Eco Columbia

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.

Forty years after the Environmental Protection Agency first hired freelance artists to document the need for environmental change, the National Archive is asking students to do it again.

Students are being asked to select a photo from the online archive of these photos (some of which are also available on Flickr) and create an artistic response. Prizes will be awarded to the winners of six categories–based on age and medium. Accepted mediums include graphic art, video, and poetry.

Check out the official rules and submit your entry by January 6, 2012! Judging will take place throughout January and winners will be announced on February 6th!

On Thursday October 20^th, The Columbia College Recycling Program will be hosting “Screen Print a Smaller Carbon Footprint,” an event to show students the importance of reducing waste and reusing materials instead of throwing them away.

By making small changes to old clothing, something completely new and desirable can be created. We will demonstrate this by allowing students to have a secondhand shirt—acquired from past Columbia events or area thrift stores—and have student-created designs screen-printed on them.

Every year, the Recycling Program chooses a student design and adds another screen to this station. We need your help to create a new design that’s inspired by an environmental topic. (Examples of previous designs can be found here.)

The winner will receive an 8GB iPod Nano donated by the campus Apple Store.

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View photos from the 2010 Eco Fair.

It’s that time of year again, folks! Columbia’s Recycling Program has started planning the third annual Eco Fair to coincide with Earth Day on Friday, April 22nd. The event will be held in the Conaway Center at 1104 S Wabash.

The Eco Fair seeks to connect the public to businesses and organizations that strive to make a positive environmental and social impact. It is a time to celebrate and have fun while educating the community about environmental problems and their solutions. There are great ways to interact and become involved including crafts, food, local advocacy, a picture station, screen printing, games, and other things. (more…)

Every semester, the Recycling Program hosts a new call for work that is open to all Columbia students. Previous topics have included a variety of issues but this semester’s theme hits especially close to home.

“Chicago and the battle for a city-wide recycling program,” will raise awareness about the city’s lack of options for those who wish to recycle.

In 2008, the city started a blue cart, curb-side pickup program for recycling. Due to budgetary problems, only about one-third of the 600,000 Chicago residents have pick-up recycling. For those who do not receive the service, there are about 35 centers throughout the city where people can drop-off their recycling. However, transporting recyclables can be difficult, especially for the many Chicagoans who don’t have a car.

With two-thirds of the city without blue cart pick-up, this city service brings about an issue of “haves” and “have-nots.” Recycling is the only municipal service that is not available to the entire city. We can and must do better. (more…)