Student groups and departments are combining their efforts to celebrate Earth Day all week long at PSU, with informational activities, music and parades.
The PSU Office of Facilities held a Clean Energy Fair on Monday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. in the South Park Blocks.
The fair addressed the future of energy conservation and the emerging technology focused on this cause. Vendors were on hand for demonstrations and displays. A few select speakers also gathered to conduct an energy forum focused on discussing energy policies and applications.
Participants included the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Green Mountain Energy, Portland General Electric and PSU professors Carl Wamser and Patricia Koss.
Beginning today, Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG) members affiliated with PSU will be hosting numerous events such as demonstrations, vendors, musical performances, a community bike ride and a children’s parade. OSPIRG campus coordinator Kari Koch says the activities are organized in hopes of bringing information to the local community about environmental issues the group handles every day.
“We consider environmental work to be one of the biggest issues of public advocacy work because it benefits everyone,” Koch stated. “Earth Day is our national campaign. So, all around the world we’ve decided to take on the problems of environmental rollback.”
The group will have community-sponsored booths lining the Park Blocks beginning Tuesday and will continue with the festivities until Friday afternoon. One of the booths will include a demonstration of identifying wild edible plants while another event is going to be the children’s parade.
Aside from the entertainment, the organization of OSPIRG wants the community to learn how to take positive steps toward being an advocate for the environment because, as Koch points out, it can’t speak up for itself.
“It’s going to be political, but it’s also going to be very fun and light-hearted. We want you to be able to come there and take some sort of action.”