Student’s Perspective on Climate Commitment

My name is Betsy Lopez and I am a junior majoring in Environmental Studies here at Tulane. I am the student representative for Environmental Studies on President Cowen’s Climate Commitment Advisory Committee. Through my studies at Tulane I have learned the increasing importance of changing the way we consume energy. Energy efficient technology not only helps the environment but it should also lower the price of our energy bill. I am interested in seeing this concept in action by the remodeling of Dinwidie as a LEED certified building.
Since my freshmen year at Tulane, I have seen many changes around campus. I was here for the opening of the LBC and even took a tour where the environmentally friendly aspects of the building were explained. I have also seen the implementation of fluorescent lights in many dorm rooms and classrooms. Being a curious person, I have wondered how “green” are these changes and how “green” is our campus? Through this committee, I believe there will be positive answers as to how to better our campus in this world of climate change. The committee is composed of faculty, students, and staff from different departments. This allows for diverse information that can be combined to better our campus.
I have enjoyed being a part of this committee. I am very optimistic about the changes that are going to take place on campus. My hope is to see Tulane as one of the premiere environmentally responsible campuses in the nation that other universities will aspire to emulate.