Grady College continues to do its part to reduce costs, conserve and recycle on the UGA campus.
Go Green Alliance and a group of senior public relations majors in Lynne Sallot's spring semester capstone campaigns class utilized new media techniques to make known the message of their campaign.
The class, challenged to promote sustainability on UGA's campus, decided to engage the entire world in the campaign by pulling YouTube into its efforts.
The students wrote, filmed and edited four short public service announcements (PSAs) that are aimed at college students. Each PSA is meant to entertain and inform viewers about the importance and impact of reducing their waste. The videos feature people in random, exaggerated situations to demonstrate simple sustainable behaviors, and are followed with dramatic facts about conservation and the difference a single person can make.
"Our PSAs convey important messages about sustainability to students in quick, humorous ways," group member Cain Harrelson said. "They focus on individual behaviors that we all can adopt to do our part, a theme we call 'The Power of One.' Being a part of the solution is easy, and these PSAs show students how they can help."
The first video posted to YouTube spring semester, titled "Reduce Consumption (and Embarrassment)," had been viewed more than 220 times, while "The World is Not Disposable" had received about 170 hits. The two newest videos, concentrating on best practices and tips for doing laundry, were viewed more than 100 times each after being online for less than a week. All PSAs are currently available on YouTube.
(back row l-r): Cain Harrelson, Leslie Smith, and Anna Bearden (Front row l-r): Megan Harrison, Victoria Utterback, Jessica MacLean, Katie Drew Clay and Megan Ard
The ultimate goal is to have the four PSAs aired at different events around campus, so a multitude of students are exposed to the message of conservation and sustainability.
"Oftentimes we hear too much about the deteriorating state of the environment right now," said group leader Megan Ard. "Our goal is to reverse the negative stigma sustainability has and promote the positive. More students will adopt more sustainable lifestyles if they just understand the major implications of their own small actions."
Posted on YouTube, the PSAs are available for anyone to access at the following Web site locations:
Go Green Alliance is a student-run organization that is dedicated to connecting environmentally focused campus groups and to promote the green efforts on and off the University of Georgia campus. The organization was started in Fall 2007 as part of Lynne Sallot's public relations campaigns class and is a continuing effort.
Today, Go Green Alliance is in contact with a majority of environmental organizations on campus and is working to connect these groups more and to focus green efforts on campus. For more information on Go Green Alliance, please visit www.GoGreen.uga.edu or e-mail UGAGoGreen08@gmail.com.
YouTube Used to Promote Recycling Campaign 
