Last spring, Chancellor Victor Boschini signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment Act, and since then, the university has made some advancements toward fulfilling its commitment.
The commitment calls for universities to reduce their global warming emissions and integrate sustainability into their curriculum to help create a thriving, ethical and civil society, according to the commitment’s Web site.
Scharbauer Hall will be the first building on campus to reach the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Standard based off of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System, which encourages environmentally safe building and development practices. This is one of several aspects of the commitment.
The administration mentions the TCU Purple Bike Program and last fall’s theme semester – Think Purple, Live Green – but the program’s timeliness has come and gone. Instead of looking back, the university should make a collective effort to look for ways to improve even the little things, such as the recycling system on campus.
According to the commitment’s Web site, universities must develop an institutional action plan for becoming climate neutral within two years of signing.
It has been almost a year since TCU signed the agreement, and the committee has not created a plan of action to determine how the university will fulfill its promise.
TCU has made steps in the right direction by implementing programs, such as incorporating sustainability concepts into classes, but the committee that oversees TCU’s progress needs to hold the university’s feet to the fire if the university is to make significant steps toward fulfilling the commitment.
The administration, students and faculty are publicly committed to make significant changes in the way our campus affects the environment.
The committee should move quickly to put an effective plan in place so it can continue to fulfill the promise.
Multimedia editor Jason Fochtman for the editorial board.
