U of G Celebrates Sustainability Week
March 21, 2011 - News Release
Today the University of Guelph begins Sustainability Week with more than 30 events under the theme "Intertwined Roots: Sustainable Communities."
"Sustainability Week will empower our community, inspire individuals and organize our collective capacity for positive change," said Paul Wartman, one of the student organizers.
President Alastair Summerlee will launch the week March 21 at 4 p.m. in Room 103 of the University Centre. He will talk about the Presidential Task Force on Sustainability, as well as the University's conservation efforts. U of G saved $734,000 and reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 1,363 tonnes last year through comprehensive energy and water conservation programs, according to the Community Energy Plan report.
Summerlee's remarks will be followed by a student forum on the recently released interim report by the sustainability task force.
Mike Nickerson, author of Life, Money and Illusion: Living on Earth as if We Want to Stay, will speak March 24 at 7:30 p.m. in Room 115 of the MacKinnon Building.
On March 25, Chris Turner, a 2008 Governor General’s Award finalist and author of The Geography of Hope: A Tour of the World We Need, will speak at 6:30 p.m. in Rozanski Hall, Room 101. He will be followed by Wayne Roberts, a former Toronto Food Policy Council co-ordinator and author of The No-Nonsense Guide to Food Security.
Other events include free demonstrations on bicycle maintenance Monday, Thursday and Friday; an interpretive water dance Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon in the University Centre; a talk by three U of G professors on how to change consumer behaviour Wednesday at 5 p.m.; and a workshop on “My Sustainable Canada” Friday at 8 a.m. in the University Centre.
All events are free and open to the University community and general public.
The week will end with Earth Hour March 26 when people around the world are encouraged to turn off their lights and appliances from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
More information and a complete schedule of events are available online.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, Ext. 53338, lhunt@uoguelph.ca, or Deirdre Healey, Ext. 56982, d.healey@exec.uoguelph.ca.
