KRISTIN ELVES/Arizona Daily Wildcat Scott Davis, Technical Manager for the International Dark-Sky Association, left, assists Chrissy Vinett, elementary education freshman, in viewing sunspots during yesterday's Earth Day celebration on the Mall. They used a telescope with a solar filter to see storms on the sun's surface that are larger in size than Earth.

Solar-powered car, environmentally themed band draw participants

Children pushed their way to the front of the environmental information booths to show off their environmental knowledge at yesterday's Earth Day celebration - blocking the way of older college students.

Forty organizations gathered for Earth Day festivities, with volunteers from local and campus-based environmental organizations answering questions and explaining the cause of their organization.

"This event brings a lot of people who are aware of these issues anyway," said Michael Horn, who was representing the Arizona Student Recycling Association.

As representatives handed out pamphlets and discussed environmental issues like alternative transportation, Prana, a local band, filled the event with its "organic" sound.

"We want people to have a good time to emphasize Earth Day," said Prana lead singer Justin Trapp. "I think our lyrics are very spiritual in an Eastern philosophical sense."

Several elementary school kids gathered around the stage for the band's lunch time performance.

Rebecca Klima, an anthropology junior and volunteer for residence life recycling, spent the afternoon quizzing kids on their environmental knowledge.

"I'm really impressed," Klima said. "The kids know so much. They're so environmentally aware. I don't know if I knew what recycling was at that age."

Students stood around "Monsoon," a solar-powered racecar that uses as much electricity as a hair dryer. The solar racecar can go up to 70 miles per hour.

The Arizona Solar Car Racing Team is now designing and building the "next-generation" solar-powered car that will be lighter and smarter, said Kurt Boroush, the electric team leader.

With bike parts scattered across the table, Kenneth Armstrong, a bicycle messenger, explained how pieces of bicycles can create art.

Bicas, a bicycle recycling cooperative and trade school, holds weekly classes on bicycle maintenance and art classes using bike parts and other recycled materials.

"We're trying to get students to check out cheap, used bikes," Armstrong said.

Armstrong also passed out information about a bill that could give people who bike to work a $780 tax credit.

Next to volunteers from Bicas, David Bustamante from the City of Tucson alternative transportation encouraged people to vote on propositions 100 and 400.

The propositions, if passed, will allow a half-cent sales tax increase to fund Tucson's transportation plan.

The Food Conspiracy Co-op writes to food manufacturers to find out if the ingredients are genetically engineered.

Genetically engineered food is not a proven health hazard, but the American Medical Association should take a more cautious approach, said Scott McMullen, community relations for the Food Conspiracy Co-op.

"The co-op takes a neutral approach," McMullen said. "We recognize that only you have the right to decide what you put in your body."

The Food Conspiracy Co-op is working to label all foods as certified organic, organic and non-genetically engineered.