Dr. John Anderson
American Democracy Project coordinator, 308.865.8171
UNK– On Thursday, April 22, the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, the University of Nebraska at Kearney will host a Green Fair featuring a panel discussion, a Skype conference with citizens of Greensburg, Kan., and the launching of a new green campus program–Recycled Cycles.
The Green Fair events, which are free and open to the public, will take place from noon to 3 p.m. The Green Fair will begin with live music outside of the Nebraskan Student Union from noon-2 p.m.
At 1 p.m., the Skype conference will take place in the Nebraskan Student Union Ponderosa Rooms C and D. The discussion will feature Daniel Wallach, who is the executive director and founder of Green Town in Greensburg, Kan. Green Town was created after the 2007 tornado that leveled the town. Green Town works with city and county officials, business owners and local residents to incorporate sustainable principles into their rebuilding process and to become a model green town.
Wallach has been a resident of rural Stafford County since 2003. Before moving to Kansas, Wallach and his wife founded the Colorado Association of Nonprofit Organizations, which is now known as the Colorado Nonprofit Association. In 2004, he started a natural and local foods co-op in Pratt, Kan., which served 24 Pratt and Greensburg families for two years.
Also at 1 p.m., there will be a panel discussion on “cap and trade” in Ponderosa Rooms A and B. Cap and trade is described as an approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants. Panelists include Rebekah Davis, a democrat running for the third congressional district; Mike Denklau of Council Bluffs, Iowa, a democrat running for the fifth congressional district in Iowa; Kristen Gottschalk, Nebraska Rural Electric Association government relations director; and John McClure, a Nebraska Public Power District representative from Kearney.
“Davis and Denklau are in favor of energy and a cap on emissions legislation, and Gottschalk and McClure want a more conservative plan and no cap on emissions,” said Dr. John Anderson, American Democracy Project coordinator.
“In addition, the American Democracy Project has provided UNK student groups with grants for a number of upcoming activities,” Dr. Anderson said. “We will launch the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team and UNK Student Governments’ Recycled Cycles program on campus that day.”
The Recycled Cycles program is designed to help students have easier access across campus. The 12- 20 abandoned or donated bicycles that will be used in the program have been inspected, repaired, and painted blue and gold. Cards with a repair number will be attached to the bikes to encourage upkeep. The bikes will be located around campus for any student to use.
