By Amelia Kibbe
Advisory Editor
Theodore Georgian, Ph.D., said he hopes for a sunny day next Friday.
That’s because James Diblasi, an environmental studies major, will kick off his “Lights out Bona’s” campaign—an Earth Day initiative aimed at reducing electrical usage on St. Bonaventure’s campus.
Georgian, the director of the university’s environmental studies program and Diblasi’s advisor, has worked alongside Diblasi, a senior, in planning and promoting the project, which will serve as Diblasi’s capstone.
“For the capstone, here’s my philosophy,” Georgian said. “I thought, enough reading, enough writing papers—they ought to be able to do something…We decided to enhance Earth Day this year.”
Diblasi said he considers his approach effective, yet simple. All 24 hours of next Friday, Diblasi said he asks the St. Bonaventure community to consciously limit use of electrical and energy sources.
“As long as the sun and cloud cover cooperate, most classes can be taught with the lights off and some offices will be able to follow this example as well,” said Diblasi, who will be the program’s first graduate. “Even if lights need to be on in some rooms or hallways due to safety issues, the day can still consist of many small, effective steps to reduce energy usage.”
According to Diblasi, these effective steps include turning off computers after using them in the library, unplugging fully charged electronics such as laptops, phones and tablets and turning the lights off when leaving dorms, classrooms and offices on Earth Day.
However, both Diblasi and Georgian said they hope these actions continue even after Earth Day—a globally celebrated holiday since 1970—is over.
“I’ve never given up the idea that once a year at a minimum we are going to remember that we live on this fragile planet and sort of think about ways we could treat it better,” Georgian said. “We could leave the lights off a lot of the year when it’s sunny out here. When I flip a light switch up, I am asking a nuclear power plant to generate a unit of electricity or a coal-burning plant to burn some coal…”
And the idea of continuation fits right in with a core theme of the environmental studies major—sustainability, the idea that what happens today should be continuing over and over in the future without damaging things or running out of resources, Georgian said.
Diblasi said after next Friday he, along with Jared Smith, assistant director for construction, and Phil Winger, associate vice president for facilities, will analyze the university’s electrical data for Earth Day and compare it to baseline information from previous Fridays.
Diblasi will then present his findings at St. Bonaventure’s annual Arts & Sciences Exposition, slated for April 27 and 28, he said.
As another aspect to his project, Diblasi will host a photo contest with a focus on St. Bonaventure’s natural beauty. Digital photos must be submitted via email to diblasjr13@bonaventure.edu by April 23, and judging will take place at the public exposition.
“James has had to do the whole thing,” Georgian said, adding he hopes the project continues next year with another student. “He’s had to invent it, he’s had to get permissions, he’s had to do his own [promotions]…I’m just impressed.”
kibbeaa13@bonaventure.edu
