April 21, 2009
St. John’s University (STJ) and its Earth Club will participate
in Earth Day 2009 at the school’s Queens Campus on April 22 in a
show of support as one of several movements across the country that
promotes a greener and more sustainable future.
Scheduled events for the week of April 20 include:
- The showing of the environmental documentary film “11th Hour”
in Marillac Hall 138A: 4/20 at 7 p.m.
- The showing of a student film by St. John’s freshman Huan Bei
entitled: “Closing the Loop” – STJ’s Sustainability Effort,
Marillac Hall 138A: 4/21 at 12:15 p.m.
- The launching of the Rocket® - an in-vessel food composter for
Marillac Dining Hall: 4/22
- “Clean Air Campus” information distribution in Marillac Dining
Hall: 4/22 (Noon – 2 p.m.)
- Environmental Awareness Communication on the Great Lawn: 4/22
(10 a.m. – 3 p.m.)
- STJ Sustainability Initiatives - A Case Study – “Where we are
and what’s our compass heading”:
- 4/23 at 12:15 p.m.
On Earth
Day (April 22) a model A500 food composter called the Rocket® is
scheduled to start up St. John’s food composting program. The
Rocket® is an in-vessel compost solution that will treat food waste
from the University’s Marillac Dining Hall facility. STJ has leased
the Rocket (with intent to purchase) to confirm beliefs that food
composting is a safe, sustainable and hygienic viable alternative
to sending food waste to NYC landfills. The A500 Rocket® can treat
80 gallons of food waste per week. In 14 days, the transforms the
food waste into compost, which then will be stored for three weeks
outside the Rocket® and then will be used for lawns and other
green areas, thus closing the food cycle loop.
Student members of the Earth Club will be part of the solution
by treating food waste in a sustainable way. Students that have
volunteered to operate this food composter will expand their
sustainability experience and at the same time help “green” their
campus.
In addition, The New York State Department of Transportation
(NYSDOT) has given out a grant to administer their programs to
improve air quality by reducing the number of single occupancy
vehicle use. To date, eight universities (including STJ) in
NYS have signed on to inform their students, faculty and staff
about improving air quality as described below. The grant has been
awarded to Clean Air NY with the main focus of providing
information regarding air quality. Over the past year, Clean Air NY
has signed on 5,000 businesses, 6,000 individuals and 100 community
organizations. Within this awareness program there is a specific
segment entitled Clean Air Campus.
Investigation of on-site food composting and the “Clean Air
Campus” participation are just some of STJ’s continuous improvement
program that fits within the partnership agreement the University
has with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These specific
initiatives help reduce the problems of overtaxed NYC municipal
solid waste landfills and air pollution.
For further information on the Rocket® contact Gerardo Soto,
North American Trading House, LLC by e-mail at gsoto@natradinghouse.com
or e-mail Tom Goldsmith at St. John’s University at goldsmit@stjohns.edu.
Information about the “Clean Air Campus” initiative of the NYS
Department of Transportation can be obtained by visiting www.CleanAirNY.org.