Smoking does harm to more than your lungs

Students can reduce effects of smoking on the environment by stamping out cigarettes in designated receptacles or by kicking the habit altogether.

While wandering through Main Campus, students can be bombarded with second-hand cigarette smoke — that is, if they’re not the ones lighting up in the first place. In addition to the negative health effects smoking can cause for students, the environment also suffers.

Smoking is primarily an environmental hazard because of its main ingredient — tobacco. The plant itself requires and absorbs about six times more potassium from the soil than a majority of other crops.

Often in developing nations, growing tobacco often depletes the soil, giving farmers no other choice but to clear the forests for more farmland. In addition to deforestation, nearly 600 million trees are felled and burned every year to just dry and cure the tobacco leaves.

And although most scientists agree cigarette smoke has a minor impact on the atmosphere, the air pollution generated from manufacturing cigarettes, as well as the significant loss of carbon-dioxide-absorbing trees, leaves about 22 million net tons of CO2 in the atmosphere, all of which could have been avoided.

According to discovery.com, it is also estimated that about 4.5 trillion non-biodegradable filters are “deposited annually somewhere in the world,” many of which are frequently just tossed on the ground. These can take months, even years to break down, releasing many harmful chemicals as they do so.

Now the emergence of new so-called green cigarettes seem to be another case of green-washing, which is a term used to describe typically deceitful marketing techniques done by corporations to spin their products as eco-friendly. Even tobacco companies are doing it now to camouflage the negative health effects of smoking their cigarettes.

Cigarettes that claim to be eco-friendly are usually ones made with organic tobacco, promote smokeless tobacco or have green packaging. However, there’s no such thing as a green cigarette. Deforestation, non-sustainable growing techniques, pollution and littering will always be environmental problems associated with cigarettes.

Laura Fanciullacci can be reached at laura.fanciullacci@temple.edu.

Reducing carbon dioxide levels begins with citizens’ support

While U.S. lawmakers have the final sign-off on environmental laws, the wellbeing of the environment rests in the people’s commitment to sustainability.

On Oct. 24, an international climate crisis campaign, 350.org, organized the largest grass-roots political demonstration in history.

In 181 countries, some 5,200 actions were carried out involving an estimated 100,000 people calling for a reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels to 350 parts per million – the safe upper limit of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In Philadelphia, more than 350 people gathered to form the numbers 3-5-0 in a symbolic gesture on Independence Mall – the birthplace of democracy in the U.S.

Using our democratic rights to show lawmakers that we support action to address climate change is crucial, especially with wealthy polluters staunchly opposed.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, long a stronghold of dirty energy industries such as oil and coal, continues to resist climate-change legislation aimed at reducing U.S. CO2 emissions, opposing the American Clean Energy and Security Act, now before the U.S. Senate.

The chamber, along with many Republicans, claims the climate legislation will cost Americans jobs and economic viability with other nations.

Bryan Mann, a sophomore Jewish studies major and Students for Environmental Action member, instead views climate change legislation as an economic opportunity.

“Green jobs can help boost the economy,” Mann said.

In an effort to highlight the utter hypocrisy of the chamber’s stance against climate legislation, Andy Bichlbaum of the Yes Men, a “culture-jamming” collective that’s made its name mimicking high-profile politicians and corporate leaders, impersonated a U.S. Chamber of Commerce spokesman on Monday, Nov. 2.

“Without a stable climate, there will be no business,” Bichlbaum stated in the hoax.
But the Yes Men couldn’t be more right.

Neoclassical economists do not believe it necessary to consider the environment in the realm of economics, and free market ideology discourages government regulation to protect the environment. Because these economists create most federal economic policies, it is more profitable to allow pollution than to divert costs into more sustainable production. The current business-environment relationship is literally to “bite the hand that feeds you,” as all business depends on a stable and productive natural environment.

One of the casualties of this economic system is the atmosphere. As a result of unchecked fossil fuel combustion, the world’s atmospheric concentration of heat-trapping CO2, is 390 parts per million – 40 parts per million more than what leading climate scientists around the world recommend.

“When you have externalities like environmental problems, the government has to intervene in the free market,” said Amy Sinden, associate professor of environmental law at the Beasley School of Law.

Right now, two opportunities to regulate externalities, or CO2 emissions, are on the table – the Clean Energy Act, currently before the senate and the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December, where U.S. leadership is needed to reach an international agreement on reducing emissions.

While the 350 action and current legislative opportunities are inspiring, in exercising our democratic rights, we cannot allow a single piece of legislation or a target number to distract us from the bigger picture – sustainability. A shift in values, from short-term profits to a long-term wellbeing for the majority, sustainability is moving our economic idea of wellbeing from corporate gains to equilibrium of public and environmental health.

Emily Gleason can be reached at emily.gleason@temple.edu.

Author Robert Musil encourages student activism

Robert Musil, acclaimed author and environmental activist, encourages students to make a difference in the environment.

Last week, students from Carolyn Adams’ urban dynamics class and eager ears from Students for Environmental Action heard advice and commentary from Robert K. Musil, a renowned environmental activist and author. Musil spoke to the group in Gladfelter Hall on matters of Global Climate Change and the enormous influence of student activism.

“Students, young people, people in this room can make a difference,” Musil said during the lecture Oct. 7.

Assistant Vice Provost Michelle O’Connor organized the event with the help of SEA executives Korin Tangtrakul and Jessica Gruber, leaders in the student initiative to make Temple’s campus more sustainable.

Musil focused not only on the topic of his book, Hope for a Heated Planet, but also spoke encouragingly about how he began his career at a young age and how young people can be involved in creating significant effects on the environmental issues the world faces.

Musil reached out not just to those already engaged in global climate change, which he called a “nuclear war in slow motion,” but also tried to relate more broadly to students.

“I was a pretty good student,” he said, “but I was lazy. Now I’m reformed and write books.”
Along with environmental and related issues, he discussed ways to be involved in the multiple nationwide student initiatives, such as Power Shift, an annual event held in Washington where more than 12,000 college-aged people gather to lobby and pressure Congress to pass environmentally friendly legislation.

SEA President Korin Tangtrakul said she was pleased Musil talked about Power Shift since SEA is involved with the event.

“He emphasized a lot about students and the impact we have now, and I think it’s the most important thing to bring up on a college campus, that’s what students want to hear the most. They want to know what they can do,” she said. “I’m glad that he, as an older person that’s been through all of this, recognizes that.”

Following the lecture, Musil and seven SEA members sat around a table and discussed their latest initiatives, potential ideas, possible questions and how to deal with troubles faced in organizing.
Musil advised them to make an impact on campus by organizing at a local level and coming up with creative ways to connect people to the cause.

“Let them know it’s not just about polar bears and bunnies and hugging tress,” he said. “You have to engage people, listen to their ideas. Make it social, you have to give them a reason to want to hang out with you because it’s very easy to turn into a nag for people and fall into the environmentalist stereotypes.”

“I understand where people are coming from that aren’t a part of this movement at all really, so I hope to pursue relating to other people and helping them want to get involved,” sophomore environmental studies major Eric Smith said.

Amber Tran, a senior anthropology major, talked about obstacles SEA faces in getting students involved. She said the best way for students to do their share is to do simple things like ride their bikes or participate in farmers markets.

“Little things add up in a big way because the reason we’re in this position is the result of a lot of little things adding up,” she said, “so anything you do makes a huge difference.”

Brittany Thomas can be reached at brittany.thomas@temple.edu.

Letter to the editor

Dear editor,

It appears that the pervasive nature of Philadelphia tax and spend-city politics has worked its way into Temple Student Government. Just as Mayor Nutter is getting ready to make it rain with more hard-earned tax dollars some students at Temple are trying to rally everyone on campus around a similar cause.

According to an Oct. 6 report by The Temple News [“$5 fee garners support from students” by Nadia Elkaddi], “Students for Environmental Action and two Temple Student Government senators” think it’s acceptable for students to pay green fees. While $5 isn’t much, it’s the principle behind this course of action that students should be opposed to.

It is wrong for students to call upon other students and their families to pay these fees. This legislation also sets an unstable precedent for future action. What if other campus groups and the university build on this example to impose more fees on students? The consequence will be that Temple will have less of an incentive to make budget cuts to pay for related projects. Why would Temple go through the trouble to slash its budget when it can continue to impose fees? This course of action will surely continue unless students oppose these green fees.

The Temple News report lists four items that the green fees might initially pay for: recycling bins, transportation, light bulbs and bike racks. These items raise immediate concern.

 There doesn’t appear to be a shortage of recycling bins and bike racks on campus. It is silly to assume that legislative action needs to be taken to remedy a lack of these easily obtainable items. 

Transportation is equally absurd, stating that the fee would be used for “more support for public transportation to reduce the amount of cars on campus.” What does that mean? Are students going to be paid to not drive? More importantly, if subsidizing TransPasses is the goal, then TSG and SEA should be reminded that it is wrong to enrich a minority of students at the expense of a majority who pay thousands of dollars to live close to campus. Students should be responsible for their own transportation.

Lastly, the idea that Temple can’t pay for its own light bulbs is the most ridiculous idea conjured up since Michael Dukakis’ prison furlough program for first-degree murderers. Temple can pay for more light bulbs. Plus, the whole notion that this fee is acceptable simply because it is only $5 is insulting. That assumption places no value on the fruits of another students’ labor and it asserts that student financial property is anyone’s to take as long as that property is being taken with good intentions.

People turn sour to the environmental movement because of things like this. If SEA spent more time informing people and asking for donations rather than wasting time encouraging Temple to boost fees during a time of economic instability, they would have probably collected a lot of money for fancy light bulbs. Students are generous and we should be treated like adults, not as bottomless pits of money to pilfer from anytime somebody wants a pet project funded.

Barry Scatton
President, Temple
College Republicans
Class of 2010

Greener Money

A $5 tuition increase to be eco-friendly won’t put a dent in students’ wallets.

Senators from Temple Student Government recently passed a resolution that could add an extra $5 to tuition for more green initiatives on campus. As stated in Nadia Elkaddi’s article on page 1, this money would go directly to the Office of Sustainability, a department that currently receives no specific allocations, to fund eco-friendly efforts, such as energy efficient light bulbs, more recycling bins and a cleaner campus.

In the midst of a recession, it isn’t easy to argue for raising tuition – for any reason. While it’s understandably difficult for many students to pay tuition at its current rate, an extra $5 certainly won’t be the deciding factor in whether a student can afford to attend school.

Full-time students at Temple are already required to pay a number of fees each semester, including: a $125 technology fee, a $45 general activities fee, a $25 student facilities fee, a $40 recreation services fee and a $60 student health services fee. Tacking on $5 green fee hardly matters when it’s compared to the approximate $600 students spend every year in university fees, regardless of whether they ever get sick, go to the gym or participate in school-sponsored events.

Paying the university an extra $10 a year to support sustainability is much better than paying an extra $5000 – the estimated amount of money Temple students would have had to pay if State Rep. John Taylor (R, Pa.) had his way and Temple did not receive its state appropriation for the school year.

Think about it this way – you could be paying much more. According to Elkaddi’s article, students at Northland College in Ashland, Wis., are currently paying eight times as much as Temple students could be.

If Temple is going to ask students to pay an extra $10 a year, it should go toward a good cause instead of someone’s paycheck.

In general, turning to more green options is not only beneficial to the campus, but to the students. Energy-efficient appliances will reduce the amount of money the university spends on electricity and the presence of more recycle bins on campus would give students more opportunities to recycle and fewer excuses not to do so.

Green-friendly events found on campus, in city

Last week’s GreenFest Philly marked the beginning of a season of eco-focused events placed not only around Philly but on Main Campus as well.

Last Sunday, environmental festival GreenFest Philly served as a great opportunity to engage in the ever-growing green movement and eco-friendly organizations based in Philadelphia.

GreenFest hosted a number of vendors, including those who promoted organic cleaning supplies, car shares and sustainable energy and food products. Organizations in attendance included Zipcar, BioNeighbors Sustainable Homes, PennEnvironment, the Philadelphia Orchard Project, SCA and Shaklee, all of which are worth checking out.

If you missed GreenFest, it’s OK – future sustainable-themed events both at Temple and in the Philadelphia area are coming up to help provide fun, education and maybe some free stuff.

Educating yourself on the issues and taking a proactive approach to helping our planet are two of the most important things you can do, so mark your calendars for these events.

This weekend, Sept. 25 – 26, the Sheraton Philadelphia Center City Hotel and the Comcast Center hosts the 2009 World Green Energy Symposium. Speakers, businessmen, students and government leaders from across America will come together to discuss new and exciting green technological advancements and issues. Students can register online at the conference’s Web site to get a free pass to Friday’s events.

On Oct. 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., ¡Festival Verde! will take place on Eighth and Berks streets, two blocks away from Main Campus. It will help teach North Philadelphians the benefits of living a green lifestyle and will involve providing information and giving demonstrations on energy efficient storm water management and gardening.

Temple will host Campus Sustainability Oct. 21, which will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Bell Tower. Both Temple clubs and outside organizations will ban together, so that Temple students can dedicate three hours to learning about environmental issues and have some fun as they do so.

Attending events like these are a great way to get involved with the community, but it shouldn’t take a trip to a fancy conference to persuade students to convert to a greener lifestyle. Get motivated and become more involved by simply going outside and taking a look around.

Laura Fanciullacci can be reached at laura.fanciullacci@temple.edu.

Adding social responsibility to investing

While Temple’s investment portfolio creates a real return, it ignores environmental and social aspects.

Today, investing in public companies can yield big financial returns. At the same time, investing is a way to support socially responsible business practices.

Given the influence of investors, I was surprised to learn Temple has no official policy on promoting social and environmental responsibility through its investment in United States equities.

Temple invests portions of its endowment in indexes, such as the Standard & Poor’s 500 and individual U.S. equities, or publically traded companies, including Level 3 Communications Corp., Pioneer Natural Resources, Yum Brands Inc., Chesapeake Energy Corp., Dell Inc. and Disney. About 30 percent of Temple’s $200 million endowment is invested in U.S. equities.

All of Temple’s investments are made by a hired money manager, who is approved by the Subcommittee on Investments and the Budget and Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees.

“We do not designate that our money managers have to have strategies to pick so-called green investments,” said Anthony Wagner, the vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer of Temple. “Our main concern is to establish an asset allocation that allows us to create a 4.5 percent real return.”

Wagner also said investing in companies based on their human rights and environmental records is “more of an exception than the rule” for higher education institutions. The only guideline Temple’s money managers adhere to is a “basic approach” of “buy low and sell high,” he said.

While the “basic approach” may make yield the highest financial returns, which are used primarily for scholarships and other student needs, it is important to consider the social and environmental costs of a profit first policy.

Yum Brands Inc., owners of KFC, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver’s and A&W Restaurants, is one of the largest fast food conglomerates in the world. The company profits from selling foods harmful to public health. Obesity and related diseases like Type 2 diabetes are linked to high fat and sugar foods – the staple of fast food restaurants.

Pioneer Natural Resources makes a profit from oil drilling and recovery, with drilling sites in Texas, Alaska and South Africa. Oil combustion – the base of gasoline and diesel fuels – causes toxic air pollution and has been identified by scientists as a major cause of the carbon imbalance in the earth’s atmosphere, directly contributing to global warming.

“Universities should be obliged, as financially powerful and academic leaders, to support institutions that are working toward a better future for our planet,” said Ben Schneible, a senior international business major and former president of Temple’s Students for Responsible Business.

Later this semester, the SRB is launching a social investing project, which will focus on a portfolio of companies that “we find dedicated to their community, environment and the rest of the world,” Schneible said.

Perhaps the university and its board of trustees could take an investment cue from its students.

Emily Gleason can be reached at emily.gleason@temple.edu.

Wiping the slate green

Moving into a new place is the perfect time to go eco friendly.

When it comes to equipping a dorm room or apartment, the shopping list seems to grow every year. Typically, cleaning supplies, light bulbs and tableware tend to be at the bottom of that list, for students are never the most enthusiastic or picky about such mundane but necessary items.

But, with interest in the green movement increasing, the decisions over what exactly to purchase have never been more crucial.

In their search for cleaning supplies, students can keep in mind Clorox has come out with a new eco-friendly line called Green Works. The company promotes that all the line’s products are at least 95 percent natural, with most of the ingredients filed under biodegradable and petrochemical-free, as well as strictly derived from renewable resources.

Although these cleaners consist mainly of plant- and mineral-based ingredients, people have found that they are just as efficient and reasonably priced as the products they’ve used in the past.

If you venture out to a place like Whole Foods, selling brands like Mrs. Meyers, Seventh Generation and Method, expect to pay a little bit extra for its products because they tend to be even more eco-friendly.
Conserving energy is also important, and choosing the right light bulb could make a huge difference.

Switching out those generic incandescent bulbs for compact florescent bulbs takes little effort but saves a lot of energy.

Kurt Bresser, the university’s energy manager, said Temple’s student housing most commonly uses fluorescent tube in their lighting systems, which can consume anywhere from 60-160 watts, depending on the type and number of fixtures. On the other hand, the average compact florescent bulb uses only 13 watts of energy per bulb — for the same amount of brightness.

So instead of always flicking on that light switch, try to use desk lamps or floor lamps with compact florescent bulbs more often. Better yet, open up the curtains and use natural lighting if it’s sunny outside, and remember to turn all the lights off when leaving the room.

As far as tableware, purchasing anything that is reusable is definitely preferable over disposable paper products. It is also best to use rags instead of paper towels for the smaller messes. Even the paper towels you do buy can now be made out of 100 percent recycled content. Some drug stores, such as CVS Pharmacy, sell their own brands of eco-friendly paper towels at a very low price.

So, when it comes time to restock, make an effort to look for greener options because small steps make more difference than none at all.

Laura Fanciullacci can be reached at laura.fanciullacci@temple.edu.

Sustainability office to help campus go green

Since “going green” is on more students’ minds these days, Temple’s newest office is attempting to address the idea of an environmentally friendly campus.

On July 1, Temple announced the opening of the Office of Sustainability, a new administrative unit that plans to lead the university’s efforts in promoting environmental responsibility throughout Main Campus.

Sandra McDade, director of the office, was previously part of the Sustainability Task Force, which assessed a variety of sustainable practices for urban universities.

McDade said she applied for the new job because of her passion for the environment and sustainability, and she wanted to make a difference at Temple.

In April, President Ann Weaver Hart signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, promising to reduce Temple’s impact on the global warming crisis.

Students for Environmental Action, an active campus organization focusing on sustaining the environment, convinced Hart to sign the commitment. SEA is pleased that the university has the office.

“The Office of Sustainability will make an amazing difference on campus,” SEA President Jessica Gruber said. “Already, Sandra McDade is taking great steps toward making the campus sustainable. She is working with many student groups and different groups within the administration and is hoping to create many changes that will make a huge difference,” the junior environmental studies major said.

McDade said the new office plans to educate the Temple community about sustainability, enforce conservation practices and reach out to other student organizations this school year.

“We are very excited to work with the office this coming semester,” said Jacquelyn Fagan, a junior environmental studies major and the events coordinator for SEA. “After succeeding in getting the [commitment] signed and establishing this office, we now have the support we need by the administration to make some important changes on our campus.”

SEA plans to work on a variety of campaigns to improve sustainable practices on campus and create awareness to students, faculty and the administration.

SEA education committee chair Paloma Vila doubts the intentions of the university in establishing the office.

“It’s still hard to know if the office was created because President Hart and the rest of the administration really feel it is important for a major university like ours to be responsible about how we go about doing business and set an example for others, or if they’re just buying into the whole ‘going green’ gimmick like so many companies and organizations you see these days,” said Vila, a junior civil and environmental engineering major.

This year, the Princeton Review included a “green rating” to its guide for colleges, with Arizona State University, Binghamton University and University of New Hampshire topping the list.

“Honestly, I think we just need to make sure that we can walk the walk and not just talk the talk,” junior sociology major Audra Winn said. “Our plans and goals are fantastic, the work we’ve done as a student group is certainly admirable, and we just need to keep raising the bar higher in order to succeed.”

Jessica Lawlor can be reached at jessica.lawlor@temple.edu.