Sustainability -- Santa Clara style

By Annie Rose Ramos

Santa Clara has often been compared to a country club or private estate solely based on its appearance and the fact that the well-manicured gardens, finely-cut green grass and well-attended landscape receive so much attention and funds.

I assumed that the large amounts of water and huge sums of money expended to maintain such an immaculate appearance hardly make the university an eco-friendly or eco-conscious campus.

But I was wrong.

The university, in fact, is a huge proponent of sustainability, as the corn-based plastic containers in Benson, solar panels on dorms and the reclaimed water system for campus irrigation prove.

The eco-fest doesn't stop there.

It seems that sustainability is no longer only an issue among hippies and tree-huggers, but has become a topic of interest for the majority of students at Santa Clara.

"The first year I taught ecological topics, the students were confused," said Sherry Booth of the English department and co-faculty director for Cypress RLC. "But the second and third years, there was a stronger interest and bigger classes. The students were hungry for knowledge," Booth added. "It's the new black," Sustainability Coordinator Lindsey Cromwell said in reference to the sustainability craze that has almost become fashionable today.

Cromwell has seen active participation among Santa Clara students to promote sustainability on campus.

"People have left suggestions in our campus feedback bin about recycling our newspaper and other recycling suggestions," a hopeful Cromwell said. "My goal is for every Santa Clara student to graduate with a culture of sustainability."

When asked about student interest and participation levels with regards to sustainability at Santa Clara, James Hanold, president of the GREEN Club, said, "Not one group is more responsible than any other for taking care of (the environment)."

The current crisis involves everyone, and people need to understand that "making one change in your personal habits has a great impact. You don't have to change your whole lifestyle," Hanold said.

But these subtle lifestyle changes aren't taking place around the country with the same frequency as they are on campus.

"The government hasn't asked us to sacrifice," said Booth, who cited a lack of political initiative as a huge problem. Current U.S. policy does not demand us to make lifestyle adjustments required to preserve our environment.

Because the government has not stressed the problems with our environment and urged widespread national change, responsibility is placed upon the individual to take the initiative and embrace an issue like sustainabiliy that is so vital to our welfare.

And taking this initiative means tailoring sustainability to suit your lifestyle. As Hanold says, "our efforts of the GREEN Club are to empower other students to educate themselves and act."

While I know that I will never be the first to suggest a camping trip for a vacation or reject taking a shower in hopes of saving water, this does not mean that I do not care about the environment or that I do not want to partake in its preservation -- in my own way.

As it turns out, there are lots of ways to protect the environment and promote sustainability that don't involve camping or skipping showers.

First off, I know you girls do not have those oversized designerbags for nothing.

Next time you fashionably sport your totes around campus, remember to bring them along when doing your weekly grocery shopping to put your groceries in.

And when you're enjoying the sunshine this spring, give your appliances a break, too: Turn off your electronics and unplug your appliances when you are not using them.

All this nice spring weather could only mean one thing: It's bathing suit season, and let's face it -- we could all use a little extra exercise to be able to show off those hot bods.

Ride your bike instead of taking your car to a few local places and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

And when you get thirsty, remember that water bottles don't grow on trees. Reuse them with water from your BRITA, or buy a Nalgene bottle.

And as we head into the final weeks of the quarter and begin to pack up and head home, don't forget that one person's trash is another person's treasure.

Donate your items to Goodwill instead of throwing them away. Participate in our school's Move Out campaign at the end of the year. Goodwill dumpsters will be present on our campus during the final week of classes to give students the opportunity to recycle their unwanted items.

You learned it in grade school, now put it to use: reduce, reuse, recycle, and make your own contribution to sustainability.

Annie Rose Ramos is a junior English major.