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Are Dragons Worth the Green?

Box offices this weekend were going strong! Escaping life for a couple of hours is always a good thing to do in bad weather. However, just to relax with friends or on a date are other great reasons to watch some action, comedy, or romantic movies. According to Box Office Mojo The top ten movies making the most green were:

1. How to Train Your Dragon

2. The Backup Plan

3. Date Night

4. The Losers

5. Kick-Ass

6. Clash of the Titans

7. Death at a Funeral

8. Oceans

9. The Last Song

10. Alice in Wonderland

Going behind scenes of the number one movie, How to Train Your Dragon, a person will learn it was adapted from the first book of an ongoing fantasy series by Cressida Cowell. From the producers to the A-list voices used, this film had had great reviews and obviously a lot of viewers.

If you aren’t interested in spending the $10.50+ in green to see movies on the Big Screen, recently released movies such as Avatar, Crazy Heart, Lovely Bones, and The Young Victoria are available.

Spending a little green on a few hours to escape everyday life could always be a good thing. Consider how much green you are willing to spend and what movies have done well this week before you make your Friday night decision.

by: Derrin Minunni

Happy Earth Day!

"The American people have a right to air that they and their children can breathe without fear."

— Lyndon Baines Johnson

Today is Earth Day! Make sure to pick up newly released Avatar. Earth Day Network has events listed for a variety of different cities. Check out what’s happening in or near your town to save the planet!

On April 25, Washington D.C. is having a Climate Rally on the National Mall. RSVP for the event if you plan on attending along with the other 3,695 people attending.

There are so many events to get in involved with today and upcoming days. These events include 4^th Annual Ecycling Day for the Washington Metropolitan Area, 100 Miles Food Challenge, “I’m for the Earth.org” Earth Day 2010 Online Fundraiser, along with many more.

“Like a shadow that does not permit us to jump over it, but moves with us to maintain its proper distance, pollution is nature's answer to culture. When we have learned to recycle pollution into potent information, we will have passed over completely into the new cultural ecology."

— William Irwin Thompson

by: Derrin Minunni

Plan a Green Party

Eco-friendly parties allow the person who is throwing it to have the satisfaction of helping the earth, and for them to help influence friends and family to be more environmentally friendly as well. Sheryl Crow planned a green baby shower for her son Wyatt. There are many different ways to make a party eco-friendly.

Starting with the invite, one way is to print your invitations on recycled card-stock. You can also find card-stock in a variety of natural fibers such as linen, bamboo and cotton. Design the invite with text, colors, and images that reflect your theme.

The gift theme could be instead of using wrapping paper, have guests use an organic baby blanket or towel and tie it with a bow. This saves on unnecessary waste.

The Earthy Atmosphere can include natural, biodegradable decorations instead of balloons and streamers. Simple arrangements of flowers and plants can be used to enhance the theme. Incorporate natural materials such as glass, water, rock, bamboo and candles for centerpieces.

The menu can be an opportunity to play off the green theme with color: Organic green salad, fruit salad made with kiwis, green apples, and grapes, organic frappe (a mixture of green sherbet and lemon-lime soda) and green petit fours are just a few ideas.

Games are a must and www.Treehugger.com mentions Darryl Hannah, Pink, Bono, Natalie Portman and Prince for being green. For more game ideas BabyShowerGamesAtoZ.com is a great site to visit.

by: Derrin Minunni

Broncs Going Green

Recently interviewed, Dr. Laura Hyatt the Committee Chair of the Steering Committee for the Energy and Sustainability – Broncs Go Green answered a few questions regarding the internal projects, mission and goals at Rider University. Dr. Hyatt is an Associate Professor as well as the Department Chair of Biology where she also gives a lot of her time towards the green movement at Rider.

Kristy Love: As a major part of Rider's strategic plan for Energy and Sustainability - Broncs Go Green, what is your number one mission?

Dr. Laura Hyatt: My number one mission is to ensure that every student who walks across the stage at graduation understands that their choices impact the environment and the health of the environment feeds back on the quality of their lives. Hopefully, they'll proceed to make choices (about jobs, purchases, lifestyles, any kind of endeavor) that are in their own best interests. How do we get there? We use the campus as a curriculum, providing examples of how to go about making sustainable choices by making them ourselves. We're aiming for Carbon Neutrality by 2050, which means we'll increase efficiencies, try to use less energy, and get our energy from renewable resources. Broncs Go Green educates students one-on-one, or in groups. We're developing an academic Sustainability Studies Program (a minor) for students who want to pursue sustainability more deeply.

KL: With Earth Day approaching, what is in store for Rider University after being very successful in 2009?

LH: We're really excited to have Colin Beavan on campus to present his film, No Impact Man(on Earth day at 6 pm). The film will be shown 3 times during Earth Week. (Tuesday the 20th at 6 pm, Wednesday the 21st at 11 am and Thursday the 22nd at 4 pm). He spent a year trying to have little to no environmental impact through his life and made a documentary about it. He stopped using elevators, turned off power in his home, hardly generated any waste, and in the process, reconnected with his family, nature, and his neighbors. Students, faculty and staff will have an opportunity to meet him and ask questions. We'll also be having an event on Cranberry's patio again, with games, trade up giveaways and other events. The Westminster Campus will be having a Spring fling, including human-powered carnival rides, collections of gently used clothing, and other quizzes and games.

KL: What is your favorite project at Rider and why?

LH: Currently, I'm excited about helping faculty discover ways to integrate sustainability into their courses across the curriculum -- we'll be having a session during Faculty Development Day -- and developing the Sustainability Studies Minor for all kinds of students. I think that there are a lot of faculty who feel pretty strongly about the importance of sustainability education, but are just not sure how. The film series has done a great job of raising awareness. On the operational side, I think all our waste stream modifications, including composting all our food waste, mixed stream recycling (I think we're one of the few places in Mercer County where you can recycle items labeled #1-7 -- most places just take 1's and 2's) are exciting.

KL: Are there any upcoming events that students can get involved with on campus?

LH: Volunteering for Earth Day is always a good one & attending the Colin Beavan talk would be a great start. Sustainable Rider is looking for fresh blood -- there is a building organization across college campuses in NJ for sustainability-minded students and we need participants at the local and state level. In an aside, there are some students who saw Flow -- one of the green film series movies -- who were quite upset once they realized how damaging and unsafe bottled water is. They're trying to organize a ban on bottled water for the campus, an initiative that is VERY common at college campuses nationwide. That's an initiative that has to come from the students -- the ESSC can't push that agenda with our contractors.

KL: What is your main goal for students to help with sustainability while being a student at Rider?

LH: I'd just like students to be conscious about the efficiency with which they use resources -- energy, solid waste, water, fossil fuels, food -- and to think about how lifelong habits impact everyone. We live in the most consumptive culture on earth, and it might be wise to take a second look at how we can build our society sustainably.

By Kristy Love

How to Get Involved With Earth Day and its Events

Sean Miller works for Earth Day Network in Washington D.C. where he is Director of Education. Earth Day Network was founded with the notion that everyone has the right to live in a healthy environment.


Their main motive is to make environmental issues known worldwide, and they are also in charge of the events and activities that pertain to Earth Day. More than 1 billion people are involved with Earth Day, which makes it the biggest event in the world.

Recently Miller, who specializes in environmental education, climate change, and green schools, spoke about Earth Day and how people can get involved.


Q: This year is the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, which is on April 22nd. Is Earth Day Network doing anything in particular to celebrate this anniversary?

SM: Yes, there are a number of things going on. In general, our main event is in Washington D.C. held at the National Mall. This event is on April 25th, and runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Performers such as Sting, John Legend, and Roots will be there. There will also be a lot of speakers at this event and many of them are from Congress. This event will be promoting our campaign to try and pass climate legislation in the Senate. This is a free public event, and I really encourage people to come out.

Q: Can you explain what exactly the climate legislation is?

SM: With President Obama in office one of his top priorities was to reduce global warming-causing pollution (greenhouse gases) because of the effects it has on our environment. Obama proposed the climate legislation which has been passed by the House of Representative but still has to be passed by the Senate. The bill would put a cap on how much pollution can be put in the air. As of now, 99 million tons of pollution is being emitted into the air every day. People are lobbying this bill to be passed so the President can sign it.

Q: What can someone do to get involved with the environment and Earth Day?

SM: No matter who you are you can partake in the environment. I encourage families and people to go outside on Earth Day. People can also check our website at http://www.earthday.org/ to find out if there are any events going on around them that they can go to. If you are a political official we host a global day of conversation about Earth Day. So far there are about 250 public officials going, and more can sign up to participate in this conversation about the earth and the global warming issue. We also have events going on worldwide in places such as San Francisco, Nepal, and Tokyo. You can find out how to join these events by checking our website.

Q: In what ways does Earth Day Network help the environment?

SM: We work with schools K-12 and encourage education about the environment in the classroom. We are also helping 12 schools around the country in going green, by installing solar panels at the school. This gives the school power directly from the sun. Within the next two weeks the solar panels will be installed so they will all be done by Earth Day. This way the schools can celebrate going-green on Earth Day.

Q: Besides Earth Day are there events and things still going on throughout the year?

SM: There are educational events throughout the year. We swap out light bulbs in schools across the U.S. which saves schools money and energy. Swapping out light bulbs is when we go into schools and change their lighting by installing more efficient lighting. This is a good thing for schools to do because schools around our country are usually between 40 to 60 years old and the lighting is old and ineffective. A quick and easy way to fix this is to change the lighting. An example is that one schools lighting is from 1991 and new lighting installed is going to be 90 percent more efficient.

Q: What are some of the most detrimental factors effecting our environment?

SM: The rising temperature affects every system on our earth, whether its wetlands, deserts, or forests. Climate change is going to have a negative effect on our earth in the long run. If things stay the same the climate is going to increase around four to nine degrees Fahrenheit by the end of this century. This is why we need to push for Senate to pass the climate legislation.

Q: On a personal level what can a person do to help the environment?

SM: I always encourage people to go outside and discovery nature because nature is our best teacher. I tell people this for two main reasons. 1. People now spend around 90 percent of their time inside. We have become very sedentary when our species is supposed to be largely outdoors. 2. Most exercise is not done inside. One third of children in the US are obese and being outside fosters exercise. So people should go outside and experience the outdoors more.

Q: What can college campuses do to help out the environment?

SM: College campuses are doing the most to go green in the US. Currently there is a commitment that any college campus can make. As of today 680 colleges have made this commitment to become carbon neutral. Carbon neutral is a commitment not to admit any carbon into our environment. If you go to http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/ you can learn how to get your campus involved.

Q: Is there anything else you would want the public to know about the Earth Day Network or Earth Day Events?

SM: If people want free transportation provided to them they can go to our website to find out more information on how to receive this. For more information on Earth Day and the events involved throughout the year they should also continue to check out our website, or email me at education@earthday.net


-Kristine Kelly

New Jersey's Answers to Animal Rescue and Safe Haven for Pets

Anne Trinkle is the Founder and Executive Director of Animal Alliance of Lambertville, New Jersey. She started out as a small, all volunteer animal rescue group and grew to be one of the larger agenecies in New Jersey. Animal Alliance removes animal in immediate danger of euthanasia from overcrowded shelters, then places them into safe foster care where they are spayed/neutered, groomed, rehabilitated, and readied for permanent placement into carefully chosen adoptive homes. In addition, Planned Pethood is an animal clinic that offers low cost vaccines and spay/neuter services to people of low and moderate income. Read on to learn about the amazing efforts of Anne Trinkle.

Q: Where did your passion for animals derive from?

AT: When we were first married, my husband and I got our first dog together named Dollie. I fell head over heels in love with her and decided to adopt another dog. When I went to meet Mighty at the Bucks County SPCA, I saw that there were so many other lovely, highly adoptable, beautiful animals looking for homes, and it was then and there that I decided to do more than bring Mighty home.

Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

AT: Connecting great people to wonderful and deserving animals through pet adoption. We are able to serve both a population of unwanted pets on death door, and the market of people that wants to do the right thing and acquire a pet through adoption. Without Animal Alliance to get all those animals from the shelters and market them for adoption, there would be a lot more dead animals in the shelters we work with, and a lot more people buying pets from petstores or unscrupulous breeders. Saving lives is rewarding work.

Q: First you were a vegetarian, and now a vegan, how long for each?

AT: I have been a vegan for over seven years, and prior to that I was a vegetarian for 15 years. being a vegetarian came easy for me.

Q: Why did you decide to become a vegan after being a vegetarian for so long?

AT: I took at trip to Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York, and met farm animals that were rescued from the food production industry. Seeing how sweet and gentle the diary cows were and how friendly the egg producing chickens were was very moving for me. I learned about the horrors of the diary industry - how calves are taken from their mothers immediately after birth and fed bottles of synthetic milk, and that male calves become veal while the females are raised to be milk producers. Well I have been 100 % vegan since that drive home from Farm Sanctuary over seven years ago and I feel much better, healthier, happier and peaceful.

Q: Do you have any advice for anyone transitioning to a vegetarian or vegan diet?

AT: Visit Farm Sanctuary online or go in person to Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York for a visit. Learn about the horrors of the dairy industry.

Q: Do you ever find it difficult to stay vegan?

AT: NEVER! Once someone pets and looks in the eyes of pigs, cows and chicken bred to be killed for food, it's hard to eat them. The well document and deplorable conditions on factory farms, the savagery of the slaughter process, and the amount of filth and bacteria that is present in meat makes it very unpalatable and sickening for me.

Q: Being animal friendly and vegan have a large impact on being "green", do you have any other ways of living a "green" lifestyle?

AT: We are in the process of installing a solar energy system at our house. We live on 11 acres and besides our house, we use a lot of electric in the Animal Alliance kennel, which is on our property. Six months from now, we will be completely solar powered here for electric, very exciting! We are also big recyclers and eat mostly organic food.

Q: Do you have anything else you would like to add about the animal friendly lifestyle you live?

AT: Working with animals has proven to be a life force for me, it is work that I am deeply connected to, and gives my life meaning beyond measure. Living a compassionate life with reverence and respect for all living things, those considered food, and those considered pets, gives me a resonant peace. No other living being will suffer so that I can eat them, or wear their skin or hair. I am in complete harmony with the universe I live in, which is a joyful place to be.

Click for more information about Animal Alliance : Rescue - Foster - Rehabilitate - Spay/Neuter - Adopt

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By Jenna LaPorta