'Old Joe' goes green

The University of Birmingham’s iconic clock tower ‘Old Joe’ has turned Green to mark ‘Go Green Week’ 2018.

Birmingham’s landmark tower changed colour on Monday 5 February and continues to be lit up green all week in aid of ‘Go Green Week’, an annual programme of sustainability events and activities, organised by the Guild of Students and the University.

Events will include a bike auction, LED light bulb giveaway, a free cycle safety training session, and various discussion panels and film screenings. Students interested can find out more here.

Nat Crawley, Environment Officer at the Guild of Students, said “Go Green Week is a great way of raising awareness for environmental issues, while also allowing student to get involved in doing so!”

The week, which is being promoted on social media with the hashtag #BrumGoesGreen coincides with the same week at many other universities, as part of a coordinated effort by the national charity ‘People and Planet’ and the National Union of Students to promote sustainability and healthy living to students across the UK.

Started in 2012, Go Green week engages students across more than 140 universities across the UK and focuses on educating students about ways of reducing their carbon footprint and encourages universities themselves to build sustainability into the curriculum.

Dannie Verity, Committee member for UoB environmental society added: "Go Green Week is all about bringing the environmental degradation crisis into the mainstream, while giving everyone practical ways they themselves can make a difference - as a collective, the smallest everyday actions can have the biggest impacts!"