April 14, 2009
Student Center to host Earth Day celebration
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Salukis may bleed maroon, but organizers of an all-new event at Southern Illinois University Carbondale say those attending the Earth Day celebration will also discover just how easy it is to be “green.”
Earth Day is April 22 and the Student Center is hosting a variety of special activities, all free and open to the public. The Green Fair kicks things off at 11:30 a.m. in the Roman Room. Visitors can find information at tables from the Student Center, Chartwells Education Dining Services, Saluki Spokes, the SIUC recycling and vermicomposting programs and more.
There’s also a special Noon Tunes concert there at 11:30 a.m. featuring Carter & Connelley. The men describe their unique folk sounds as “environmental music with a message.”
An environmental roundtable discussion is set for 1:30-3 p.m. in the Mississippi Room. A grant from the Society of Philosophers in America is funding the public discussion and everyone is welcome.
Riding a bike is environmentally friendly transportation at its best and a free Saluki Spokes workshop will offer basic bike repair information. The 4-6 p.m. workshop will take place on the west patio of the Student Center.
The award-winning 2006 documentary “Who Killed the Electric Car?” will air at 4:30 p.m. in the Roman Room. With Martin Sheen narrating, the film features Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson and other well-known personalities. Following the film will be a reading of the Dr. Seuss classic, “The Lorax,” at 6:30 p.m.
Josh Dorfman, better known as “The Lazy Environmentalist,” will speak in Ballroom B at 7 p.m. He’ll present “Our Current Crisis and What Poor and Busy College Students Can Do.” Dorfman is an environmental entrepreneur, author and radio/television personality.
He was the featured guest for Earth Day 2007 on the “Martha Stewart Show” and hosted the national Sirius Satellite Radio show “The Lazy Environmentalist” for two years. He is the founder and CEO of Vivavi, a leading retailer of green furniture and furnishings. His latest book, just hitting shelves, is “The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget” and you can find out more about Dorfman at http://www.lazyenvironmentalist.com Dorfman will sign books following his presentation.
Plans are for an annual Earth Day commemoration at the Student Center in future years. For more information about the 2009 SIUC Earth Day festivities, look online at www.siucstudentcenter.org or call 618/453-1142.