O.A.R. Wins EPA Environmental Award With SAIC’s Help

O.A.R.'s environmental efforts — of which SAIC was a part — were among 26 projects honored across New York State. The awards were presented in conjunction with Earth Day, for what the agency called exemplary stewardship.

A Chance Meeting

For several years, SAIC has supported the EPA's Office of Research and Development's National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall in Washington, DC. During the 2008 Expo, SAIC's Jo-Ann Saville was visiting the adjacent Earth Day event.

Saville said she was standing in the rain near SAIC's booth at the Earth Day event when her cell phone rang. On the other end was Benj Gershman of the band O.A.R. (Of A Revolution), one of the few big-name acts that had performed before the day-long deluge had set in. He had gotten her number from someone at EPA and wanted information on sustainability, and invited her backstage.

Unlikely Groupies

SAIC's Jette Findsen, a senior climate change analyst who had never heard of the band before that day, accompanied Saville to meet with Gershman backstage. The band was looking to "design a portable recycling center to be towed to and used at each concert site where they would be performing through the summer," Saville said.

They wanted to educate their fans about sustainability and responsibility, and wanted to broadcast the results of their recycling efforts around the world.

The meeting resulted in an agreement with SAIC and the band to support and coordinate their environmental activities during their All Sides Tour Green Dream. Participation included SAIC volunteers in different cities helping at the band's concerts with the recycling efforts.

SAIC hosted an O.A.R. page on its corporate web site to help spread the word about the band's efforts. SAIC also coordinated recycling activities, which resulted in diverting more than a ton of material from landfills. Findsen, knowledgeable about carbon accounting, helped develop a recycling accounting protocol for the tour.