Amidst the notifications, texting conversations, hours of class, study sessions, club meetings, social obligations and anticipation of the moment your head will hit the pillow at the end of every fully-packed day; Cal Poly students are part of a movement they may not even be aware of.
Rewind to the last time you left your house, took a shower, or visited Kennedy Library.
You most likely turned off your light, avoided taking a thirty-minute shower, and used one of the tricolored waste bins which are populated around campus.
A study conducted by the Climate Change Action Research Group (CCARG) revealed 92.1 percent of Cal Poly students recognize climate change as a serious issue and 82.1 are making changes towards conservation. However, fewer students believe their peers are making an effort to change.
Cal Poly surpasses all CSU schools in the number of sustainability awards it’s earned (Go Mustangs!) and we brought home four this past June. One award focused on sustainability innovation, promoting Cal Poly’s 20-acre solar farm, which is expected to cover around 25 percent of our total electricity on campus - that’s a lot of energy. Another was received for Innovative Waste Reduction in facilities’ purchase of the tricolored waste bins on campus.
Students are paving the way towards a more sustainable campus, as those who’ve elected to be Zero Waste Leaders educate the campus on proper waste distribution at popular events like football games. Another group of freshmen are collaborating with the Sustainability Center and Cal Poly Facilities to tackle a year-long project of developing a community garden on campus.
Freshmen got behind the movement this October during the 10th Annual Conservation and Diversion Challenge, where a $600 ice cream party was handed out to the dorm that conserved the most water and electricity during the challenge.
So, snaps to Cal Poly students, administration, and staff for taking initiative to address real world problems together, and making our campus a sustainable community to be proud of!