Go Green

OU’s student congress is holding a green week, according to this hub article.

It’s an exciting move and a bold statement for the green issue.

Do you know of any other campuses working to be more environmentally aware/friendly?

- Linds

The late, great Steve Irwin’s daughter launched her “green” clothing line yesterday. Bindi Wear International has a snazzy, fun Web site which is colorful and interactive and the clothes are actually quite cute.

I should disclose that I can’t tell a lie and that Bindi Irwin creeps me out something terrible. She’s a little too in-your-face ‘look at me!’  for my liking and is way too grown-up for a tiny person.

I will, however, say that her clothing line has a great message behind it.  It donates money to animal conservation and educates children about the environment. And, truly, the clothes are pretty cool for kids - if I had children, I’d buy them.

I don’t know how much Bindi actually got a say in her clothing line and the designs (probably more than I’d imagine), but having a child promoting animal conservation is great. Children are going to respond to another child in a different way than they would an adult telling them what to wear and do.

I think she’s going to be in the public eye for a very long time so I’d better get used to her peppy ways. She gets to grow up on a zoo which must be amazing, but she doesn’t have her dad anymore, and, for that, I will always hold a soft spot in my heart for this strange, little creature called Bindi.

And, frankly, Steve Irwin could do no wrong in my opinion, so any child of his must be OK, mate.

- Linds

A new environmental superhero is hitting bookstores this month with a valuable message for kids.

Michael Recycle is a “super-green” hero who encourages a grimy town overtaken by trash to clean up their act. The green-caped crusader declares, “You must stop this now! You’ve got to act soon. The towers of trash reach up to the moon!”

The town members are inspired my Michael to create a “Be Greener” Campaign, which includes:

- Recycling
- Growing their own vegetables
- Collecting rain for reuse

Ellie Bethel is the creative mind behind Michael Recycle. She uses rhyming, whimsical prose to deliver her powerful and timely message to children. This book almost makes me wish I had kids of my own to read it to. Almost.

For now, I might just pick up a copy of my own and read it to myself.

- Lisa

Oklahoma teens were environmentally minded when they came up with the theme for an annual fund-raiser at the end of March.

Volunteers and staff of Youth Services for Oklahoma County, Inc. are organizing the Reach for the Stars benefit to help raise money for programs to help local teens. The volunteer offshoot group, the Youth Services Teen Service Board (made up of 35 Oklahoma teenagers), decided that the environment is a major concern in their lives, so they are making the event green.

Programs and decorations will be made of recycled products, the dinner menu will include organic food and guests will take come compact fluorescent light bulbs to offset the use of electricity and fuel. Live auction items include a 2008 Toyota Prius, landscaping and tree packages and a one-week stay in a three-bedroom condo in Park City, Utah, an EPA-designated Green Power Community.

Thanks to their efforts, these teens should be able to reach the stars and keep the ozone layer intact. Major props are in order to these teens for thinking green and making a difference in their community. Bravo!

- Lisa

This message is care of Gene Perry at the Oklahoma Sustainability Network. Please consider attending this fine cause.

Diverse ways to go green will be on the agenda at the 7th annual Oklahoma Sustainability Network Conference on March 28 and 29.

During the conference, downtown Norman will host dozens of speakers, exhibits and workshops on subjects including transportation, biofuels, green architecture, community building and conflict resolution, alternative energy, religion and environmental ethics.

Friday’s keynote speaker is Julie Frieder, environmental analyst for the Calvert Group mutual fund company, and Saturday’s keynote is Joel Salatin, a nationally known sustainable agriculture pioneer. New to this year’s conference is a kids’ track for ages 3-12 featuring storytelling and sustainability-related crafts.

The early registration discount is available until March 17. More information can be found at http://oksustainability.org/conferences.php or by contacting info@normansustainability.org.

Thank you, Gene, for the information!

- Linds

There’s an excellent online magazine about environmental issues I highly urge you to check out: http://www.emagazine.com/

Here’s a particularly interesting read: Green U

And to give a local angle on that, check out this article from the Hub (OU’s Web site for the student paper, The Oklahoma Daily) about how OU’s transit services went green.

Have you seen any evidence of colleges going green in Oklahoma? Have you seen any evidence that they’re not environmentally conscious?

- Linds