Celebrating Earth Day

Earth Day at the Lillis Business Complex was the Lundquist College's contribution to the UO's campus-wide Earth Week celebration. Organized by UO Net Impact members and MBA candidates from the Center for Sustainable Business Practices (CSBP), the jam-packed Thursday was a runaway success. Events kicked off with a morning coffee social, where representatives from Arcimoto Motors, SeQuential BioFuel, Café Yumm!, and other sustainability focused organizations mingled with a crowd of MBA students before setting up in the Lillis Atrium for a green business expo. Later in the day, at the Green Business and Policy Symposium, Dean Kees de Kluyver introduced Oregon First Lady and green energy consultant Cylvia Hayes, who delivered a high-energy keynote on renewable energy and Oregon's economy. The event also marked the debut of "A Step in the Right Direction," a drive to recycle used athletic shoes (using a custom-designed earth-friendly collection box) through Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe Program. MBA students affiliated with CSBP and the Warsaw Sports Marking Center teamed up with the aim of collecting 3,000 shoes and establishing an annual tradition at the university. The team will set up collection boxes at Eugene-area track and field events throughout the spring. Look for them this June at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track and Field at Hayward Field. Watch a video interview with Café Yumm! and see Facebook albums of the green business expo and coffee hour, and Cylvia Hayes's keynote.