Sustainability Lessons Lead Scranton's Earth Week Events

Information about Scranton's "green" businesses, "green" tips that can save you money, and ways to motivate yourself and others to become "greener" highlight a week-long schedule of activities planned in Scranton for Earth week. "Sustaining Scranton: Go Green and Save Green" events, organized by The University of Scranton, the City of Scranton and DXDempsey: Architecture + Design, include a "green" film, a sustainability fair, a clean-up project, a lecture, environmental walks and recycling initiatives.

"As a Catholic and Jesuit university, Scranton is committed to translating its values into action," said Steve Jones, Ph.D., associate provost and chair of The University of Scranton's task force on sustainability. " One of those values is the individual and collective responsibility we share to protect our physical environment. The Earth Week events we have planned with the City provide a variety of entertaining and educational activities for participants of all ages to learn how to better care for the environment."

Mayor Chris Doherty is extremely supportive of the events planned. "The simple act of shopping locally has environmental benefits, and the City is please to be able to help highlight some of our local businesses and organizations during Earth Week," said Mayor Doherty.

Earth Week activities begin with an electronic recycling drive on The University of Scranton campus on Saturday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and end with a clean-up project for the Lackawanna River Fest on Saturday, April 25.

Featured events include a self-guided tour of green businesses in Scranton from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, April 20. Many establishments participating will offer sales and other incentives during the tour hours. Among the businesses participating are Danielle and Company, Green Being, Northern Light, Anthology Books and Duffy Accessories. At 7 p.m., an environmental film will be shown at the Vintage Theater, 222 Wyoming Avenue in Scranton. The film is free of charge.

On Tuesday, April 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., a Sustainability Fair on the Dionne Campus Green of The University of Scranton will involve interactive booths and information about sustainability. Participants can measure their environmental footprint, play life-size sustainability Monopoly and learn ways going green can save money. Participants can also visit Scranton's first LEED Certified building, the university's Patrick and Margret DeNaples Center, which is adjacent to the Dionne Campus Green.

On Earth Day, April 22, The University of Scranton will host a lecture by Paul Rogat Loeb, author of Soul of A Citizen, editor of The Impossible Will Take A Little While and an affiliated scholar at Seattle's Center for Ethical Leadership. A popular speaker at campuses across the country, he will discuss ways individuals can organize to impact local, national and global sustainability issues.

Loeb's award-winning books have received praise from numerous publications and organizations. Oprah Magazine called The Impossible Will Take A Little While "A magnificent anthology that celebrates hope, guts and the power of taking action" and Bob Chase, President of the National Education Association, said Soul of a Citizen "teaches us the value of taking chances and not being afraid to fail."

Numerous other "Sustaining Scranton: Go Green and Save Green" events are planned, including The University of Scranton Student Government's City Sweep (a clean-up project for the hill section near campus), a solar scholars mini-conference and several nature walks. For a full list of events go www.scranton.edu/sustainability or www.scrantonpa.gov.

Media partners for "Sustaining Scranton: Go Green and Save Green" are Electric City and the Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal. Community partners are MetroAction and Scranton Tomorrow.