LIFESTYLE: Think globally. Act locally

Earth Week 1992 is helping to establish whether or not environmentalism has carved out its permanent niche in society. No longer is it the haunt of a few wild-haired radicals as it was in its early years or the trendy fad it became in the 1980s culminating in the star-studded 1990 Earth Day celebrations. Environmentalism has settled to become an important everyday issue in the eyes of many people, although some activists in the University community say it has not achieved the level of grassroots effort which is needed for real change. "People have come to realize how important these issues are," Penn Environmental and Recycling Group co-coordinator Elise Granek said. "It's becoming more of a part of school curricula. Kids are leaving school with more environmental knowledge." Some of these same kids go on to become active in ecological issues, making immediate contributions to the green cause. At the same time, student activists say, the wave of political correctness which has been washing up over America's college campuses in recent years has threatened to restore the "fad label" to environmentalism. "It's become hard to separate true environmentalism from political correctness," Engineering junior Sukanya Srinivasan said. "At least we're getting things done, though." Granek explained that there still is a "radical fringe" which was "very important." "It helps keep the movement progressive, rather than making it entirely an everyday activity," she said. "This prevents people from accepting mainstream changes as enough." · At the University, the Penn Environmental and Recycling Group has been pressuring the administration to implement various environment-friendly changes. An early recycling push in the mid-1980s culminated in the passing of a 1990 Pennsylvania law that made recycling mandatory in large institutions. The group then pushed the University, in the form of University Recycling Coordinator Al Pallanti, to implement the measures rapidly. "We watched him, lobbied him, pressured him, until we were sure he was working his hardest to make the University comply with the guidelines as soon as was possible," Granek, a College junior, said. The University has complied with the law by providing recycling facilities for plastic, paper, aluminium and glass, although Granek said that there are few bins for glass and plastic and that they are not very accessible. But the response from students has been somewhat disappointing to environmental activists. Srinivasan pointed out that 25 tons are recycled weekly during the academic year, whereas 24 tons were recycled recently over spring break, when most of the students were away. This would indicate that the bulk of recycling is still done by the University rather than the students. The group is currently working on getting President Sheldon Hackney to mandate the use of recycled paper for the entire University. One of the main hurdles is the lack of central coordination within the University. Each department orders its paper separately, so it would take a decree from Hackney to establish a common policy. The biggest obstacle, however, is price. Right now, recycled paper is simply too expensive. "It's a question of economies of scale," College junior Henry Willis, who is heading the project, said. "If there were a higher demand for recycled paper, it would become more cost-effective and the price would decrease." But Willis has found a company providing recycled paper, the Rainforest Conservancy, which will match any price offered by virgin paper suppliers for University letterhead. Willis will present his plan to Executive Vice President Marna Whittington. The group has also been active in many letter-writing campaigns to representatives and various committees on ecological issues. One of its most recent efforts involved the controversial "God Squad," a committee set up with the power to overrule the Endangered Species Act. Members wrote to ensure the safety of the spotted owl, which was being threatened in Oregon. Another project currently being pursued is CUPPS, "Can't Use Paper, Plastic and Styrofoam." CUPPS involves selling re-useable hot and cold insulated mugs. These would then be used in place of disposable containers. Deals will be set up with local merchants to offer discounts to those using the mugs. Granek expects that this will help cut waste. · Cutting waste is also one of the main concerns for students living in Eco-House, the University's first environmentally conscious housing community. Recycling everything, weatherizing the house, cooking vegetarian food and cleaning up the surrounding community are just some of the ways that the seven residents contribute to preserving their environment. They also have a policy about flushing the toilet. "We have a saying: 'If it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown, flush it down,' " College sophomore Sarah Riley said. "A single flush uses four gallons of water and that's a waste." Eco-House has proved to be very popular and has already been filled for next year. Earth Week began last Monday and is scheduled to continue through Sunday. "We tried to get events which would appeal to people on campus, but also bring to light issues which have been overlooked in the past, such as energy conservation and green consumerism," Chairperson of Earth Week Srinivasan said. Earth Week received support from outside sources such as Clean Air Council, Clean Water Action, Sierra Club and the Pennsylvania Resource Council which allowed it to touch upon a wide variety of issues. But student attendance at some of the early events has been erratic. "The response to my workshop was very minimal," said Phyllis Gilbert of the Sierra Club, who organized an energy-saving workshop. "Earth Week falls at a bad time and many students are concerned with exams. I was very unrealistic." The week will culminate on Saturday with a concert entitled "Blues and Greens: Songs for the Earth." The keynote speaker will be Lou Gold from the Ancient Forests Project. Gold is a forestry expert from Bald Mountain, Oregon, who tours for 4 months a year campaigning against deforestation. He was a college professor whose life was turned around a few years ago when he went camping on Bald Mountain. As he was leaving for home, he discovered that the nearby forest was going to be cut down. From that moment, his life changed. He now lives on the mountain for most of the year and is one of the foremost anti-deforestation campaigners in the country. Local performers such as Stinkfoot, The Manatees, Joe Heukerott, Sharon Katz and the Amorphous Jugglers have donated their services to the concert. Intuitions will also be there, performing Dr. Seuss' book The Lorax. The concert will also feature the opportunity for everyone to get their clothing tie-dyed. Earth Week is a major event in the University calendar, organizers say, involving many people putting out a huge effort. Whether or not this means that the environmental message is getting through to everyone and everyone is abiding by its ecological tenets is another matter. But environmentalists say as long as there are groups fighting for change, the future does not look so bleak. "People have no incentive to change without knowledge," Granek said. "It is up to us to provide them the knowledge."