Tulane's C+ Sustainability Report Card rating for 2009 is an improvement over past years' ratings, but there is still much to be done. The most marked changes were in the "Administration," "Climate Change and Energy" and "Transportation" categories, all of which improved by a letter grade.
Good, sustainable changes to help the environment are being made around campus, from energy-efficient alterations to greater options for environmentally conscious students.
Tulane has installed occupancy sensors in dorm rooms, which automatically turn off the lights after a period of idleness within the room. This will save energy and improve efficiency.
The Climate Commitment Advisory Committee, composed of students, faculty and staff, can be a great asset and barometer of environmental progress if it is given actual influence and power. Because past history at Tulane dictates that "advisory committees" are often unable to make many real changes, something needs to be done to assure such a serious issue is resolved.
Endowment transparency, an issue that raised problems for Tulane's environmental rating before, has been improved slightly. In the past, Tulane consistently received F's in this category for refusing to publicize the details of its large endowment.
Tulane has recently allowed certain high-ranking university officials and trustees to see a list of the university's holdings, raising its rating to a D. This is not ideal under any circumstances, but it is a big step towards the responsible stance the administration should adopt.
It is not enough to simply urge the administration to be more proactive, though. Students make up a much larger portion of the population than administrators here, and it is up to us to make environmentally conscious changes to our lives. If we demand changes be made, then we must receive and incorporate them into our routines.
Several changes Tulane offered to students were not received as enthusiastically as they should have been. The reusable mugs that would prevent such widespread use of plastic and paper cups were met with a lackluster response from students.
Too few students utilize the public transportation options lauded on the Sustainability Report Card. Shuttle services and bikes are often passed over for cabs and students' own cars. The streetcar, an "only in New Orleans" mode of public transport that is infinitely more reliable than the bus system, is used too infrequently, even though it runs downtown where so many of those cabs end up.
We cannot argue against the administration's environmental missteps if we are not willing to make our own changes, no matter how small. It is time for students to step up and demand real action to fight climate change, beginning with their own actions.
2008 Woodie Awards
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