Dear editor,
First, I would like to thank The Temple News for your ample coverage of Students for Environmental Action’s green fee campaign. We’ve been very appreciative that conversations around the green fee have been consistent throughout the semester and have progressed longer than we anticipated.
Also, this campaign would not have continued to be in The Temple News were it not for Temple College Republicans. Though it seems Mr. Barry Scatton has forgotten what the green fee campaign is about, I would like to express my appreciation that he has so fervently made this a topic of discussion. It is disconcerting, however, that the College Republicans have chosen to oppose the green fee as if it were a partisan issue. This is a fundamental misconception about the campaign. It is no more liberal than it is conservative. It is designed to affect all students, not only those enrolled today, but more importantly those who will come to Temple. The $5 per semester green fee is going toward various projects that will help Temple become a more responsible, sustainable campus. This fee will always be $5 but will keep our tuition from rising in the future from the irresponsible behavior we currently exhibit.
As the semester is coming to a close, we would like to share what students can expect from this fee upon its implementation. Since the passing of the fee will bring with it a committee of faculty, administrators and students, SEA does not have control over what projects will be tackled. However, we have prioritized three main objectives based on the feedback and enthusiasm we’ve received over the past few months. We would like to see Temple adopt energy efficiency practices by putting light sensors in all buildings, construct green roofs on existing buildings and allocate a proportion of the funds to long term renewable energy projects such as solar and geothermal power. We want this green fee to be tangible to all students so everyone will be able to see where their money is going. Therefore we will provide 100 percent transparency on the report for the funds every semester.
Most importantly, once the fee is passed, we need your input. We’ve gotten great feedback and ideas so far, and once the committee is formed, it is these ideas they will be looking for. Since this is a student-initiated fee, (this is where it differs from other fees) all students are encouraged to propose ideas to the committee. For the price of one frat party, we will all have the voice to challenge Temple to become a more sustainable institution.
Sincerely,
Students for Environmental Action
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