Shades of green

Besides being a former vice president, Al Gore is recognized as one of this country’s most outspoken environmentalists. His movie, “An Inconvenient Truth,” highlighted the need for citizens and governments to take measures toward reducing energy use and the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. \nWhether you agree with the findings advocated by Gore, or with the larger and issues surrounding global warming, there’s no denying the fact that being more environmentally friendly, or “green,” has become the norm lately, not the exception. One small way Gore suggests we can all make a difference is by switching from incandescent light bulbs to compact florescent light bulbs that use about a third of the energy.\nYale University is taking Gore’s challenge very seriously. Since 2005, the same year it established its Office of Sustainability, Yale has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent, partially through the installation of more efficient heating and cooling systems in 90 buildings. Furthermore, electricity consumption has been cut by 10 percent because of small measures taken by dorm residents to unplug unused appliances and turn off lights when not in use.\nThese efforts, along the lines of using more environmentally friendly light bulbs to make incremental changes, are certainly commendable. What’s not as commendable, however, is when such efforts undermine students’ experiences at college or lessen the value of the services for which their tuition dollars pay. At Stanford University, for example, an effort to install low-pressure shower heads resulted in a backlash from students in one dorm. \nWe sympathize with these students, because we know the value of a hot, high-pressure shower in order to function for an early morning class. With the cost of tuition and on-campus housing so high, it’s reasonable to expect a quality experience.\nBut at what point do showers become expendable if the result of low-pressure shower heads is helping to reduce our impact on the environment? \nIn reality, the issue isn’t about showers at all, but with the popular trend to market businesses, institutions and even entire states as environmentally friendly. \nSimilar to Yale, IU is coming into the sustainability trend. Although IU has yet to establish an official office of sustainability, the campus sustainability task force has taken great strides in recommending one, as well as energy and carbon-reducing measures similar to those at Yale. \nThe question is not whether IU should take measures to cut its energy use or make less of an environmental impact. This, we’re aware, is a trend that is already underway. The real question is of intent. Does IU really want to make a concerted effort on behalf of the environment or merely because of the political and social pressure to do so? And when such measures are put into place, will students feel like the quality of their experience at IU has been lessened?\nWe hope not.