Scranton will turn a brighter shade of green next week.

“Sustaining Scranton: Go Green and Save Green” is the theme setting the stage for various events sponsored by the University of Scranton, the City of Scranton, and DXDempsey for Earth Week 2009.

Starting this Saturday, April 18, Arbor Day, The University will team up with several local businesses and venues to highlight the advantages of “going green” and the different ways in which the community can strive to be earth-friendly.

Among the major events being offered are the University’s Street Sweep, Sustainable Downtown Scranton Tour, the Earth Day Fair, and Take Back the Night.

All but one are being offered free of charge to the public. The students attending the most events can be entered into a drawing for prizes donated by Danielle and Company, Northern Light Espresso Bar, Marquis Art & Frame, Duffy Accessories, Nada & Co., Green Being, the University of Scranton Bookstore and others.

Faculty, student, and staff participation will be logged via “Green Passports”, which will be available for pick up at the DeNaples Center April 15, 16, 17, and 20 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Heading up The University’s participation in “Going Green” is the Task Force on Sustainability, a group run by faculty and staff committed, as stated on their Web site, to making The University “ecologically sound, socially just and economically viable”.

“As a Catholic and Jesuit university, Scranton is committed to translating its values into action,” said Steve Jones, Ph.D., associate provost and chair of The University of Scranton’s task force on sustainability in a recent press release. “One of those values is the individual and collective responsibility we share to protect our physical environment. The Earth Week events we have planned with the City provide a variety of entertaining and educational activities for participants of all ages to learn how to better care for the environment.”

Mark Wehrenberg, a Freshman Senator representing Student Government on the Sustainability Task Force, noted the importance of “going green” on campus and in the Scranton community.

“The task force strives to review different areas of campus in regards to the sustainable nature of the venue,” Wehrenberg said. “‘Going green’ appeals to my generation for several reasons. It helps reduce our carbon footprint, we live healthier lifestyles, and it saves a lot of money. It’s hard to find a reason to not be more sustainable.”

The Vintage Theatre will also show the movie “Fuel,” which won the Sundance Audience Award for Best Documentary in 2008, April 20 at 7 p.m. The event is free of admission.

For additional information regarding the individual events being held during Earth Week and the University of Scranton’s task force on sustainability, visit www.scranton.edu/sustainability or www.scrantonpa.gov.