A sustainability club began as a class project and almost immediately members launched into indigenous people’s rights, sustainability discussions at the state Capitol, and plans to ban one-time-use water bottles on campus. All in a day’s work, right?
“We can’t fix the entire world in a semester, so we have to focus on individual projects,” said Tyler Abel, senior anthropology major and a founder of Students for Sustainability Club. One such project is also one of the students’ most ambitious; the club aims to partner with the Ban the Bottle campaign with the goal of reducing plastic waste across the Auraria Campus.
Should the project succeed, the tri-institutions of Auraria would join the ranks of more than 60 universities and colleges across North America which have taken up the pledge to “ban the bottle,” including Cornell, Harvard, and Princeton universities.
The national campaign works to increase the number of water refill stations for reusable bottles, and to end all sales of one-time-use water bottles on campus.
According to other colleges and universities which have banned the bottle, it can take well over a year for some of these changes to become a reality. It may be some time before the club is able to realize its dreams.
“A lot of people think sustainability is important, but there’s a gap between the attitude they have towards the environment and what they’re willing to do to make those changes,” Abel said.
The Students for Sustainability Club seeks to network with other student organizations in order to bring meaningful change to the campus. This could include bringing in guest speakers, taking field trips, and expanding the campus garden.
A nonprofit chapter
The club’s 10 members spent fall semester brainstorming project ideas and working with Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity, and Sustainability (SEEDS), their nonprofit partner, to come up with funding options.
The collegiate chapters of SEEDS focus on supporting undergraduate education, community development, and the promotion of ecology as a field of study.
The chapters are flexible in their missions but generally work toward a common goal of professional development and meeting the ecological needs of the community through outreach and education programs.
Colorado Renewable Energy Summit
Last fall, club members attended a presentation and discussion at the state Capitol. Hosted by the advocacy group Environment Colorado, the summit featured three guest speakers, each addressing a different area of sustainability.
Club members heard from the international director of the Climate Reality project about how the private sector could influence policy decisions and funding. They also heard from the campus president of the Ecotech Institute, the Aurora-based trade school dedicated to sustainable energies. Finally, the director of air quality and transportation for the American Lung Association in Colorado gave a presentation on the public health benefits from renewable energy.
If you’re interested in joining the club, contact co-president Madison Evers at MADISON.EVERS@UCDENVER.EDU
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