SGB proposes green fund resolution, sans fee

The color green filled Nordy’s Place last night when students at the Student Government… The color green filled Nordy’s Place last night when students at the Student Government Board meeting showed support of Board member Phil LaRue’s proposal to create a Green Fund.

A group of 1,618 Pitt students — 10 percent of the student body — signed the petition for the resolution as of March 18, LaRue said. Since then, more signatures have been collected, LaRue said.

The Green Fund mission statement states that the project intends to promote “sustainable growth, practices and education at the University of Pittsburgh with the expressed intent of improving the quality of life for all undergraduate students at the University.”

“With the establishment of a pilot program for the University of Pittsburgh Green Fund, we usher in a new era of sustainability for our campus,” LaRue said to applause from the audience.

LaRue said the project will make Pitt an example for other schools across the country for environmental sustainability through student-driven projects.

Optional projects, LaRue said, might include energy efficiency improvements in existing buildings as well as installation of energy management systems and energy-efficient surge protectors in residence halls.

“The operations of this fund will be 100 percent transparent and accountable to the student body. It’s your money, and therefore, it deserves your input,” LaRue said.

LaRue called the initiative a “bold step.” He hopes to demonstrate the viability of the system and show the process is concrete and will work well.

The discussed proposal will be a “limited trial run” and will not be issuing students the previously discussed $5 fee as of yet, LaRue said.

“There has been an evaluation of different funding options,” he said.

He said that the pilot program is for FY 2010-11 and that he hopes it will become an institutional program for future years.

The first goal of the initiative will be determined by the soon-to-be-formed Student Sustainable Projects Committee, which will manage allocations, LaRue said.

The selection for members of Student Sustainable Projects Committee will be determined by a separate committee which has not been formed yet, LaRue said, and the members of that committee have not been determined.

LaRue said his aim for the selection committee is to have even representation from “environmentally aware leaders on campus and student leaders on campus who have programming experience and qualified leadership experience.”

Pitt currently has a C rating on the College Sustainability Report Card, which rates universities on campus sustainability efforts. The report gave Pitt a C for student involvement, LaRue said.

However, LaRue said he received contact information from 394 undergraduate student volunteers wanting to help with the campaign.

“All the students we have spoken to have just been so positive on it. They really want to see it happen,” said LaRue.

Board President Charlie Shull said the resolution will be postponed until the next meeting so the Board can receive feedback on the proposal.

The pending document will be available on the SGB website, and Shull encouraged students to speak with Board members about any questions they might have regarding the resolution.