 Media Credit: Shaheen Samavati Carrie Rasik, a grad student in environmental science, joined other members of the Sierra Student Coalition Wednesday night to prepare for the Green Fair, which is today from noon to 8 p.m. on the Ohio Union lawn.
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The Sierra Student Coalition is holding its first Green Fair today to encourage Ohio State and the surrounding community to start thinking green.
"We're not asking for radical measures, just common sense stuff like turning off lights to conserve energy," said Chrissy Cooley, president of SSC.
The event runs today from noon to 8 p.m. on the west lawn of the Ohio Union. The theme of the fair is "Scarlet, Gray and Green: Saving the world one kilowatt at a time," and it will feature more than 30 environmentally friendly exhibitors and several musical guests and speakers.
SSC is a student organization that advocates and enables green practices at OSU.
"We're very focused on energy usage on campus," said Cooley, a junior in environmental policy. "The fair is a great opportunity to get students thinking about sustainability, which is living in a way that you are not going to negatively impact future generations."
Solar power is one sustainable practice SSC will display at the fair. Cooley said a stage set up for the guest speakers and musical acts will feature solar panels that will provide the amps and microphones with power.
"Each exhibitor has a booth and students can wander through and pick up information," said Zach Henkel, a senior in geography, as he and other members prepared for the fair Wednesday night. "We want to show the diversity of companies, big and small, that have sustainable practices."
The fair will host a variety of exhibitors including American Electric Power, Toyota and National Wildlife Federation. Great Lakes Brewing Company is also an exhibitor, but Cooley said no alcoholic beverages will be available at the fair.
"This event is to emphasize Sierra Student Coalition's willingness to work with the university," Cooley said. "OSU is struggling with its sustainability program and there's not a lot of awareness about how serious this issue really is."
OSU spent more than $61 million on energy costs and they are projecting more for the upcoming year, Cooley said.
2008 Woodie Awards