Coming in from Charlotte, North Carolina!!!

As some of you may know that I’m coming all the way from Charlotte, NC!! I will be the 1st to admit that I love the city but I do believe that we do need some major…MAJOR improvements when is comes to sustainability and protecting our environment. By working with RAN and my fellow Earth Club members here at UNC Charlotte, we have been working on various campaigns and events to get the ball moving.

Recently our Chancellor Phillip L. Dubois signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment which will designate UNC Charlotte as one of the many colleges and/or universities in the state of North Carolina to sign the pledge to address global warming. Wow!!! That’s a huge step for us as a school and community. Who ever thought that something like this would happen here!

Chancellor Dubois stated “Anyone who is familiar with this University’s legacy understands we have had a strong commitment to environmental protection, and signing the Presidents’ Climate Commitment shows we are demonstrating how a large public institution can be a good environmental steward,” Dubois said. “We also realize signing this piece of paper is just a start, not the conclusion. We must continue to discover practical sustainability goals for our students and employees and do what we can to help them succeed.”

I agree with that last statement. This is the quick fix, we as a community have to continue to work hard in order to see and feel the change that so many of us want.

The following is taken from a piece in the student newspaper:

As part of the Presidents’ Climate Commitment, other steps will be taken to move the campus closer to climate neutrality. In the short term, the University will:

• Work toward adoption of green standards for buildings by following U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) construction guidelines. LEED certification is being sought on new capital projects, including the Center City Building and the EPIC Building.
• Adopt an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy requiring ENERGY STAR certified products in all areas for which such ratings exist.
• Encourage use of and provide access to public transportation for all faculty, staff, students and visitors.
• Participate in the waste minimization component of the national “RecycleMania” competition and adopt several other associated measures to reduce waste.

With all of that said..I’m so excited and proud of my university!! Now you all see why I love UNCC!! hehe! I will continue to keep everyone updated on everything that’s going on here down south!!

Much Love,

Catherine Okafor