On Tuesday, April 22, Earth Day, Montgomery County Community College Public Relations student Katrina Lundy coordinated an Eco Style Fashion Show in the Parkhouse Hall Atrium at the College’s Central Campus. The event featured students modeling sustainable outfits from Plato’s Closet, Willow Grove, and from the College’s Barnes & Noble Campus Bookstore.
by Alana J. Mauger, Think Green Editor
Montgomery County Community College will join communities across the world in celebrating Earth Day 2014, the theme of which is “Green Cities.” Launched in fall 2013, the Earth Day Network’s Green Cities campaign focuses on three key elements of sustainability: clean energy, green buildings and transportation.
While Earth Day itself is observed annually on April 22, MCCC will hold a variety of activities on April 21-24. All events are free of charge and are open to the community. More information will be available on the College’s Think Green blog.
On Monday, April 21, the College will dedicate its new wind turbines during a 2 p.m. ceremony at its West Campus in Pottstown. Four 25-foot vertical axis wind turbines were recently installed outside of the College’s Schuylkill Riverfront Academic and Heritage Center at 140 College Drive. The turbines are part of the College’s Guaranteed Energy Services Agreement with Siemens Industry Inc.
Each turbine produces 1,000 watts of energy, for a combined 4,000 watts, which helps to power the LED lighting in the Center’s parking lot. The wind turbines also serve as a teaching and learning tool for the College’s lab science courses, among others.
On Tuesday, April 22, Earth Day, MCCC will hold an Eco Style Fashion Show from noon-2 p.m. in the Parkhouse Hall Atrium at the College’s Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. Coordinated by Public Relations student Katrina Lundy, the event will feature MCCC students modeling sustainable outfits from Plato’s Closet, Willow Grove, and from the College’s Barnes & Noble Campus Bookstore.
Then, from 1-2 p.m., MCCC will introduce its new “greener” transportation shuttle during a ceremony on the Central Campus quad, outside of the Advanced Technology Center. The new vehicle runs on compressed natural gas as opposed to traditional diesel fuel, which, according to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, will reduce emissions by 11 tons of carbon dioxide annually based in the vehicle’s 2013 mileage of 28,560.
The College partners with the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association (GVF) to operate the 20-passenger shuttle to help students commute between its Blue Bell and Pottstown campuses. The shuttle makes four round-trips per day, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters; it is free to students and is equipped with wi-fi. Last year, the shuttle program reduced vehicle mileage by more than 520,000 and eliminated emissions of more than 54,500 metric tons of greenhouse gases.
Next, the College will hold its annual Earth Day Block Parties from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23 in the South Hall Lobby at the West Campus, 101 College Drive, and on Thursday, April 24 in the Advanced Technology Center atrium at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell.
The block parties will showcase sustainability initiatives and activities from programs, classes, departments and individuals from throughout the College. Exhibits include the student Environmental Club; RecycleMania; Green Office Initiative; carbon footprint calculations; SEPTA, Zimride and other transportation options; green merchandise from Barnes & Noble Campus Bookstores; Siemens self-funding energy conservation project; CulinArt Farmers Market; sustainable Economics poster session; composting; health-related information; Culinary Arts Institute Landfill-Free Initiative; spring bike maintenance; and more.
Since signing the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007, sustainability has become a core value at Montgomery County Community College and is incorporated into the institution’s strategic plan, core curriculum, and in everyday best practices as they relate to facilities management, campus operations and transportation. Chaired by President Dr. Karen A. Stout, a team of faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members comprise the Climate Commitment Advisory Council, which guides sustainability efforts toward attaining carbon neutrality by 2050.
Editor’s Note: Paul Goraczko and Katrina Lundy contributed this this article.
Video courtesy of Earth Day Network
by Katrina Lundy
What are you wearing? Youthful, sporty, and ecologically conscious is the look for 2014.
On April 22 from noon-2 p.m., Montgomery County Community College will hold its first fashion show featuring sustainable outfits from Plato’s Closet, Willow Grove, and the Barnes & Noble Campus Bookstore.
Students will strut the runway in the ParkHouse Hall atrium at the College’s Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell as they showcase Eco Style fashions. The event is free and is open to the public.
Sustainable fashion, also called eco fashion, is part of the growing design philosophy and trend of sustainability, the goal of which is to create a system that can be supported indefinitely in terms of environmentalism and social responsibility. At least 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles, and 25 percent of the world’s pesticides are used to grow non-organic cotton. This causes irreversible damage to people and the environment.
According to Vogue, sustainable fashion appears to be a long-term trend for any season. In 2014, sustainable fashion is available for all ages in every style. For example, MCCC’s Campus Bookstore carries a sustainable line of athletic clothing by Champion. The bookstore will offer a 15 percent discount on the day of the fashion show to anyone who buys sustainable fashion.
Come out and support Earth Day with faculty, staff, students, family and friends to create awareness about Eco Style fashions and the Sustainability Initiative at Montgomery County Community College.
Issued by Earth Day Network
Earth Day Network launched the Green Cities campaign in the fall of 2013 to help cities around the world become more sustainable and reduce their carbon footprint. Focused on three key elements – buildings, energy, and transportation – the campaign aims to help cities accelerate their transition to a cleaner, healthier, and more economically viable future through improvements in efficiency, investments in renewable technology, and regulation reform.
Most of the world currently relies on outdated electric generation structures that are extremely inefficient and dirty. To help cities become more sustainable, we need to redesign the current system, transition to renewable energy sources, and implement 21st century solutions.
Buildings account for nearly one third of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Through simple efficiency and design improvements to buildings we can reduce those emissions drastically. To realize that vision, cities need to update ordinances, switch to performance based building codes, and improve financing options.
Transportation is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, three quarters of which comes directly from road vehicles. To reduce these emissions and the resulting smog, we need to improve standards, increase public transportation options, invest in alternative transportation, and improve city walkability and bikeability.
Through an informative website and a series of in-depth toolkits, the campaign will educate the public about each element of green cities and spur individuals to take civic action by signing petitions, sending letters, and organizing events.
In addition, Earth Day Network will work with partners on the ground in strategically placed cities and towns to organize grassroots efforts to improve local codes, ordinances, and policies that will help cities become model green cities.
Spanning Earth Day 2014 and 2015, the campaign will work with an international team of partners, including local organizers, non-profits, businesses, and governments to help increase public awareness, mobilize support for appropriate policies, and generate concrete commitments for innovative and replicable initiatives.
To find out how you can get involved in the Green Cities campaign, send us an email: greencities@earthday.org.
As part of its Earth Day celebration, Montgomery County Community College took part in the global launch of Thin Ice: The Inside Story of Climate Science. The film made its world debut on Earth Day and was made available online, free of charge, on April 22 and 23.
MCCC hosted one of 200 organized screenings across the world. In total, the film received 19,000 online views from people in 120 countries on all seven continents. More statistics and info are available on the film’s website.
The English version of the film is now available for sale or rent on the Thin Ice website; according to a May 5 email sent to global launch participants, it will soon be available with subtitles in five different languages, including Mandarin, English, Spanish, French, and German.
If you’ve seen the film or participated in the global launch, you can provide feedback by completing a 10-minute survey.
Visit thiniceclimate.org to learn more about the project, or to watch the trailer.
Kudos to students Paige Murray, Tom Mergen & Dave Tatasciore for winning Montgomery County Community College’s Earth Day Student Sustainability Video Contest. The crew received a $250 CulinArt gift card for use in the College’s cafeterias.
Check out their video “Going Green One Plastic Bottle at a Time.”
Check out photos from Montgomery County Community College’s week-long Earth Day celebration!
Photos by Matt Carlin, Diane VanDyke, John Welsh and Sandi Yanisko
Montgomery County Community College student Jimmie Johnson hosts a weekly You-Tube show, “Jimmie’s Actual Factuals,” where he asks students, faculty and staff a different question each week. In this week’s episode, Jimmie asks, “how will you go green on Earth Day.” Check it out!
by Mary Lou Neighbor, AV Librarian/Assistant Professor
Monday, April 22nd is Earth Day, and the Audiovisual Library will have a table at the downtime (12:30-1:30 p.m.) event displaying our dozens of DVDs on environmental issues. There will also be a link to a bibliography of the DVDs available to students, staff, and faculty who would like to follow up. If you would like to see what films we have, go to: http://bit.ly/mc3ecofilms After downtime, the films will be on display for the week in the Library.
One of the films in the Audiovisual Library that has been in the collection since 2010 is “Gasland,” which is being shown at the Central Campus on Monday, April 29th, at 12:30 p.m. in CH 144, and available to West Campus at the same time in SH 221. The filmmaker, Josh Fox, will discuss the film following the screening.
The film examines hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as “fracking.” In 2009, Josh Fox learned that his home in the Delaware River Basin was on top of the Marcellus Shale, a rock formation containing natural gas that stretches across New York, Pennsylvania, and huge stretches of the Northeast. He was offered $100,000 to lease his land for the new method of natural gas drilling. The film documents Josh’s cross-country odyssey to find out if the controversial process of fracking is actually safe. He 
traveled to 24 states to interview families, EPA whistleblowers, congressmen and scientists. He unearthed a shocking story about a practice that is understudied and inadequately regulated. You will want to see this film to become better informed about this practice.
So, please come and visit our AV Library table in the conference room near the cafeteria at downtime on Earth Day, Monday, the 22nd. And please come and the Library during the week to check out DVDs on environmental issues, which will be on display!
by Alana J. Mauger, Think Green Editor
Montgomery County Community College will host a week of educational programs and activities April 22-29 in observance of Earth Day 2013.
On Monday, April 22, the College will join communities across the world in celebrating Earth Day 2013, themed The Face of Climate Change. The day begins with free tire pressure checking stations from 8-10 a.m. in the Morris Road parking lot at the Central Campus in Blue Bell and in the South Hall parking lot at the West Campus in Pottstown. From 12:20-1:20 p.m., both campuses will host a series of displays in College Hall (Central) and South Hall (West). Exhibits include Environmental Club, RecycleMania, Green Office Initiative, GVF/SEPTA transportation options, Campus Bookstore green items, and Siemens ESCO information, as well as a CulinArt Farmers Market.
At 12:30 p.m. in College Hall and South Hall, entries from the Student Sustainability Film Contest will be screened, and awards will be presented. The Climate Council received a total of 16 submissions!
Ceramics Club President Galen Graham spearheads the bowl-making process. Photo by Matt Carlin
As a special treat, the Central Campus Ceramics Club will hold an “Empty Bowls” event to raise money for a local soup kitchen and for the club. For $10, Earth Day participants can receive a brand-new, handmade bowl, filled with fresh soup and baked bread supplied by on-campus food services provider CulinArt. Read more about this project.
On Tuesday, April 23 at 12:45 p.m., the College will screen the film Thin Ice: The Inside Story of Climate Science in College Hall and South Hall. The film is a collaboration between Oxford University, United Kingdom, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (VUW), and London-based DOX Productions. Debuting on Earth Day, the film is being screened globally free of change on April 22 and 23. Watch the Thin Ice trailer.
On Wednesday, April 24 from 12:30-1:30 p.m., the College’s Dean of STEM Dr. David Brookstein will offer a presentation on “Alternative Fuel Vehicles– Environmental Opportunities and Challenges” in College Hall at the Central Campus with a video simulcast to South Hall at the West Campus.
On Thursday, April 25, author Chari Towne will discuss her book A River Again, which focuses on the environmental cleanup of the Schuylkill River in the 1940s and 1950s. The discussion will take place at 12:45 p.m. in the South Hall Community Room at the West Campus, with video simulcast to the Advanced Technology Center room 101 at the Central Campus. Towne’s book is available for purchase from the Schuylkill River Heritage Area or can be downloaded as a free PDF from Delaware River Keeper.
On Monday, April 29, filmmaker and activist Josh Fox will visit the College’s Central Campus to discuss hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as “fracking,” following a free screening of his Sundance Award-winning and Academy Award -nominated documentary, GASLAND. The screening (107 minutes) will begin at 12:30 p.m., followed by Fox’s presentation and a question and answer session. Both the film and talk will take place in College Hall Room 144. The event is sponsored by the College’s Environmental Club. Read more about GASLAND.
In addition to the above events, cell phone and battery recycling stations will be available all week in College Hall and Parkhouse Hall at the Central Campus, and in South Hall at the West Campus. The Office of Student Leadership & Involvement will also be holding its “Service Rewind” celebrations for students on Tuesday, April 23 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in the South Hall Lobby, West Campus, and Thursday, April 25 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in the College Hall Lobby, Central Campus.
All Earth Day activities are free of change (except for the Empty Bowls project) and are open to the public.
~ Robert Gardner and Amy Kolsky contributed to this article.
Think Green 