Is CSUMB Going Green?

October 30, 2012

Sophomore Juliana Acosta tries
the Veggie Fear Factor
Photo Provided by Dining Services Facebook

California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) is a very green school being that it has already been rated as a golden university by the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) organization in 2007. This basically means CSUMB has been classified as a campus that encompasses human, environmental, and economic needs.

Intrigued by the Project Green Challenge and the gold STARS rating of our school in 2007, I wanted to know if we were still abiding by those certain expectations, and sure enough we were. There are tons of events that happen at the CSUMB campus relating to sutainablity, environment awareness, and more.

There was recently a ‘Sustainability Challenge' hosted by the Dining Services. 

Photo provided by Dining Services Facebook

The Challenge was from October 22nd-26th. Events including Veggie Fear Factor, where students were dared to eat unfamiliar vegetables such as fern and cactus leaves . Another event included a canned food drive at the Dining Commons (DC) which is still occurring until the middle of November. “Students can donate any canned foods or even one of their blocks from their meal plan. All of the food donated goes to the Monterey County Food Bank,” said Tyler McBrian, Marketing and Sustainability Manager for the Dining Services.

He says that the Dining Services tries to do something once a month relating to sustainability. 

Along with creating sustainability around food there is an actual organization here on the CSUMB campus called the Campus Sustainability Committee. Committee members consist of faculty, staff, and students all throughout the CSUMB campus from Humanities and Communications Professors, to Athletic Coordinators, and more.

The Committee has created a Climate Action Plan (CAP) which provides a road map to making greenhouse gas emissions extinct by 2030. With a date so far ahead, what is it's true importance. By following the CAP, CSUMB will save money, implement carbon neutrality to students, and will reinforce lectures on sustainability.

CSUMB also has many multiple occasions on campus ranging from biking events where students are encouraged to ride their bikes around the Monterey area, bus outings encouraging students to use public transportation being that it's a free way to travel for CSUMB students and abides a sustainable lifestyle.

In the end, CSUMB has the right to talk the talk since they walk the walk.