The Environmental Studies Division of the Dartmouth Outing Club will sponsor a concert on the Green today to celebrate Earth Day and culminate a week's worth of activities designed to raise awareness.
The concert, which will take place from 3 to 5 p.m., will feature performances by Environmental Studies Research Fellow Lynn Noel, Matt Ellis '97, Justin Wells '95 and Daisy Alpert '95 and other artists. In case of bad weather, the events will take place in the Collis Common Ground.
Earth Day was started in 1970 by ecologically-minded groups, including college students, and has since been recognized every year.
But the concept of Earth Day has changed over time, varying with the political climate and the public's perception of the importance of environmental issues.
"In the country, Earth Day goes in and out of vogue, depending on how the press deals with it. Some years it's a very big issue," Environmental Studies Professor Dana Meadows said.
Gone are the signs and angry protests of the past; the anger that characterized earlier Earth Day commemorations has been replaced by more moderate, widespread and responsibility-oriented concern for the environment.
"We're trying to set a celebration tone," said Jay Neukom '97, co-chair of the DOC's Environmental Studies Division. "It seems that many people have simply become sick and tired of the environmental movement. The concert will give people a chance to come, enjoy the music and just have a good time," Neukom said.
The DOC's Earth Week activities this year are designed to raise awareness of the environment, Todd Parment '95, a member of the DOC, said.
"Even if people aren't able to get involved with the environmental issues, we want to make it a point to get outside and take advantage of the major resources Dartmouth has," Parment said.
The DOC will also sponsor petitions today to protest plans to expand the Ledyard Bridge and will also hold a letter-writing campaign to stop the dumping of nuclear waste in an economically depressed region in Texas, said Grace Chen '97, who helped plan the week.
On May 6, students will join a Hanover resident group called the Friends of Ledyard Bridge and mark the trees that will have to be cut for the project, Parment said.
Earlier in the week, the DOC's Environmental Studies Division sponsored activities to increase awareness of environmental issues at the College. Students participated in the Concord Northern Forests Conference on Monday, set up information booths in front of the Collis Center on Tuesday, showed a movie on Wednesday and discussed the DOC's organic garden project on Thursday.
Although Earth Day represents a specific opportunity to focus on environmental issues, many people feel the concerns should carry over to the rest of the year.
"For me, every day is Earth Day, so it's not a huge event for me. I wish the whole world, not the United States, would recognize Earth Day. It shouldn't be only one day to celebrate our planet," Meadows said.
Most of the Hanover area, with the exception of some of the schools, have not traditionally recognized Earth Day.
Hanover High School will celebrate Earth Day May 11 by suspending classes to allow students to participate in a day of outdoor activites. The high school is currently on spring break, necessitating a late Earth Day celebration, a secretary at the high school said.
