Bikes are big on campus, especially at the Graduate School of Design. On Earth Day, the Office for Sustainability will host a bike-safety check in the Science Center Plaza as part of its Earth Day Bonanza.

Photo by Melanie Rieders

Campus & Community

Harvard moves beyond a day and into ‘Earth Month’

4 min read

Highlights include films, festivals, and an Earth Day fete in Science Center Plaza

Throughout April, Harvard’s Office for Sustainability (OFS) has coordinated with Schools across campus to create a month worthy of being called “Earth Month.” It will mark its success with a series of events on Tuesday, Earth Day, in the Science Center Plaza.

According to the OFS, the purpose of Earth Month is to reaffirm the University’s commitment to environmental awareness by building an even more sustainable and resilient community. The list of events on offer makes its case.

On Monday, Harvard Business School screened the first episode of “Years of Living Dangerously,” a new Showtime documentary series, featuring celebrities and journalists exploring the issues of climate change. Dan Abbassi, M.B.A. ’98, one of the executive producers, led a discussion following the screening.

On Earth Day itself, the OFS is hosting an Earth Day Bonanza from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Science Center Plaza. There will be free bike-safety checks, sustainability-related trivia games and prizes, a photo booth fun, and food trucks offering healthy, locally sourced options.

A University-wide freecycle will run throughout the event, and a pop-up performance by THUD, the Harvard undergraduate drummers, is scheduled for noon. Representatives from Commuter Choice, the Cambridge Energy Alliance, and the Harvard University Center for Wellness will also be present. The event is rain or shine, with the rain location inside the Science Center Arcade.

On Wednesday, the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) will discuss “Triumphs in Environmental Health Since the First Earth Day” at 12:30 p.m. in Kresge, G2.

Harvard Medical School will hold a Freecycling and Earth Fair from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, and will be joined by the Harvard School of Public Health with its EcoOpportunity Sustainability Fair, both at the Longwood Campus.

Earlier this month, the Green Carpet Awards recognized the efforts and innovative solutions brought to the table by Harvard’s students and staff. Harvard Law School held its annual Fashion Swapaganza to encourage reuse of unwanted clothing; and the Harvard Innovation Lab held the Sustainability Hackathon on April 19.

Earth Month is celebrated on the heels of President Drew Faust’s announcement outlining steps Harvard will take to continue to address the global challenges of climate change and environmental sustainability. Additionally, Harvard has made significant progress reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. The Office for Sustainability reports that Harvard has reduced its emissions by 21 percent, including growth and renovation, and 31 percent excluding growth and renovation.

To learn more and find additional events, visit the Sustainability at Harvard Earth Month page and join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #greenharvard. Visit the OFS’s Facebook photo album “Green Your Scene.”