Eco Columbia

The Columbia College Recycling Program is coordinating their fifth annual Donation Drive for the week of April 30-May 6.

Collection boxes will be placed in the lobbies of Buckingham, Dwight Lofts, Plymouth Court, and the University Center for students to donate unwanted items while moving out of the residence halls on campus.

Donations should be gently used items in usable condition such as shoes (with their laces tied together), clothing, linens, books, home décor, kitchenware and so on.

Items that cannot be donated include perishable or open food, as well as items that are dirty, broken, or hazardous. Clothing and other textile products should be put in garbage bags. Hangers should be bagged separately.

Students with questions should contact recycling@colum.edu.

Chicago skyline before and after Earth Hour in 2009.

For five years, Chicago residents have made a bold statement of concern about climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour—Earth Hour.

Last year, more than 200 downtown buildings and 1,400 local landmarks, businesses, schools and churches participated in the Earth Hour movement, showing that by working together, in cooperation with cities and nations around the world, we can find solutions. We must turn the lights off on pollution and climate change and create a cleaner, safer, more secure future.

Led by the World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour began as a single-city initiative – in Sydney, Australia – in 2007 and has since grown into a global movement with hundreds of millions of people from more than 4,500 cities and towns in 128 countries across every continent switching off their lights for Earth Hour 2011, creating history as the world’s greatest ever environmental action. 

Columbia College Chicago is proud to be an official supporter of Earth Hour. We encourage you to join with us and millions of Americans in making Earth Hour 2012 the biggest effort yet. Getting involved is easy.

1. Sign up at EarthHour.org:
Show your support, be counted and get tips on how to reduce your impact on the environment.

2. Spread the Word:
Invite students, friends and family to join the movement.

3. Turn off the lights:
Turn off all non-essential lighting in your home, office and classroom at 8:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, March 31st.

Earthzine is hosting its third annual essay and blogging contest for undergraduate and graduate students.

The online publication is looking for original essays that address local or global solutions to environmental challenges. To see more examples, and work from past winners, visit Earthzine’s website.

Essays should be no longer than 2,500 words and are due by 12/22. Submissions will be posted online in the spring and the writers will be asked to lead a blog discussion centered on their essay.

Winners will be announced on March 20th and will share $1,200 in prizes. First place is $500, and all winners will receive an Earthzine t-shirt and certificate. More details are available online, along with details regarding other contests and calls for work.