Purdue News

April 4, 2003 Purdue Environmental Network sponsors Earth Week activities WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A vegan food festival, literature readings, a keynote speech and panel discussions are a few of the Earth Week activities taking place April 21-25 at Purdue University. The week will begin with a panel discussion about environmental issues at 7 p.m. Monday, April 21, in Matthews Hall, Room 210. The panel will be composed of four faculty members, two Purdue students and Brian Czech, an environmental author and conservation biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Each panelist will deliver a five-minute presentation on what he or she views as the most pressing current environmental issues. A discussion facilitated by a member of Purdue's speech and debate team will follow. Czech also will serve as the keynote speaker for Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22. He will address the conflict between current economic growth policies and environmental sustainability at 7 p.m. in Matthews Hall, Room 210. He also will sign copies of his book, "Shoveling Fuel for a Runaway Train: Errant Economists, Shameful Spenders and a Plan to Stop Them All." Free food will be provided at the first annual vegetarian/vegan food festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, on the Purdue Memorial Mall. Organic health and beauty products also will be available at the event, which is sponsored by Environmental Action. The food festival will be followed at 7 p.m. by an environmental literature "open mic" night at the Skylight Coffeehouse, 116 N. Third St., Lafayette. Environmental Action members and the public can read poetry, essays and papers inspired by the environment or animals. Earth Week at Purdue is sponsored by Sustainable Purdue, the Purdue Environmental Network, the Environmental Science Club and Environmental Action. Darryl Carstensen, Sustainable Purdue vice president, says he hopes the Earth Week activities prompt a strong turnout and a better awareness of environmental issues. "The most important thing to understand about Earth Week and Dr. Czech's presentation is that we have to question everything," Carstensen says. "The minute we start taking our world for granted is the minute we'll start to slowly let ourselves die." CONTACT: Keith Gossmank, Sustainable Purdue president, (765) 464-1166, gossmank@purdue.edu; Darryl Carstensen, (765) 746-1996, carstens@purdue.edu; Larry Nies, Sustainable Purdue faculty adviser, (765) 494-8327; Rose Filley, Purdue Environmental Sciences Engineering Institute assistant director, (765)496-3209, rfilley@purdue.edu. Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page