2008 Woodie Awards
ConnPIRG Hosts Car Show
Jessica Silber
Issue date: 10/3/07 Section: News
Two unlikely groups will unite in the middle of Fairfield Way for a car show today between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Environmental enthusiasts and car aficionados will converge for the "Clean Air Car Show," which is just a part of ConnPIRG's larger movement, "Campus Climate Challenge." Two hybrid, high-efficiency cars will be displayed and salespeople will attend to inform students about them.
"There will definitely be one hybrid Honda and one Toyota, and hopefully a few more," said Jeffrey Czerwiec, the campus organizer for ConnPIRG.
The event figures to be more than a typical information session by supplying information about the environmental causes these cars represent.
"There will also be posters set up with environmental facts," according to Ellis Sant'Andrea, a 3rd-semester art and journalism double major and media and public relations intern for ConnPIRG. "For example, one poster titled 'Drive Smart' describes ways to drive more efficiently, like not accelerating quickly and cleaning out your car's air filter."
The program intends to extend its reach beyond passers-by on Fairfield Way. For campus activists, it will feature a table where students can write postcards to President Hogan to encourage him to sign the Climate Commitment Contract, a "statement pledging the university to eventually become carbon-neutral," according to Czerwiec.
But the efforts don't stop at the university level.
"Students can also write letters to Senator Lieberman to pass a bill in Congress which would set a goal of reducing America's carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050," Sant'Andrea said.
"The goals of Campus Climate Challenge are to educate students, get the campus to be a role model of efficiency and get politicians to do their part as well," Czerwiec said.
ConnPIRG is also working to send 50 campus representatives to the Power Shift Conference - a large global warming student summit held at the University of Maryland - from Nov. 2 through Nov. 5, according to Czerwiec.
For those more interested in making a difference without leaving their homes, PIRG is working on a "Power Down" campaign, encouraging all students on campus to "unplug" for a few hours each day.
"Global warming is such a big problem and students often think, 'What can I do?'" Czerwiec said. "We pretty much have what we need already. We have cars that can get 100 miles to the gallon. We have sufficient solar and wind power. We're working on energy-efficient buildings. We have the resources; we just need to utilize them."
Contact Jessica Silber at
Jessica.Silber@UConn.edu.
Environmental enthusiasts and car aficionados will converge for the "Clean Air Car Show," which is just a part of ConnPIRG's larger movement, "Campus Climate Challenge." Two hybrid, high-efficiency cars will be displayed and salespeople will attend to inform students about them.
"There will definitely be one hybrid Honda and one Toyota, and hopefully a few more," said Jeffrey Czerwiec, the campus organizer for ConnPIRG.
The event figures to be more than a typical information session by supplying information about the environmental causes these cars represent.
"There will also be posters set up with environmental facts," according to Ellis Sant'Andrea, a 3rd-semester art and journalism double major and media and public relations intern for ConnPIRG. "For example, one poster titled 'Drive Smart' describes ways to drive more efficiently, like not accelerating quickly and cleaning out your car's air filter."
The program intends to extend its reach beyond passers-by on Fairfield Way. For campus activists, it will feature a table where students can write postcards to President Hogan to encourage him to sign the Climate Commitment Contract, a "statement pledging the university to eventually become carbon-neutral," according to Czerwiec.
But the efforts don't stop at the university level.
"Students can also write letters to Senator Lieberman to pass a bill in Congress which would set a goal of reducing America's carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050," Sant'Andrea said.
"The goals of Campus Climate Challenge are to educate students, get the campus to be a role model of efficiency and get politicians to do their part as well," Czerwiec said.
ConnPIRG is also working to send 50 campus representatives to the Power Shift Conference - a large global warming student summit held at the University of Maryland - from Nov. 2 through Nov. 5, according to Czerwiec.
For those more interested in making a difference without leaving their homes, PIRG is working on a "Power Down" campaign, encouraging all students on campus to "unplug" for a few hours each day.
"Global warming is such a big problem and students often think, 'What can I do?'" Czerwiec said. "We pretty much have what we need already. We have cars that can get 100 miles to the gallon. We have sufficient solar and wind power. We're working on energy-efficient buildings. We have the resources; we just need to utilize them."
Contact Jessica Silber at
Jessica.Silber@UConn.edu.
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