Earth Day - A Thousand Ways to Save the Environment

April 24, 2008

PEA stainless steel mugs were sold as a way to encourage less use of paper cups

This year’s Earth Day celebration was a collaborative effort by Exonians to educate their fellow students, faculty, staff and family members about opportunities to implement the environmentalists’ "green" rule of the “three r’s”: reduce, reuse and recycle.

With large, colorful posters and signs, live music, and interactive displays and demonstrations in the Phelps Academy Center’s Agora, students learned about eating a “green diet” with less meat and fewer carbons; practicing "green consumerism," by recognizing and utilizing the difference between good and bad brand items, and the impact of buying less; and how to calculate an individual ecological footprint, the measure of human demand on the Earth’s ecosystems and natural resources.

Sustainability Coordinator Jennifer Wilhelm, who helped plan Earth Day with student environmental proctors and members of the Environmental Action Committee, says the celebration of using natural resources sparingly included a water taste-testing demonstration; a letter-writing campaign urging politicians and business owners to use sustainable products and pass laws in support of them; and a display of a Toyota Prius hybrid, an electric/gas car that  according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is the most fuel-efficient vehicle sold in the United States.

“We sold PEA sustainable mugs, played a wattage guessing game, and gave out information on the negative impact using plastic water bottles has on the environment. This was a very useful event for more than 200 members of our community—to come out and learn what they can do to reduce their ecological impact, and help conserve natural resources. I believe that everyone who participated in this event learned a lot,” Wilhelm says.

EAC member Alexander, a senior, says the celebration offered students both a means to learn more about their natural resources and a chance to get involved.

“The Earth Day celebration is an educational experience for the Exeter community—a chance for students to learn about new, on-campus projects and initiatives, as well as to be actively engaged,” he says. “Students can learn about The Exchange (an on-campus, secondhand store that opens this week), or how much energy common electrical appliances consume. They can also learn how to get involved.”

Off campus, students and faculty continue to make strides in conserving energy. Winners in this year’s Green Cup Off-Campus Competition saved as much as 36 percent. Day student and lower Gabrielle says surprisingly during the contest, her family didn’t make drastic or impractical changes in their lifestyle.

“We were just more conscious about turning lights off and not leaving electrical appliances plugged in. During the day, while my mom was at work and my sister and me were at school, we’d hit the kill switch for the furnace since we didn’t need heat when we weren’t home. Instead of watching TV in three different rooms, we’d sit down and watch a program together; and instead of cooking meals at different times, we’d cook one family dinner. Not only did we save energy, but we spent more time together,” Gabrielle says.

Science instructor Sydnee Goddard, a second-time winner in the contest, says her family has a longstanding commitment to protecting the environment, so the challenge is a natural extension of what they do daily. This year, the family followed the same steps but weren’t as extreme about it.

“Last year, we went all out and reduced our energy consumption by more than 37 percent. This time we had basically the same routine:  using energy efficient light bulbs; heating only certain rooms in our house and hanging out together in one room at night; taking one- to three-minute showers; watching at most one hour of TV each week; hanging up clothes to dry; unplugging all appliances not in use; and even working by candlelight. My husband didn’t bake cookies and we had plenty of cold meals too. The experience was actually a wonderful time for my family to bond,” Goddard says.

Both winners have pledged to continue these practices to save money on electricity and contribute to saving the environment. The Goddard household energy bill has stayed down. The family hopes that it will go even lower due to the recent purchase of an energy saving washing machine. “We’re also looking into wind power and a solar-powered water heater because we suspect our biggest use of energy is for heating water in the house,” adds Goddard.


To learn more about Exeter’s sustainability projects, visit Current Projects.

To learn more about Exeter’s Environmental Proctors and the Environmental Action Committee, visit Clubs and Groups.

To learn more about Exeter’s environmental courses and off-campus programs, visit Phillips Exeter Academy | Courses in Sustainability.
 
To learn more about Exeter’s Green Cup Challenge, visit GCC at Exeter.