Groups plan for Earth Week events

Students who see garbage on the Diag tomorrow should not stop to pick it up.

Heaps of trash are scheduled to be dumped on the lawn surrounding the Diag at noon as part of Waste Reduction Day - the second day of Earth Week, which kicks off today.

"Each day, we're trying to have a specific message to get across," said SNRE first-year student Hanna Wingard. Wingard said the trash on the Diag is just part of the week-long event, which is deserving of "an entire year of intense focus."

"We're trying to get people to see how much waste they're producing, but we're also trying to gain the interest of people who are not normally involved in environmental organizations," Wingard said.

Earth Week events include Environmental Justice, Greening of Corporations, Global Climate Change and Rainforest Action days in addition to Tuesday's focus on waste management. The week runs until Saturday.

This week, students will have the chance to hear speakers address environmental issues, see a movie concerning environmental perspectives and have lunch with Patrick Dougherty, the artist who currently is working on tree sculptures in the Diag.

SNRE junior Kristin Genovese, the co-facilitator of Environmental Action, said her organization tried to select topics that students would be most interested in as themes for Earth Week.

"This year we tried to focus on a variety of student groups on campus and include different organizations in our planning," Genovese said. "The environment isn't just an issue for SNRE students. It's something that everybody can and should be interested in."

As part of the week's activities, students will plant trees in an old car hauled onto the Diag on Thursday afternoon.

"This event will give the message that cars can be dangerous," said SNRE senior Mona Hanna, who chairs Michigan Student Assembly's Environmental Issues Committee. "It will tell people to drive less and walk more."

Hanna said celebrating Earth Week is a tradition at the University.

"In 1970, the University held the nation's first-ever Earth Day," Hanna said. Now, Earth Day is an annual event, she said.

LSA junior Julian Garro said he is somewhat wary about the week but hopeful that it will have a positive impact on many students.

"A lot of times, (seminars on campus) just promote a lot of bickering and differing of opinion," Garro said. "Nothing ends up getting done. Of course, I don't think there's much anti-Earth Week attitude."

Garro said he thought the Party for the Planet, a completely solar-powered event that will end Earth Week on Saturday, sounds inviting.

"Too often students are just concerned with getting straight "A's" and not with pitching in," Garro said. "But I'll go to the party if there's free food."

Earth Week events, including demonstrations, a bike ride and activities on the Diag, aim to involve everyone on campus by bringing the events to the students.

"The way the events are scheduled, it makes it easy to take the first step," said SNRE sophomore Sunshine Jenkins. "It makes environmental problems visible and makes it easy to get involved."

LSA first-year student Andy Gordon said the environment is a worthy cause that everyone should become aware of.

"I hadn't heard about (Earth Week) before," Gordon said. "But hey, it's for the environment. I'll definitely stop by and participate."

A complete list of Earth Week events can be accessed at: http://www.umich.edu/~envsem/events/april.html.

04-13-98