National University collaborated with more than 25 companies and organizations in San Diego to present Eco Fair 2010, on Saturday, April 3 at the Spectrum Business Park Academic Center.
The Eco Fair was part of National University’s community outreach efforts to educate and demonstrate the concepts of environmental and economic sustainability and stewardship.
It was the second consecutive year in which National sponsored this event. The theme for 2010 was “Save Green by Going Green”, and the goal was to promote household solutions that are earth-friendly and ultimately wallet-friendly.
Eco Fair participants included business, government agencies, and non-government organizations. The various vendors promoted eco-friendly products such as Retro-Turf, a water-preserving synthetic lawn made of post-consumer waste. Booths at the Fair represented a diverse range of services, including OB People’s Food Store, a community-based, member-owned vegetarian consumer co-op that supports sustainability and environmental responsibility. There were several organizations on hand providing educational information, including conservation groups such as Pro-Peninsula, which is dedicated to maintaining the unique natural environment of the Baja California peninsula.
Kate Jirik, a representative from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Birch Aquarium in La Jolla, interacted with visitors regarding the North Pacific Gyre, a massive accumulation of floating man-made debris the size of Texas that contains millions of tons of plastic.
“It seems overwhelming, but there are lots of things people can do,” said Jirik. “They bring their own reusable bags to grocery stores, place plastic bottles in recycling bins and prevent debris from washing down to the ocean through the storm drain system.”
Other vendors at the Eco Fair included the National Wildlife Federation, the San Diego Botanical Gardens, and the Center for Sustainable Energy California. Approximately 230 visitors attended the event, according to Michael R. Maxwell, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences in the National University College of Letters and Sciences, and 2010 Eco Fair Chair.
Joining Professor Maxwell in planning and organizing this year's Eco Fair were fellow COLS faculty members Maryam Davodi Far, DPA, Melinda Campbell, Ph.D., and Huda Makhluf, Ph.D.
According to Professor Maxwell, vendors appreciated the intimate setting offered by National University. “They were able to talk face-to-face with everybody that visited their booth,” he added.
In addition to vendor exhibits, there were also environmentally-friendly activities for families and children, and information about National University’s environmentally-focused degree programs, specifically the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Policy; and the Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and the Master of Science in Sustainability Management (which are offered through the School of Engineering and Technnology).
