‘Slow-jamming’ for Earth Week

Barack Obama’s done it. So has Mitt Romney. And Chris Christie.

Now, the UB community can “slow jam the news.”

On Earth Day, April 22, UB students, faculty and staff will recreate Jimmy Fallon’s popular late-night television segment. Instead of discussing politics, though, the topic will be the university’s latest effort to make UB more eco-friendly.

Just like Fallon, who jokes with politicians about the news as soft music plays in the background, UB students, faculty and staff will use the event to playfully jest about the UB Sustainability Dashboard, a new interactive website that shows in real time how much power university buildings consume, as well as other features.

The event, which will take place at 12:30 p.m. in the Student Union lobby, North Campus also, will include spoofs of two other Fallon favorites: hashtag and catchphrase.

Students, faculty and staff who want to attend should reserve a ticket.

The dashboard is the latest in a series of new, eco-minded programs at UB, such as the Sustainability Academy, a new campus garden and a bike-share program.

In addition to electricity use, the dashboard tracks water consumption, solar-power generation and natural-gas use in more than 145 buildings on the North and South campuses.

For example, students in Red Jacket Quadrangle can compare how much power they consume compared to their Richmond Quadrangle neighbors. They then have the opportunity — turning off lights, unplugging electronics, etc. — to see how they can make changes to reduce energy use and create a more sustainable environment.

The Fallon event is one of more than two dozen planned from April 21-27 to commemorate Earth Week. Some highlights:

• A bus tour the Massachusetts Avenue Project, PUSH Buffalo and other sustainable-minded organizations in Buffalo.
• Plantings at the campus garden.
• Volunteer cleanups of local waterways.
• Lectures and film screenings that pertain to sustainability.

For more information and a full listing of Earth Week events, visit the Office of Sustainability’s website.