Sustainability at Cal Poly
Cal Poly’s current campus climate is focused heavily on issues other than sustainability, be it CBFs (College Based Fees), the recent academic freedom uproar regarding the Michael Pollan discussion, or the difficulty of graduating in a timely manor given a demanding curriculum and course load. A major focal point that was at the forefront of students minds several years ago, now has slipped to a lesser degree of importance. The issue of course is sustainability, a holistic set of ideological methods that if explored by young students at college campuses could lead to many solutions for curbing the effects of climate change, reducing waste, conserving energy, water and resources. In addition, we must devise a methodology for a prosperous future that leaves a positive footprint behind our actions.
Our Campus Climate
Several year ago, Sustainability was a major buzz word that swept across college campuses, including Cal Poly. As a campus, we were keen to many of the happenings that schools around the nation were exploring. In 2004, Cal Poly President Warren Baker signed the Talloires Declaration, a commitment led by presidents at higher education institutions to develop, create, support and maintain sustainability at their respective campuses. In 2005, Cal Poly architecture students conceptualized and built the Solar Decathlon House powered by 100 percent solar energy, which now stands as a project showcase that demonstrates how to build a sustainable house. In 2006, a group of engaged students formed a student group known as the Empower Poly Coalition. This coalition was intended to forge stronger alliances for sustainability on campus and is now comprised of 27 member clubs. These are just a few of the many things that have occurred over the past several years.
This leads to the premise for this article. What are we doing with sustainability as a campus now? And the answer is — not a whole lot.
Engaging Students
At Cal Poly, we must once again place emphasis on developing methods for creating a brighter future for students, spanning all six colleges. The term sustainability is something that promises potential ideas, methods and projects to be developed from every student.
True Sustainability
It is a paradigm shift in the way that we perceive life that is in dire need in order to indoctrinate the necessary attributes needed to create sustainability. So how then to do we propel this idea? How do we change the way that we think towards a holistic sustainable model? At Cal Poly, it starts with education within the classroom, and evolves into fruition when we adopt our “Learn By Doing” mission statement. It requires foreword thinking that stems from students developing ideas in directions yet explored, to depths greater than what industry, government or even citizens can devise.
What’s In The Queue
As vice president of the Empower Poly Coalition, I am confident that the energy stemming from students this year will reestablish the necessity for propelling the movement of sustainability on campus. One of the projects that will encapsulate this movement, is a program called TGIF (The Green Initiative Fund). Once active, the program will allocate funding for student-led sustainability projects on campus. Other major efforts include building a stronger coalition across campus, and within the community, uniting student clubs and organizations to gain support through an interconnected web of resources.
Cal Poly’s Sustainable Future
It is imperative that sustainability does not loose its position in the minds of students, faculty and staff on campus. The sustainability movement must reposition itself as a driving force on campus. Cal Poly has the ability to be a premiere school for sustainability, with such programs as the organic farm and campus composting. We must hold the merits of sustainability high, while wholeheartedly embracing it as an asset to the campuses educational capital. I leave you with this. As Mustangs, we have the remarkable ability to stand for those things in which we believe. So go out and be a campus change catalyst. The future simply cannot wait!
Tyler Hartrich is a city and regional planning senior, vice president of the Empower Poly Coalition and Mustang Daily columnist.