Under a large white tent on T-Hall lawn, dozens of groups, clubs and organizations promoting sustainability gathered for Friday's Earth Day celebration. Guest speaker Bob Varney, the Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator of New England and a UNH alum, moderated the event.
Varney started with an enthusiastic "Happy Earth Day!" and praised UNH for its efforts in sustainability and energy conservation.
"When people do great things they should be recognized, and UNH is doing great things," said Varney.
Varney then awarded ENERGY STAR labels to the buildings Randall-Hitchcock, Sawyer, Jessie Doe, Woodsides and Taylor Hall.
"UNH dorms earned the first ENERGY STAR in the nation," said Varney. "UNH has taken it to a new level. They now expanded ENERGY STAR labels to five buildings that are ENERGY STAR-labeled."
Varney said that this wasn't only about the environment, but about saving money. It is estimated that the university is saving $4 million because of energy efficiency.
UNH is doing a good job working with Durham, but Varney challenged UNH to reach out to other towns. "Multiply the benefits to all across New Hampshire," said Varney.
Tom Burack, New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Commissioner, also addressed the crowd. "I want to say congratulations to UNH and its students for promoting sustainability. We're very proud of the work that you're doing," said Burack.
Burack stressed that now was the time for this generation to step up. "We have to get it right and we have to get it right now," he said. "At the end of the day it's smart choices that are made by individuals."
Burack also recognized UNH students for their participation in the Waste Watch Challenge.
Under the tent, Matt O'Keefe and Jim Dombrosk from the UNH Energy Office stood by a demonstration that showed the amount of energy required to use compact fluorescent light bulbs as opposed to incandescent bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs use one fourth the electricity of incandescent bulbs.
"I think a few years ago this would have been new technology, but the word's out there," said O'Keefe. "Prices are coming down and the technology is better."
The university no longer stocks incandescent bulbs, and O'Keefe said that two years from now there won't be any incandescent bulbs found on campus.
"The university is probably saving about $150,000 a year by changing them out," said O'Keefe. "It's a small step, but making the decision can save big bucks."
At another table, Emily Cousineau prompted students to reduce energy waste on campus. She is the captain for Hubbard Hall in the Campus Climate Challenge. Hubbard Hall won the challenge last semester.
"We've saved a lot of money for the school," said Cousineau. "People get the idea."
Cousineau estimates that the school saved approximately $18,000 last semester and $23,000 this semester.
"We promote turning off lights, combining laundry with a friend, air drying laundry, and spreading the word to your friends," said Cousineau.
In front of the table was a stack of five six-gallon buckets that represented the amount of water used for just a 10-minute shower.
John Greene, a student tabling for the Student Environmental Action Coalition, sat behind a heap of what looked like pieces of cereal boxes.
In reality, they were notebooks made from cereal boxes and recycled paper. Greene said they get the cereal boxes from the dining hall, the paper is donated and the MUB Copy Center binds them. They sell the notebooks for one dollar.
"It's direct recycling," said Greene. "They're pretty popular. They sold out at Juke Box."
It was hard to ignore Bruce Montville ("The Water Dude") and his demonstration. He sprinkled pungent red Kool-Aid powder onto a plastic water-shed replica and then sprayed it with a squirt bottle.
"We're trying to show anyone that will listen to us about waste run-off," said Montville.
Wearing a shirt reading "Water Guardian," he sprayed away and showed how all the Kool-Aid (waste) ended up in the river.
Montville also runs a program with UNH student volunteers that teaches students to become "water guardians" after they learn not to pollute.
At another table was Barry Siragusa, a student and member of the New Hampshire Outing Club.
"We encourage people to come with us on our trips," said Siragusa. "It's a good, clean, fun, environmentally friendly way to go out and meet people and make some memories."
"The feeling here is positive," said Siragusa. "It makes me feel warm and fuzzy on Earth Day."
In the mix of the crowd, packs of fifth graders from Oyster River scurried around. They ate apples covered while in Earth Day stickers and pins and energized by the warm weather.
Dolly Buzinkski was with the Oyster River students on their school trip. They had walked over and picked up trash across campus earlier in the day.
"They're studying energy in school," said Buzinkski. "This event is a nice culmination because next week is vacation."
"Don't litter!" a fifth grader yelled to the crowd as he ran by.
Daniel Belshaw, a fifth grader from Oyster River Middle School, was among the students.
"I'm pro-Earth Day and anti-fossil fuels," said Belshaw.
Earlier in the day, the students put on gloves and picked up trash around campus. "We found lots of beer cans, actually," said Belshaw.
Nathan Duclos was to thank for the bushels of apples the crowd crunched on. He is part of the New Hampshire Farm to School Program, out of the Office of Sustainability. The program is designed to connect New Hampshire schools to New Hampshire farms. It started with apples, but has now expanded to all sorts of food.
Rick MacDonald, with UNH Sustainability, said the compost program is the biggest thing they do to help the environment, but that they also purchase local eggs, honey and cheesecake.
At another table stood David Balkin and Scott Bogle, with Seacoast Area Bicycle Routes. They were promoting bicycling as an alternative to driving, and more specifically the upcoming event "Bike to Work Day."
"Bicycles are realistically the only thing in this crazy world where there isn't an adverse effect," said Balkin. "It's all good. It benefits all."
They really want to convince more people to ride bicycles. "I bet we're going to succeed, because at some point gas is going to be $8 or $9 a gallon," said Balkin. "The sky isn't falling, it's teetering."
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