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Green Week celebrates progress, reminds of need for more

By Gaveliers, The Gavel Media Team, on March 24, 2010 10:09 AM

By Christina Koutsourades, Gavel Writer -

This past week Boston College was especially green. Not only was it a week dedicated to the festive green of St. Patrick’s Day, it also happened to be BC’s second annual Green Week. The UGBC-sponsored series, starting March 11 this year, is dedicated to promoting sustainability on campus and educating students about the green movement. This year’s Green Week was filled with lectures regarding climate change, global water crisis, houses built of recycled materials, as well as environmental documentaries on sustainability and local food.

A highlight of the week was writer and actor of the 2009 documentary No Impact Man Colin Beavan, who came to speak. On St. Patrick’s Day, Beavan was welcomed to a room filled with varied shades of green and free reusable tote bags. He endeavored to live a year with no net environmental impact in New York City with his wife and daughter. His one-year experiment involved changing his everyday habits of using the elevator to walking up to the 9th floor of his 16th floor apartment building and buying local and organic foods, among many other eco-friendly adjustments in his life. His goal was to live with as low an impact as possible by reducing his carbon footprint.

Julia Gabbert, Real Food BC president and A&S ’10, thought Colin’s new way of living with “no impact” was praiseworthy.

“[One begins] living a life that’s in line with your value,” says Gabbert. “[Refraining from] slaving in front of the TV or Facebook stalking … makes a difference in quality of life,” Gabbert notes.

By giving up these simple things Gabbert believes that people start spending more time with those who they care for and live an overall healthier life.

Beavan encouraged students to adopt an eco-friendly method of living through the “No Impact Experiment” for a week. This was a carbon cleansing week that had students reduce consumption, trash, transportation use and amount of travel distance for food, energy and water consumption.

Whitney Fitzpatrick, A&S ’13, an Eco-Rep for Hardey House and Cushing Hall on Newton campus, saw the documentary over spring break and was inspired to participate. She stopped using the T and the Newton bus during the day and believes that if she can do it in the city, then students can try to do it on a college campus.

Rachel Weed, A&S ’12, also participated in the “No Impact Experiment.” She thought she was rather environmentally conscience until she started the experiment. 

“There are so many things I don’t even think about, like using a napkin at every meal and what trash that can add up to,” Weed says. “It also showed some serious shortcomings of BC, it is really hard to be low impact here.”

Even though students might find it difficult to reduce all negative environmental impacts on a college campus, Beavan encouraged everyone to try their best, whatever that might be. 

“Each of us has capability to make a difference,” Beavan says, even if that involves starting small in the dormitories or on campus.

There are students, like Jason Sarno, CSOM ’10, who say that BC is making an effort to be greener. Although he believes that there are still not enough recycling bins on campus, he has seen the progress of more detailed and intricate recycling on campus since his freshman year four years ago. The separation bins in Lower Dining Hall dividing food, trash and recyclables is one example.

BC’s Green Week is a reminder of the progress of green campus organizations and individuals have made to reduce consumption and create greener college campuses. However, it serve, too, as a reminder of the work that still needs to be done, both on campus and in every individual’s daily life.

Adriana Diez, CSOM ’13, says she is proud of the student body for being conscience of eco-friendly practices.

However, Victoria Scarzello, A&S ’13, and others want to see these programs continue after Green Week. Scarzello hopes BC’s Green Week continues at a personal level in hopes to eventually make Green Week as celebrated and as green as that of Saint Patrick’s Day.