Yokota's CES and FSS team up for Earth Week 2016

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman David C. Danford
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  Every year, U.S. Air Force installations around the world celebrate Earth Week through a variety of events and activities designed to encourage environmentally conscious lifestyles.

This year the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron is working alongside the 374th Force Support Squadron to host two contests to spread awareness for the event, each promoting the 'reduce, reuse, recycle' concept to remind people of the impact humans have on the planet while educating them on ways to lessen the damage to the environment.

The 374 CES is hosting its second Recycled Art Contest following the positive feedback and overall participation from the base populous during last year's contest. Those who work or live at Yokota can enter the contest by either emailing a completed entry form to 374ces.energymanagement@us.af.mil by April 17 or bringing a completed form with their recycled art to the Yokota Community Center on the 18th. Projects must be constructed of used, recyclable materials such as; rubber, metals, plastics, glass and paper products. Fastening materials may include tape, glue, staples or string.

"It's amazing to me what people can make for recycled art contests," said Sundae Knight, 374 CES resource efficiency manager. "There is literally no limit to what you can build out of recycled materials, I've seen people take coke can pull tabs and make a whole shirt of chainmail."

Recycled art pieces will be displayed outside the YCC from April 18 to22; community members can vote on their favorites. The five categories are: kindergarten to 5th grade; 6th to 8th grade; 9th to 12th grade; class or unit project; adult. Prizes are awarded to the participants who receive the most votes.

"Earth Week is important because it helps raise awareness for recycling and reducing your general consumption," Knight said. "It encourages us to be more conservative with what we have."

The second event led by the 374 FSS is the Bike or Walk to Work Contest which has four categories. Contestants will be judged based on how often they bike or walk separately from the distance travelled allowing those who actively participate throughout the week the chance to also win prizes. According to Knight, if an individual replaces driving with walking or biking each day, by the end of the year they will save 410 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Those who wish to sign up for the event may do so at the Yujo Community Center.

"We want to promote a change in lifestyle because every little thing that everybody can do to conserve and preserve makes a difference," said Michele Jacobs, 374 FSS community activities director. "I'm not going to participate to win, obviously I can't, but I am going to be biking to work to promote the 'reuse, reduce, recycle' concept."

For more information on volunteering or contest details, contact 2nd Lt. Joseph Califano, 374 CES environmental compliance officer, at 225-5440. Alternatively, Knight can be reached at 225-7046.