SMU Seeing Green

By Shelley Smith
smsmith@smu.edu

Junior Jaimie Siegle tumbles out of bed on her way to the bathroom, but not without unplugging her phone charger first. She barely turns on the tap to brush her teeth and takes a two-minute shower. On her way downstairs to the kitchen, she makes sure to switch off the bedroom light.

A quick one, two and the toaster and coffee maker are plugged in poised for action. Meanwhile, Siegle rummages through the fridge for breakfast, scanning over fresh produce from the local farmer’s market. She hops on her bike and rides to class to save gas money and keep the air smog free.

“If you’re not using it, why waste the energy?” said Siegle, who is the Environmental Chair for Students for a Better Society.

Siegle is part of an important group of young, green-savvy individuals who embrace the growing “go green” movement. These young people save electricity, recycle and limit gas use to save money and their surroundings.

‘Young Urbanites’ Prove Eco-Friendly

According to a 2008 nationwide survey by the Shelton Group– the only advertising agency in America entirely focused on energy, efficiency and sustainability– these suburbia-dwelling youths aged 18 to 35 ( called ‘young urbanites’) believe more than any other demographic in the importance of conservation and protecting the environment.

The survey found that positive attitudes towards terms like “green,” “conservation” and “energy-efficiency” are on the rise among all demographics as well as the concern for the U.S.’s reliance on other countries for energy.

Saving money was the No. 1 reason subjects participated in energy-efficient activities or bought environmental friendly products.

Peter Jenkins from the Alliance to Save Energy said young people are driving the green movement that’s taking the country by storm.

“We’re seeing that students and children are taking a leadership role,” said Jenkins, who works out of the Alliance’s California branch.

The 31-year-old non-profit Alliance promotes energy efficiency in the U.S. and abroad through research and promoting green programs and policies.

Under President Obama’s energy platform, the government has set goals to reduce federal energy consumption, drastically cut CO2 emissions, produce more plug-in hybrid cars and build more sustainable communities.

Getting Green Early On

Maria Ellingson, also from the Alliance to Save Energy, and many SMU students said they believe that informing children about the importance of conservation while they’re young is the key to producing change in the way America interacts with the environment.

“Children can still be interested in this when you get to them before skateboards and text messaging,” Ellingson said.

That’s why her organization created the Energy Hog program, a kid-friendly energy campaign that teaches elementary school students about energy and ways to conserve through class lessons, fun activities, take-home assignments and visits from the Energy Hog, himself.

The program began in Colorado schools and came to Dallas last year.

Green Campus, an Alliance program that began in California colleges is now making its way to Texas.
California-native and freshman Dan Morrison said he’s been inendated with green education since childhood and said he feels that in order to get Texans and other states up to speed they need to do the same.

“Everyone in California is health conscious,” Morrison said. “Laws and education make a huge difference.” He said his love of the ocean keeps him caring for the environment.

Media Making a Difference

Some SMU students think that the media provides enough information and that green education in schools is unnecessary.

“There’s plenty of coverage in daily life,” said John Benage, a freshman who didn’t experience green education in his schools in St. Louis.

Benage is one of the young SMU leaders making steps to a greener campus. The Hunt Scholar proposed a bill to Student Senate calling for recycling bins to be provided on the Boulevard during tailgates. He said convenience is key to getting more students to recycle.

“It’s not that people don’t want to recycle,” Benage said. “People will do it if they see it.”

He said he wants students to realize they can go green, one step at a time.

“We don’t have to change our whole lifestyle,” he said. “It’s all about small changes.”

Organizations like Students for a Better Society, The Environmental Society, and Sustainability Committee who worked with Bennet on the bill, understand making recycling and conserving energy easy for students is how the campus can make students proactive.

Dorm Life Gets Greener

SMU’s Resident Life and Student Housing department has increased its effort to educate students to be more green and give students the tools to do so.

New additions to dorms include recycling bins on the basement and third floor, individual recycle bags for residents to recycle in their rooms, light bulb posters, called ‘bright ideas’ reminding students to turn off lights and notices encouraging students to refrain from printing emails.

This year for the first time, environment representatives (e-representatives), one from each hall, meet once a month with a committee called “Team Planet” to discusses ways dorms can become more sustainable. E-representatives create posters detailing how much money students save by making minor changes like using less water in the shower.

Dee O’ Donnell, a residence hall director in Morrison-McGinnis, said she’s had more residents come to her this year about how they can be more green.

“It made me really, really happy,” she said. “It takes time to get it into their heads, but they’ll get it.”

Student Awareness Boosted

Siegle, Benage and other students and faculty members agree the increase in student interest to go green comes from exposure from the news and the growing reality of a deteriorating planet.

“People are on board because of global warming, limited resources and poverty,” said Tiana Lightfoot, a graduate student and member of the Sustainability Committee, said. “We know now we have to be more conservative with environmental resources.”

However, senior Kayla McKinley, a communications major, said she is doing more things green but not necessarily out of concern for the environment.

“It’s the cool thing to do now,” she said. “It’s like wearing a scarf or some boots, like ‘go green’.” McKinley said she thinks too many companies are taking advantage of the trend.

“It’s a huge moneymaker,” she said. “Stamp organic on your cereal and people will buy it. I fall for it.”

The Arizona native said some of her green household products don’t hold up like generic brands.

“I’d rather have something that doesn’t have ‘go green’ on it that works, than green that is more expensive,” said McKinley, who admitted that she’ll probably still buy green products because it makes her “feel good.”

Going Easy on Wallets and the World

McKinley and other students said they also conserve to save money. Unplugging appliances, walking to class, re-using scrap paper and drinking filtered water from home save students a pretty penny.

Some have tried their hand at Hyper-driving, putting the car in neutral while slowing for a red light, to save a couple bucks.

“It totally works,” McKinley said. “I got like eight more gallons.”

Campus Buildings Join Cause

Administration is putting money into the construction of environmentally-friendly buildings, as well.

In 2006, the Embrey Building which houses the dean’s office, the recruiting office and the departments of civil, environmental and mechanical engineering, was the first college building in Texas to be environmentally certified by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

It’s green features include flushless urinals and a landscaping irrigation system, which combine to save SMU around $70,000 a year on energy costs.

Work has started on the second-green certified building, the Caruth Institute for Engineering Education. It’s expected to be finished within 16 months, said Michael Paul, the executive director of Facilities Management and Sustainability.

Paul and other staff aim for as many green on-campus building certifications as possible. However, he said he needs more student input.

Paul says SMU administration has the opportunity to sign the American College and University Presidential Climate Commitment, but he has discouraged it until students show some more interest.

The Commitment has already been signed by 602 colleges and includes a list of green requirements for buildings and other efforts to reduce emissions and increase sustainability.

“There is no proof of student involvement,” Paul said. “It has to come from the students.”

He says he has read SMU surveys saying students want a greener campus, but he has not seen them doing anything to make it happen. He said he is always ready to listen.

“Tell em’ to show me,” he said.