They Came From the Canal - Invasion of the Asian Carp! focused on water issues around the world and in our region. Along with the support of our partners including Green Campus Initiative (GCI), Chicago Environmental Policy Association, Rockefeller Chapel, Aramark, Chicago Studies, University of Chicago Community Service Center, and the Interfaith Youth Corps and the participation of numerous speakers, Sustainability at the University of Chicago hosted over a dozen events during the week.  Our "Think Outside the Bottle" pledge garnered over 150 participants and our Earth Fest event on the quad had over 200 people stop by to see 20 local vendors and live music by the Giving Tree Band.  Students volunteered their Saturday for an environmentally themed service project and we even participated in a private tour of the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant. We want to thank the University community for making Earth Week 2010 such a success--we could not have done it without you!

To view the full Earth Week 2010 schedule and poster, click here. If you have any comments on our programming during the week please send your feed back to: sustainabilityoffice@uchicago.edu.

Our Keynote speaker Debra Shore, Commissioner of The Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, demonstrates the scarcity of potable water in the world. 20% of the world's fresh drinking water is found in the Great Lakes. (Photo by Lloyd DeGrane)

Josh Ellis of The Metropolitan Planning Council speaks to the audience about Chicago's hydro-future. (Photo by Lloyd DeGrane)

David Wolf (Facilities Director, Department of Visual Arts; pictured) and Richard Bumstead (Associate Director, Campus Environment) lead a design charette for the reuse of building materials salvaged from the old Midway Studios. (Photo by Lloyd DeGrane)

Sketches of the repurposed cement resulted in the creation of a prototype for the opening ceremony of the new Midway Studios. See the bench (still up!) at the Midway Studios.(Photo by Lloyd DeGrane)

Three speakers joined us and the Chicago Environmental Policy Association for a policy discussion on Asian Carp and Management of the Chicago Waterway. From left to right: moderator Josh Ellis (Metropolitan Planning Council) with panelists Jim Farrell (Illinois Chamber of Commerce) and Joel Brammeier (Alliance for the Great Lakes). (Photo by Lloyd DeGrane)

Earth Fest hosted on the Main Quad attracted over 200 guests and highlighted local organizations and student groups.We hosted farmers, caterers, and hand-made crafts vendors. (Photo by Lloyd DeGrane)

Students and families decorated reusable bags at the Wellness Committee's table.(Photo by Lloyd DeGrane)

Attendees made their own herb seedling pots with re-purposed food containers. (Photo by Lloyd DeGrane)

Can you taste the difference? GCI hosted their "Tap Water Challenge," blind-tasting tap water among a variety of bottled water samples. In conjunction with the challenge, participants could take a "Think Outside the Bottle" pledge opting for free public tap water over bottled water for Earth Week. Over 150 people joined the venture! Tap water's not so bad after all! (Photo by Lloyd DeGrane)