Earth Day at Gallaudet

retrieved from Inside Gallaudet

Earth Day, celebrated around the country on April 22, inspired a number of activities on the Gallaudet campus.

 

Green Gallaudet invited energy auditor Micah Johnson to discuss energy and water conservation. Johnson’s presentation focused on simple ways to make homes and campuses more energy efficient to reduce negative environmental impacts.

 

Johnson also shared a personal story about making an impact on his college campus: Just by convincing Berea College to install low-flow showerheads in the dorms, he helped Berea reduce its water consumption by 41 million gallons per year and reduced the college’s operating costs by more than $2 million. “We only have one world, and we need to take care of it,” he said.

 

Earth Day was also Low Carbon Diet Day at Gallaudet. The cafeterias offered an extensive menu with a small carbon footprint. Producing and transporting food accounts for a significant proportion of the America’s carbon emissions, Bon Appétit Manager Donna Dhue-Wilkins explained. The Low Carbon Diet menu introduced more local food like Pennsylvania-grown mushrooms, which travels only a short distance to the plate, and reduced "high carbon" foods like dairy and beef, whose production emits high levels of green house gases.

 

Dhue-Wilkins and cafeteria staff also planted an herb and vegetable garden. The plot just outside the Hanson Plaza cafeteria will provide food to the kitchen and remind students where ingredients come from. The garden was dedicated to the late Brenda Keller, who helped manage student meal plans for many years. Green Gallaudet President Leala Holcomb said she appreciated the garden project, especially in the context of the local food movement. “Getting food from your backyard is definitely local,” she said.

 

Gallaudet’s Earth Day celebration caught the attention of the local news media and was featured on NewsChannel 8.