Green organizations from Boston University, among dozens of others, promoted sustainable living and reducing carbon footprints in an all-day, open-air event on Wednesday.
At Carbon Day, a green event founded in 1990, the BU Center for Energy and Environmental Studies showcased environmentally friendly vehicles and provided information on green living in an exhibit in Copley Square.
The event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., was organized by the Center and the Electric Vehicle Urban Infrastruture Study.
Attendees had the opportunity to learn about electric transportation options from organizations such as MIT Electric Vehicle Team, ConVerdant Vehicles, National Grid, Wheego, Vectrix Corp., Segway of Boston, MyBike, MyBike and Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.
These groups set up displays in the square to lure passersby.
A group of 5th graders from The Learning Project took a break from their classroom to visit the event.
The 5th grade students played with the carbon-efficient electric cars, bicycles and scooters on display.
"It makes a lot of sense to travel by something that's powered by electricity," said Victor Cora, social media director of Boston Gliders. "People have been coming by and they're fascinated by products that they don't know about."
Cora said that using environmentally friendly transportation methods such as electric vehicles is a trend that is sure to catch on and become a life style.
Edwin Roldan, who stopped by Carbon Day on his way to work, agreed with Cora.
"It's a great idea to use vehicles that don't require gas," he said. "How many gas stations have you seen in Boston?"
Nathan Phillips, associate professor of geography and director of the Center, said carbon is the most powerful greenhouse gas and that its emissions are increasing at a dangerous rate.
"When people hear the word metabolism they usually think of an animal or a person," he said. "In this case we're thinking of Boston as an organism."
Phillips said he was particularly interested in finding out what it would take to change policy to reduce carbon emissions.
Geography professor Sucharita Gopal said she is particularly interested in understanding what will make people act in a more energy efficient way.
"Everybody wants to be smart, everybody wants to be green," she said. "People think that they are being green because they recycle, but it's more than that," she said.
Anne Jackson, a strategy consultant with IBM, explained that the technology corporation will collaborate with a variety of BU professors, NSTAR, Schott Solar, CEESI, and the Boylston neighborhood association to create a living laboratory in a project called Smart Neighborhood. Their goal is to research ways to promote sustainability and clean energy in the Back Bay area.
"We're able to get different views on how you make sustainability an everyday thing. Right now it's still a loose group of people coming together," said Jackson.
She said that all of these people are trying to turn their research into a development that can directly impact the quality of life for Back Bay residents.
"Carbon Day is an international event," said BU graduate student Lindsay Cotton, who works with Phillips. "Everywhere people are trying to raise awareness."
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