In honour of Earth Day on April 22, the Al Ain Colleges of the Higher Colleges of Technology hosted the 4th Annual Green Week event from April 22-26, 2012.
The aim of the event to raise awareness among students and staff of environmental issues facing our campus, community, country and planet. It helps students to understand why the environment is important and to discuss how they can make a difference.
This year’s Green Week will include various events and activities that include:
Daily Themes
- Sunday – Refuse: “Get Caught Refusing” plastic bags, plastic water bottles, styrofoam cups and other products that harms the environment to win a prize!
- Monday – Reuse: “Get Caught Reusing” everyday items such as water bottles, bags, paper, etc. to win a prize. Doing this on a regular basis prevents further harm to the environment.
- Tuesday – Recycle: “Get Caught Recycling” plastic, cans, paper, and carboard on this day and win a prize!
- Wednesday – Reduce: “Get Caught Reducing Your Carbon Footprint” by participating in the Al Ain Colleges Earth Hour from 10am to 11am. Students will learn about how reducing their carbon footprint balances their environmental impact.
- Thursday – Rejuvenate: Green Week concludes with our annual “Tree Planting Ceremony” aimed at promoting awareness of preserving and protecting our trees. It also aims to rejuvenate students in their effort to make a difference in preserving nature and the planet as a whole.
Speakers
Green Week 2012 event includes various speakers who will encourage and motivate students to take care of the environment. Ali Al Saloom will talk about reducing our carbon footprint.
Dr. Elsayed Ahmed Mohamed of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) will talk about the harmful effects of keeping endangered and exotic animals as pets, and AAMC student Faraj Al Mehirbi will talk about modern recycling methods. Also included on the speaker list are Dr. Kenneth Volk of the Masdar Institute and Ayesha Al Blooshi of the Environment Agency.
Exhibition
The Al Ain Colleges were also very excited to be hosting champions of the environment at the April 24th exhibition that include:
- Al Ain Colleges Student Environmental Group
- Al Ain Women’s College Bachelor of Engineering Renewable Energy Projects
- Center of Waste Management – Abu Dhabi
- ACE Hardware
- Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort
- International Fund for Animal Welfare
- Emirates Wildlife Society in association with the World Wide Fund For Nature
- Masdar Institute
- Red Crescent
- Al Ain Plastics
- Emirates Natural History Group – Al Ain Chapter
- JETPAD
- Emirates Environment Technology
- Premier Motors
- Friends of the Environment
- Al Ain Animal Welfare
Students and staff will visit the exhibits throughout the day to learn more about how they can make a difference to creating a more sustainable future for the planet.
Competitions
This year’s competitions include a photography competition, film quiz and an environmental trivia competition that is also a treasure hunt where students use their mobile devices to scan QR code questions.
Salem Thani Al Rumeithi, Business student and leader of the Al Ain Men’s College Student Environmental Group said: “the current state of our planet is a very serious matter. Engaging students in competitions is a fun way to motivate them to learn more about this serious issue and to maybe even do something about it!”
