project Display
R. Thomas Flynn Campus Center
The Richard M. Guon Child Care Center will have a display of art projects made out of recycled materials.
Residence Halls
7:00 – 9:00 p.m. in Tribune Hall
Have a green thumb? Want a new decoration? Care about being sustainable? Come make a Pop Plant! (Seeds and dirt provided; please bring a pop bottle.)
Textbook Recycling
On Sustainability Day, the MCC Bookstore at both campuses will be collecting textbooks that have no current value to send to One Planet Books. The bookstore works with various partners to recycle these books, maximizing reuse and minimizing reliance on landfills and other solutions that are not eco-friendly. Look for the One Planet Books collection boxes at your MCC Bookstore to help the environment. One Planet Books program recycles 572,698 pounds of books in just one week which is equivalent to saving 68,000 gallons of water or 1,174,030 kilowatt hours of energy! Once shredded, the recycled books are used to create products such as napkins and tissues at Kimberly-Clark.
DAMON CITY CAMPUS
Free water bottles!
11 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. outside the Office of Campus Life and FYE (5th floor, Room 5251)
Lorenza, an FYE Peer Leader, will have a table set up outside the office promoting FYE (First Year Experience) and handing out water bottles.
Five reasons not to purchase bottled water:
· Bottled water is not any healthier or cleaner than tap water, although the industry may claim otherwise.
· One plastic bottle can take hundreds of years to decompose, thereby filling our landfills for years.
· It is expensive and costly compared to drinking tap water or filtered water from a reusable, biodegradable bottle.
· The production of one plastic bottle uses energy, emits toxins into the air, and uses more water to produce than is actually put into the bottle for drinking.
· Plastic bottles contain a harmful substance called polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, which is dangerous to human health.
Five benefits of using a reusable water bottle:
· Better for our environment by reducing the amount of fossil fuels and toxins released into the air during production.
· Durable, stylish, and can help you decrease your carbon footprint.
· Tap water is more cost-efficient. Bottled water can cost up to 500 times more than tap water.
· Better for your health and the health of your family by using a BPA-free, lead-free, reusable bottle.
· Convenient. Most public facilities have water fountains to fill up your water bottle.
MCC's Sustainability Steering Committee
10/13/2014 |