Penn Plans Energy Awareness Week Events Around Campus, Neighborhood

 

PHILADELPHIA –- A film screening, information displays, a bicycle that generates electricity and reverse trick-or-treating on Halloween are among events this week at the University of Pennsylvania in observance of Energy Awareness Week.

“Energy Awareness Week is Penn's observance of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Awareness Month, observed annually each October,” Dan Garafalo, Penn’s sustainability coordinator, said. “The Green Campus Partnership arranged these events to inform the Penn community about how much energy is consumed on campus every day and the many ways in which the campus community can start to minimize consumption.”

The observance begins with a screening of the film “Fuelat 7.30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Wu and Chen Auditorium, Levine Hall, 3330 Walnut St., co-sponsored by Penn Engineers Without Borders and Penn's Green Campus Partnership. “Fuel” discusses the U.S. dependence on oil.

A daylong Wharton Energy Conference follows on Friday, Oct. 30, the same day that GreenFest, at which students with the Penn Environmental Group will promote green awareness among their peers, will be held on College Green.

From 4 to 5:30 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 28 and 29, the Green Campus Partnership, Penn’s advocate for enhancing overall sustainability on campus, is setting up bike generators that illustrate how much human energy it takes to turn on a light bulb. The bikes demonstrations will be held at Pottruck Fitness Center, 3701 Walnut St.

Throughout the week, the campus community can check out the window display at the Penn Bookstore featuring a full Energy Awareness Week events calendar, Energy Star appliances from the Bookstore and Computer Connection, posters and a variety of books by energy-related authors.

From 1 to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 31, the outreach will go beyond campus when, in a twist to an old Halloween favorite, students will take their message of environmental awareness to the neighborhood in a reverse trick-or-treating. Costumed PEG students and volunteers will distribute candy and green information to residents in the neighborhoods near campus.

The students plan to cover the area from 38th to 43rd streets between Baltimore Avenue and Chestnut Street. As they trick or treat, they will distribute recycling bins to residents who provide their addresses ahead of time and, as they travel through the neighborhoods, gather names of others requesting bins.

Residents needing a recycling bin may contact Laura Boudreau at boudreau.laura@gmail.com to get on the trick-or-treat list. PEG can provide one bin per house or apartment.

Additional information on Penn’s energy initiatives, Energy Week activities and tips to curtail energy use can be found at www.upenn.edu/sustainability.