It has always been done one way, therefore that is the correct way of proceeding. Right? Wrong. When it comes to sustainability, CMU is slacking. The world at large is on the verge of an environmental crisis. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, “In the past 50 years, humans have consumed more resources than in all previous history.”

In congruence with education, CMU’s main responsibility should be to provide a sustainable campus in such a way that prevents future damage to the environment. Some changes have been introduced to provide a more environmentally friendly university. These changes include installing water bottle fill stations and implementing a general recycling program, and they should not go undermined. However, these steps have been taken partially in order to compete with other universities, as the effort to “go green” has been a popular position to take in the last few years.

The more environmentally sound a university is the more appealing it will be for potential students. A more appealing campus means more students in attendance, in other words, a bigger money pool from tuition dollars. In which case, forget the hippie mumbo-jumbo about the longevity of the planet, it’s all about making money. Right? Wrong. However, the intentions of making money aren’t a bad thing if those intentions compel the university to take bigger steps towards making campus facilities more sustainable. CSU has spent $167 million adding multiple composting systems, cogeneration plants, Greywater systems, and recycling programs. Furthermore, there is no bottled water offered in any CSU dining facilities as students are given a reusable water bottle to use instead.  According to The College Sustainability Report website, CSU trumps CMU with an overall rating of a B+ in sustainability. CMU, however, isn’t even listed on the data based website. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a student demand to get there.

CMU just recently installed a composting system on the WCCC campus. CMU’s Sustainability Council worked for a year straight to get the project plans approved and ready for action. This project was an expensive yet incredibly smart move for the university.  The composting system utilizes dining hall scraps and turns them into a fertilizer, which in turn generates a profit. It’s a win-win situation.

CMU took a great step in granting the money for the composting project. But it cannot stop there. For instance, more recycling regulations within each building needs to be implemented. No more banana peels in the paper bins. No more plastics overflowing out of the provided containers. We need a constant paid staff of student workers to regulate the recycling program.

In addition, the use of all plastic bags in places like the Bookstore should be banned. And every single new building being built on campus should be built upholding strict sustainable energy standards.

Sustainable energy is not only profitable energy, but it’s also clean energy.

In a world where making money is the goal, it has to be remembered that if the environmental crisis isn’t addressed, life as we know it will not remain the same. The university, community, and world as a whole will reap the benefits of shifting into a more sustainable way of going about things. It has always been done one way, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a better, and more profitable, way of doing it instead.

ljdavids@mavs.coloradomesa.edu