As a land-grant institution, N.C. State should be doing more to protect its valuable land and environment, according to Bobby Mills, student body president and junior in political science.
“We were given this land, and we need to take care of it,” Mills said.
He will be presenting a proposal today to the University for an annual student sustainability fee.
“Sustainability is a huge issue for everyone now because people are realizing that it’s not only an environmental issue — but an economical issue,” Mills said.
Mills said he is working with environmental groups such as Green and Wolfpack Environmental Student Association, as well as professors and administrators on campus, on the sustainability fee.
He said though he is heading the push for the fee, students will get a chance to vote on it before it would be put into place.
Mills said sustainability fees are not uncommon at universities and are becoming a standard practice.
“The average fee around the country is $15,” he said. “Ours is a little lower, at $10.”
According to Mills, the yearly $10 fee would be put towards sustainability education and outreach programs across campus, purchasing alternative energy — such as solar panels on buildings and also funding “mini-grants,” for student sustainability projects.
He said the student fee should generate roughly $256,000 each year. Between 10 – 25 percent of the money would be put back into financial aid, but at least $170,000 would be used for the projects.
Gary Blank, undergraduate director of forestry and environmental resources, said students would be making a strong statement to vote for the sustainability fee.
He said he hopes the money will be used to educate students about sustainability.
“Educating the student body about what sustainability is would be a huge help,” Blank said. “It’s a very intangible term. Posters or some sort of visible educational effort would be good.”
He also said the money should be used for items that would not be affordable otherwise — like environmentally-friendly features on campus buildings.
“Whenever a building is built on campus, there could be additions put into the building to make it more environmentally-friendly,” Blank said. “Because of the cost, the budget gets cut, and those are usually the first items to cut out of the budget.”
Joe Sevits, senior in science, technology and society, said he agrees that the fee could result in positive changes on campus, if the plan is followed through.
“I’d be okay with a small fee — a couple of dollars,” Sevits said. “But, if that’s going to happen, they need to show something tangibly happening — instead of just an idea.”
Along with Blank, he said he also hopes the money is used for more educational and awareness programs. He said he’s already seen some energy-saving awareness projects on campus.
“I’ve seen a lot of buildings on campus with those stickies reminding people to turn the lights off when they leave,” he said. “That’s great — but we need a lot more of that.”
Sevits said he would like to see every incandescent light bulb on campus replaced with an energy-efficient alternative.
“Energy conservation should be a major concern on campus,” he said. “Solar panels and rain collection would be nice in places on campus where it would be cost-effective as well.”
