Opinion > January 17, 2008

The university’s new push to boost recycling on campus is commendable. Sustainability, that ever-present buzzword, has become a priority for the administration, as well it should be.

In October 2007, the Sustainable Endowments Institute gave the university a D in its annual report card on the “green” policies of colleges and their endowments. That D is still not exactly something admissions will be putting in our promotional materials. We should improve.

In the past, response to recycling initiatives has been tepid. No new program will succeed without widespread support from students and staff. Some of us may disagree on scientific and economic particulars or vary in our passion for saving the snow leopard from extinction. But we should all realize that environmentally friendly practices are good and developing them matters.

Thinking about the long-term impact of our actions and being efficient with our natural resources will benefit business models, people and society, as well as the birds, the bees and the trees. As a university, we are charged with looking to the future and innovating. This growing area of concern should be no exception.