USU’s Earth Day has trash sorting, music and more
Earth Day was celebrated a little late this year at Utah State University. Because Earth Day was Sunday, activities were held all day Wednesday on campus. Activities included a concert, a forum on draining Lake Powell, lunch, sorting garbage and a canyon cleanup. Earth Day has become a celebration of awareness for a variety of clubs and organizations. Organizations with a wide spectrum of interests from the Ecological Coalition of Students (ECOS) to the Student Animal Liberation Team (SALT) had tables outside of the Taggart Student Center. ECOS gathered 6 cubic yards of garbage from the Natural Resources building and sifted through it near the TSC Patio to see how much is thrown away that could have been recycled. They said about 75 percent of the waste was recyclable. Jim Steitz of ECOS said USU students can have an impact on environmental issues. “We hope that Earth Day inspires students to take action on behalf of the environment,” Steitz said. He said he hopes students realize they’re not just at USU to take classes. “The issues addressed [at Earth Day] are major national issues,” Steitz said. “USU students can make a difference.” Families Against Incinerator Risk (FAIR), which has recently had forums on campus about nuclear waste hazards, was on campus to educate students on the realities of nuclear waste proliferation in Utah. Teresa Koper of FAIR said that in Utah the government supports low-level nuclear waste stored by Envirocare but opposes the storage of high-level nuclear waste proposed by the Goshute tribe. Koper said FAIR is against all storage of nuclear waste because of the long-term nature of radioactive material. “Companies are responsible for 40 years, but the state is responsible for 10,000 years,” Koper said. Beth Niederman of the Utah Rivers Council was here to try to enlist support for no new dam construction on the Bear River. “The main thing is that students and individuals can help save the Bear River and fight proposed dams on the river,” Niederman said. She also said Utah Rivers Council was trying to dispel the myth that Utah will run out of water unless dams are constructed. Niederman proposed alternatives to dam construction in water conservation like watering lawns at night instead of letting the water run all day in the heat. Mark Paoletti of Americorps-Vista was on campus to promote the non-profit organization Common Ground, which sponsors outdoor adventures for people with disabilities. “A lot of people don’t realize that there are lots of opportunities for people with disabilities in the outdoors,” Paoletti said. Logan High School students were also on campus promoting their organization called Logan Environmental Action Force (LEAF). Kelly Randleman and Katie Trieu hoped to raise awareness of their activities like the greenhouse being built behind the high school, commuting to school and recycling at Logan High.