Ever wondered how Earth Day started? This observance arose from an interest in gathering national support for environmental issues.
The Old Farmers’ Almanac tells us that in 1970, San Francisco activist John McConnell and Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson separately asked Americans to join in a grassroots demonstration. McConnell chose the spring equinox (March 21, 1970), and Nelson chose April 22. Millions of people participated, and today, Earth Day continues to be widely celebrated with events on both dates.
Earth Day aims to inspire awareness of and appreciation for earth's environment. MCC’s Sustainability Steering Committee encourages you to show your support by taking part in one of the many programs taking place on campus. Below is a partial list:
· Management of Waste in Food Processing, Brown Bag; Presenter: Michael Haselkorn, Director, Material Science and Engineering Laboratory; Golisano Institute for Sustainability at RIT, Friday, 4/22, noon – 12:50 p.m., 3-172.
· Old Books = New Art; the LeRoy V. Good Library (Brighton Campus), 4th floor; Friday, 4/22, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
· Reusable Mug Promotion – Sodexo will have a discount for using reusable mugs.
· Earth Day Parfait – Sodexo will be offering “Earth Day” dessert parfaits in recyclable paper cups.
· Save a Tree and Go Paperless– Students and staff will have the option not to have a receipt printed at the Sodexo registers.
MCC’s Green Office Program was introduced several years ago. The initiative is to reduce overall energy consumption and the college’s environmental impact by conserving and recycling resources. To date, 63 offices have gone green – it’s easy and environmentally responsible. The committee encourages offices at all MCC campus locations to join in. If your office or department would like to participate in this program, please complete the application and checklist found on the Sustainability at MCC web pages and submit them to Ryan Messenger <
mailto:rmessenger@monroecc.edu> .