Earth Day Celebration 2016 will be a day-long event on Wednesday, starting at 11 a.m in Walter Rotunda.
As spring finally sets in, Ohio University is losing no time in celebrating Earth Day this year. Earth Day, which is globally celebrated on April 22, will be celebrated at OU on April 20.
Earth Day Celebration 2016 will be hosted by the Office of Sustainability at Ohio University. It will be a day-long event Wednesday, starting at 11 a.m at Walter Rotunda and ending at 2 p.m. The sustainability ceremony will commence from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Walter Hall.
The event is a part of the Athens County Earth Week Extravaganza that runs from the 17th to the 24th of April.
Annie Laurie Cadmus, director of the Office of Sustainability, stressed the contentious nature of climate change. The event will act as an antidote and commemorate the relationship we share with the earth, she said.
“The biggest challenge that (climate change) faces today is the issue of its own existence,” Cadmus said. “Rather than caring for the earth, we are stuck in the rhetoric of ‘if it does actually exist?’ ”
Efforts toward leading a sustainable environment have gained significant value over the years. But Cadmus said it is as laborious as it is noble.
“(Sustainability) is a heck of a work,” Cadmus said. “(Earth Day) is a way for us to celebrate the past year. It is one day where we relax and acknowledge our achievements.”
The Office of Sustainability has organized several activities for students to take part in throughout the day. There will be hula hoops, face painting stalls, photo booths and a smoothie bar. A bicycle with a blender attached to its rear will be used to produce fresh smoothies. Students can pedal and drink smoothies for free. It will serve as an example demonstrating sustainability.
“We have a nice balance of festival and ceremony planned,” Cadmus said.
Elizabeth Rose, education and outreach coordinator graduate assistant for the Office of Sustainability, expressed her admiration for the initiative.
“It is exciting,” Rose, a graduate student studying recreational studies and management, said, “we are attempting to bring together people who are working on environmental projects both students from Ohio University as well the locals.”
The keynote speech for the ceremony will be delivered by Sarah Conley-Ballew, the founding director of UpGrade Athens County. Cadmus said UpGrade aims to encourage efficient use of energy and connects individuals to resources that will help them reduce energy consumption.
Rose said the festivities of Earth Day and the award show are initiated mainly to motivate students to engage in activities that benefit the environment. They are geared toward raising awareness and igniting a vigor to create a sustainable habitat.
“Working for the environment is hard,” Cadmus said. “It can be discouraging sometimes. Mainly because the results aren’t immediate. (Earth Day) acknowledges every effort.”
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