Eastern Michigan University
Department of Geography and Geology

Kayford Mountain, West Virginia

The world is turning green in an effort to lessen our footprint and dependency on fossil fuels.

Mountaintop mining in West Virginia removes entire mountain tops, dumping the waste into the valley below, causing extensive environmental damage, and destroying traditional communities and the way of life.

Energy Awareness Week – October 1-5, 2007
Energy awareness week started in 2005 and continues this year with the support of the Departments of Geography & Geology, Biology, Psychology, and the University Library. The goal of the week long events is to bring to our campus community:
* awareness and empowerment of energy issues
* conservation
* sustainabiity in a changing world.

Please come and support our efforts to make "Education First" at EMU.

Schedule of Events

October 1 Monday

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.Ecological footprint table (Student Union lobby). Come by and measure your ecological footprint. See how many Earths are required if everyone lived the life you live. (If everyone lived as the average American we would need 5.3 Earths).

October 2 Tuesday

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.Ecological footprint table. (Student Union lobby). Come by and measure your ecological footprint. See how many Earths are required if every one lived the life you live.

12 noon & 5:30 p.m.. (Halle Library Auditorium) Dave Cooper of the Mountaintop removal (MTR) roadshow will be returning to EMU along with Larry Gibson from Kayford Mountain. If you do not know about Kayford Mountain, then you MUST attend and find out what is happening to the resident’s of this area due to MTR coal mining.  More info regarding Dave’s important work can be found at http://mountainroadshow.com/  An important event that all students and faculty should attend to learn about the effects of our dependency on coal as an energy source. 60% of Michigan’s energy is derived from coal.

Figure 1 Larry Gibson from Kayford, West Virginia answering questions about coal practices after the presentation.

October 3 Wednesday

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.Ecological footprint table. (Student Union lobby). Come by and measure your ecological footprint. See how many Earth’s are required if every one lived the life you live.

11 a.m.-3 p.m. Films about environmental issues

11 a.m.-1 p.m.An Inconvenient Truth

1-3 p.m. Kilowatt Ours.

October 4 Thursday

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.Ecological footprint table. (Student Union lobby). Come by and measure your ecological footprint. See how many Earth’s are required if every one lived the life you live.

All talks will be in Halle Library Auditorium (lower level)
12 noon – 1 p.m. Bill Allemon, Manager of Energy Efficiency at Ford Motor Company will speak about Ford’s energy and sustainability program, speaking to the issues of working with sustainability in the REAL world.

Figure 2: Ford has stunned the world with its extensive plantings of sunflowers and its large green roof symbolizing environmental initiative taken by the company. 

1-2 p.m.Sierra Club specialist Leigh Fifelski will speak about what you can do to be energy efficient amd what students can do to be green.

2-4 p.m. Paul Goldsmith, President of Detroit’s Green Building Council will speak on building green and LEED certification. Come hear the possibilities for EMU as we discuss building a new science complex.

October 5 Friday

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Ecological footprint table. (Student Union lobby). Come by and measure your ecological footprint. See how many Earth’s are required if every one lived the life you live.