Not only does the administration play a role in efforts to reduce our carbon footprint, but students can follow up by doing their part.
Our campus supports nearly 500 organizations, and within them are a few notable gems. This past week, I had the opportunity to attend a Sustainable Ohio University Leaders meeting, and I learned a few surprising things about the way our administration is handling OU’s environmental impact.
For starters, there are faculty members whose positions are entirely devoted to reducing our carbon footprint.
Scott Miller, director of the Energy and Environmental Programs, talked about how while renewable energy sources are always the end goal, there are specific steps students and faculty can take to make a change now.
One such concept is car shares. I always assumed I would bring my car as an upperclassman, but what I learned about sustainable transportation made me change my mind.
Zipcar is an alternative option to driving your own car that will be implemented at OU in the coming semesters. Students can already take advantage of shared transportation (including buses), but more electric cars will be brought onboard to combat fossil fuel emissions.
We should expect to see Nissan Leafs and Chevrolet Volts at charging stations placed strategically around campus in the near future.
Other ways OU is literally cleaning up its act is by setting building standards. The Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design initiative gives different buildings different scores based on their environmental impact.
The Schoonover Center for Communication and the Walter International Education Center both have silver ratings thanks to categories like stormwater usage, roofing, insulation, alternative transportation, windows and water efficiency.
Recent renovations even allowed for a 30 percent reduction in water usage on campus, saving 7.7 million gallons.
But an undermining factor I noticed in all these changes is that energy and resource-saving measures can only fully succeed if students take part.
Take some of the dorm bathrooms. Toilets have an option to flush either upwards or downwards to save water. That concept only works if the people using them follow through.
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Or water bottle stations. It’s not always the most convenient thing to do, but taking advantage of the way the university is providing options for environmental protection promotes a better community for all of us.
When it comes to fixing buildings and renovating, students might not have as much of a say. But doubling those efforts in the way we lead our daily on-campus activities can make an even bigger statement.
As Miller said during the meeting, making greener changes isn’t necessarily sexy. On the administrative side, more insulation, better fans and more advanced building technologies can help make living spaces more environmentally friendly.
But for us, managing office equipment energy use, using less energy for commutes, recycling and using green power are the way to go.
And there’s always value in attending the next SOUL meeting. Taking time to learn about university efforts can be an enlightening and entertaining experience.
Kat Tenbarge is a freshman majoring in journalism and environmental studies. What environmental issues do you think demand attention? Email her at kt154714@ohio.edu or tweet her @katsappho.
