{gallery}1011/i24/earthdayweb{/gallery}
Earth Day was first organized on April 22, 1970 by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson in response to an oil spill in California. Today, many universities and communities around the world celebrate the holiday with educational exhibits on ecology, conservation, and alternative energy.
Mines students celebrated Earth Day on Friday at Stratton Commons with music, pizza, beer, and of course demonstrations of ecologically-friendly technology and products. Rocky Mountain Hydroponics & Organics discussed organic gardening and low-impact fertilizers, Small Planet E-Vehicles gave test rides on electric bicycles, and NREL demonstrated solar and fuel cell technology. There were also exhibits on composting and a wood-chip gassifier furnace.
Perhaps the real reason most students attended, pizza from Lil Ricci’s and beer from Golden City Brewery were provided for free. Musical entertainment was provided by local bands Save the Grease String Band, Hedje, and Whiskey King Co. Whether much learning was accomplished, a good time was had by all.
