Event promotes planet health The Associated Students Inc. Committee on Environmental Sustainability hosted Seeds for Change yesterday for national campus sustainability day, an event promoting the importance of reusable bottles and totes, water and energy conservation and local shopping. Three hundred bags of organic fruit were gone before the event was over. Over 300 students attended and received tips and information they may not have known before the event. At the end of the event, they were handed a free bag of fresh fruit. Students had the opportunity to participate in a water taste test—they tasted bottled water versus filtered tap water from campus. Most of the students didn’t taste a difference or thought the filtered tap water was better, which prompted the committee to reveal that Aquafina and Dasani is purified municipal water, also known as filtered tap water. Theary Monh, chair of the committee, said this taste test was impactful because many people just assume that bottled water is better, but that is not always the case. Emerolina Cantu, vice chair of the committee, said some students liked the filtered school water better than the plastic bottled water they bought. CSUF has already made sustainability efforts by implementing water bottle refill stations. They are located on the first floor of the SRC, the basement, first and second floor of the Titan Student Union, the women’s locker room and in the library on the first and second floors. Another station offered tips on how to conserve water. Such tips included taking a five minute or less shower which can save up to 10 gallons of water per shower. They also suggested only flushing the toilet when it is absolutely necessary. “It was really interesting, honestly, to learn about how much water we use and how much we waste. I know we don’t think about that,” kinesiology major Laura Evans said. The tote and plastic bag table showed students certain areas where plastic bag laws have been implemented. “Now that is going to do so much to the community. That’s a huge thing, that’s going to make people so much more aware about all these bags, and it’s going to help our environment, and I really do support that,” Evans said. Monh said it’s all about being aware and the stations affirm that message. “Through the stations, people were genuinely interested in what we had to say and to learn more about sustainability and things they weren’t aware of,” he said. In addition to the information stations, local farmers’ markets and sustainability businesses showcased their goods. KIND bars, EcoGrounds, SOLA, Oceans and Earth, and the Fullerton Arboretum were just a few. EcoGrounds currently serves coffee in the Gastronome, but hopes to reach more students by opening another location on campus in the future. The company prides itself on being a highly sustainable eatery, with eco-friendly cups, lids and delicious coffee. Lola provided salsas, spreads and jams that they showcase at 41 different Farmers Markets. Oceans and Earth is a farm-to-table restaurant that aquaponically grows organic produce. The aquaponic method uses less water and power than hydroponic and conventional farming. “It’s good to have an actual farmers’ market on our campus and to see all the students really excited about our organic produce … The students are really excited and that makes me really happy,” Cantu said. Jonathan Kwok, ASI chief communication officer, said the committee made the event approachable for students to come learn about the different ways they can be more sustainable. “I think they [students] took something out of it. I didn’t see anybody leave. They were engaged and it’s because the committee presented in a way where it’s easy to learn, it wasn’t intimidating or too forward or strong,” Kwok said.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Nov 2014 23:37:20 +0000
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