Five Reasons Why YOU should Attend the Upcoming Earth Week Events At Stonehill College

 1. Be a part of something BIGGER

“A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. “ -Margaret Mead

Ever hear of the hugely successful “Think Outside the Bottle Campaign” that influenced not only students to stop drinking bottled water, but also for the college to cut budget spending on bottled water. This initiative was all thanks to a group of inspiring students with a passion to stop the support of the injustices in bottled water companies.

The Sustainability Fair and Jamnesty will both be hosting groups of students that want YOU to join their causes in creating a more sustainable campus. Come to these events to learn about projects such as a no-mow area on campus, sign the sustainability pledge, or if you are a graduating senior, sign the Graduation Pledge Alliance!

 2. F-R-E-E Stuff

Need I say more? Who does not LOVE free stuff; there will be donations of Stonyfield yogurt, to-go containers (thanks to dining services), your very own plant and much more. Who pays for reusable mugs these days anyways?!

3. Knowledge Is Power

“Peace cannot be kept by force, it can only be kept by understanding” -Albert Einstein

Why not educate yourself outside of the classroom when its as easy as stopping by some fun, energetic events. Enthusiastic social activists and passionate environmentalists are sure to be at both events to make you aware of various issues. They  will be providing ways in which YOU can get involved and make a difference. You will also become aware of the many clubs and organizations on campus that fight these issues and get a chance to meet the students that work very hard to make a difference!

4. MUSIC IN THE SUNSHINE

Jamnesty is an outdoor music festival with some of Stonehill’s very own musically talented artists including Rex Macapinlac, Chris Borelli, and many more! Come out and JAM hard at JAMnesty

 5. FREE ADMISSION (BOOOOOOO YEAH!!!) AND LOTS OF FUN GUARANTEED

Being a poor college student is no longer a viable excuse!!

Sustainability Fair

Monday April 23rd

Commons A 11:00-2:00

Jamnesty

Saturday April 28th

Stone Pavilion in front of Shields 3:00-7:00

It is only the middle of April, and the Boston Marathon is going to be held tomorrow in 90 degree weather. Although the end of the semester seems to be dragging along to the finish line, summer is coming early and is winning out in the race. Instead of papers and finals, many of us will be hitting the beach this week, or will be wishing that we could. Whether you decide to stick your toes in the sand tomorrow or to celebrate the end of the year in May, here are some eco-friendly beach  tips to keep in mind when you go!

1) Carpooling to the beach is always fun and it can help to save on gas! It can also help your group reduce CO2 emissions and energy spent to get to your destination.

2) When you first get to the beach, use the boardwalk or walkovers that lead you to the beach if there is one. Doing this will help to protect sand dunes that may be sensitive to human interference and it will help to preserve ant animal or plant life that exists on the edges of the beach.

3) For lunch pack an old-fashioned picnic! Not only will those sandwiches and lemonade hit the spot on a sunny day, but by using reusable cutlery and cups, you can reduce your total waste from your beach excursion and reduce the risk of trash being left behind. Also if you can’t use reusable eating utensils and cups, make sure to dispose of your waste properly or take it home with you to throw away!

4) Remember that you are a guest at the beach so respect of he natural flora and fauna is key. The beach can be a very interesting place, but be sure not to disturb and observe animals and plants from a safe distance.

5) Finally, you can help support eco-friendly beaches by choosing to visit them instead of other beaches that may be overcrowded and devoid of fun and interesting wildlife and plants. Also many of them are in other parts of the world so you can plan some fun international adventures this summer! Some of these eco-friendly beaches include:

Whitehaven Beach: Whitsunday Islands, Australia

Playa Matapalo: Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve: Oahu, Hawaii

Koh Libong: Trang Province, Thailand

Las Islas Cies: Galicia, Spain

Happy Vacationing and Beach Hopping!

-Aimee Morrison

We all know that the pastime of spring cleaning marks the annual and much anticipated arrival of spring, but did you know that it is also a great time to help the environment? As we rummage through our dusty closets and drawers, it is easy to throw out a lot of items that would actually still have use somewhere else. So before you chuck it in the garbage can, try one of these neat ideas to recycle or reuse your unwanted items.

- Did you know that you can send your unwanted furniture to a furniture recycler that will then turn it into new furniture? Not only will this save you from paying to bring your old furniture to the dump, but it will help the environment by not wasting the wood or other materials.

- Got lots of unwanted papers laying around? Instead of throwing these in the trash, why not flip them over and print on the other side? There are many things that we print that don’t need to be turned in as assignments, so what is the difference if they have writing on the back? This will save you from having to buy as much paper and will also produce less paper waste.

-Another great way to go green is to replace old appliances with new, energy efficient ones.

For more information feel free to visit http://www.futurefriendly.com.

-Danielle Garceau

This week April has started and Spring is on its way! The past couple of weeks of Spring have been a little shaky, and unpredictable, but nevertheless warmer weather is on its way. With longer days and more sun, now is the perfect time to start thinking about starting a garden that you can enjoy now and throughout the summer. You can grow a variety of pretty flowers, either annuals or perennials, or you could try your hand at growing your own tomatoes this summer. Growing your own garden, whether flower, vegetable, herb, or a combination of the three can be both a fun hobby and a secure source of fresh and organic produce. I can’t think of a better summer treat than juicy garden tomatoes on a fresh salad! Gardens can be a lot of work, but gardening is a rewarding hobby that many people enojoy and many families do together throughout the spring and summer months.

http://www.thebeehive.org/special-features/10-tips-grow-vegetable-garden?gclid=CPnHi6X5o68CFWUQNAodCHfaXg

http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/

The links above are a couple of resources that will help you get started on a vegetable garden or a flower garden if you are a beginner. Gardening is not just a way to keep Sprng alive throughout the season, but it is also a great way to live more sustainably. By growing your own food, you will help to reduce your environmental impact. Your food will not have pesticides or other growth chemicals on it and you will be reducing the amount of fuel needed to transport your food from wherever it is grown to the grocery store. By using a compost bin at home and composting materials from your home, you can also reduce the amount of wast you put out. There are many environmental and personal benefits to gardening and there are many resources you can use, both online and at local gardening stores, to help you get started and improve your gardening skills.

Have fun finding your green thumb!

-Aimee Morrison

“The ocean is the next frontier of human civilization.” That is the main objective and vision of the Seasteading Institute. They are working on achieving the goal of creating cities that float above water. Government is a powerful controller of the lives of its people. They believe that innovative political systems cities could be more beneficial than government action being taken right now. The Institute is working on engineering cities that are safe and comfortable for people and in all different sea conditions. In order to receive the Poseidon Award, the Institute must build an independent seastead by 2015 that is capable of sustaining at least 50 residents and be “financially self-sufficient,” among other requirements. Not only is the Institute trying to innovate new ideas, but do so in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner. There is a conference coming up at the end of May/beginning of June in order to further continue carrying out this intricate project and achieve their goal.  Below is the link to The Seasteading Institiute blog for more information and updates: http://www.seasteading.org/posts/blog/

Follow this link for a brief glimpse of what’s going on: Introduction to Seasteading

-Sara Boukdad

You may not think of iPhone Apps as having the potential to be eco-friendly, but in any scenario, saving paper through using technology is a little way that you can go greener. They may not be the first apps to cross your path as you scroll through Angry Birds and Temple run, but nevertheless they are worth your while. What kind of apps are eco-friendly you might ask? I’ll show you a few to get you started.

1. Flashcard App –  Flashcard + is an app that allows you to type out your flashcards directly onto your iPhone! It’s very convient because it is so much faster to type out flashcards on your phone than to hand write them. This app is also free, so no more spending money on loads and loads of flashcards! Every bit of paper that you can save counts, so this app is a great way to go green!

2.  Calendar App –  The calendar app comes standard with every iPhone, so you don’t have to spend a penny! Instead of having to remember to lug around a planner (or 2 or 3 as in my case) everything can go conviently into your tiny little iPhone that you have with you at all times! It’s super convient, and you can even set reminders instead of post-it notes. Again, every bit of paper counts, and by putting your scheduling information into your iPhone, you can save lots of paper over time, and cash! (which is also paper!)

3. Camera App-  The camera app also comes standard with the iPhone, so no money lost here. You can use your camera app to take pictures of things you would never normally think to take picutures of, becuase the camera on the iPhone has such good resolution! It is very easy to take quick pictures of things like your work schedule posted on the wall, a homework assignment on the whiteboard, or even the shuttle schedule posted outside Boland! Later, you can access these pictures in your pictures app, zoom in, and read the information very clearly. Not only does this save you the time of jotting things down, it will save you a lot of paper in the long run, which is always a good way to be eco-friendly.

There are many other ways to use your iPhone, iPad, or other technological devices to minimize your paper consumption. Just take some time scrolling through apps, you’ll be amazed at what you can find to help you go green!

-Danielle Garceau

After coming back from Spring Break, many of us went on vacation, stayed at home, or experienced a Stonehill HOPE trip. This year, I was a student leader for HOPE West Virginia, and while we were there, our group learned about how hydrofracking works and some things that we should be concerned about as a result of hydrofracking. Hydrofracking is relatively new and it involved a process in which natural gas is mined from the marcellus shale. A well that goes one or two miles into the ground is drilled, and then a horizontal path is drilled in both directions. Then water, mixed with several other chemicals, is shot through the well at very high pressures. When this high-pressure liquid interacts with the marcellus shale layer, natural gas is released and collected for future use. This process may appear simple, but there are several health hazards and environmental hazards that are a result of hydrofracking. For example, there are over 100 chemicals used in fracking fluids, some of which include 2-dibromo-3-niriloprionamide, 2-ethyl hexanol, 2-propanol, 2-propen-1-aminium, N<N-dimpethyl-N-2-propenyl-chloride, and 2-propenicacid. Some of the chemicals used in hydrofracking are extrememly toxic and corrosive, and in some cases, it is possible that these fluids can leak into the local groundwater that communities use in their homes. There have been several cases of disease and cancer, and some people’s tap water has been able to be set on fire after hydrofracking has been started near there homes.

Along with human health problems, this new mining technique is also harmful to the environment. Hydrofracking poses a threat to local wildlife where the water it needs for survival may be contaminated by fracking fluids. Also animal and bird migratory patterns may be altered or blocked due to new hydrofracking sites. Fracking also uses about 6-8 million more gallons of water than conventional mining, so more water that is suitable for consumption or wildlife use is being polluted with fracking fluids. The documentary Gasland, by Josh Fox, explores both health and environmental concerns that result from hydrofracking, and it presents the information in a way that is both helpful and accessible, making it easy for the audience to understand.

There is much controversy over this issue, especially in the states of New York in Pennsylvania. In West Virginia, where hydrofracking has been started, many residents are upset that their state is being mined by this destructive means and they are concerned about the future and beauty of their state in the next 10 years when more and more hydrofracking wells are proposed to be set up. If you don’t know much about hydrofracking, it is definitely worth finding out more. The information you find may just surprise and shock you.

-Aimee Morrison

The Eco-Reps are putting on a program called Biodiversity at Stonehill. A student of ours who interned last semester at the Center for New England Wildlife has brought us together and allowed us to put on an event showcasing some of their animals and to learn about these animals and how the Center for New England Wildlife runs their operation in the care taking of these and other animals.

Animals that will be at the event:
- Hawk (who doesn’t want to get their picture taken with a Hawk! New Facebook profile picture anyone!?)
- Snake (just think of it as a larger earth worm!)
- Goat ( come on, a goat in the science center! Let’s go!)
- Tortoise (possible race with the goat!)

When: February 17, 2012 3:00 pm

Where: Science Center (1st floor lab) Look for posters for finalized details

Donations are most definitely helpful! Donations will go to the Center for New England Wildlife for further assistance and overall maintenance of this incredible program

Hey everyone,
It’s 5:10 am and I am up doing some work before classes start and I decided to let everyone know how excited we (Megan, Professor Mooney and Myself) are about this upcoming semester. To begin I wanted to introduce our new Spring 2012 Stonehill Eco-Reps. First off we have the ever incredible Professor Susan Mooney who never ceases to amaze us with her great words of guidance and wisdom and unbelievable spunk and energy, even if it was 30 degrees in the everglades with Hurricane Irene coming literally into our tents at 4 am! Next we have the lovely Ms. Megan Keane who will be helping me out this semester. She loves her business but science is where her heart truly belongs… even if you are going to Grad school for Business… Next off we have the girl from Revere, which by the way no one would ever know where it is without that Jack-Chop Youtube video…Sara Boukdad!!!Coming up next is the ever incredibly quiet Danielle, quite as a mouse, Garceau!!! And who could forget the always smiling, most go with the flow personality…Tori Gray!!! She loves her SEA and Eco-Rep programs almost as much as she loves her dove dark chocolates and her heart shaped Reese’s Peanut Butter cups… Jessica Lantos!!! And last but most certainly not least, the girl who can school you on the basketball courts of Lowell, Mass and then school you in… ya… school… I got nothing! I’ll work on something witty to say, don’t worry!

Well here they are, our new Spring 2012 Eco-Reps for Stonehill and we are so amped up for this semester and can’t wait to see what this energetic and highly intelligent group of individuals bring to the Sustainability on Stonehill’s Campus!

Here is a preview of just some of the events and activities that they have come up with an plan to organize
- Biodiversity at Stonehill (hint: includes live Hawks, Turtles, Snakes and a goat…) oh ya, did i say alive, ya.. a live hawk in the science center! Plus, who wouldn’t want to see a goat go the bathroom on those shiny new tiles or perhaps in the office of one of your science professors that woke up on the wrong side of the bed and decided to take it out on you that day. Only suggestions, I’m not liable to where that goat goes, I’ll just turn the other cheek!

- Renewable Energy such as solar and wind usage (Seniors…potential graduation gift idea…come on I know you like the idea! While outside tanning around, no more having to get up and spray yourself to cool off, just tan near the wind turbine for ultimate fan effect!

-Presentation of the Eco-Rep’s past and future work at the Forum for Collaboration

-Peer Education and Awareness events on campus (Possible merit point program, who doesn’t need an extra merit point, I mean come on! I heard those prime rooms in every building go fast, and without an extra merit point… you might be stuck living next to the rowdy football teams dorm rooms! Who wants to try and sleep, never mind breathe that smell in!!! ) We will collaborate with other environmental and sustainability clubs on campus and share our ideas and feed off of each other for more creative way of doing things.

-Water Filter awareness (one reusable water bottle per person save hundreds of $ by investing in a $10 Nalgene water bottle that even looks cool! P.S, I found one at the bookstore that is all camo…What guy doesn’t want to look like a G.I Joe everyday of the week! And for the ladies, find a water bottle that matches your outfit; see if luis vitton, Gucci or Chanele has some designer water bottles that match your purse! I know you’re impressed I knew those names… I have an older sister! Come on though, we are all college students here, we have no money to be buying three or four bottles of water out of the vending machine per day! Think about the math…buy 3 vending machine water bottles a day for $1.50 each. That’s 3 times a day x $1.50 per water = $4.50 a day! Now say you realistically only buy water everyday 5 times a week, that’s $4.50 a day x 5 times a week = $22.50 a week! and to put things really into perspective, lets say we spend about 41 weeks total at school x spending $22.50 a week on water… = $922.50 a year just on bottle of water a year at Stonehill! So if someone (cough cough most people cough) continued on this cycle, on top of all the other fees, i would love to be a fly on the wall of your house when your parents asked you how you spent $3,690 on BOTTLED WATER in four years of college. I’m not finance major but if my kid ever told me that I would either ask him what he learned in college and pray his major wasn’t business! Or I would sue the school for not teaching my kid any common sense! And lastly, if money is no issue for you… which for me, that statement is just full of oxymoron’s and makes just about as much sense spend $3,690 on bottled water in college, take a look at this fun fact of just the waste product of the plastic bottle when you are done drinking it in literally two minutes if your really thirsty… In 2009 the US threw out enough plastic water bottles to stretch around the earth 190 times!!!! I have nothing else to say but if you haven’t figured out this equation yet, I hope that your not ever going to be in a position to manage the governments money!

-Science Center Roof Garden- Teamed up with Professor Mooney’s Food Justice Class, we have plans of building a “plant in anything, anywhere, with anything” Urban Garden to produce healthy food on top of the Science Center!!!! (who doesn’t think seeing a tomato plant growing out of a worn down Nike Air Jordan basketball sneaker, with chopped up rubber sole as soil cool!?!?) I’m going to do that in my dorm room just because it would definitely be a discussion piece at my next get-together!!!
- ZipCar Awareness (You know those two little cars that have not moved out of their reserved parking space, right next to my favorite building on campus, the cafe! Ya those cars! Hey freshman, tired of waiting around hours for the shuttle just to go to the mall, movies, grocery store? Or walking in the cold to get laundry detergent at CVS? Or always having to get delivery from the same place?… O.K O.K delivery isn’t that bad… but with the ZipCar you could go out to eat with your friends, or discover a cool new place to go or order food from!) You will be able to sign up for the program and act like an upper class men with your shiny new PRIUS!!! If you don’t get looks in one of those cars… they must need glasses! And plus you can point and laugh at their gas bills while you’re in your Prius saving hundreds of dollars on gas with a brand new coach wristlet and luis vitton designer water bottle you bought with the savings from not having to pay an arm and a leg for gas these days.
- Bike Share Program, (maybe if you’re not comfortable driving around in car, or “your alarm turned off by itself and your late for class…again” and you need to get across campus as fast as possible, take your bike and fly by the professors before they even notice you were late! You’ll save money, save emissions, get some exercise and avoid that daunting look the professor give you when you walk in late in front of the entire class who are just sitting there laughing and giggling… It’s never happened to me, but I’ve heard rumors of that…before…not me though!… moving on

SSAEE- (keep trying to figure out what that means… or just read on) How about the Eco-Rep program teams up with other Sustainability and Environmental Clubs and creates a merit point/extra credit program on making Stonehill more aware and educated and how to save money and resources while living sustainably! We might even bring simple algebra lessons and give out private tutoring lessons for the students still unable to figure out the water filtration system…. We could call it STONEHILL’S SWEET AWESOME EXTREME EXCITEMENT!!! or just call it Stonehill’s Sustainable Awareness and Education Event… or whatever. I personally prefer the first one… but that’s just me…

I hope you all got a lot out of this. I sure did in the sense that my humor is only funny to me… but all kidding aside, I’m really looking forward to working and learning with the Eco-Reps and I am anxious to see what they have in store for Stonehill community.