Editorial: Is Portland State an eco-poseur?

When talking about sustainability at Portland State, the words “discussion” and “encouragement” get used a lot. We “encourage” and “discuss” being green so much it’s easy to see how we’ve painted a reputation as such an eco-friendly place.

But what are we actually doing?

Aside from the usual recycling bins and saving electricity, we also have a solid research program aimed at green buildings. This program recently received around $1 million in federal funding to further its work.

Not to mention, President Wim Wiewel is a huge green advocate who spearheads ambitious projects—most recently, talks with Nissan and Mitsubishi to bring their new electric cars to Portland.

This is fantastic, and it does have impact. However, you can still go to schools like Boise State University or Stanford University and find similar projects and practices.

So, in reality, is Portland State doing that much for sustainability, or are we just raising a lot of awareness?

What is wrong with pushing the limits?

With the amount of support and enthusiasm for sustainability here at Portland State, there really isn’t any reason we couldn’t be a shining example for sustainability practices across the country, and truly lead by example.

Have red tape and the fear of what other people think turned us into timid little eco-mice?

At times, activism seems to carry a negative context, but how long are we going to sit and encourage each other before someone finally gets up and makes major change happen?

Just because action speaks louder than words doesn’t make it bad.

Portland State should be leading this movement because we, of all people, are “aware” of the need for sustainability—enough talk, we know what’s up.

Why is President Wiewel the most active eco-dude on campus?

There is a lot that we can do within legal boundaries, financial requirements and practical implementation that would not be intrusive to how we go about our lives. We’re smart and we can make radical change in ways that could benefit people.

The community here at Portland State has real power—and real passion—and we should do more than talk about it.