In honor of April being Earth Month, HerCampus had the pleasure of interviewing Erin O’Neil, a sophomore at Bryant University that is currently involved in the club Sustain Us and is on the Sustainability Committee. Erin has a passion for saving the environment. She loves the Earth and wants to see others give the same care to it that she does.
HerCampus: What year are you in at Bryant?
Erin O’Neil: Sophomore, Class of 2020
HC: What are your involvements on campus that relate to the Earth? When do these clubs/organizations meet?
EO: I am a member of a new club on campus called Sustain Us, which meets every Tuesday at 5 pm in the Hall 17 meeting room. I also serve on the Sustainability Committee, which meets one Tuesday per month in the Fisher Students Center. Sustain Us is new as of last spring and it is a student run organization on campus with the goal of educating students about sustainability as well as promoting eco-friendly events. Sustainability committee is a committee built from faculty and students with the common goal of helping Bryant become a more sustainable campus overall.
HC: How did you get involved in these organizations?
EO: I got involved in these organizations about a year ago. I know the President of SUS (Sustain Us), Danny Giacomuzzi, and after making a post on Earth day about environmental facts he sought me out and told me about these organizations.
HC: How do you feel these clubs/organizations benefit our campus?
EO: Sustainability is relevant in all of our lives. Bringing it to campus has provided students with knowledge, and resources. Sustainability benefits the planet as a whole, and starting to make a change on campus is a step in the right direction.
HC: What are some events that are going on for Earth month?
EO: SUS and the sustainability committee have a few events going on for Earth week starting the week following earth day (4/22):
- 4/22 -“Build a Recyclables Statue” in Fisher room 2C from 8-10 pm
- 4/23 – Yoga to promote a healthy mind and body in the Group Exercise room from 5-6 pm
- 4/25 – Visit SUS’s table in the Rotunda to learn more about sustainability and make a green finger pledge, at night come to fisher 2C from 9-11 pm for an environmental movie (Planet Earth 2)
- 4/26 – LEED certification unveiling in the AIC from 2-3 pm, visit our table in the roto to play some games for a chance to win some fun and exciting prizes, and come to fisher 2C from 9-11 pm for another environmental movie (might be blue planet might be more of planet earth)
- 4/27 – be sure to visit the sustainable food truck “Like No Udder” on campus!
HC: What is the LEED certification and how does it benefit our campus?
EO: Recently, SUS had a petition going out in order to get recycling bins placed in the AIC. Since doing this we have been able to get the AIC LEED certified. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. A LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement. This is a step towards a more sustainable campus.
HC: How do you feel we could be more sustainable as a campus?
EO: As a campus, we can always reduce, reuse, and recycle. There are small steps we can take to becoming a more sustainable campus, and some very large ones. While ideally Bryant could be self-sustainable, producing zero waste, I know this is not yet possible. Sustainability Committee has some ideas in the works to help further this process. It takes a lot to change a campus, and it starts with its students. Bryant holds a number of events that students can participate in, such as recycle-mania which wrapped up this past week.
HC: How do you feel we could lessen our carbon footprint on campus?
EO: Reusable water bottles, worth the investment. Recycle everything you can, be sure to know what is recyclable and what is not. Turn off lights when you are not in the room and if you aren’t using something, unplug it. It might be a pain to do dishes all the time but using utensils that are not disposable can do a lot for the environment. Trying to be less wasteful is huge, you can always take more, but you can’t take less. Just be mindful that your actions have consequences. They might not be immediate, but they do add up. Climate change is real, and it is scary, I mean, it is snowing in APRIL. Be the change you wish to see, and for a better tomorrow, start today.
HC: Why is sustainability and our Earth so important to you?
EO: We only have one planet; we have to care for it. The Earth gives us everything, and in return we are damaging it. Everything you do has an affect somewhere. You throw out that water bottle? It ends up in a landfill omitting harmful toxins to the air that WE breathe. This planet is incredibly beautiful. More beautiful than I can put into words, and so diverse. This planet has deserts, great plains, mountains, vast oceans, forests, so many different types of eco-systems all supporting different forms of life. If we don’t care, we lose all of that. Many species of plants and animals are on the verge of extinction; they are losing their habitats to the carelessness of mankind. I care about this because this is the wrongdoing of human, and I am human. Earth would survive without mankind, but mankind would cease to exist without Earth.
HerCampus encourages everyone to make a lasting impact on our Earth during this month. After all we only have one Earth!