For Earth Day, join BFS for an Earth Hour today, 1:30-2:30 pm Eastern

The Earth Flag

Today is Earth Day. 44 years ago on this day, BFS students were part of the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, and you can read all about it on page 6 of the May, 1970 edition of The Life and journalist Stephen Magagnini, BFS Class of '72, briefly recalled that first Earth Day in his 2002 BFS Alum Profile. Many of our Upper School students attended rallies throughout New York City that day, joining millions in raising awareness of the need for environmental protection and stewardship. One of the concerns students raised in that article was that BFS itself did not recognize Earth Day school-wide in 1970, but we do today as we have done for several years and we so hope you will join BFS today! 

In 2014, BFS reduces, reuses, and recycles as much as possible every day, but Earth Day offers a special opportunity to educate the BFS community about our environment and our world. Individual classes often approach Earth Day uniquely, but among our larger school-wide initiatives are several of note:

The amazing team in our Cafeteria has responded to Upper School students suggestions by providing strictly vegan offerings for the entirety of Earth Day, a first at BFS. Chef Tom Buckley wrote to our faculty this week: "This is probably the most ambitious Earth Day project that my department has ever been asked to be a part of...  Please show your support for what these upper schoolers are doing..." 

Also happening in the BFS cafeteria, middle and upper school students will compete in a food weigh-in to raise awareness of food waste. Lower and pre-school students have been welcomed to join the effort in their classrooms and several of our juniors are creating a video PSA to explain more. Waste is deeply rooted in the economics of our food system and between one-quarter and one-half of the United States' food supply is wasted or destroyed every year. A food weigh-in can help raise awareness of what it takes to get food to our tables and reduce food waste. 

And finally, please join BFS as it observes an "Earth Hour" from 1:30 to 2:30 pm today. All it takes is for you to shut off your lights, power down your devices and reduce your use of electricity for one hour. As Janet Villas, BFS science teacher and environmental action coordinator wrote of Earth Day this week, "... green initiatives should be part of our daily lives and not wasting food and shutting the lights for one hour is something we all can easily do."

And, if you can, get outside today. Whether it's sunny or rainy, we can each take a moment to renew our commitment as stewards of this planet Earth and in the hope of making every day Earth Day.