SDSU

April 9 - UCSC (Santa Cruz)
Time: 7-10
Location: Stevenson Event Center

The SDSU screening (held at Manzanita Hall) was attended by approximately 60 students consisting primarily of members of the SDSU Green Campus Club and the SDSU Enviro-Business Society (also known as e3). SDSU Green Campus had a table at the event and gave away free CFLs to students attending the screening.

After the screening, Scott Murray of San Diego Earthworks answered student questions. He addressed the changes that are necessary to make the San Diego community more sustainable. He also discussed the first steps students could take to green themselves and their surroundings, emphasizing that students should try to really know their surroundings and their “habitat,” for example they should develop an understanding of where their water supply comes from and what types of plants are good for their surroundings. He suggested that students could evaluate which appliances are always “on” in their homes and then reduce energy consumption by making smart choices, for example by using more efficient light bulbs when the ones they are currently using have burned out. He recommended that students use their own things as much as possible and cook their own food. He also talked about how students could go about finding a job in the environmental field after college. Finally, Scott invited everyone to the San Diego Earth Day celebration and asked those who could to volunteer.

Various students signed up to www.11thhouraction.com using the Hewlett Packard laptops after the event. Representatives from Honest Tea, a manufacturer of organic iced tea drinks committed to social responsibility, had a table at the event and spoke with students.

SDSU has, even prior to the 11th Hour screening, taken various “green” actions. It has passed a green referendum for approximately $500,000 per year intended to fund sustainable upgrades. SDSU is also creating bike lanes and adding more recycling containers on campus. Finally, sustainability committees have been created both in the academic senate and the associated government board. SDSU Green Campus Club is already a huge club, and they organize workshops for students, legislation campaigns, CFL drives and movie screenings on a regular basis. They work with the SDSU administration on an ongoing basis to green the SDSU campus. They also won a difficult campaign to obtain an SDSU president grant, which funded this year’s first SDSU Earth Day celebration. The celebration included a night-time performance by a local reggae band and was a big step in reaching out to the greater student body.