Spring Break
Enviromental club sees room for improvements
Matthew Zane
Issue date: 3/15/06 Section: News
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People throwing away plastic water bottles into trash cans that are right next to recycling bins, others casually tossing cigarette butts on the ground, and overstuffed waste bins in the Student Union: these are just a few of the things on campus that really irk members of San Jose State University's Environmental Club.
The club meets every Monday at 5 p.m. in the Almaden room of the Student Union to plan projects with the goal of spreading environmental awareness among students.
Last semester, the club strung together a massive wall of more than 3,000 used drink cups collected from various locations around campus and hung it on the Student Union in the Art Quad.
The display was meant to bring attention to the 3,156 disposable cups that the club said students use each day, and to encourage students to bring their own reusable cups when they purchase drinks from vendors in the Student Union.
This semester the club is working with officials from the facilities department such as Energy Program Specialist Karl Gee to try and encourage environmentally-friendly changes to campus facilities.
According to its Web site, the facilities department runs the campus's electricity co-generation plant, is in charge of recycling and garbage collection, building maintenance and construction, and also campus landscaping.
Environmental Club Vice President Amie Frisch hopes that the club's relationship with Gee will pay dividends in the future.
"It gives us a direct connection to the facilities department, which is very important because they pretty much run everything," Frisch said.
Chris Opela, president of the club, said that the university does not give a big priority to the environment.
"I'd say it's a non-issue," Opela said.
According to Gee, the facilities department is researching ways to lessen the university's impact on the environment.
One project that is being considered is the replacement of non-functioning passive solar panels found on some buildings on campus with newer and more effective panels.
The club meets every Monday at 5 p.m. in the Almaden room of the Student Union to plan projects with the goal of spreading environmental awareness among students.
Last semester, the club strung together a massive wall of more than 3,000 used drink cups collected from various locations around campus and hung it on the Student Union in the Art Quad.
The display was meant to bring attention to the 3,156 disposable cups that the club said students use each day, and to encourage students to bring their own reusable cups when they purchase drinks from vendors in the Student Union.
This semester the club is working with officials from the facilities department such as Energy Program Specialist Karl Gee to try and encourage environmentally-friendly changes to campus facilities.
According to its Web site, the facilities department runs the campus's electricity co-generation plant, is in charge of recycling and garbage collection, building maintenance and construction, and also campus landscaping.
Environmental Club Vice President Amie Frisch hopes that the club's relationship with Gee will pay dividends in the future.
"It gives us a direct connection to the facilities department, which is very important because they pretty much run everything," Frisch said.
Chris Opela, president of the club, said that the university does not give a big priority to the environment.
"I'd say it's a non-issue," Opela said.
According to Gee, the facilities department is researching ways to lessen the university's impact on the environment.
One project that is being considered is the replacement of non-functioning passive solar panels found on some buildings on campus with newer and more effective panels.
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