Sustainability task force to monitor on-campus environmental issues

A Sustainability Task Force on campus will address current environmental issues in order to preserve and conserve resources for a healthy, happy future for the IU campus.\nIU recently created the Sustainability Task Force as a way to develop a plan for improving the University’s environmental role in the challenges of reducing energy use, increasing recycling and other environmental issues. \nThe task force is made up of 15 people appointed by IU Vice President Terry Clapacs, according to a press release. The task force defines sustainability as “meeting the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” \n“The issue of sustainability is becoming more important everywhere,” said Paul Sullivan, task force co-chair, in a IU media relations press release. \nSullivan said in an e-mail that the task force is trying to determine what the most relevant areas are for the University. \nMichael Hamburger, co-chair, said currently the task force does not have a comprehensive database of information about environmental issues. He further added that the goal is to gather data about the current environmental state, in order to make recommendations for the future. The task force combines academic and operational efforts, he said.\nThe task force will assess current resource use such as the transportation system and food to investigate where the University will be in the next several years. The task force will develop a set of sustainability indicators for the University, such as assessing the current status of the campus, identifying key areas of concern and establishing a framework for a long-term sustainability plan, according to the press release.\n“A key element of this initiative is the effort to develop a truly integrative approach to sustainability that enables the University’s core missions of research, teaching and service to merge with community efforts,” Hamburger said in the press release.\nHe added that there are many big challenges because a lot of the issues are controversial and cannot be solved easily. The task force does not have a handle of energy use from different departments, he said. \n“Although we are doing some good things, we probably are not as ‘sustainable’ as we could/should be,” Paul Sullivan said in an e-mail interview. \nHe added that the task force could do more in terms of energy efficiency and perhaps more with alternative modes \nof transportation. \nIn addition to the primary task force, a series of working groups comprised of University personnel and community members have been formed under such headings as Resource Use and Recycling, Energy Systems and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Food, and Education, according to the \npress release. \nHamburger said the task force has been asked to bring a report and recommendations in early fall 2007. The report will include initial recommendations for campus, he said. \nAlso being announced is a student internship opportunity for this coming summer. Interns will deal with different aspects of sustainability such as working for the residential program with concern for recycling efforts. Other programs and areas dealing with sustainability are also offered. Those interested in the task force should send an e-mail \nto sustain@indiana.edu.