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News from the CU Environmental Center October 2007
Colorado Bioneers | Computers for Youth Program | What's Happening: Upcoming Events | Green Living Tip

Greetings!

Enjoy the monthly update from the CU Environmental Center. Please let us know if you have ideas, input, feedback or news.

Colorado Bioneers  

Visionary and Practical Solutions for Restoring the Earth and People, October 19-21, 2007

Boulder is one of 20 communities in North America with a Bioneers satellite forum, taking place Oct 19-21 at CU-Boulder. Bioneers (http://www.bioneers.org) is the preeminent international gathering of leading scientific innovators and environmental visionaries who offer practical solutions to the most pressing environmental and social issues of our time. Bioneers, in its 18th year, uniquely and authentically connects the dots between environment, health, social justice and spirit. For the fifth year, the CU Environmental Center proudly produces the Colorado Bioneers companion event. Colorado Bioneers offers a weekend of sharing, learning and action, and is a unique community event that brings together the region's progressive ideas, people and organizations.

Colorado Bioneers Features:

Video simulcast of 2007 Bioneers plenaries:

• John Abrams - Thinking Like Cathedral Builders
• Paul Anastas - Green Chemistry: From Here to Sustainability
• Judy Baca - The Interactive Digital Mural
• Carol Bebelle - Culture And Re-building
• Charlotte Brody - How Chemicals Are Changing What It Means To Be A Woman (or a man)
• Majora Carter - Green the Ghetto
• Eve Ensler - V to the 10th
• Jay Harman - Designing the Next Golden Age: A Progress Report
• Van Jones - Toward A Green Growth Alliance: Birthing A New Politics
• Winona LaDuke - Seeds the Creator Gave Us
• Wallace J. Nichols - A Brave New Ocean or an Ocean Revolution?
• Evon Peter - An Indigenous Perspective on How to Survive the Next Hundred Years
• Ka Hsaw Wa & Katie Redford - Earth Rights: Linking Human Rights and Environmental Struggles in the Age of Globalization
• Edward Tick - Return of the Ghost Dancers: Modern War's Devastation...andHealing
• Judy Wicks - Local Living Economies: A Just and Sustainable Alternative to Corporate Globalization

• Sessions and Workshops addressing topics of regional importance:
  Relocalization Strategies - Renewable Energy - Youth Leadership - Food and Farming - Green Business and Entrepreneurship - Ecological Medicine - Green Building and New Urbanism - Environmental Justice - Sustainable Living - Teaching Sustainability - Health and Labor - Activism through Art & Music - Internet Activist Tools

• Colorado Bioneers Marketplace featuring products and services for sustainable living.

• Children's Activities (all day Saturday and Sunday!)

• Music, Arts and Films, including "Sister Bee," "Turning Prayer into Action" and "10 Questions for the Dalai Lama."

Registration is FREE for CU-Boulder students.

Bioneers in Colorado is produced by University of Colorado Environmental Center in collaboration with numerous partner organizations. For more information and to register, click here.

Bioneers is not just a typical event. It is based on solutions and success stories - what is working in today's world. For both professional and general audiences, this three-day annual event equips participants with models, resources, and networks, encouraging everyone to act as primary forces in the transformation toward a restorative future. Bioneers serves as a network to link many diverse people working in a wide range of areas and to cross-pollinate people and fields that are related but not connected. We are fortunate to have this gathering at CU-Boulder!

Recycling for Social Justice  

Computers for Youth Program 

The Computers for Youth program, an innovative approach to protecting the environment while helping disadvantaged Colorado youth, kicked off October 6 at the University of Colorado at Boulder

The program provided middle and high school students from low-income communities in Denver with upgraded computers. Donated by student government and University of Colorado-Boulder campus employees, the computers were equipped with Internet access and basic computing programs.

"This program clearly shows how recycling and other environmental efforts can be directly beneficial to people in need," said G.P. Bud Peterson, Chancellor of the University. "We are honored to partner with Denver Public Schools' dedicated teachers and students to bring CU-Boulder closer to the community-and combine our strengths into benefits for all of Colorado."

Twenty-five youth from Bruce Randolph Middle School in North Denver, assisted by CU computer science students, each built and upgraded a pre-used computer. The computers will assist their education at home.

Meanwhile, the Computers for Youth program promoted computer recycling, preventing the 25 reused machines from accumulating in waste dumps and leaking contaminants into waterways.

"Computer reuse is the first step towards electronic waste prevention because of its efficient use of raw materials and reduction of contaminants into the waste stream," said Jack DeBell, development director of the University of Colorado Recycling Services.

Besides calling attention to the growing amount of waste from discarded computers, the program addressed the digital divide faced by low-income communities that may not be able to afford access to high-speed Internet.

"This program is important because, far too often, underrepresented youth, including youth of color, low-income, and first generation youth, are not given opportunities and resources to consider higher education as a viable option for them in their future," said Teresa Hernandez, director of the University's Student Outreach Retention Center for Equity. "The digital divide is about the haves/have-nots and the ability to access intellectual property which is the means for getting out of poverty and pursuing quality of life."

The Denver students will also benefit from ongoing mentoring relationships with University students. At least twice a month, students from the University will meet with their Denver mentees to help them enhance their computer skills and academic performance and to advise them on college life.

"By providing these students with mentors, our goal is that they will be able to help plant the seed of considering options of higher education, and, to hopefully consider CU as one of these options," Hernandez said.

The Environmental Center has previously demonstrated success in computer recycling initiatives. Last year, the University received Dell's Higher Education Recycling Leadership Award. This award helped fund the University's first computer round-up, where over 50 working systems were collected from the community during a three day event and recycled. This year, the Center applied its expertise in computer reuse toward the Computers for Youth program.

The Computers for Youth program was supported by a grant from University President Hank Brown's Office of Minority Affairs, the CU Environmental Center, The Student Outreach and Retention Center for Equity, Comcast Cable, Microsoft, Roche Colorado Corporation, and the Denver Public Schools.

"Comcast has a very strong commitment to the community as a whole, but in particular to the children and schools within the community. We are pleased to be able to help CU and the Staff of Bruce Randolph Middle School recognize these young achievers," said Rich Jennings, Comcast's Area Vice President and General Manager.

The program was held Saturday, October 6th, at the new ATLAS building on the CU-Boulder campus. Peterson and his wife, Val Peterson, welcomed the Denver students to the University.

What's Happening: Upcoming Events  

• October 19-21 -Colorado Bioneers - Connecting for Change, Visionary and Practical Solutions for Restoring the Earth and People - University of Colorado at Boulder. Visit http://ecenter.colorado.edu/bioneers
• October 24 - Campus Sustainability Day V Webcast - Building a Durable Future: Community, the Campus, and Deep Economy - 10am-12pm, UMC 247. Featuring Bill McKibben
• November 1 - "An Inconvenient Truth Deconstructed," Part 1 - 6:00-7:30pm, UMC 415-417. Presented by Mark McCaffrey.
• November 8 - "An Inconvenient Truth Deconstructed," Part 2 - 6:00-7:30pm UMC 415-417. Presented by Mark McCaffrey.
• "Privilege, Accountability, and the CU Community," Environmental Justice Discussion Series -Part 3, Date TBA.

To view the complete events calendar, click here

Green Living Tip  

The Scariest Halloween Phantom

A "phantom load" is the energy that's sapped by appliances when they're plugged in, but not on. Use power strips or manually unplug DVD players, computers and cell phone chargers to save electricity from disappearing without a trace. Here are some of the benefits:

• It saves cash - In the average home, 40% of all electricity is used to power home appliances while they're turned off.
• It saves energy - If all phantom loads in US homes were stopped, we could shut down 17 power plants.
• It saves time - Power strips with surge protectors make it easy to "unplug" many appliances at once.

Unplug it - and make your Halloween a green holiday.

(Source: www.idealbite.com)

Haven't Made the LiveGreen Pledge? Do it Here!  

http://ecenter.colorado.edu/livegreen/

  Contact the CU Environmental Center email: ecenter@colorado.edu phone: 303-492-8308 web: http://ecenter.colorado.edu Join our mailing list!