While walking around San Diego State, it’s hard to miss the efforts made to encourage sustainability on this beautiful campus. For example, next to every trash bin rests a blue recycling bin to accompany it. Also, those handy to-go containers for left-overs are most certainly not made out of Styrofoam. At SDSU, the use of Styrofoam is prohibited thanks in part to the efforts of the Green Love board. However, this committee’s actions do not end with recycling bins and Styrofoam bans.
This Associated Students organization focuses on emphasizing the social and environmental responsibility involved with creating an immense sustainable movement by SDSU and the surrounding communities.
English senior and Green Love member Taylor Knecht hopes to attend law school for environmental law in the fall of 2016.
“Green Love is a platform used to bring about something greater, and that is showing students how they can use their talents and skills to create a more sustainable community and society,” Knecht said.
Nonetheless, many may be wondering what exactly sustainability is. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sustainability as the methods involved with not completely using up or destroying natural resources. However, Green Loves defines sustainability as so much more. Green Love believes that sustainability is meeting the needs of today without sacrificing the needs of tomorrow. This includes using clean renewable energy, healthy food, ethics, and efficient transportation. As phrased by the Green Love website, “In short, it’s about progress and the future.”
Green Love works toward making SDSU a model university in the sustainability field. This organization has many goals it wishes to achieve, but it has also had many successful accomplishments. All toilet paper, seat covers and paper towels on the SDSU campus must now be 100% recycled and Green Seal certified. Also, Green Love has been able to initiate that all cleaning chemicals used by the A.S. custodial contractor and A.S. staff must be Green Seal certified. Perhaps the most visual accomplishment of Green Love is none other than the promotion of a cleaner way to commute through the bike lanes.
Earlier this month, a week-long event of sustainability, diversity and pride engulfed campus, and like many know, ended with a large concert headed by Chance the Rapper. This anticipated time led through Green Love is known as GreenFest.
“Green Fest is usually one of our biggest successes — it is a time dedicated to learning about what it means to be sustainable from speakers touching on innovative solutions, and events where students can interact with various organizations, find ways to become involved and gain knowledge about what is being done on campus,” Knecht said.
Green Love works tirelessly to encourage student organizations and residents to adopt sustainable habits. This includes implementing programs to motivate socially and environmentally responsible behavior with full-time and part-time employees.
The Green Love committee stresses that small actions done by others can result in wide-spread results. For example, at the top of the Green Love homepage on its website, various facts and statistics are displayed. One of those facts mentions that recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a television for three hours. There are also many tips that encourages people to visit local farmer’s markets and carpool. For those that want make a commitment to Green Love, there is a sustainability pledge created through the College of Arts and Letters that anyone can fill out.
The Green Love association attracts those that wish to create a cleaner today and better tomorrow.
“I wanted to make a difference on campus that would benefit the student body, and hopefully, teach students about not only what problems we face as the up and coming generation, but also ways we can contribute every day to make our campus and community more environmentally friendly,” Knecht said.
Being “green” is more than just recycling; it’s having a lifestyle that strives to combine our urbanized world with the natural processes that surround us. The A.S. Green Love organization shows how establishing sustainability on a college campus can help to change the entire community.
