The University of Mississippi and city of Oxford are partnering for a week of activities later this month to raise environmental awareness throughout the community.
Green Week 2009, set for April 20-24, includes a series of free lectures, forums, interactive activities and displays to educate participants about environmental sustainability and conservation efforts. Everyone will be challenged to get involved in local recycling, energy conservation and other sustainability efforts, said Jim Morrison, UM director of strategic planning and campus sustainability coordinator.
"Our hope is that the Ole Miss and Oxford community will collectively embrace the notion that we can make a big difference by doing the little things in our daily lives that will have a lasting impact on the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit," Morrison said.
"The purpose of Green Week is to educate and to engage the community on not just the global environmental issues that we face but also the local opportunities that we have to live more efficiently."
Each day focuses on one aspect of environmental preservation, with activities designed to support the day's theme, he said. The theme for Monday is water conservation; Tuesday, energy conservation; Wednesday, Earth Day/Worldfest; Thursday, transportation; and Friday, low-carbon diet.
The week's activities include workshops on home energy conservation, capturing storm runoff, using solar energy, composting and "green" gardening; displays on saving energy in classrooms and offices, water use awareness and global perspectives on sustainability; and a keynote speech by Kevin Butt, general manager and chief environmental officer for Toyota Motor Manufacturing North America Inc.
Several local and national vendors also plan to showcase environmentally friendly products and services. Most of the events are set for the Student Union Plaza and Grove, but several displays are planned for the Oxford Square near City Hall. The composting and gardening demonstrations also will be at the site of a proposed community garden near the old National Guard Armory. The city is committed to sustainability efforts and is working with UM officials to maximize the impact of its initiatives, said Katrina Hourin, assistant city planner.
"Our hope is to raise community awareness regarding our impact on the environment and initiate change to ensure stability to future generations," Hourin said.
This article from the University of Mississippi Newsdesk, written by Mitchell Diggs.
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