William Paterson University to Host 6th Annual Green A-Fair on April 2 William Paterson University in Wayne will hold its 6th Annual Green A-Fair on Wednesday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the University Commons on campus. The annual event, hosted by the University’s Climate Action Committee and Earth First, a student organization, offers a venue for organizations and companies to get together to discuss sustainability, environmental issues and resourceful living. Admission is free. A vendor fair will be held in the Multipurpose Room on the main level of the University Commons. Deeply discounted CFL light bulbs and fixtures will be available from the New Jersey Clean Energy Program. More than 30 vendors and organizations including Climate Mama, the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, the Highlands Coalition, and the Wayne Environmental Commission will be in attendance. A teach-in on a variety of environmental issues will be held starting at 9:30 a.m. in University Commons Room 216. Topics will include discussion of the vital role honeybees play in agriculture, and the dwindling number of bees due to issues like colony collapse disorder and other illnesses. Beekeeper Shaun Ananko, who has practiced chemical-free beekeeping for seven years, will discuss ways to solve this problem. Barbara Thomas, co-founder of GMO Free NJ, a grass roots awareness/action group dedicated to food choice freedom, will speak about genetically engineered foods, commonly known as GMOs. Bryan Gonzalez, a William Paterson University graduate student and a native of Bolivia, will share his personal experiences with climate change in Bolivia, which has seen dramatic changes to ecosystems in recent decades. Jerome Wagner of Franciscans Response to Fracking will host a talk on natural gas extraction through hydraulic fracturing, a process now taking place throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania with potentially serious consequences for fresh water supplies and human health. For additional information, contact Claire Chomiak at 973-720-2672 or Ann Appleby at 973-720-3201. 03/27/14
