Students, faculty, staff and administrators at the University of Colorado at Boulder will convene for the fifth annual "Campus Earth Summit," April 20-21, to discuss environmental topics from alternative transportation to sustainable development on campus.
The summit, which is free and open to the public, provides a forum to review the campus聮 environmental performance and to examine the potential for reducing environmental impacts. The goal is to bring together people who may not normally communicate with each other for a cross-fertilization of ideas.
"We believe there is vast expertise and knowledge on this campus; unfortunately, it聮s not always working on campus issues," said Ed von Bleichert, assistant director of the CU Environmental Center.
The summit, held each year in the days preceding the April 22 Earth Day, is sponsored by the University of Colorado Student Union, the Environmental Center and CU Recycling Services.
All events will be held at the University Memorial Center, at Broadway and Euclid Avenue.
The summit will begin with the second annual campus environmental awards ceremony, honoring departments that have demonstrated a sincere commitment to helping the environment.
Individuals and departments in nine categories will be honored with environmental awards this year, including the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Parking Services, which developed the new faculty-staff EcoPass program. (See attached list of award winners.)
The awards will be introduced by Chancellor Richard L. Byyny and presented by Vice Chancellors Phil DiStefano, Jean Kim and Paul Tabolt from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., April 20, immediately following the welcome continental breakfast in the UMC's Glenn Miller Lounge.
A campus Earth Day 2000 campaign, asking individual departments to examine their own environmental records and to set goals for improving them, also will be announced at the ceremony.
Other highlights of the summit include a plenary address by Julian Keniry, director of the National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology Program. Keniry will discuss the pioneering work of academic institutions that have achieved the dual goals of saving money and helping the environment. Keniry聮s address, "The Bottom Line Benefits of Environmental Protection," will be from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. April 20 in the UMC, room 235.
Topics to be discussed during the two-day summit include pushing the limits of the campus recycling program; revising campus building standards to incorporate sustainable design principles; the impacts of pesticide use in campus landscaping; opportunities for hazardous waste minimization; the future of transportation on campus; and the future of CU聮s fastest growing major, Environmental Studies.
Last year, 150 people attended some portion of the Campus Earth Summit, and von Bleichert hopes to see an even greater turnout this year. The ideas raised at previous summits have resulted in tangible improvements on campus, which should encourage students to get involved, he said.
Anyone planning to attend the summit is asked to pre-register by April 14. Lunch will be provided free of charge to CU students, faculty and staff who pre-register; while there will be a $7 charge for off-campus attendees ordering lunch.
For more information, call the Environmental Center at (303) 492-8308.