Celebrate Sustainability!
Virginia Tech, Sustainable Blacksburg, and the Town of Blacksburg, with the help of the Environmental Coalition, partnered for the first Sustainability Week.
Sustainability: meeting today's needs without compromising the ability to meet needs in the future
During the week of October 22, 2007 several events, including keynote speakers, fairs, tours, films, and webinars, were held on campus and in the Town of Blacksburg. Read the executive summary (706 kb PDF).
The week's events entertained, educated, and highlighted sustainability programs and practices working to build a sustainable campus and town.
Sustainability Week podcasts
See the "Sustainability awareness" section of the VT podcasts page for the podcast archives.
What is sustainability?
In short, sustainability is meeting today's needs without compromising the ability to meet needs in the future.
That's paraphrased from the definition in the United Nation's World Commission on Environment and Development 1987 report Our Common Future. According to the report, "Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
What can I do?
We can build a sustainable campus, town and nation by using local, environmentally friendly products to meet our daily needs without depleting resources necessary to meet future needs. With this comes the responsibility to make smart choices regarding waste reduction, transportation and energy. The EPA's "How can I help?" page contains a wealth of information.
E-waste Recycling Event
Virginia Tech, the University of Richmond, and Old Dominion University have joined an initiative led by Hollins University to present e-waste recycling events in October.
Drop off your e-waste recyclable items at the Environmental Health and Safety Parking Lot, located off Tech Center Drive. For driving directions see the E-waste Recycling Event webpage.
Drop-Off Days for School Systems, Commercial Businesses, Colleges: October 10 - 12, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Community Day for Household Electronics: October 13, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Tools and tips
Events at a glance
Download the Events at a Glance program (241 kb PDF).
Personal greenhouse gas emissions calculator
Enter a few numbers in the blue column of this handy calculator to estimate the amount of CO2 your household generates each year.
Go fluorescent
If a million people replaced one incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent, 200,000 tons of CO2 emissions would be eliminated.