Years (respectively): 3rd, 4th, 4th
Majors (respectively): Environmental Policy Analysis & Planning (Moosavi and Quinn), Environmental Science & Management (Klein)
The U.S. uses on average 60,000 plastic bags every 5 seconds. Every 5 bags releases 1 kilogram of CO2. To put that into perspective, 1 gallon of gasoline emits about 8 kilograms of CO2.
These statistics should shock, alarm, and even outrage collegiettes™. Think about how many plastic bags are disposed of in our town and on campus. These stats made such an impact on Will Quinn, Darwin Moosavi, and Will Klein who are currently working to rid our campus of single use plastic bags.
If you ever heard the phrase “dream big,” it might as well have been created after what these three classmates are trying to accomplish. They know what is important to them, created a goal that matched their feelings, and are realistically putting their plan of eliminating plastic bag use on campus into action. How are they enacting their vision?
Darwin Moosavi first presented the project to the Bookstore Advisory Council a year ago, Spring quarter, as one of his ASUCD platform issues. Classmate, Will Quinn, the environmental policy planning commission chair, joined Moosavi to further the project Fall quarter. Together, with Klein, the three have moved to the Campus Unions Recreation Board (CURB). This issue is huge and –for most of the environmentally minded Davis community—one that is of main interest to UCD collegiettes™. The pull from students has driven the CURB committee to deliberate the issue for the past few months.
Lucky for planet Earth, these three students won’t rest knowing their project is simply being discussed on campus. They have taken up forces with EPPC and Calpirg to rally student support. A comprehensive collaborative proposal was approved on campus and awaits the signature of Fred Wood, current Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. The students know they need to start small on campus: begin with a change in cashier’s approach at the student bookstore. One example of this is educating students purchasing material in need of bags and work from there to ban the destructive items.
Quinn, Moosavi, and Klein are paving the way for our small town by pushing Davis’ already well-known presence on the environmentally-progressive map. Check out their facebook page and read their article in The California Aggie for more information on how to help their project.
Edited by: Brianna Frisch