Dear Editor,
We would like to address some of the comments expressed in the Guardian article on Tuesday (‘Faults Aside,’ Jan. 8), namely those assertions that the Sustainability Resource Center is a ‘pointless venture,’ ‘a reinvention of the wheel’ and a project led by an unorganized group of students.
Instead of ignoring the campus’ green projects, the SRC plans to exhibit and further these existing green initiatives, actively seeking to involve more students with the staff and administration on these projects. The SRC will not only empower undergraduate students to contribute to sustainability, but it will also allow students and the administration to better work together.
Numerous issues on our campus need to be addressed, so now is the time to join together and focus on solutions. Passionate and dedicated students who understand this have stimulated a bevy of worthwhile initiatives. The compost program, sustainable foods and campus farm programs, the fair trade campaign and the Academic Computing Services’ green printing option all came about because students took time to voice their concerns to staff and administration. The SRC will ensure that these efforts expand, facilitate communication between student groups and teach all students, staff or faculty members more about sustainability.
The planning and development of the SRC vision has taken nearly a year. Students, as well as staff and faculty from various departments including Facilities Management, Environmental Health and Safety, the Engineering School, the Environment and Sustainability Initiative and several of the college provosts have participated in ongoing discussions about the mission and workings of the center. The original plan, including a business proposal, has been circulated and edited by staff and faculty; it has been reviewed by Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs Steven W. Relyea, who granted funding for the renovation of the space.
The SRC will empower students to directly participate in sustainability efforts at UCSD. All students will benefit, as $0.92 of the $2.34 in sustainability fees on the new A.S. referendum will be allocated to the SRC.
The remaining $1.42 will fund the Green Initiative Fund, which will provide grants to transform undergraduate students’ innovative green ideas into projects. UC Santa Barbara, UCLA and UC Berkeley already have Green Funds; UC Riverside, UC Davis and UC Irvine are expected to follow. This funding has allowed students at these schools to produce environmental films, create a program to reuse laboratory chemicals and put solar panels on residence halls. Creating this opportunity for students at UCSD will ensure that students’ ideas can be funded and made a reality.
The SRC will be the central hub for sustainability on campus where questions about recycling, involvement and so much more can be answered. It will also be the catalyst for continued efforts, ensuring that students may work with staff, faculty and the administration to sustain roles in the sustainability movement on campus. If UCSD really wants to become the greenest university in the world, it must start with educating and working with its students. Voting yes on the A.S. referendum will help ensure that all students are able to learn about the green movement on campus and become involved in these efforts.