Think global, act local
// news / daily - march 2, 2005
http://daily.stanford.edu/tempo?page=content&id=16374&repository=0001_article
written by Erin Gaines, Dimitri Dadiomov, John Conley, & Brian Paver
Stanford has taken important steps towards becoming a world leader in sustainability and environmental issues. The Global Climate and Energy Project, or GCEP, which recently sponsored $9 million in projects, and the new Institute for the Environment are evidence of the University administration's commitment to environmental research. Students are taking action through a wide variety of sustainability-focused campus groups, such as Students for a Sustainable Stanford and Students for Environmental Justice at Stanford, and by applying their studies to solve environmental problems.
But to present a truly comprehensive commitment to sustainability and set a world-leading example, Stanford needs to fully integrate the ideas and technologies that are the subject of its research into the way it builds and maintains the campus.
Progress is being made. In 2002, the University adopted the Guidelines for Sustainable Building, a comprehensive framework designed to incorporate environmental impacts into the building process at Stanford. The recently revealed plans for the new Science and Engineering Quad feature sustainability as a priority. The Guidelines, however, are just that. Until they are made into requirements, they run the risk of being ignored. The plans for the Munger Housing Unit and the renovation of the Old Union, for example, needed a stronger commitment to sustainability from the early planning stages onward. If the Munger Housing planners had followed the Guidelines, recent community concerns about size, natural daylighting, water and energy usage, construction waste and interior air quality would have been taken into account from the beginning.
We need to build on our successes and address our failures. The University needs to adopt the Guidelines as rules that apply to all new buildings on campus, and keep these rules current as sustainable building technologies develop. Individually, one can contribute by simply being more energy conscious (did you leave the lights on?) or by being aware of how and where your food was grown (choosing locally grown, organic foods in the dining hall). Students must continue to support current initiatives and, more importantly, generate new and more ambitious ideas.
The campus we build today will undoubtedly reflect the world of tomorrow, and our graduates will have great influence in shaping that world. Stanford has a tremendous reputation for excellence in academics, athletics and research. No effort should be spared in adding sustainability to the list.