Holland College’s Green Machine, a group of students and staff committed to promoting sustainability and exemplary environmental stewardship through education, conservation and community engagement, are urging all students to “Use Your Brains” as part of their annual awareness campaign.

Use Your Brains builds on the conservation message the Green Machine put forth in its latest video, a zombie parody that promotes conserving energy and water. The Use Your Brains campaign will feature a lunch and learn series focusing on various aspects of conservation. The first session, What’s In It For Me, will be moderated by Kim Griffin, Manager of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs for Maritime Electric in the MacKinnon Lecture Theatre on the Holland College Prince of Wales Campus at noon on Wednesday, February 5. Griffin will introduce the Ted Talk video with Alex Laskey, How Behavioural Science Can Lower Your Energy Bill and moderate a discussion afterward.

In conjunction with the Use Your Brains campaign, the Green Machine will once again run its very successful Mug Shots campaign. People are encouraged to submit pictures of themselves with a refillable beverage container or water bottle to the Green Machine’s Facebook page. In addition to weekly prizes which can be won by all participants, Holland College students will be eligible for a $500 cash prize.

“Our mandate is to find pragmatic, non-threatening ways to persuade consumers to reduce their consumption and adopt sustainable practises,” said Joan Diamond, chairperson of the Green Machine.

“We had a great response to the Mug Shots campaign last year. With the help of some of our photography and digital imaging students, we were able to capture some great pictures. I’m sure that we’ll have even more participants this year,” Diamond said.