Students learn to save money, environment through hands-on events
With just one cup of washing soda, borax and a grated bar of soap, you can do 48 washes at 6 cents a load -— 1/4 of the cost of store-bought detergent — according to Sustainable Carolina.
College students are no strangers to finding creative ways of saving money; Sustainability Week is designed to help them learn to save the environment at the same time.
The “Make Your Own Cleaning Products” event hosted Monday did just that, showing students an easy way to make a positive impact on the environment, your health and your wallet.
“I think USC can advertise and encourage its students to participate in going green,” said Tyler Antonelli, a third-year finance major. “Students can learn more about the issues and how they can become more involved by attending the events put on by Sustainable Carolina.”
The main objective of Sustainability Week is to promote the programs that have led USC to obtain a Gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) as well as the highest rating for sustainability from the Princeton Review. USC is one of only 37 other universities in the country that have earned that rating, according to Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS).
David Whiteman, Faculty Principle of Green Quad, said one of the reasons USC has achieved the Gold rating is because of the student involvement.
“We have extensive student participation,” Whiteman said. “We have so many events that students are able to find a few that most interest them.”
Although USC has worked hard for sustainability, Whiteman said much more work is needed to counter the growing issues our environment’s future could see.
“Sustainability is the most important long-term issue facing the human population,” Whiteman said. “At our current rate, future generations will face significant negative consequences from our actions and inactions related to consumption and the use of fossil fuels.”
As for the consequences Whiteman speaks of, our environment’s climate is the biggest one. Climate scientists suggest major changes in weather patterns and coastal sea levels could happen if appropriate action is not taken, according to Whiteman.
USC has plans in the works to preserve the current climate and do its part in helping the bigger effort. According to STARS, USC plans to integrate green house gas emissions into decision criteria for new energy projects and construction.