In 1969, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson had a vision for one of America’s first great movements in environmental activism. He held the first national environmental teach-in, or Earth Day, in 1970 with an estimated 20 million people in attendance across the United States.
Forty-two years later, Earth Day is an international holiday celebrated by a growing population of ordinary people turned advocates for ecology and warriors of sustainability.
This Friday, Earth Day will grace the planet once again. Awareness will spread, and the world will acknowledge the struggling environment that has nourished humanity since its inception.
However, with resources rapidly dwindling, gasses blasting holes in the ozone layer and an ever-growing population that exceeds a sustainable balance, the world is calling for more than just a day of recognition.
That’s why San Diego State and Associated Students will be celebrating the holiday with GreenFest, a week of interactive events and world-class entertainment to promote environmental awareness, health consciousness and sustainable practices.
“In my opinion, this is the most progressive and sustainable Earth Day celebration at SDSU to date,” Tara Kelly, Sustainability Commissioner and Chair of the Green Love Advisory Board, said.
“Our goal with GreenFest is to actively engage students, educate them about sustainability and motivate students to take action.”
The festivities kicked off yesterday with the Sector 9 Skate and Bike Brunch, where participants rode their respective wheels to school and enjoyed a performance by Originalites while sharing a healthy breakfast.
Tomorrow, Centennial Walkway will set the stage when events turn cultural with the Sustain Your Roots: World Map to Sustainability celebration. More than 20 countries will be represented in an eclectic array of performances, complemented by authentic food tasting and a description of each society’s green practices.
Following the Sustain Your Roots festival, internationally renowned keynote speakers Julia “Butterfly” Hill and Daryl Hannah will take the stage for highly anticipated performances. Hill honors the spotlight as the savior of a plot of the last remaining ancient forests in the world. She directed international attention to the destruction of 1,000-year-old redwood forest when she climbed 180 feet into the branches, nesting for 738 days to protest the clear-cutting of Northern California’s prized possession.
Hannah is an American film actress with a passion for environmental activism. Hannah has starred in Hollywood films including Blade Runner, Splash, Wall Street and Kill Bill, and her home serves as a state-of-the-art model for conservative construction. She has also rallied at the United Nations and has been arrested twice — once for protecting a Los Angeles urban garden and a second time while protesting coal mining on a West Virginia mountaintop.
On Thursday, join the Environmental Business Society, also known as e3, on Centennial Walkway for the Enviro-Business Fair and weekly farmers market. Mingle with local and national business operators to find out how they use clean, sustainable practices in their production, and perhaps find a potential employer.
At the farmers market, watch executive chef and owner of Searsucker and “Top Chef” finalist Brian Malarkey perform a culinary showcase of quick, affordable and healthy meals designed specifically to appease students’ taste buds.
“We’re hoping that with this variety of exciting and diverse events, students will become inspired and come together to be a leading force behind today’s sustainability movement,” Kelly said.
The celebration reaches its apex on Earth Day. The afternoon plans for a festival on the ENS Field with live music from an array of disk jockeys, a beer garden designed to “Save the Ales” and an “Energy Playground,” complete with seesaws, energy bikes and a rock climbing wall. Kelly’s only suggestion is for guests to “save the ales” after visiting the playground, not before.
Friday evening, the events culminate in an energy-packed performance at Viejas Arena. The sold-out music festival featuring live performances by Lupe Fiasco, DJ Skinnie and Steve Aoki promises to capstone the celebration as the most outstanding GreenFest to date.
Join the community of students, faculty, staff and activists who drive toward a sustainable future and fight to make the world aware. Celebrate the Earth and all it gives humanity, and help strengthen SDSU as an institution that makes a difference.
