Earth Days 2015 at Salem State

Representatives from state and federal government, environmental organizations, activist groups and more will attend. Students should come to network with environmental professionals, to investigate summer and academic year internships, and learn about potential jobs.

Faculty coordinator for this event: Professor Jayashree Ranga, Chemistry and Physics Department

The Earth Day Student Poster Competition is the only judged poster competition on campus and features cash awards to the top ten percent of submitted posters. Any class at 200-level or higher is able to submit posters on the Earth Days Week theme. Approximately 100 research posters, submitted by SSU students in many disciplines, will be judged in the morning. Visitors are encouraged to view the posters and speak with the students who created them during the competition phase and until 12:20pm.
Coordinators for poster competition: Professor Kevin Beckwith, Economics, and Librarian Carol Zoppel

In this open forum, panelists will discuss the idea of divesting Salem State University from university-held fossil fuel portfolios. The debate will be moderated by Communications Professor Rob Brown with audience Q&A.

Panelists: Dr. Noel Healy - Assistant Professor of Geography, Founder of Salem State Faculty For Divestment
Jessica Debski – Salem State student (double Major of Geography and English), Representative for Divest Salem State From Fossil Fuels
Tom Francis - Director, Oil and Gas Research, Fossil Free Indexes, LLC
Michael Tyler, CFA - Chief Investment Officer, Eastern Bank Wealth Management
Karen House, CPA - SSU Vice President for Finance and Business 
John Keenan - SSU Vice President for Administration

Organized by Professor Noel Healy, Geography, and Karen House, CPA -  SSU Vice President for Finance and Business

Press coverage for the Fossil Fuel Divestment panel.

Join us on the grassy quad of the Frederick E. Berry Library to meet the artists of the Earth Days outdoor installations and hear how their work connects with the environment and this year's Earth Days theme. 
Organized by Professor Ken Reker, Art + Design.

Our story follows Jeb Berrier, an average American man who is admittedly not a "tree hugger," but makes a pledge to stop using plastic bags. His girlfriend, Anne, joins him in the challenge to decrease their use of plastic at home. This small action gets Jeb thinking about plastic; not just about plastic bags, but other kinds of plastic. "What is plastic made of? Is it recyclable? Does it decompose when it ends up in the landfill? Does plastic have negative health effects?" Jeb wants to learn more, so he embarks on a global tour to unravel the complexities of our plastic world. 
Sponsored by the Biosociety.

Panelists: Suzanne Sullivan, Ipswich River Water Association Board of Directors; Frank Gullotto, Director of the North Reading/Wilmington Pipeline Awareness Committee; Severin Kitanov, Associate Professor, Philosophy Department; Liz O'Leary, Philosophy Club President; William Cornwell, Professor, Philosophy Department. 
Organized by Professor S. Kitanov, Philosophy. Sponsored by Philosophy Club

The BioSociety has been conducting beach clean-ups of Forest River Park Beach for a number of years as a part of the “Adopt-a-beach” program created by Salem Sound Coastwatch. Join us in keeping the marine intertidal zone of a local beach clean. Organized by Professor Ryan Fisher, Biology. Sponsored by BioSociety and Biology Department

Guest Speaker: Dr. Jerry Vaske, Professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at Colorado State University and founding co-editor of the journal Human Dimensions of Wildlife.

Organized by Professors KC. Bloom, Sport & Movement Science, & Jennier Jackman, Political Science. Sponsored by Department of Political Science, Department of Sport and Movement Science, Bates Center for Public Affairs and American Democracy Project

Organized by Professors KC. Bloom, Sport & Movement Science, & Jennier Jackman, Political Science. Sponsored by Department of Political Science, Department of Sport and Movement Science, Bates Center for Public Affairs and American Democracy Project

"Idle Threat" chronicles one man's campaign to enforce New York City's laws restricting curbside idling, which contributes to air pollution. Organized by Professor Kevin Beckwith, Economics. Sponsored by Economics Club.

5 p.m. -6 p.m.: “Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming. ”
Keynote Address by Dr. Naomi Oreskes, Author and Professor of the History of Science, Harvard University. See her 2014 TED Talk "Why we should trust scientists"
Sponsored by the Pre-Law Society, Political Science Academy, Geographical Society, BioSociety and American Democracy Project with support from the Student Government Association

6 p.m.- 7 p.m.: Earth Days Awards Ceremony
Presentation of Friend of Earth Awards to:

• Dr. Naomi Oreskes, Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University.
• Robert Prescott, Director of the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and Massachusetts coordinator for the Northeast Sea Turtle Stranding Network.

Announcement of student Poster and Art Competition winners

7 p.m. – 8 p.m.: Reception and Book Signing. Book signing hosted by Wicked Good Books

See a list of past Friend of the Earth Award recipients (pdf)

Press coverage for 2015 Earth Days Week.

See past press coverage: Earth Days 2011, 2008, 2006

Participants in the Cat Cove tour will observe aquatic organisms being produced and grown for restoration, enhancement, and commercial initiatives. A brief history of the facility and how it has evolved will be provided. Projects from Cape Ann to Cape Cod will be discussed and linked to securing a safe and dependable supply of high quality seafood (whether from the ocean or freshwater; such as largemouth bass being grown in cranberry bogs). Tours will be led by Drs. Mark Fregeau and/or Joe Buttner, with assistance provided by Hatchery Manager Scott Weston and student workers.

Contact: Professor Joe Buttner, Biology Department

Professionals in the environmental field share their career paths and job search strategies.  

Panelists: Phil Colarusso- Marine Biologist for the Environmental Protection Agency; Guy Compagnone- Architect and Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships and Education at Chapman Construction and Design; Kara Sergeant-Renewable Energy Program Coordinator, Massachusetts Department of Energy; Andrew Chabot-Program Manager for Workforce Development for Mass Clean Energy; and Robyn Burn-North Shore Urban Agricultural Food Manager for the Food Project.

Organized by Kaitlin Hurley, Career Services, and Professor Steve Silvern, Geography.  Refreshments will be provided.

Sponsored by Salem State University Career Services.

Printable flyer for Career Forum.

Speaker: Dr. Raymond Bradley, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst and Director of the Climate System Research Center.

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, the earth has undergone unprecedented changes. But in the last few decades there has been a rapid acceleration of humanity’s impact on our environment, driven by a world population that now exceeds 7 billion people. Humanity’s impact can been seen in even the remotest parts of the planet, exceeding the natural limits within which life on earth has evolved over the past few million years, at least. Exploitation of natural resources and unregulated disposal of waste products into the “global commons”—our oceans and atmosphere—poses serious challenges for the future. We must adopt solutions that lead to a more sustainable future, while raising the standard of living of those who are impoverished and increasingly vulnerable to environmental instability. This requires foresight and leadership at an international level, qualities that are sadly lacking in the political leaders of today.

Organized by Professor John Hayes, Geography Department

Sponsored by the Earth Day Planning Committee, Darwin Festival Committee, and the Geography Department

In the forested depths of eastern Congo lies Virunga National Park, one of the most bio-diverse places on Earth and home to the planet’s last remaining mountain gorillas. In this wild, but enchanted environment, a small and embattled team of park rangers - including an ex-child soldier turned ranger, a caretaker of orphan gorillas and a dedicated conservationist - protect this UNESCO world heritage site from armed militia, poachers and the dark forces struggling to control Congo's rich natural resources. When the newly formed M23 rebel group declares war, a new conflict threatens the lives and stability of everyone and everything they've worked so hard to protect, with the filmmakers and the film’s participants caught in the crossfire.

Organized by Professors Ryan Fisher, Biology, & KC. Bloom, Sport & Movement Science. Sponsored by Biology Department and Department of Sport and Movement Science

Speciesm challenges the justifications and assumptions about non-human animals that underlie factory farming and other exploitative animal industries.

Organized by Professor Andrea Zeren, Psychology. Sponsored by Geographical Society.

Gasland: "The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of "fracking" or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a "Saudia Arabia of natural gas" just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND. Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown."

Gasland Part II: In this explosive follow-up to his Oscar®-nominated film GASLAND, filmmaker Josh Fox uses his trademark dark humor to take a deeper, broader look at the dangers of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the controversial method of extracting natural gas and oil, now occurring on a global level (in 32 countries worldwide).

Organized by Professor Marcos Luna, Geography, and Librarian Carol Zoppel.

Financial Support for Earth Days Generously Provided By the following:

• Tefferteller Foundation
• Chartwells of Salem State University
• Hayden-MacNeal Publishers
• Pearson Publishers
• Salem State University School of Graduate Studies
• Salem State Univesity School of Continuing and Professional Studies
• Salem State University College of Arts and Sciences
• Salem State University College of Health and Human Services
• Salem State University Bertolon School of Business
• Salem State University Student Government Association