Earth Day at UGA

Check out UGA's Facebook event for more details!!!

Captain Planet Carnival: Earth Day 2008 TOMORROW!!!

"Come on over to frolic and playIn the land of Tate Plaza on Earth Day!As we celebrate some global greening,Your love for Captain Planet will gain new meaning!Earth, Fire, Heart, Water, and WindShall combine powers and thus, beginthe funkiest carnival Tate's ever seensponsored by the alliance named GO GREEN!"

Please join us this Tuesday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for an Earth Day carnival as we unite with other campus organizations and departments to celebrate environmental sustainability. There will be free food, live music, prizes, games, and special guests, including Mayor Heidi Davison and UGA's Hairy Dawg! You do not want to miss this fun, free event with Captain Planet-themed carnival booths. Captain Planet himself will be making an appearance! So come grab some green cotton candy, play recycled-can toss, and learn more about how to live an eco-friendly lifestyle this Tuesday!

An Oldie but a Goodie: CFLs

I know the buzz about CFLs (Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs) is long over, but it is one of the easiest things we can do to increase our efforts for the environment. According to Energy Star the website http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls...

If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

This effort is so simple and so effective and here is what's really exciting. At this year's Earth Day celebration: Captain Planet Carnival on Tuesday, April 22 at Tate Center from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. you can come a get a CFL for free. Georgia Power and Atlanta Halco Lighting will be on site handing out CFLs. All you have to do is sign a pledge stating you will change an old inefficient light bulb for a CFL.

This is only a small portion of the energy-efficient prizes that will be available on Earth Day. So mark your calendars and get excited to come by Tate, next Tuesday and celebrate good ole' Mother Earth!! More exciting details about the celebration to come...

~Kate Griffin

Sustainability Resolution

Here is a summarized version of the Sustainability Resolution:

Purpose:  A resolution supporting the Student-Initiated Proposal for Sustainable Practices at the University of Georgia. 

WHEREAS issues regarding sustainability are of increasing importance nation- and worldwide; 

WHEREAS the University of Georgia has a social responsibility to adopt more sustainable practices as a progressive institution; 

WHEREAS many of UGA’s peer and aspirational institutions have already begun to successfully adopt the measures outlined in the Proposal for Sustainable Practices; 

WHEREAS the UGA Ecology Club, the Environmental Health Science Club, the Go Green Alliance, UGA Herpetological Society, UGA Society for Conservation Biology, Students for Environmental Awareness, and Speak Out for Species all support the Student-Initiated Proposal for Sustainable Practices at the University of Georgia; 

Be it resolved that the Student Government Association of the University of Georgia 

SUPPORTS the measures outlined in the Student-Initiated Proposal for Sustainable Practices at the University of Georgia; 

ENCOURAGES the adoption of sustainable practices on campus by students, faculty, and staff; 

URGES the administration of the University of Georgia to help create a more sustainable campus.

~ Natalie Webb

Go Vote Green at SLC room 214!

Hello green-minded friends,

There is an awesome opportunity to vote in support of Go Green Alliance's Sustainability Resolution with Student Government Association tonight!  

The SGA Senate will be voting on this resolution in SLC room 214 at 7 p.m. It would be incredibly beneficial if as many of you as possible would come to speak on behalf of the Resolution. Clearly, Chris Morphis (your Ecology senator) and President Connor McCarthy are absolutely in support of the Resolution, but Connor does not have a vote in Senate and Chris is only 1 of 35 voting members. 

Please come-- I want this and I know you do! We can make a difference!

The power of sustainability is yours...

~Natalie Webb

Laundry... who knew?

The next time you're doing laundry, take a minute to think about your environmental impact. Beyond thoughts like "I really hope this sweater doesn't shrink" and "Wow, this detergent smells like a fresh summer day," pause and consider some of the facts below. Take a minute to check out the two new PSAs in our Power of One series to learn more (and maybe have a laugh!).


Beware of the lint monster!


Cleaning your lint filter can increase dryer efficiency by up to 30% and save a household up to $40 per year.


Some things are just better cold...


90% of the energy used when washing clothes goes to heating the water. Use cold water. Reduce your impact.

Delta to celebrate Earth Day with carbon neutrality

If you won't be celebrating Earth Day with us at UGA because you're traveling via air, take advantage of this opportunity to go green with Delta.

According to an e-mail sent to its SkyMiles members, Delta will partner with The Conservation Fund to "match all carbon offset donations made via delta.com during the month of April."

When you contribute to its Go Zero program, The Conservation Fund plants trees to offset carbon emissions resulting from your flight. So if you participate in Delta's matching program, they'll plant double the trees!

According to The Conservation Fund information on the Delta site:

• A contribution of $5.50, which results in the planting of one tree "in a protected park or national wildlife refuge," will offset carbon emissions from your roundtrip flight of approximately 1,320 miles.

So if you fly Delta this month, practice carbon neutrality and plant two trees for only $5.50.

Eco-Quotes

"I feel more confident than ever that the power to save the planet rests with the individual consumer." - Denis Hayes

"The world's deteriorating ecology poses as great a danger to mankind today as did the nuclear standoff between the superpowers at the height of the Cold War."
- Mikhail

"If we go on using the Earth uncaringly and without replenishing it, then we are just greedy consumers." - Satish Kumar

"We could reduce [global warming pollution] 20% tomorrow with technology that is already available at no cost if we just changed the way we do things." - President William Jefferson Clinton

"Thank GOD, they cannot cut down the clouds!" - Henry David Thoreau

To find more eco-quotes, visit http://www.ecomall.com/pull3.htm.

Neeley Odom

Tate Street Painting

Earth Day is just around the corner, and we are starting to spread the word! This Sunday, April 13 at midnight we are gathering at Tate Plaza to do some street painting in the name of the Captain Planet Carnival that will occur on April 22nd. So if you have any artistic ability whatsoever, grab a paintbrush and come on down to Tate to let your creative juices flow right onto Sanford Drive. Also be on the lookout for Earth Day bus card advertisements, posters, and fliers coming soon. Feel free to join the Earth Day 08: Captain Planet, He's Our Hero Facebook group to show your support for this year's celebration!

Natalie Webb

Recycled Plastic Used in T-shirts

Today in the Business section of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, there is an article about a new line of T-shirts produced by Coca-Cola called "Drink 2 Wear" that are partially made of recycled plastic bottles. Beginning April 14, 400 Wal-Mart stores plan to sell the Coca-Cola T-shirts and they will also be available online at www.walmart.com. The T-shirts cost $7.50 and come in various sizes, styles and will include one of the phrases such as "Rehash Your Trash" and "Make Your Plastic Fantastic." The T-shirts are composed of a blend of half recycled polyethylene terephthalate and half cotton. Depending on the size of the shirt, about three to five plastic bottles are used to make one shirt. This isn't Coca-Cola's first time selling shirts made of recyclable plastic. Last year, the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta began selling similar T-shirts. The Wal-Mart deal is the first mass-marketed T-shirt for Coca-Cola. During the month of April, Wal-Mart is promoting the shirts alongside its Earth Month program. Next time you're at Wal-Mart, make sure you check out the new shirts!


Jaimie Spetseris

Who knew “Going Green” could be so beneficial to your health. Walking instead of driving not only reduces pollution, but it also has numerous health benefits.

10 reasons to walk instead of drive:

1. Weight management
2. Improves sleep
3. Reduces stress levels
4. Elevates overall mood and sense of well-being
5. Reduces risk of breast cancer
6. Controls blood pressure
7. Prevents depression
8. Lengthens lifespan
9. Decrease risk of heart attack
10. Strengthens muscles, bones and joints

The list goes on… These are only a few reasons why walking is beneficial to your health, but it is an easy step to a "green" lifestyle. Walk to class on a spring afternoon or meet your friends to go on a brisk walk. It doesn't have to be physically demanding or inconvenient. What a great way to be environmentally friendly as well as physically fit!


http://www.worldwatch.org/node/3915
http://www.aarp.org/health/fitness/walking/a2004-06-17-walking-numerousbenefits.html

Neeley Odom

Green Living

I am interning in Atlanta right now at a new PR firm called The R Agency. Michael Roberts, the owner of the agency owns a conglomerate of companies, many of which are hotels, homes, and loft apartments. Roberts is very green-minded on his projects. It has been interesting to learn about his philosophy on green living and to watch his visions become reality as many of his projects are built to be environmentally friendly. Here are some ways the Roberts Companies implement green building in projects:

Bamboo flooring and wool carpeting: Materials are rapidly renewable. When glued together, the bamboo produces durable floor planks. The wool is biodegradeable and sheds water naturally.

Fluorescent light fixtures: These light bulbs use 70 percent of electricity required for incandescent light bulbs and last up to eight times longer.

Energy-efficient appliances: Residents at the Mayfair condos have an option to choose "Energy Star" appliances designed to cut down on electricity use.

To learn more about what The Roberts Companies are doing visit:

http://www.paric.com/ParicHome/CorpNav/News/Articles/Roberts+Brothers+Spring+for+Green+Construction.htmhttp://

www.robertsplacehomes.com/greenliving.htm

Katie Raines

Recyclemania Ends Friday

Turn in all of your recyclables this week! Recyclemania, a 10-week recycling contest for colleges and universities across the country, ends Friday.

This year is the first time The University of Georgia has entered the national Recyclemania competition and is currently ranked fourth for the “Gorilla Prize.” The Gorilla Prize honors the school that recycles the highest gross tonnage of materials during the ten-week competition, regardless of campus population. UGA is also ranked fifth for Target Material-Paper.

The Go Green Alliance held "Clean Out Your Files Day" on Friday, March 29. This event was extremely successful and it encouraged recycling since Recyclemania ends April 5.

With only two days left, you can make a difference. Bring all of your recycable products to your nearest recycling bin on the UGA campus. Help UGA win this nation-wide recycling competition!

Top 10 Items to Recycle

1. Aluminum
2. PET Plastic Bottles
3. Newspaper
4. Corrugated Cardboard
5. Steel Cans
6. HDPE Plastic Bottles
7. Glass Containers
8. Magazines
9. Mixed Paper
10. Computers

For more information about Recyclemania, visit http://www.recyclemaniacs.org/.

Neeley Odom