It was a beautiful day to celebrate the earth on April 22, and students and staff alike took to the quad to experience NCC’s first-ever Earth Day Sustainable Living Expo. Organized by the Environmental Task Force, the event featured over 20 exhibitors with information or products related to green living.
You could find out the size of your carbon footprint at a table in the College Center lobby, using Yahoo’s online calculator. (“Carbon footprint” refers to the measure of impact your activities have on the environment in terms of greenhouse gases produced. Check out yours here.) You could also watch a video of the Environmental Task Force’s winning public service announcement on sustainable living, produced by Radio/TV major Henry Yeska IV. Check it out on youtube.
Heeding the environmentalists' creed of “reduce, reuse, and recycle,” textile designer Megan Walsh displayed a table full of her colorful hand-crafted wallets and small bags made from recycled plastic shopping bags. “I iron several layers of plastic bags together to form the ‘fabric,’” she explained. “It runs really easily through my sewing machine.”
A bright red Smart car lured fascinated crowds off the quad into the grass (right). Popular in Europe, the tiny two-seater gets 36 combined miles per gallon (MPG) in the city (40 highway), and is classified as Ultra Low Emissions, even though it runs solely on gasoline. Brand specialist Seth Parnes said the car can go up to 90 miles per hour, and has a four-star crash-test rating for front impact, and five-star for side. Honda and Toyota hybrids were also on display.
NCC’s Pages bookstore had a variety of their earth-friendly products and books on display. NCC's library displayed how they've gone green. PTK’s table showed the results of their recent cigarette butt clean-up. A new community organization, the Healthy Moms Club, displayed eco-friendly alternative cleaning products (vinegar and baking soda featured prominently!)
Other NCC clubs represented at the Expo included the Science Club, Political Science Club, and Cycling Club. Community organizations and vendors included Clean Water Action, Natural Awakenings magazine, Lehigh Valley Vegetarians, Home & Planet store of Bethlehem, Clothesline Organics clothing, the Alliance for Sustainable Communities, Seven Generations Charter School, Clean Solar Energy, and the Coalition for Alternative Transportation.
