Sustainability | Graphic by Arden Reimer | The Wright State Guardian
As Earth Day approaches, it is important to make sure that Wright State University is dedicated to a continued effort in sustainability.
WSU has committed itself to creating a sustainable university environment through a dedication to conserving energy, managing waste and adopting a green lifestyle.
WSU’s initial sustainability efforts began in 2008 through the WSU Strategic Plan, stating the centrality of sustainability in the university’s mission.
The importance of sustainability became more stressed upon at WSU after University President David Hopkins signed the Talloires Declaration in May 2010. This declaration is in the name of sustainability and directed towards institutions of higher learning.
The declaration is described as a “ten-point action plan” that incorporates the values of sustainability into university settings.
These plans and declarations are effective at holding universities accountable for maintaining a certain level of eco-consciousness, but each university can carry out these ideas differently.
Much of the eco-conscious efforts made at WSU are done through facility operations. Staff working in facility operations put these values to practice on the day-to-day. Certain tasks, including monitoring and reviewing utility usage, assist in managing energy conservation on campus.
The mission, though largely carried out through policy and maintenance by WSU staff, is important to students as well.
Remaining eco-friendly is an effort taken by not just the administration and staff at WSU. Students with a passion for the environment are able to further the mission on campus through several outlets.
Students for Earth and Environmental Sustainability is an organization for students interested in sustainability at WSU and voicing the importance of protecting the environment.
The organization’s past events include climate rallies, bake sales and numerous meetings, all with the purpose of sustainability.
According to SEES’s page, the organization is currently in the process of renovating the community garden behind the Student Union and Russ Engineering.
Joining an organization is not necessary in furthering campus sustainability, however. Students living in dorms can make a conscious effort to conserve energy. WSU encourages students to reduce shower time to conserve water, close blinds during the winter to save heat and unplug appliances or items when not in use.
Simple everyday practices of sustainability can have an impact on WSU and the environment.
The importance of university sustainability lies within the commitment to enhancing the quality of life for students and the community. Continuing to focus on the sustainability of WSU will improve the long-term success of the university.
It is the institutions’ responsibility to recognize potential risks created to the environment and make an effort to improve.
Ecological risks are frequent in a university environment. There are several settings in which large amounts of energy are being used. Dorms, offices and laboratories are just a few that pose a threat to energy conservation in university spaces.
Of the three, labs hold equipment that uses a significant amount of energy that needs to be maintained with caution.
“The typical lab consumes four to five times more energy than the same-sized office or classroom,” the facility operations’ Energy Management section on WSU’s website reads.
This is due to equipment, such as chemical fume hoods, battery chargers, refrigerators and freezers, which are often found in lab settings.
WSU has recommended that these laboratory resources be unplugged, turned off and not used whenever possible to save energy.
The 12 principles of green chemistry have also been listed on WSU’s website to help educate those in laboratories about ways to reduce or eliminate the creation of hazardous materials in labs.
This idea ties in with WSU’s Green Labs program, which promotes the safety of labs on campus and creates a positive effect on the environment.
“When the waste of recyclable materials in the labs is decreased, the labor of workers in disposal and cost of disposal at Wright State will be decreased. On the large scale, landfill wastes, carbon dioxide, and other gases produced by burning wastes are reduced,” the WSU webpage about environmental health and safety reads.
Universities all around the country pose a threat to the environment, so it is important to save energy and resources whenever possible.
Efforts to create a sustainable campus have improved the quality of WSU immensely. However, there is still more that WSU could do in the future to further improve sustainability.
Dr. Naila Khalil, an environmental health and climate change professor, explained several ways for WSU to become more sustainable.
Khalil suggested that WSU install solar panels, plant more trees on campus, purchase electric vehicles, weatherize the buildings and purchase energy-efficient appliances.
Khalil also suggested limiting energy use by only using lights when needed, reducing waste through compost education and reducing waste through limiting the purchase of disposable plastic products.
The sustainability efforts of universities are of the utmost importance in maintaining a healthy environment, not only for students and faculty on campus, but also for future generations and the world.