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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 21, 2000)
By purchasing products made from recycled m help to create markets for the materials you recycle. Shop smart. 8 Buy Recycled. 2 Sponsored by the University of Oregon Environmental Issues Committee You can read the Emerald from anywhere in the world. O.D.E. on the world wide web: www.dailyemerald.com It's just like really being here, but without ail the rain EARTH DAY 009141 Featuring: • washer/dryer in each apartment • covered bike racks • private bedrooms and individual leases «student services/computers with free internet • alarm systems • ample parking • fitness center & rec room •fully equipped kitchen • heated swimming pool Pre-leasing for fall 2000 fully furnished 1, 2 & 4 bedroom apartments call 338-4000 UNIVERSITY ♦ COMMONS* 1 wSSSijr'4 * - - r • yj 11 'f apartments Property address: 90 Commons Drive leasing office: 90 Commons Drive, 338-4000 office hours: Mon-Fri 8:30-6:00, Sat. 10:00-4:00 http://www.capstone-dev.com OSPIRG cleans up rivers, companies ■ OSPIRG springs to action by working to purify the Willamette and set big corporations straight Bennett Lacy for the Emerald It’s Earth Week once again, but what does it mean to you? Living in Oregon, you may have grown accustomed to doing your part in conserving the environ ment. But for those of you who are new to the green state, there is a well-known public interest organ ization on campus where you can get involved in anything from cleaning up the Willamette River to protesting companies who damage the environment. OSPIRG is one of several groups that are a part of the Earth Week Coalition at the University. “OSPIRG is here to give stu dents an outlet to tackle issues at a statewide level and then bring re sults back to campus,” says Erin Pursell, a junior political science major who is also OSPIRG’s chap ter chairwoman. Although the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group has about 35 to 40 core members, everyone is welcome and encour aged to help out or attend meet ings to find out what exactly OS PIRG has to offer. OSPIRG deals primarily with social and environmental issues such as the Hunger Cleanup Cam paign where OSPIRG volunteers visit homeless sheltefs in the Eu gene area, cooking meals and cleaning up the area to help out those in need. Another ongoing campaign is the effort to clean up the Willamette River. OSPIRG works to hold companies accountable for any pollutants they might dump into the river. Recently, the federal govern ment named the Willamette one of the most polluted rivers in the nation. OSPIRG’s goal is to make polluters financially responsible for their actions, instead of plac ing the burden on taxpayers. Now, in time for Earth Week, OSPIRG has another campaign in which your support is needed. “The Eco-Pledge is a new tactic we have for working with compa nies to make them more environ mentally conscious,” Pursell said. During Earth Week, OSPIRG will be campaigning for signatures from students who pledge not to work for companies that harm the environment. The campaign is only six months old, but has already seen some success. Victories against Ford Motor Companies and Gen eral Motors saw both companies resign from the Global Climate Coalition. “The Global Climate Coalition is an industry-backed front group that tries to deny concerns about global warming,” Pursell said. Pursell also hopes that the recent success of the Eco-Pledge will give OSPIRG the chance to get more people involved. For example, during Earth Week you can join OSPIRG and Eco-Pledge by pledging to not work for BP, which has proposed drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Also targeted is Coca-Cola, which has yet to make good on a promise made nine years ago to begin us ing recycled materials in its bot tling operations. “Our goal is to get 4,000 signa tures from students by Earth Day on April 22,” Pursell said. Our goal is to get 4,000signatures from students by Earth Day. Erin Pursell OSPRIG chapter chairwoman Earth Week activities through out the week were organized by the Earth Week Coalition. Leslie Marcus, a member of the coali tion, hopes that the week’s activi ties will bring more environmen tal awareness to students on campus. “The theme for Earth Week is ‘solutions,’” Marcus said. “Our goal is to concentrate on the prob lems the earth faces and the solu tions that the average student can contribute to make themselves more eco-friendly. ” If you already consider yourself to be “eco-friendly,” then you might want to take a look at what ' OSPIRG has planned for next year. “One of our biggest campaigns for next year is pushing President Clinton to protect the last 4 per cent of our National Heritage Forests,” Pursell said. SUMMER CYCLING Paul's Bicycle Way of Life 2480 Alder Street 342-6155 152 W. 5th 344-4105 2580 YVillakenzie (Oasis Plaza) 344-4150 Pearl Izumi, Zoic, Giordana & Bellwether clothing
