by Bryan Bender
Daily Lobo
A diverse group of students came together at the SUB Friday to work towards a common goal: improving the world.
Attendees of the Sustainability Festival received tips on how to preserve the environment, personal health, culture and society and community education were among the topics discussed during the day-long event.
Guest lecturers spoke throughout the day about the issues and were the themes of countless booths sponsored by local businesses and student groups.
The event was sponsored by UNM's Students for Clean Energy, the College Green Party and Earth Foods, a student group promoting a vegetarian lifestyle.
"The festival was useful to expose UNM students who don't have a chance to learn about sustainability in the classroom," said festival coordinator Siobhan Asgharzadeh. "It was a great way to bring our community together for the common cause of improving the condition of the world we live in.
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Elaine Strabbing, a member of Earth Foods, said the Sustainability Festival promoted open communication between different types of people who don't often interact.
"We created a network of people that was like a bundle of unbreakable sticks," she said. "One alone breaks, but networked people accomplish more."
Strabbing said the UNM community should strive to discuss sustainability issues and steps that can be taken to improve the world.
"The festival created a hope for change when many people are frustrated with the current government policies," Strabbing said.
Asgharzadeh said the next goal of the sponsoring organizations is to create a community source book on the issues surrounding sustainability based on the network of relationships made at the festival.
Several local bands also played throughout the day while free massages were offered to passers-by. Asgharzadeh said every effort was made to attract as many people as possible and provide them with a positive experience.
Michael Fisher, a UNM freshman, said the festival was helpful in introducing the idea of "creating better sustainability for our desert culture."
Fisher said permaculture was the most interesting concept he learned about. Permaculture is a sustainable human environment that emphasizes the use of renewable resources and creates a local ecosystem that provides food, energy and shelter.
"Sustainability is living while making as little impact on the Earth as possible," said Julie Covington, a volunteer for Students for Clean Energy.
Colin Husson, a UNM junior and member of the College Green Party, said sustainability is a way of providing for our energy needs without destroying the natural ecosystem.
"Maintaining our ecosystem involves utilizing solar and wind energy coupled with hydrogen as an ideal energy infrastructure," Husson said.
