EDITORIAL: Average isn’t good enough

‘ ‘ ‘ When it comes to being environmentally friendly, Pitt is only average. ‘ ‘ ‘ The… ‘ ‘ ‘ When it comes to being environmentally friendly, Pitt is only average. ‘ ‘ ‘ The College Sustainability Report Card, an organization that issues environmental report cards reflecting the green status of universities across the country, awarded Pitt with a ‘C’ ‘mdash; a minor improvement from last year’s ‘C-‘ and a significant improvement from the ‘D’ it received in 2006. ‘ ‘ ‘ The good news is that Pitt received ‘B’ grades in the categories of food and recycling, transportation and green buildings. ‘ ‘ ‘ The not-so-good news is that the University received ‘C’s in administration for its efforts in advancing the University’s environmental initiatives and climate change and energy for its use of renewable sources of energy. It also received ‘C’s in student involvement for the efforts of student groups like Free the Planet and Engineers for a Sustainable World and investment priorities for its failure to make any public statements about investigating or investing in renewable energy funds or community development loan funds. ‘ ‘ ‘ The bad news is that Pitt received failing grades when it comes to endowment transparency, as it has not disclosed its endowment holdings or its shareholder voting record, and in shareholder engagement, for its inability to make ‘any public statements about active ownership or a proxy voting policy.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Nonetheless, we commend the University for the efforts it has made in coming this far. ‘ ‘ ‘ In August, for example, Pitt’s Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation issued a $5,000 cash-prize design challenge to undergraduate students in Southwestern Pennsylvania. ‘ ‘ ‘ The goal was to encourage students to come up with a method to improve the green status of old buildings. Such a strategy allows students to use their creativity, while also involving them in the environmental improvement process. ‘ ‘ ‘ Free the Planet’s and Engineers for a Sustainable World’s recent Project Lights-Out helped reduce the energy used in Benedum Hall by 25 percent. ‘ ‘ ‘ But while Pitt is improving, the improvement is only slight, and it’s happening very slowly. ‘ ‘ ‘ As other Pennsylvania universities like Carnegie Mellon, Penn State and University of Pennsylvania earned a ‘B,’ ‘B’ and an ‘A,’ respectively, Pitt is still lagging behind. There is so much the University can do. ‘ ‘ ‘ In going green, not all changes have to be dramatic. ‘ ‘ ‘ Small improvements can yield great results. For instance, Pitt officials could start using reusable dishes and silverware in all University cafeterias, not just Market Central. Pitt could also save more paper by asking students if they want a receipt before they print them out. ‘ ‘ ‘ Students could do their part by making sure they recycle and limiting their use of napkins or plastics in the cafeterias. ‘ ‘ ‘ It’s important that, though we’ve improved, we don’t become complacent in furthering our environmental efforts. If we work hard enough, next year’s report card could be an ‘A.’