Plenary Session: GW Sustainability

I thought the plenary session on the steps that are being taken at GW to work towards sustainability was very interesting although at some points basic. I was not aware of the intense support President Napp has for the progress of environmental research and it certainly makes me proud as a GW student to be a part of an school that supports such a innovation. I also liked hearing about some of the things GW has already done to become more environmentally friendly. For example I did not know that the new dorms being built would be certified by LEED or that we were working to be carbon neutral, which is a process I really support although it is somewhat intangible. I live in Potomac House and I never thought about how much money the light sensors in my hall save before last night. I also like that the sustainability task force is not only working on renovating buildings but also the curriculum so that students can get funding to do research on environmental issues through the center of sustainability. I believe that a very good point was made when the male speaker said that the future economy will be dependent on experts in environmental issues and sustainabiliy. If we could find a way to make saving the environment profitable we could do so much good in the world and enact so much change!

Finally, I really enjoyed the "costs of driving a car" brainstorm. I am studying economics and we have discussed the opportunity cost of driving a car (the money you spend on driving you cant spend on other things,) but I have never thought of all of the other costs of driving such as time and health risks.

I am definitely thinking about attending the symposium on October 6th about urban sustainability...maybe we can go as a class.