The green and blue flags were waving in the breeze. A thousand red ducks made their way down the fountain and students were walking the academic mall learning about the environment; Stony Brook’s annual Earthstock festival was well underway.
Earthstock is Stony Brook’s weeklong event involving numerous panels, lectures and workshops designed to inform the campus community of the current trends and scientific breakthroughs regarding the environment and sustainability.
The week’s seminars culminated in the Earthstock Festival on Friday, which featured big events like live music from Long Island’s renowned cover band Peat Moss and the Fertilizers, the annual rubber duck race and the ceremony to encourage students to take the Green Pledge, which encourages students and faculty to be aware of what is happening in the environment.
Scattered throughout the festival were much smaller events to keep people busy. There was ice sculpture carving, an ice cream social and little shops selling things ranging from food to soap. There was, however, a much more serious tone to the festival if everything available was taken into account. The day was set up to encourage people to have fun, but those who attended should have also been thinking about what is happening in the world and relating it back to campus. There was one exhibit that had garbage bags full of takeout containers equal to the amount that the Student Activities Center goes through every day when preparing meals.
These types of displays are meant to enlighten people about what is happening on campus. One organization attempting to do the same is Stony Brook’s environmental club.
In regard to Earthstock, the environmental club organizes the Do It In the Dark concert. The concert occurs a few hours the festival ends and takes place at Roth Pond. It is a specific activity designed by the club,and is a part of the Earthstock festivities.
The environmental club features many events both on and off campus to help the environment. It hosts campus clean-ups, and its major event in the fall is the Hallogreen party. They also have a stuff swap event. This event has every participant bring something to trade with someone else, utilizing the “one man’s trash is another’s man treasure” motto.
Senior environmental studies major Christine Peralte, the public relations officer for the environmental club, said that the main goal of the club is to “spread awareness whenever we can.” Along with these events, the club also has one major issue it tries to raise awareness on each year. “We want this university to be greener,” Peralte said. That is why the club has one specific focus each year. Last year it was plastic water bottles, and this year it is plastic bags. The club also has “rallies when the need arises,” Peralte said.
The club does not just stay on campus either. “We do nature walks, beach clean-ups, hiking trips and camping trips,” Peralte said. The club also participated in a rally against hydrofracking in upstate New York. Hydrofracking is a process used to obtain natural gases under the surface of the earth using water and chemicals at high pressures to force the gases up. It can often leave the area’s ground water polluted, among other undesired environmental side effects.
The club’s missions do somewhat overlap with the goals of Earthstock. It is why some members of the environmental club are on the board for Earthstock. However, with all the fun that happens, it is conceivable to think that the festival has turned more into a fun campus tradition instead of an event to raise environmental awareness. Regardless, Peralte does believe the message the festival sends still gets across to the students, faculty and local community members who attend.
“There are certain things that do get people to think, like the scavenger hunt and events to get people to measure their carbon foot print. They do become aware of everything available to them,” Peralte said.
With all the environmental groups present, from Stony Brook’s environmental club to the Sierra Club, it really is hard to miss the message that people need to become more aware of the environment.
With everything that happens on the Academic Mall during the festival, it is no surprise how Earthstock has become one of the campus’ most enjoyed traditions while still maintaining and spreading the message of having an earth-conscious attitude.
