U of L is making its way towards a greener campus. This past Wednesday, its efforts were put on display during the seventh annual Campus Sustainability Day, the university’s version of National Campus Sustainability Day. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Bingham Humanities Quad, several booths were set up with information and giveaways to advocate for those who do not know what the university has done, and to help those already aware become even more involved.
Organizations involved were not just RSOs. They ranged from local student-run organizations to WaterStep, an international organization based in Louisville. Everyone in attendance was encouraged to donate shoes to WaterStep, and cell phones and electronic devices so they could be efficiently and effectively recycled. Shred-It also offered free shredding.
U of L Transportation Alternatives set one of the most-utilized booths up, teaching people how to use the Fix It Stations set up across campus. These stations have all the commonly needed tools to tune up a bike – a service which is free to students. The university has been named the most bicycle friendly by earning the highest rating in the state by The League of American Bicyclists.
Sustainability, as it was explained by David Simpson, a Chair on the Sustainability council, “[Sustainability] is as much about behavior and culture as it is about resource conservation and greener practices,” said David Simpson, a chair on the sustainability council. “Individual behavioral change translates into community change, and thus into more sustainable environments. Students, staff and faculty on campus can do tremendous things by taking small steps and encouraging others to do the same, from turning out lights, recycling, composting, thinking about alternatives to individual car trips.”
Cliché as it may sound, sustainability truly starts with each individual, and it’s not just a green-movement as described by Simpson above, it is also a social justice issue. That is why beyond the Campus Sustainability Day, the Sustainability Council serves as a coalition between many student organizations both at the undergraduate and graduate level – with a deeply engrained partnership with the president, provost, and Justin Mog, sustainability coordinator.
To take the first step in empowering yourself to make a change, start by taking the “Cards Go Green” Pledge located on the Sustainability Website, Louisville.edu/sustainability, which lists “concrete and do-able steps to becoming greener.” From there, take a few minutes to explore just how deep the threads of sustainability are woven into the University.
Photo courtesy University of Louisville
