The Magic Bus, and Other Earthy Day Stuff

So come on, admit it. The last thing you expected to see in an Earth Day post was an exhaust -emitting bus!

In case you were wondering how to mark Earth Day today, you could just take the bus.

You can cut your carbon footprint today by riding Pottstown's remarkably extensive bus system for free.

That's right, all rides on Pottstown Area Rapid Transit, which was once called PUT but is now called PART are absolutely Free.

The name change allows on to "Take PART" ... get it?

In so doing, not only will you familiarize yourself with the bus system, but you'll be traveling in a more efficient manner, thus reducing the amount of carbon you are responsible for putting into the atmosphere.

In case you didn't know, its mankind's constant emitting of carbon, along with the destruction of carbon-consuming forests, which are largely responsible for the climate change with which we are all contending these days.

If you're looking for something more conventionally "earthy," there are a few of those too, almost all of them thanks to the folks over at Montgomery County Community College.

I had a fairly extensive round-up in The Mercury, but a lot of it happened over the past two days.

Here are a few that remain.

DEP's office building in Norristown, across from the 

Montgomery County Court House, may be the scene of a protest today.

Seeing as Earth Day was born out of the protest movement, you can protest the use of “fracking” to extract natural gas by gathering in front of the Norristown office of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 2 E. Main St., Norristown, from 3 to 5 p.m.

The agency regulates natural gas drilling and the protest is organized by a coalition of 60 organizations opposed to this controversial drilling method.

But the most extensive events are at the community college's week of educational programs and activities April 22-29 in observance of Earth Day 2013 are all geared around a theme  "The Face of Climate Change." 

(I have omitted the events at the Blue Bell campus because no one should drive that far on Earth Day.)

On Monday, April 22, the day begins with free tire pressure checking stations from 8-10 a.m. in the South Hall parking lot at the West Campus 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Cars with the proper tire pressure get better gas mileage and, thus, put less carbon into the environment.

MC3's South Hall at 101 College Dr.

Also, from 12:20-1:20 p.m. on April 22, both campuses will host a series of displays in South Hall at 101 College Dr. Exhibits include Environmental Club, RecycleMania, Green Office Initiative, GVF/SEPTA transportation options, Campus Bookstore green items, and Siemens ESCO information, as well as a CulinArt Farmers Market.

Then, at 12:30 p.m. in the South Hall Community Room, entries from the Student Sustainability Film Contest will be screened, and awards will be presented.

On Tuesday, April 23 at 12:45 p.m., the College will screen the film "Thin Ice: The Inside Story of Climate Science" in the South Hall Community Room. 

Here is the film's trailer:

The film is a collaboration between Oxford University, Victoria University of Wellington and London-based DOX Productions. Debuting on Earth Day, the film is being screened globally free of change on April 22 and 23. For more info on the film, visit thiniceclimate.org.

Chari Towne's book

On Wednesday, April 24 from 12:30-1:30 p.m., the College's Dean of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Dr. David Brookstein will offer a presentation on “Alternative Fuel Vehicles – Environmental Opportunities and Challenges” with a video simulcast to South Hall in Pottstown.

On Thursday, author Chari Towne will discuss her book “A River Again,” which focuses on the environmental cleanup of the Schuylkill River in the 1940s and 1950s.

I wrote about Towne's book back in December when it came out.

The discussion will take place at 12:45 p.m. in the South Hall Community Room at the West Campus in Pottstown.

In addition to the above events, cell phone and battery recycling stations will be available all week in South Hall at the West Campus.

All Earth Day activities are free of change and are open to the public. 

For more information, visit the college's Think Green blog at mc3green.wordpress.com.