Salem State students to make solar smoothies

SALEM – Salem State College students and members of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group today were slated to give out “solar smoothies” made in a blender attached to solar panels as a demonstration in recognition of Earth Week.The students hooked up the kitchen blender to the passive energy power source as part of the Global Warming Solutions Campaign.The student advocates from MASSPIRG groups statewide have been working throughout the academic year on Earth-friendly projects. In February, Salem State students delivered 206 signed Valentines to U.S. Rep. John F. Tierney, thanking him for his stance on global warming solutions. More recently, MASSPIRG students from the Bay State gathered in Washington, D.C. to attend Powershift, a youth conference on global warming.Last year, the students celebrated the enactment of the Global Warming Solutions Acts in the Massachusetts Senate, after organizing call-in days, gathering over 7,000 petitions to legislators and holding events in support of the legislation.The “solar smoothies” event was scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. today outside the Campus Center, according to MASSPIRG campus organizer Sarah Mitchell.