Local businesses and organizations gathered in downtown Phoenix on Thursday to promote environmental awareness before Earth Day today.
On ASU’s Taylor Mall, the Phoenix Public Market, Sun Devil Dining, Fair Trade Cafe and the Salt River Project all manned tables, where they encouraged students to learn about environmental sustainability.
The event was sponsored by the downtown Programming and Activities Board. Nonprofit leadership and management junior Rebecca Herrera, a member of PAB, spoke of the organization’s commitment to eco-friendly initiatives.
“We had wanted to do something to bring more awareness to students on the Downtown campus about Earth Day,” Herrera said. “Ideally, we would like for students to start and/or increase their recycling habits, educate themselves about ways we can reduce the waste we produce and share the knowledge they have gained with others.”
Political science senior Taylor Perkins represented Sun Devil Dining. He manned a question wheel with ecologically-themed queries designed to teach students about energy waste in their lives.
“The objective of this fair is to raise awareness for sustainable living,” Perkins said. “Spinning the wheel and asking questions about energy waste is designed to make students cognizant of ways to improve the ecosystem.”
Another student working for Sun Devil Dining, Anne Aroz, a film and media freshman, explained a large poster about the efforts ASU is making to become more environmentally sustainable. Sun Devil Dining is attempting to be greener by buying produce from local farmers and by not using trays in the dining hall, Aroz said.
Sun Devil Dining also provided lemonade, hummus with pita chips, olive tapenade, salad and couscous to showcase healthier dining options on campus. Sierra Smith, a sophomore philosophy major whose entire Philosophy in Literature class came to the fair, appreciated ASU’s efforts, but she said she wanted to personally investigate the idea of sustainable eating.
The fair “is only brushing the surface of the sustainability issue,” Smith said. “I feel like I would need to take a class or research the matter further myself to really understand the current issues.”
Organizations participating in the fair highlighted the importance of student involvement in the sustainable-living initiative. Aroz pointed out the possible benefits that eating local food could bring to Arizona’s economy. Perkins described green living as an important issue in modern discussion, indicating that ASU students should become more aware so that they can participate in that debate. Herrera said the unique position held by students was an incentive to get involved.
ASU students need to “promote sustainability because we are seen as the future leaders in our communities and can been seen as examples to younger generations,” Herrera said.
Another Earth Day fair, organized by Keep Phoenix Beautiful, a nonprofit organization that educates residents about recycling management and beautification practices, took place at Cesar Chavez Plaza in downtown Phoenix.
The event featured city government agencies, local businesses, composters, recyclers, farmers and sustainable grocers.
Among more than 80 booths at Cesar Chavez Plaza was AZ Strut, a nonprofit technology-recycling company that takes old computers that no longer run and dispenses them to Phoenix high schools. Students then refurbish the computers and AZ Strut distributes the computers to schools in need.
Adam Deno, a Phoenix native, was impressed with all the information that was available to him in one place. His mother was interested in solar panels but had no information on cost or how to obtain them, and the event provided her with valuable information, Deno said.
Keep Phoenix Beautiful will be hosting a day of service next Friday at Cesar Chavez Plaza by planting trees and flowers donated by their sponsors.
Contact the reporters at anna.gunderson@asu.edu and kyost1@asu.edu
