This year Earth Week will truly be a unique endeavor. The Coalition for Campus Sustainability, a student run coalition of organizations, will be hosting a week of events surrounding our appreciation of the Earth in regards to the nationally recognized Earth Day on April 22nd. For the week of April 19-25th 2009, the Virginia Tech campus will be bustling with fairs, speakers, trainings, showcases and more to raise awareness about sustainability and educate the Virginia Tech community on their personal and collective impacts on our planet. Earth Week 2009 Schedule Click on event titles for detailed information. For more information or questions, contact Jackie Pontious at jrpont@vt.edu or (571) 217-0249 Sunday, April 19th Stroubles Creek Clean-Up and Earth Week Kick Off Meet at Duck Pond Overflow Lot, 12pm Monday, April 20th Local and Sustainable Foods Awareness Day Catawba Land Care with Christy Gabbard Squires Brush Mountain A, 1:00pm Shaklee and the Real Dirt on Clean by Rob Jacks Squires Brush Mountain A, 2:30pm Food Sustainability Booth Dietrick Patio, 10am-4pm Eat and Greet with Andy Sarjahani Squires Brush Mountain A, 4pm Farms and Fields Grand Opening Dinner and Local Growers Panel Owens Dining Hall, Dinner @ 5:30pm, Panel @ 6-7:30pm Voices for Appalachia Portrait-Story Project 512 Progress Street, 8pm Tuesday, April 21st Greening Politics and the Economy Lobbying 101 and Grassroots Campaigning and Political Action with Mike McCoy, Appalachian Voices Holden Auditorium, 5pm Green Jobs in Virginia; Q&A on Creating a Sustainable Commonwealth Graduate Life Center Multi-Purpose Room, 7pm Trips of Origin: Direct Trade, Fair Trade and Sustainability with Mausi Kühl Hayn from Selva Negra in Nicaragua Deet's Place, 8pm Wednesday, April 22nd Earth Day! Local Business and Organization Fair Drill Field, 10am-4pm Tree Planting Vet Med Pond, 10am-1pm Virginia Tech Sustainability Support Rally Drill Field, 5:30pm Speakers include President Steger (invited) , Mike Coleman (Associate VP for Facilities Services), Denny Cochrane (Sustainability Programs Manager), Jackie Pontious (President of Environmental Coalition), Brandon Carroll and Shane McCarty (President and Vice President Elect of the SGA), Kristina Hartman (Undergraduate Board of Visitors Representatives for 2009-2010), Angie De Soto (VT Sustainability Planning Intern) Thursday, April 23rd Mountain Top Removal Awareness Day Voices for Appalachia Portrait-Story Project 512 Progress Street, 10am-4pm Mountain Top Removal Road Show with Dave Cooper Surge 104D, 3:30pm Greener, Cleaner, Faster, Stronger 5 and 10K Walk-Run Cross-Country Course, 6:30pm Panel of Coalfield Activists: Sharing Stories of Resistance in the Coalfields Surge 109, 8pm   Friday, April 24th Social and Environmental Justice Day Finding Meaning in Life through Service with Bryan Cloyd Squires 300, 2pm Will China Run Out of Water? with Dr. Chunmaio Zheng Derring 4069, 3:30pm Green Team Presentation McBryde 129, 4pm   Saturday, April 25th Greening Beyond our Campus New River Valley Green Home Tour Starts at YMCA on North Main Street, 10am-5pm Earth Week Alternative Transportation Support Bike Ride Starts in front of War Memorial Chapel, 5:30pm Sunday; Earth Week Kick Off Stroubles Creek Stream Clean-Up and Earth Week Kick Off Event Meet at the Duck Pond Overflow Lot, 12 PM   Monday; Local and Sustainable Foods Awareness Day Catawba Land Care with Christy Gabbard Squires Brush Mountain A, 1:00 PM Land care is a cooperative, sustainable approach to land management, which produces a broad range of economic, social, and environmental benefits (the triple-bottom line) desired by landowners and their partners. Come hear how the people at Catawba Land Care introduced the concept along the length and breadth of the Catawba Creek and North Fork watersheds and their tributaries, and how you can get involved and educated. Shaklee and the Real Dirt on Clean by Rob Jacks Squires Brush Mountain A, 2:30 PM Rob Jacks from Seek Education, Explore, DiScover (SEEDS) will talk about Shaklee, the world's first climate neutral certified company in the world and some of their revolutionary new products and how SEEDS has begun incorporating Shaklee as a fundraising tool for their organization.  Also learn about the "Real Dirt" on cleaning products and their eco-friendly alternatives. Food Sustainability Booth Dietrick Patio, 10 AM- 4 PM Learn all about local and sustainable food systems! We will be providing information and materials from organizations that aim to educate and inform the public of the how and why to integrate sustainability in to your daily meal choices. Eat and Greet with Andy Sarjahani Squires Brush Mountain A 4 PM Come meet Virginia Tech’s Sustainability Coordinator for Dining Services. Andy will answer the top 5 most addressed issues students have been asking about in our dining halls. Andy will answer things like What’s the deal with all the foam to go containers? How can we get more local foods on campus? What are we already doing and what are Tech’s next plans for greening our dining halls? Bring your own questions and come get informed! Farms and Fields Grand Opening Dinner and Local Growers Panel Owens Dining Hall: Dinner: 5:30 PM, Panel: 6-7:30 PM Virginia Tech’s first local and organic foods venue will be having it's grand opening ceremony in Owens Dining Halls along with a panel of local growers from around the New River Valley. They will be addressing the obstacles of bringing local foods to big campuses like Virginia Tech from a grower’s perspective, along with discussing their efforts to maintain sustainable farming practices. Voices for Appalachia Portrait-Story Project 512 Progress Street, 8pm On Monday, April 20th at 8pm there will be an Art Opening Party and Reception for the Portrait-Story Project at the Swoop House Gallery (512 Progress St.) with live music and drinks.  This will be an opportunity to view the artwork, be sketched, and meet the artist!  The artwork can also be viewed throughout the week of April 20th to 25th from 10am to 1pm Mon. thru Fri. (except Wed.) and 6pm to 8pm Mon. thru Fri. at the Swoop House Gallery. (see Thursday’s list of events for a description of the Portrait-Story Project) Tuesday; Greening Politics and the Economy Lobbying 101 and Grassroots Campaigning and Political Action with Mike McCoy Appalachian Voices 5 PM, Holden Auditorium This participatory workshop will teach how to use lobbying and other effective tools in campaigning and civic engagement. Learn tips on how to sit across the table from your elected official and get what you want Green Jobs in VA; Q&A on Creating a Sustainable Commonwealth Graduate Life Center Multi-Purpose Room, 7 PM Sustainability is no longer an idealistic endeavor for the United States. As a new Presidential administration moves in to the White House, we find a growing emphasis on transitioning our fossil fuel dependent economy to renewable energy resources. Students of higher education are gearing up to take over governance of our country, adopting “green jobs” and reorganizing how we do politics and business in this country. Virginia politicians, Mayor Ron Rordam of Blacksburg and others, will discuss with Virginia Tech students the current and future political and economic arenas in and the potential for green jobs and a sustainable economy in Virginia. Trips of Origin: Direct Trade, Fair Trade and Sustainability with Mausi Kühl Hayn from Selva Negra in Nicaragua Deet's Place, 8 PM Coffee is more than just what’s in your cup. Come to the Deet’s Place Coffee College “Trips to Origin: Fair Trade and other Certifications” seminar and learn about the environmental issues behind one of the world’s most popular drinks. Listen to special guest Mausi Kühl from the Selva Negra coffee estate in Nicaragua discuss issues related to sustainable coffee farming. Wednesday; Earth Day Local Business and Organization Fair Drill Field, 10 AM- 4 PM Come meet over 50 local businesses and organizations that have taken the initiative to make sustainability a primary focus of their business and efforts! Tree Planting Vet Med Pond Come join us in planting trees to help beautify our campus and reduce our carbon footprint. Meet at the pond next to the VA-MD Regional College of Vet Medicine. The pond is located at the NW Corner of the Intersection of Duck Pond Dr. and Southgate Dr, and across from the English Baseball Field. VT Sustainability Support Rally Drill Field, 5: 30 PM Come join hundreds of students as we rally in support of VT’s steps towards making Blacksburg more sustainable and Inventing the RIGHT Future.  There will also hopefully be a public signing of the Virginia Tech Climate Action Commitment into university policy! Speakers Include: President Steger (invited) Mike Coleman, Associate VP for Facilities Services Denny Cochrane, Sustainability Programs Manager Jackie Pontious, President of the Environmental Coalition Brandon Carroll and Shane McCarty, President and Vice President Elect of the SGA Kristina Hartman, Undergraduate Board of Visitors Representative for 2009-2010 Angie De Soto, VT Sustainability Planning Intern Thursday; Mountain Top Removal Awareness Day Voices for Appalachia Portrait-Story Project 10AM-4 PM, 512 Progress Street The Voices for Appalachia Portrait-Story Project is a mobile, networked and volunteer art-media-social phenomenon whose primary purpose is to bring and co-generate an aesthetic and practice of media solidarity to the self-determination of communities and individuals connected to the land they live on.  Hundreds of individuals who live in Appalachia have been sketched and their voices, or stories, are told through their narrative which the individuals themselves hand-write on their portrait.  The Portrait-Story Project will be in Blacksburg from April 20th to 25th, seeking more stories to be told and individuals to be sketched.  The artwork – hundreds of portrait-stories – will be on display at the Swoop House Gallery located at 512 Progress Street from April 20th to 25th.  The gallery will be open from 10am to 1pm Mon. thru Fri. (except Wed.) and from 6pm to 8pm Mon. thru Fri, or by appointment.  On Monday, April 20th at 8pm there will be an Art Opening Party/Reception at the Swoop House Gallery with live music and drinks.  This will be an opportunity to view the artwork, be sketched, and meet the artist!  To make an appointment, contact Joe Kelley at (540) 449-3309. Mountain Top Removal Road Show with Dave Cooper 3:30 PM, Surge 104D The Mountaintop Removal Road Show includes a stunning 20-minute slide show about the impacts of mountaintop removal on coalfield residents, communities and the environment, and features traditional Appalachian mountain music and shocking aerial photos of decapitated Appalachian Mountains. Greener, Cleaner, Faster, Stronger 5 and 10K Walk-Run 6:30 PM, Cross-country course Come participate in the Earth Week run/walk green race for sustainability! Get an American Apparel non-sweat shop made race shirt when you register for $15. Registration is $15 and includes a non-sweatshop made race shirt. Look for post-race organic, local, sustainably grown food, composting and recycling stations and a recycled shoe drive. You won't find any plastic water bottles here! Come out and support the VT Triathlon Team, Environmental Coalition and Green Team! Save trees trees and register online here: http://www.triathlon.org.vt.edu/gcfs/registrationform.html Panel of Coalfield Activists: Sharing Stories of Resistance in the Coalfields 8 PM, Surge 109 Lorelei Scarbro has lived in the Coal River Valley of West Virginia all of her life. Coal has always been part of Lorelei's life; she is the daughter and wife of coal miners.  Lorelei has become active against mountaintop removal, as she has witnessed the destruction of her land, culture and community.  She is focused on finding economic alternatives to coal that will sustain her community and Appalachian culture.  Lorelei has been a key part of the Coal River Wind campaign, which seeks to place wind turbines on Coal River Mountain instead of the proposed strip mine, which is now looming over her community. Donetta Blankenship lives in Mingo County, WV and has been enduring the devastating health effects of groundwater contamination for over a decade.  Despite having nearly died twice from the heavy metals accumulated in her liver from her drinking water, Donetta has continued to speak out against the injustices of mountaintop removal and slurry injection.  She has spoken before the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and was featured in the film "Burning the Future: Coal in America".  She will share the story of how underground slurry injections have affected the health of her entire family and community.    Friday; Social and Environmental Justice Day Will China Run Out of Water? with Dr. Chunmiao Zheng 3:30 PM, Derring 4069 The American agricultural expert and environmentalist Lester Brown published a provocative book in 1995 called “Who Will Feed China: Wake-Up Call for a Small Planet.” Today, however, of a greater concern may be the question of whether the unprecedented economic growth in China over the past two decades can be sustained as the environmental pollution and water shortage continue to worsen. Some people have asked, “Will China run out of water?” This question is not merely academic: China has to nourish a fifth of the global population with about seven percent of the planet’s water resources. This presentation will take a close look at the current water situation in China and discuss the options available to deal with the worsening water shortage problem. Green Team Presentation 4 PM McBryde 129 The GREEN Team is Virginia Tech Recycling's Environmental Awareness and Sustainability Education Team.   Programs will begin on March 24th, and will then continue throughout the remainder of the semester.   The GREEN Team members, along with Virginia Tech Recycling, strongly feel that each of us has a responsibility to future generations and to future Hokies to understand the planetary impacts of our actions as individuals and as a society. Finding Meaning in Life through Service with Bryan Cloyd 2 PM Location Squires 300 Bryan Cloyd, a Virginia Tech professor, recalls how his life changed on April 16, 2007 and how that experience spurred a series of decisions to help others. From the hollows of Appalachia to rural Haiti, poverty and social injustices are rampant. Listen to one man's story about how he found meaning in life through service and what he has learned through those experiences.  In creating a sustainable earth we must not only protect our environment, we must reach out to our fellow man and help others less fortunate. Saturday; Greening beyond our campus NRV Green Home Tour 10 AM- 5PM, meet at YMCA on Main Street Register at http://www.vtymca.org Join us for the 3rd Annual Green Home Tour! have the opportunity to take Open University classes that support the mission and philosophy of the Green Home Tour (GHT). The self-guided tour will be held from 10am-5pm at houses throughout the New River Valley. It will feature area residences that are extremely energy efficient in their design and construction, utilize renewable energy systems, or utilize local building materials. Go to http://www.vtymca.org or please call 961-9622 to register for classes and to let us know you're coming! Earth Week Alternative Transportation Support Bike Ride 5:30 PM, meet in front of War Memorial Chapel Close out the week’s amazing events with a support bike ride for alternative transportation in Blacksburg! We will end at a local restaurant for food and drinks to celebrate

 

 
Copyright 2009 The Environmental Coalition at Virginia Tech