EDUCATION – OUTREACH – COMMUNICATION

            ITHACA & TOMPKINS COUNTY

 

–      Choosing Green Consumer Products – What to Buy?

The environmental and human health costs associated with the products that we buy are often hidden and unclear.  It can be confusing for people to decide which products are green and which are not.  Please see the website storyofstuff.com for an excellent description of why this is important.  Projects are under way in different Tompkins county organizations to gather information, create guides and outreach events, and develop marketing strategies.  The Tompkins County Environmental Management CouncilŐs Consumer Products Committee is currently focusing on compact fluorescent light bulbs.  We will be making a fact sheet for the public and policy recommendations.  There are several other products of interest including pharmaceuticals and personal care products (health & beauty), batteries, and computers, and new projects are welcome.

Amy Risen-Consumer Products Committee Chair 342-2406 ajr53@cornell.edu

 

–      Ithaca Festival Green Expo - Ithaca Festival is very interested in hosting a few students this year to help coordinate the "Gorges Green Expo". It is our goal to use the festival and its popularity to help bolster the image of Ithaca and Tompkins County as an eco-friendly region. To do so, we are evolving the eco-educational elements of the festival by including more active NGO participants, while simultaneously providing new exhibition opportunities for businesses and companies that wish to promote their respective green products and services to our highly respected and eco-savvy citizenry. Contact Jacob, Executive Director Ithaca Festival 2008, www.ithacafestival.org,   yesjake@gmail.com     315.729.0829

 

–      Education for Sustainable Culture, assist in teaching IC class

Tina Nilsen-Hodges        277-7807 eves      knilsenhodges@ithaca.edu

Tina works with K-12 teachers and college students and teachers. This sis afirst time course and sheŐs a fine mentor. Could happen at Ithaca College, LACS, or Ecovillage.

 

–      ECOVILLAGE-BASED EDUCATION PROJECTS   www.ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us These require some traveling (2 short bus rides or 15 minute car ride) and contact with great people and a model community project.

 

á      Core Values & Sustainability -  Karryn Ramanujan             273-2282 karryn@ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us     

Links sustainability education and values/character education through innovative intergenerational programs , using ecovillage residents as a pilot study.  If you want to focus on the ethical and spiritual dimension of sustainability, this is good one

á      Permaculture Education at Ecovillage - Karryn Ramanujan  273-2282 karryn@ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us

Help Karryn educate her neighbors and/or survey her close neighbors at Ecovilage about expanding her backyard permaculture garden project to a joint area behind their backyards.  Karryn helped start the local Permaculture Institute, so this is a  great way to learn about a very practical and productive sustainable design system, while also volunteering.

á      Alternative, Sustainability-based High School - Tina Nilsen-Hodges

277-7807 eves     knilsenhodges@ithaca.edu

Tina is founding a pioneering, sustainability-based high-school, partly in town and in Ecovillage.

á      Sustainable Neighborhood Development - Liz Walker               272-5149    liz@ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us

Assist with planning and development of 3rd neighborhood at Ecovillage.