SGA makes moves toward environmental responsibility

With everything from electric cars to biodegradable, non-toxic chemicals for cleaning your home, it seems society has not missed a single detail when it comes to going green. ECU's Student Government Association (SGA) seems to have caught onto the trend as well. Mohammad Hakima, Director of Environmental Affairs for SGA, explained that SGA's Sustainability Club, a branch geared toward environmental issues, has three primary goals. First, they hope to spread awareness of the environment among students. Aiming to set up events and activities that benefit campus and encourage the spread of "green issues," the club has organized a fundraiser at Pizza Inn on Dec. 7 to give money to an environmentally friendly organization in the community.

Hakima said, "I feel as though right now the passion for the environment and the Green movement is present in the minds and hearts of many people, but they feel a difficulty in expressing it."

While the first goal emphasizes acknowledgement and igniting an interest, the second goal is to implement their ideas. SGA hopes to bring LED light bulbs to ECU's campus. LEDs typically last 10 times the length of compact fluorescents that are still all too commonly used, contain no toxic mercury, generate very little heat, consume less energy and will pay for themselves in time.

"I want to try and turn off lights and energy-wasting tools around campus that are unwanted or unnecessary. The SGA Sustainability Club is supporting an event called 'Black Out' that entitles us to turn off all of our lights and energy-using tools for a certain period of time. Our participation as a school in an event like this would greatly help not only our energy bills, but our hope creating a more eco-friendly campus," Hakima said.

Third, SGA hopes that spreading the word and enacting these changes will spark a change in the hearts of students, taking it upon themselves to be, as Mahatma Gandhi said, the change they wish to see in the world. Recycling bins around campus have increased in number and visibility to encourage their use. Reusable equipment in cafeterias and around campus has also improved.

Mohammad Hakima and others in the organization hope to ignite an awareness, a desire and a spark among the students to join in their cause.

"You build the foundation and spread the desire of the movement. Spreading awareness is essential to encouraging a desire for change," he said.

President of SGA Brad Congleton said one of the goals on his platform was to bring environmental issues into the light. "Several institutions around the state, specifically Appalachian State, as well as the UNC system seem to have successfully implemented certain practices into their campus and I would like to bring that same concept to ECU."

Congleton hopes that in collaboration with some of the environmental organizations around campus and the interest arising within our own student government, students will further see the effects of the association.

With hopes for a cleaner, more sustainable future, Hakima seemed to speak for the club in general when he said, "Once we can turn these positive ideas into positive habits, then we can start seeing the results of a better and more sustainable environment."

This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.