Even with the SUNY Oswego community not observing Earth Week on campus, the college’s Sustainability Office has coordinated a variety of activities to promote environmentally friendly living, in concert with the 50th anniversary of the inaugural Earth Day.
Earth Week events from April 20 through 25 will include a series of webinars on the office’s YouTube channel, social media activities (particularly on the @sustainabilibuddies Instagram account), topical movie watch parties and more.
Monday, April 20, will feature a plant-based eating webinar, starting at 4 p.m., that will walk viewers through preparing a home-cooked, plant-based meal and dessert. Led by Kristen Haynes, assistant director of the Rice Creek Field Station, and Sustainability Office student intern Linden Merrill, the session’s menu includes a filling grain bowl with a homemade dressing followed by peanut butter and chocolate no-bake bars. The suggested ingredients list is: quinoa, whole-wheat couscous, or other grain; fresh greens; bell pepper, purple cabbage, or other veggies to eat fresh; sweet potatoes or other root veggies; onion; extra-firm tofu or canned beans such as chickpeas; tahini; lemon; vinegar (rice or apple cider); soy sauce or tamari; olive oil; garlic; salt; pepper; chili powder or Berberre seasoning; garlic powder and smoked paprika powder.
Earth Day -- Wednesday, April 22 -- will feature a webinar titled “Living Imperfectly Sustainable,” starting at noon. While living a completely zero-waste life is almost impossible, Sustainability Office student intern Alina Rinaldi will present a pre-recorded workshop on how to incorporate sustainable practices into one’s daily life without having to spend a fortune or make drastic changes to their routines. Rinaldi will offer easy do-it-yourself ideas and creative ways to repurpose items around the house, as well as talk about zero-waste vs. low-waste, repurposing jars and containers, DIY cleaning products, buying food in bulk and more.
Earth Day also will feature a live webinar, Financial Sustainability and ESG Investing,” from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. featuring Oswego alumnus Kurt D'Angelo from Equitable Advisors, moderated by Spencer Johnson from the Sustainability Office. Attendees can gain insight into personal financial strategies and how they can incorporate environmentally conscious investments. D’Angelo also will discuss investment tools that make environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing goals attainable, and provide knowledge about being financially sustainable in unstable times.
Thursday, April 23, will highlight women’s health and sustainability via an interactive webpage with information about supporting gender equity, sustainable menstrual tips and getting involved in women's rights movements.
On Arbor Day, Friday, April 24, the Canal Forest Restoration Project at SUNY Oswego’s Rice Creek Field Station will provide a free online webinar conference throughout the day. Sessions with presenters that include SUNY Oswego students will address such topics as children’s programs, tree-related research, reforestation, growing tips and more. See this story for further details.
Also on April 24, the Sustainability Office’s social media platforms will convey a “Climate Change Scorecard” in advance of the 2020 President election in November. The office’s scorecard accesses candidates’ campaign history and positions on key environmental issues. Organizers also encourage everybody to check your voter registration and polling station via the iwillvote.com website.
A recorded webinar, “Get Groovy with Growing Mushrooms,” on Saturday, April 25, will feature local mushroom grower Noah Johnson of Johnson Brothers Food Forest. He will give background on the mushroom life cycle, basic identification tips and examples of different substrates and techniques used in the cultivation of mushrooms. This talk will end with a live demonstration.
A series of social media activities will include:
- The office’s Instagram account will showcase the sustainable actions of a variety of members around the campus via a #SustainabilitySpotlight social media campaign. This campaign will engage with our students and highlight the work of people around campus in the realm of sustainability -- an effort everybody can make wherever they are, #TogetherOz.
- On Earth Day, an #EarthChallenge will focus on plastic and air pollution. To participate, download the Earth Challenge 2020 app and document local air quality and add to the database that others worldwide are contributing to. The @sustainabilibuddies account will feature Instagram stories for Earth Challenge reminders and tidbits of information.
- A social energy conservation campaign will aim to spread awareness of the ability to mitigate excessive energy usage in anybody’s homes. Using simple tips and tricks, keeping energy usage at a minimum allows humans to reduce their carbon footprint, even with more time at home.
The office also will host a series of Netflix watch parties, all starting at 7:30 p.m. Viewers can take part via the Netflix Watch Party App (a Google chrome add-on). Films include:
- Monday, April 20: “Grass is Greener,” investigating the history of cannabis in the United States
- Tuesday, April 21: “Chasing Coral,” exploring the disappearance of coral reefs
- Wednesday, April 22: “Broken,” probing some negative effects of consumerism
- Thursday, April 23: “A Plastic Ocean,” investigating plastic pollution in the oceans
For more information, visit the Sustainability Office’s website or email sustainability@oswego.edu.