While my favorite color may be hot pink, my favorite thing to be is green. As a native Oregonian, being environmentally-conscious is definitely ingrained in my character, and it is an integral part to not only who I am, but also to what I want to do with the rest of my life. Coming to Georgetown, or just the East Coast in general, has made me realize how far behind the rest of the nation is in ‘going green’.
Fortunately, GU has several great organizations and clubs dedicated to a wide-range of environmental issues, including divesting from fossil fuels and eating sustainable, local food. Georgetown Environmental Leaders serves as a larger organizing body for all environment-related clubs on campus, and hosts a summit in the fall for clubs to share their objectives and goals for the year. This summit is also open to students and allows them to determine which green club best suits their passions. GEL has created a directory of all organizations relating to the issue, which is available on their website. Some of my favorite organizations include GU Fossil Free, which is working to divest Georgetown from the use of fossil fuels and coal to power campus; GU Outdoor Education, which takes students on hiking, climbing and other outdoor-sy trips; and the Community Gardening Club, which gives students the chance to grow and consume their own food here on campus—a nice break from Leo’s questionable produce.
Getting people to join these organizations is secondary to actually getting people to care about the issue. Why should Georgetown Girls worry about the planet? Again, not to step too far into a political issue, but whether we believe it or not, climate change is occurring, and if we—as individuals, a nation and as a global community—do not act, we will be the ones to suffer the consequences. I have been actively supporting the issue for almost my entire life, and I still feel overwhelmed with the ways in which I can make a positive difference.
Fortunately, I have come to realize that any individual act, big or small, can truly have an impact. While one avenue to do this is through these amazing GU organizations, there are countless other ways to make a difference. This post is the first of what will hopefully be many articles about ways that our fabulous women on campus can ‘green-ify’ their lives, whether it’s exploring an eco-friendly makeup line or a sustainable restaurant in Georgetown to dine at with your friends. Going green has never looked so good!