To: Board of Regents of the University of Hawaiʻi
UH Maui College Green Fee. We Want It, Here's Why.
It is pragmatic and beneficial for students and the campus as a whole to have funding for sustainability efforts. Especially in light of the fact that sustainability, e.g. "going green", have come to the forefront of discussion at our University with the Sustainability Policy Statement of 2012, the 2003 UHM Charter of Sustainability, the UHM Strategic Plan of 2011-2015 and the newly adopted BOR Sustainability Policy.
Why is this important?
This petition was started because we, the undersigned students of UH Maui College, wish to create funding for sustainability and green initiatives on our UH campuses.
Currently we pay a whopping 30% of our tuition to cover the expense of non-renewable utility costs. Not only is this a great personal expense for each and every one of us, using this type of energy also contributes to carbon emissions, the main proponent of climate change.
It makes sense to reduce UH’s carbon footprint, not only because it will generate a positive ROI for the UH system rathern than a negative one, but because it simply is the right thing to do. With funding backing the new Board of Regents Sustainability Policy, the process of planning and implementing the switch from dirty energy to clean, sustainable energy on campus would be within reach.
The Student Sustainability Fund (SSF) was invented as one vehicle to put solid resources behind student led sustainability initiatives on campus. We would like to see this become a reality on every UH campus.
It does not make sense for UH to continue to pay high energy bill costs while no funding currently exists for sustainability / green efforts on our campuses.
We intend to step forward and empower students to create, fund and manage a sustainability fund to find solutions to issues like UH high utility costs. Just think about the funds a 50% reduction in utility costs would free up. This is within reach if there is cooperation amongst administration and facilities to make it so.
The SSF will directly benefit students, clubs, departments and our campus as a whole. The Student Sustainability Fund will be $5 a semester for each student and give UH a starting point to make their goals a reality and engage students in active involvement in this arena. As the athletic fee is $50 a semester, a $5 fee for the SSF is a small step towards a brighter future for all those at UH Maui College.
Sustainability and greening efforts on hundreds of campuses typically result in a 1-3 year payback with a high return on investment.
To manage projects like recycling, renewable energy, student gardens and more, financial support is necessary and the SSF will provide an initial push for the administration to then come on board with their own investments.
Fore more information and access to a survey on the SSF, check out http://www.hawaii.edu/sustainability/ssch/ssf.
The mission of the Hui Haumāna Mālama Hawaiʻi (Student Sustainability Coalition of Hawaiʻi) is to cultivate a system of sustainable learning environments throughout Hawaiʻi.
Currently we pay a whopping 30% of our tuition to cover the expense of non-renewable utility costs. Not only is this a great personal expense for each and every one of us, using this type of energy also contributes to carbon emissions, the main proponent of climate change.
It makes sense to reduce UH’s carbon footprint, not only because it will generate a positive ROI for the UH system rathern than a negative one, but because it simply is the right thing to do. With funding backing the new Board of Regents Sustainability Policy, the process of planning and implementing the switch from dirty energy to clean, sustainable energy on campus would be within reach.
The Student Sustainability Fund (SSF) was invented as one vehicle to put solid resources behind student led sustainability initiatives on campus. We would like to see this become a reality on every UH campus.
It does not make sense for UH to continue to pay high energy bill costs while no funding currently exists for sustainability / green efforts on our campuses.
We intend to step forward and empower students to create, fund and manage a sustainability fund to find solutions to issues like UH high utility costs. Just think about the funds a 50% reduction in utility costs would free up. This is within reach if there is cooperation amongst administration and facilities to make it so.
The SSF will directly benefit students, clubs, departments and our campus as a whole. The Student Sustainability Fund will be $5 a semester for each student and give UH a starting point to make their goals a reality and engage students in active involvement in this arena. As the athletic fee is $50 a semester, a $5 fee for the SSF is a small step towards a brighter future for all those at UH Maui College.
Sustainability and greening efforts on hundreds of campuses typically result in a 1-3 year payback with a high return on investment.
To manage projects like recycling, renewable energy, student gardens and more, financial support is necessary and the SSF will provide an initial push for the administration to then come on board with their own investments.
Fore more information and access to a survey on the SSF, check out http://www.hawaii.edu/sustainability/ssch/ssf.
The mission of the Hui Haumāna Mālama Hawaiʻi (Student Sustainability Coalition of Hawaiʻi) is to cultivate a system of sustainable learning environments throughout Hawaiʻi.