During Earth Week 2024, students shared their thoughts on what a sustainable university looks like.
Some students have similar ideas on the topic. UO junior and Indigenous, race and ethnic studies major Valentine Bentz said that, moving forward, the university should not be reliant on fossil fuels.
“A truly sustainable university would be one where it actually makes a commitment to its community and its students, that it’s not going to degrade the earth and the land that it’s offering,” Bentz said.
Ian Finn is a master’s student and member of UO Climate Justice League’s steering committee. Finn agrees with Bentz that it is important for the university to not rely on fossil fuels. They should instead prioritize more public transportation and green space instead of burning fossil fuels, he said.
The UO Office of Sustainability has taken some steps to create a more sustainable university. These steps include establishing an energy management program and reviewing and updating the Oregon Model for Sustainable Development.
However, some students feel that UO is reluctant to take climate action and that it takes large numbers of the student body to push for significant changes.
“Typically, it takes students organizing to push for the large changes, and again, I’m grateful for what this university has done,” Jack Dodson, campaign lead for Fossil-Free UO, said, “but it should be more willing to work with students and more willing to make improvements than it is now.”
The university has many environmental programs that aim to make the campus more sustainable, such as the Zero Waste Program and the Outdoor Program. Some students, such as Bentz, want the university to continue supporting these programs while expanding on them.
“There is some level of waste reduction that takes place in the dining halls with reusable dishes. I think that’s great [and] should be expanded,” Bentz said. “Trash separation as far as recycling, that’s all very basic stuff they should be expected to be doing. There’s a lot of good stuff going on, but I think a lot of students want more.”
According to the Sierra Club, UO’s boiler system emits over 22,000 metric tons of carbon annually. This is something that many student activists vocally speak out against as they want the university to transition to cleaner energy sources.
“It’s really disheartening [to see] as a student at a university that strives for innovation … that they’re still pulling fossil fuels out of the earth,” Bentz said, “burning them to create harmful methane emissions and ending up as the second biggest emitter of fossil fuels in Eugene, so that needs to stop.”
Dodson said that he would like to see the university be more proactive with climate action, considering the urgent threat posed by climate change.
“The university has made improvements to make campus more sustainable, [but] it generally does this reluctantly,” Dodson said. “Typically, it takes students organizing to push for the large changes, and again, I’m grateful for what this university has done, but it should be more willing to work with students and more willing to make improvements than it is now.”
Beyond the pressing issues of carbon emissions and food waste, transportation remains top of mind for some students.
“I want to see a heavier investment by the university in programs like PeaceHealth bikes … and for us to move away from encouraging car use on campus,” Finn said. “Whether that’s shrinking the size of the parking lots or providing people with free access to bikes, it really comes down to making structural changes instead of just visual change.”
Students also want more information about university projects and affairs, like the thermal heating system transition. Some UO community members felt that they did not have all the information regarding potential new heating systems until the Board of Trustees meeting in March.
“We would like to see more public comment sections with up to date information and more communication environmental groups on campus and off campus in Eugene,” Dodson said. “This is a huge issue that affects a lot of people [and] it’d be great if these people had representation in the decision making.”
