By Bill Barnes and Grynn Klobes
Ah, yes. It's one thing to talk about "Focusing the Nation," but it's another thing to take concrete action. But is it really that hard?
In fact, we do have a daunting task in front us. Recently Dr. James Hansen, a world authority on climate change, said that things are worse than we thought, and that we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2050. Impossible? No. It is possible, but it will take a concerted effort on many fronts. It includes passing much better state, national and international policy and devoting more resources to clean technology and energy promotion. But action in our own local sphere is also very important. And once you start, it breaks that "deer in the headlights" spell.
We are starting right here at our university. The more we dig in, the more we are seeing "low hanging fruit." On transportation, energy, water, paper, waste - you name it - we are beginning to act even as we find more opportunities for improvement. An important component of this discovery process involves soliciting ideas from everyone in our community and then acting together to solve problems.
There are bonuses: It's actually fun. It often saves money, and lately, it's where the smart money is placing its bets. It's strategic - carbon will soon have a price - and all of our lives and jobs are going to change as the issue looms larger.
There are other, more important reasons: It's the right thing to do. And at the University of Portland, it's part of our mission. In "Sharing Catholic Social Teaching," the United States Catholic Bishops write "We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God's creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored." The Vatican recently added seven modern day sins - and polluting the earth is one of them. Pope Benedict has said climate change is a gravely important issue for the human race. Other religions and religious leaders are issuing similar statements.
And if you want to see change, start with yourself! Mahatma Ghandhi said it well: "Be the change you want to see in the world." There is now a long list of things that we are currently doing on campus, and there is an even longer list of things that can still be done, or done better.
1. Take advantage of transportation options like carpooling, busing, Zipcar, biking, and walking. If you live close to campus, get healthy and walk or bike! Get on that bus! Check out that Zipcar! (it's easier to use than you think).
2. Turn off those lights, the computer, install a compact fluorescent bulb. Electricity often feels free in this country and on a campus, but it isn't, particularly when we remember the "true cost," which includes greenhouse gases. Our actual electricity bill at UP is over a million dollars a year. Simple math: It's a 5 percent reduction.
3. Ditch the plastic water bottles and enjoy Portland's amazing, fresh Bull Run tap water (if you need it contained, think Klean Kanteen, or water pitcher). Plastics in the U.S. are still nasty, and we're double paying for water - once through taxes (cheap), and then once again at a vending machine (incredibly expensive). And yes, those bottles are carbon intense...
4. Paper - why so much paper? Trees are so much more useful standing up (they filter water, sink carbon, and enrich the microclimate...) Electronic documents and signatures can work just as nicely, and they don't clutter your office. And when you print two sided, single space, thinner margins, you reduce a standard double spaced paper by more than 75 percent. Question: A 75 percent reduction in paper is how much money and carbon saved?
5. Watch your waste at the end of the year. If you don't have to throw it away, don't. Think reuse, recycle. We are proud of our community at UP this year - along with many others in the U.S., we are thinking more carefully about our environmental impact, and we are beginning to do something about it. We've started. Let's keep it up.
Happy Earth Day!
P.S. For more ideas and sustainability stories, see "On Campus Action" at ?http://climatechange.up.edu, left side. Make a suggestion!
Bill Barnes is an economic professor and Gwynn Klobes is a senior theology major
