Limitation and hopes for the future

Especially after coming from 6 months abroad, I have time and time again realized that the Oxy culture does not really promote the sustainability and diversity values that it often totes. Though huge steps have been made with plans for solar energy and local/organic foods offered in the marketplace, it is apparent to me that there is a general apathy among students and faculty overall. In the current context of economic hard times and financial crunch, the need to invest in cost-saving long term costs is important. On the other hand, creating a mechanism to "green" our campus's energy use is a bit futile, since energy use is increased with more students, more appliances per student and increased technology used in classrooms throughout disciplines. By shifting our focus to cost-saving and energy reduction projects, we can create significant change!

--Kathryn Griffith