The greening of PSU is good for everyone

Portland State University is taking control and adopting a climate action plan to make the campus “carbon neutral” within 30 years. This kind of action and proposal holds true to Portland State’s “green” reputation.

Carbon neutrality is reached by using techniques and renewable energy projects that offset carbon emissions.

Portland State is one of 685 colleges and universities in the United States that have agreed to address global warming. It joined 16 colleges and universities in Oregon by signing the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007.

While cap-and-trade bills may be stuck at state and national levels, Multnomah County and the City of Portland produced their own climate action plan in October. The plan hopes to cut carbon emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80 percent by 2050.

Portland State did not seem to care that bills are stuck in the state legislature or congress. Rather, the school decided to forge a plan that would prove to be even more ambitious than the Portland and Multnomah County climate action plan.

On May 24, the university released a 69-page plan that shows how it will play its part in helping climate change. PSU owns up to its sustainability calling and its reputation for being a “green” school. The plan aims for an 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions below that of the current levels by 2030 with the goal to get to carbon neutrality by 2040.

The plan for Portland State to become carbon neutral within 30 years is not only good for the environment, as it takes steps toward the ever pressing issue of climate change; it is also good for the school.

Students and faculty at Portland State are very involved in sustainability efforts. Several buildings on the campus are “eco-friendly,” including two of the residence halls, the Broadway Housing Building and Stephen Epler Hall. Not only are students learning what it means to be “green,” they are living green lives as well.

Portland State is currently Oregon’s largest university, with 28,000 students. PSU plans to add 12,500 more students by 2039. The number of students who are exposed to sustainability efforts while attending PSU is phenomenal.

Even if the students are not directly involved in sustainability efforts, students are exposed to them just by attending PSU. They are exposed to the things they can do to help the environment throughout their college career, and hopefully they can take some of the habits and continue with them in life after PSU.

The plan to become carbon neutral is also good for the community in Portland. Since Portland State is in the middle of downtown, the community is aware of many of the efforts, ideas and activities that the campus partakes in, and sometimes also participates.

Although Portland and Multnomah County have their own plans to cut carbon emissions, PSU’s efforts for carbon neutrality and the steps it is going to take to get there are going to help spread the idea of sustainable living.

Reaching carbon neutrality in 30 years is certainly an ambitious goal and one that the university should be proud of setting; even if the goal is not reached, the efforts to reach it will not go unnoticed by anyone. Portland State should be proud of its continuous sustainability efforts and of its new goal of carbon neutrality.