“CBU students are given opportunities to make a difference”
University campuses across the nation are moving in the direction of becoming true green campuses, but most still have plenty of work cut out.
Becoming a green campus is not only about recycling and picking up trash, it is about educating students on what a green campus really is.
“To become a green campus, I think the most important factor is edu- cating students,” said Dr. Bonjun Koo, associate pro- fessor of environmental science. “With our policies of no tobacco and no alcohol, our campus is already really green.”
CBU began the school year with environmentally friendly teachings in a new environmental science major and related courses designed and taught by Koo and colleagues. Now, Koo is currently organizing a club on campus devoted to educating students on how to truly convert a campus from “generic” to “green.”
For now, the new club, coming to CBU in spring 2013, is unnamed. Koo described ways the club will be able to reach out and promote an environmentally friendly campus, starting with a simple flip of a switch.
“I’ll see at the end of the school day, lights are still on in classrooms,” Koo said.
He mentioned that especially in the larger lecture halls of the Yeager building, florescent bulbs are more eco-friendly, but simply shutting them off after every class could help. Koo said also the club may check electrical meters weekly or monthly to measure consumption and see if they can decrease usage.
“CBU is not very eco-friendly,” said Lauren Heilman, freshman kinesiology major. “I always see the grass being watered during the heat of the day, which can’t be that effective. Lights are constantly left on around campus. I try to do my part, though I’m not a ‘tree hugger’ I do try to recycle and turn lights off when I can.”
For a campus to stay on the green path, paper consumption has to drop. Koo said the campus was, for the most part, on track with recycling and using less paper. However, he explained that, as a professor, he encourages students to submit in-class papers via email for both the form factor and positive effect it has toward lowering paper usage.
Even buying an eco-friendly reusable water bottle saves plastic from ending up in landfills. The new Business Building adds to that argument, providing in the drinking fountains a spigot just for water bottles.
Koo also said he wants the club to participate in growing a small organic gar- den on campus that would provide the Alumni Dining Commons, Wanda’s Café and Brisco’s Village Café with vegetables and herbs.
