Ryan ChartrandMost of us think of “industrial revolution” as a thing of the past, but for some Cal Poly students, the time for change within industry is now. For these students, there’s never been a more exciting time than the present to start thinking green.
Chad Worth is one of these visionaries. Besides being a full-time industrial engineering senior and intern with Cal Poly’s Green Campus Program, Worth is vigorously active in several clubs and organizations that have proved instrumental in advancing environmental sustainability issues on campus.
“Thinking green gives students a competitive edge in today’s industry,” Worth said. “These changes are the way of the future.”
As president of Empower Poly Coalition, an organization of 19 campus clubs which focus on green issues, Worth and his colleagues work tirelessly to transform the way campus operates. Their efforts have resulted in changes like replacing polystyrene cups in the dining facilities, improving energy conservation of computer labs, and rousing energy conserving competitions between dorms.
When he first came to Cal Poly to pursue mechanical engineering, Worth barely knew what sustainability even meant, he said. In an ironic twist of fate, Worth traded his interest in muscle cars for sustainability, and today can be seen riding his bike to campus. For Worth and others like him, the importance of these issues is at the forefront of today’s social, political and cultural agendas.
“For the past year, sustainability has been my life,” Worth said. “I’ve learned so much. These experiences aren’t only for my resume; they’re life lessons that allow us to go into the world and solve real problems.”
Although deeply entrenched in sustainability efforts himself, Worth asserts that he’s simply the “loudmouth spokesperson” of a larger core of students equally driven in their efforts. These include fellow Empower Poly Coalition members Nancy Cole, Eric Veium and Niel Bulger, as well as the thousands of students who have rallied around their cause.
“We’re trying to directly face the challenges of our society,” said Cole, a regional planning senior. “We’re using Cal Poly as a living laboratory to do this on a larger scale once we leave.”
The Empower Poly Coalition promotes what they call a “culture of sustainability.” This new mentality differs from traditional environmentalism, which mainly focused on negative impacts humans had on the environment. The new breed of green thinkers focus on what positive improvements can be made not only to save the environment, but to promote a healthy mental, physical and social well-being for everyone involved, not to mention the significant economic advantages that follow.
“Going green isn’t just about the environment; it’s about creating healthy lifestyles and futures that should be available to everyone,” Worth said.
Earlier this year, the group helped organize Cal Poly’s Focus the Nation, a one-day event intended to engage students, faculty and staff across the country in climate change solutions. As a result, thousands of Cal Poly students came together to discuss solutions with experts, faculty and staff that are just now coming into fruition and will continue to evolve.
“With the tremendous success of Focus the Nation, Worth and his colleagues have touched thousands of students at Cal Poly,” said Dennis Elliot, manager of engineering and utilities with Facilities Services, who routinely works with Empower Poly Coalition.
One of the most successful campaigns to follow Focus the Nation was the overwhelming vote by students to make the Recreation Center expansion LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified.
The vote ensures that the project meets the highest standards of sustainable new construction, and a push is underway to ensure that all future construction on campus meet the same standards.
But this is just one of the group’s many ongoing projects. Currently, it is busy organizing Earth Day events like the May 3 “Be the Change” conference, which focuses on providing students with skills in sustainability leadership such as communication and campaign strategies.
After graduation, the group intends to bring its efforts into the real world. Coalition members are tinkering with the idea of creating a business that would push for the overhaul of existing infrastructures like low-income housing communities. The goal is to make sustainability available for everyone across the income scale.
With so much work left to be done, Worth said he and his like-minded peers couldn’t be happier to carry out the task.
“This is truly the next industrial revolution,” Worth said. “There are so many opportunities, I couldn’t imagine a better time to get involved.”