The Associated Colleges Sustainability Day organizers, an annual event that started in 2016 as a way to build a culture of sustainability across the four colleges and the North Country, are teaming up with Paul Smith’s College, the Canton and Potsdam Climate Smart Communities projects, and several community organizations to urge the community to Make Nov. 3rd Sustainability Day! Vote for the world you want- a cleaner, healthier, safer and more just future.
This campaign encourages citizens to make their vote on November 3rd count for people and the planet. Sustainability Day organizers note that sustainability includes issues like clean energy, safe water, and protecting biodiversity as well as education, food security and reducing inequalities. They draw on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals framework.
According to the UN, “The Sustainable Development Goals are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. The 17 Goals were adopted by all UN Member States in 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which set out a 15-year plan to achieve the Goals. Today, progress is being made in many places, but, overall, action to meet the Goals is not yet advancing at the speed or scale required. 2020 needs to usher in a decade of ambitious action to deliver the Goals by 2030” (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/).
“Due to the pandemic, we couldn’t gather in person this year for our usual event of speakers, workshops and a green living fair, but we didn’t want to lose an opportunity to help educate our community about sustainability issues and help get out the vote,” said Heather Sullivan-Catlin, co-chair of the President’s Sustainability Team at SUNY Potsdam and one of the organizers of the campaign. “The 2020 election is a pivotal moment for our country and for the whole world.”
The Sustainability Day website is the main tool of the campaign and is a central location to find information about registering to vote, policy and candidate comparisons, and educational events about the election.
In addition, over the next month leading up to Election Day, there are events happening across the five campuses and in the community related to sustainability topics. A calendar of events can be found at the website and will be added to throughout the month so check back frequently.
For more information about the campaign, visit: https://bit.ly/SDGLF20.
Sustainability Day is organized by a planning committee with representatives from all of the Associated Colleges, which includes SUNY Potsdam, Clarkson University, St. Lawrence University and SUNY Canton, in partnership with Paul Smiths College, the Potsdam and Canton Climate Smart Communities projects, Cornell Cooperative Extension, The Local Living Venture and the North Country 350 Alliance. The event is intended to be an inspiring opportunity for constituents from the campuses and the wider community to come together to collectively consider and collaborate on the issue of sustainability, which is central to the values of all five institutions.
CONTACT: Heather Sullivan-Catlin PHONE: (315) 261-1919
