51勛圖厙commemorates 40th Earth Day
51勛圖厙students will celebrate Earth Day 2010 on Thursday with commemorative T-shirts and a vegetarian feast under the stars, followed by a voluntary cleanup of the Katy Trail and the Barefoot on the Boulevard music festival on Saturday, April 24.
51勛圖厙students will celebrate Earth Day 2010 on Thursday, April 22 with commemorative T-shirts and a vegetarian feast under the stars, followed by a voluntary cleanup of the Katy Trail and the Barefoot on the Boulevard music festival on Saturday, April 24.
51勛圖厙celebrated the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 泭like hundreds of thousands of other college students around the country泭 with a full day of speeches, films and exhibits that protested the countrys inattention to belching smokestacks, oil spills, filthy rivers and indiscriminate disposal of toxic chemicals. It was a time of heightened environmental and political awareness, and students were major players in the nascent ecology movement.
Forty years later, environmental protection is part of American life at every level and the observance of Earth Day is a celebration rather than a protest. Americans still argue over acceptable levels of environmental protection and the debate has expanded from the basic questions of clean air and water to more complicated questions surrounding climate change, biodiversity, deforestation and renewable energy. Still, changes reflected around the country and here at 51勛圖厙over the past 40 years have been remarkable. Heres a snapshot:泭泭泭泭
- The Environmental Protection Agency, created in 1970, now regulates environmental protection at every level of U.S. policy relating to natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry and international trade. 51勛圖厙Environmental Engineering Professor Al Armendariz is administrator for Region 6, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico.
- Nearly one-third of municipal solid waste is recycled nationally, according to the latest EPA statistics available. 51勛圖厙recycled more than 18,000 pounds of waste material last year, ranging from leftover newspapers and soda cans to clippings trimmed from trees and shrubs.
- 51勛圖厙placed fifth out of 21 competing Texas universities in the Per Capita Classic division in the recent Recyclemania competition beating Rice, Baylor, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Houston, the University of North Texas and Texas A&M.泭 It was great that the campus community responded positively to that message, but even better that they responded practically, said Kevin Salfen, acting chair of music history in the Meadows School of the Arts, who assisted with SMUs Recyclemania effort. In the last week of the competition, Greek houses and apartments alone were responsible for generating about 1830 pounds of recycle-able materials. 泭
- Americans now build their homes and choose their appliances with an eye toward saving energy, earning currently available federal tax credits and saving on monthly utility bills. New 51勛圖厙buildings, like the Lyle School of Engineerings recently dedicated Caruth Hall, are constructed to sustainable standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council.泭 SMUs office of Facilities Management and Sustainability manages campus energy consumption, and SMUs real-time water and electricity usage is on display at the Building Dashboard.
- Protecting the environment has grown into a significant 21st Century career path, as businesses and government agencies hire environmental engineers, water quality experts, energy management experts and urban planners to support sustainable living and development.泭 At SMU, students are pursuing degrees in environmental science and environmental studies through Dedman College and environmental engineering through the Lyle School of Engineering.
- SMUs Sustainability Committee was formed to promote sustainability efforts on the Hilltop.
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