Earth Day came early for Boston University last Thursday. While the “official” Earth Day is April 22, Boston University has been celebrating sustainability for days. This past week, the Green Restaurant Association declared the GSU a Certified Green Restaurant. The GSU is the only food court in the country with this title – so it’s quite the honor. At the Earth Day Festival, student groups and vendors coupled with sustainability@BU to celebrate BU’s green factor and promote continued environmental awareness on campus.
Among the groups at the festival were Unicef, 1001 Wells for Darfur, BU Bikes, “Save that Stuff,” Net Impact and the U.S. Green Building Council. USGBC focuses on green renovation and construction of university buildings. Groups like the USGBC are in abundance at BU, where being environmentally aware is both easy and valued.
Rachel Atcheson, a representative from the Vegetarian Society, described vegetarianism as a way to reduce your impact and eat green (both literally and figuratively). “If you’re not willing to go vegetarian, you can reduce meat, dairy and egg intake,” she said. In terms of going green in general, Atcheson said, “There are tons of small ways. The number one is education. Students need to educate themselves. All the small ways add up to make a big difference.”
Green businesses at the Earth Day Festival promoted their products and services and talked about the green initiative. Zipcar was present, and representatives talked about their service as a greener and easier alternative to car ownership. Representatives from Goodwill thrift stores talked about “recycling” clothes by shopping at Goodwill or donating clothes or home goods. Next Step Living, a business that focuses on residential energy consumption, was also present.
The Earth Day Festival also coupled with Chowda Fest. At the front of GSU plaza, various clam and seafood chowders were available for sampling. Students cast their votes for the best tasting of the chowders.
Sustainability at Boston University is not contained to a day or even a week of green awareness. As BU students, we’re made to recycle daily. Many of us bike to class, and just about all of us use public transportation. Events like this year’s Earth Day Festival are a great way to remind us of the importance of “random acts of greenness.”
For more information about Sustainabilty@BU or future events, visit their website. To learn about the various sustainability-related student groups at BU, click here.
