Spartan Daily - Serving San Jose State University since 1934

Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: News

A yellow and black butterfly hovered above the California Bay Laurel, freshly planted on the grass behind Yoshihiro Uchida Hall in honor of San Jose State University's alumnus Gaylord Nelson -- the founder of Earth Day.

"Gaylord Nelson would be really excited about the rising environmental concern on campus," said Lynne Trulio, a professor of environmental studies. "It is great to be able to honor him and have the university acknowledge his achievements."

Nelson graduated from SJSU in 1939. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1968, Nelson served for 18 years dedicating his career to bringing environmental issues to the political forefront.

Adrian Calderon-Flores, a junior majoring in environmental studies, was one of the 25 students who watched the tree take root.

"I feel proud to know someone from the university took the initiative to impact the country environmentally because not a lot of politicians care," Calderon-Flores said.

Monica Nanez of Our City Forest, a non-profit organization based in downtown San Jose, gave students a tree-planting lesson.

Nanez, a graduate student in envrionmental studies, said everyone has the potential to impact the envrionment like Nelson did.

"Any person who has gone on to do great environmental work is an inspiration for anybody," Nanez said.

Chris Opela, a senior majoring in environmental studies and a "tree amigo" for Our City Forest, helped Nanez demonstrate the correct way to prepare a tree for planting. He said loosening the roots before planting would benefit its growth in the future.

"There is not an environmental flavor here on campus but it helps to show that there was a history of environmental concern," Opela said.

Former Environmental Resource Center Director Elizabeth Sarmiento said the tree is a symbol of the hard work of environmentalists and an inspiration for others to continue the struggle for a clean planet.

Earth Day events continued on Paseo de Cesar Chavez with a traditional Aztec dance performed by three dancers dressed in colorful feather headdresses and elaborate leather costumes.

"Through dance they honor the earth and its elements," said Sarmiento, a volunteer for the Environmental Resource Center. "Most Latinos understand the human connection with the environment, for us the planet is very sacred.

Paseo de Cesar Chavez was bustling with students visiting booths that were handing out free organic food and information on preserving the earth.

Greenpeace, an environmental non-profit organization brought a seven-foot-tall skull made up of old computer parts to bring attention to the issue of electronic waste.

According to Renee Blanchard, a Greenpeace employee, 30 tons of electronic products are discarded worldwide each year. She also said that cell phones have an average lifecycle of two years and that adds to an enormous amount of waste if everyone continues to buy new one each year.

"Old electronic goods are being shipped out to landfills in Asia and being broken down by these families who melt the old electronics and inhale all these plastic toxins," Blanchard said.

Greenpeace is working with 14 electronic companies, including Apple Computers, to create electronics that do not contain Polyvinyl chloride, a toxic chlorinated plastic, and brominated flame retardants used in circuit boards, which can interfere with thyroid and oestrogen hormone systems.

Mica Demarquez, an employee of Crossroads Recycled Clothing Company, said the skull was an interesting art piece and it has the power to bring out awareness.

As she sold a used purse to a student at her clothing booth she said five percent of trash landfills are clothes.

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