to the U Gotta Go Green Eco-Extravaganza
U Gotta Go… by Linda Sechrist C
ollier and Lee County residents looking for a party with a pur- pose may want to indulge with abandon on October 10 at The Merca- to, in North Naples. Anyone attending the daylong festivities of the U Gotta Go Green Eco-Extravaganza can expect to be counted as one of the thousands of partygoers around the world who will be celebrating local climate solu- tions that vary from simple actions such as recycling, planting trees, biking, and ride sharing, to more complex efforts, such as installing solar panels. The plethora of fun activities planned for the 10/10/10 Eco-Extrava- ganza adds to the growing momentum generated by enthusiastic supporters of
350.org. This nonprofit political ac- tion group, founded by environmental author and activist Bill McKibben, has mounted an international campaign to bring the world a little closer together through sustainable solutions that re- duce the level of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
GO Setting the GREEN Sustainability Stage
In 2009, a local
350.org initiative pro- moted an International Day of Climate Action, which set the stage for this year’s eco-extravaganza. Led by citizen activist Dianne Rhodes and her com- mittee, the event was the kick-off to a week of awareness-building activities that began with “Naples Leading the Way to Sustainability,” at Fleischmann Park. The campaign, promoted by McK- ibben, caught the attention of Naples resident Marjorie Ziff-Levine, who was looking for just the right project into which she could channel her passion for the environment. One phone call later, Ziff-Levine was helping Rhodes organize activities that showcased the
350.org studies by NASA scientist James Hansen. According to Hansen’s research, life on Earth as we know it is not sustainable when the amount of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas in the
atmosphere, exceeds 350 parts per mil- lion. The current ratio is 387. While helping to organize and find people with the talent for creat- ing fun and interesting ways to attract an audience for the event, Ziff-Levine never dreamed that one year later she’d be twirling Rhodes’ leadership baton. “At the conclusion of the 2009 events, when we convened the committees to do a review, we determined that the vast majority of attendees were people who already knew about climate change,” says Ziff-Levine. “That’s when we realized that we had to figure out how to reach a different audience— those not yet aware of what simple things they could do to make a difference.”
GO GREEN
Collaborating with The Mercato
When McKibben began unveiling plans for this year’s international 10/10/10 event, Ziff-Levine volunteered to as- sume the reins from Rhodes. After organizing a core group of enthusiastic volunteers, she and the team set out to find a location with high traffic and visibility. When fellow committee member Pam Gharabally approached The Mercato and they agreed to host the event, everyone was thrilled. “We are still pinching ourselves, not only at the good fortune of being able to hold the event in such an upscale venue, but also at how helpful The Lutgert Com- panies and Mercato merchants such as Whole Foods and Bravo! have been,” notes Ziff-Levine. “They are as enthusi- astic as we are about the extravaganza, which includes everything from live musicians, kids’ recycled art activities and a Trashion-ista Fashion Show, to eco-artist exhibitors and birdhouse and rain barrel building, as well as alterna- tive energy and green auto exhibits, environmental action groups and raw food demos and tastings.” To further entice partygoers, Mercato merchants are offering many
discounts and promotions, and Out- side-the-Box Studio, a multi-arts mecca of creativity, community and classes, donated a fabulous prize: a trip to the Amazon jungle, for the Grand Prize drawing to be held at day’s end.
GO GREEN
Offering Rewards for Eco-Actions
Pam Gharabally, co-organizer for the 10/10/10 Global Work Party, retired from more than eight years of event planning for the Collier County Public Library system just in time to work with Ziff-Levine in planning this action-ori- ented eco-event. “The more eco-ac- tions attendees take, such as walking, biking or using ride-share and public transportation to get to the event, the more green rewards they will receive,” says Gharabally, who hopes the ex- travaganza’s activities will help people understand that reducing their carbon footprint is a matter of simple steps eas- ily integrated into a daily routine. Gharabally and Ziff-Levine identi- fied several other event eco-actions that can earn green rewards and increase at- tendees’ chances for winning the grand prize (see the “Eco-Extravaganze Pro- gram Guide” on the following pages). “Our team thought that if we could actively engage individuals before, dur- ing and after the event, they would be more apt to catch the spirit of the event and recall what they learned beyond 10/10/10,” notes Gharabally. The grand prize for 10/10/10 planning committee member Vanessa Uzupes, a mother of two, is a sustain- able and resilient future for her chil- dren. “I want people to become more aware that we are borrowing the future from our children, and if we continue to squander it, they will have nothing to
natural awakenings October 2010 41
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