The University of New England V. the World
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On Wednesdays at 6 pm in Decary 226 you can find a meeting of UNE students attempting to do their part to make the University of New England’s campus and the surrounding areas a greener place. These meetings are led by the president of the club, Kiara Frischkorn. Kiara has spoken on climate issues in the Portland State House and organized cleanups in Maine, California, and the Philippines. This has given her a first hand perspective on people and places that are affected by climate change. After serving as Earth Eco’s president for a year she has been on the frontlines of UNE’s attempts to decrease their carbon footprint. “There are so many more steps to be taken,” Frischcorn said. “But professors really care, it’s not their job, it’s their life.”
The University of New England is no stranger to climate activism, boasting the motto “Innovation for a Healthier Planet,” A phrase that can be seen on nearly every piece of school apparel and just about all the press releases that come out of administration. On their website you can find detailed plans for the campus to be carbon neutral by 2040, yet today nearly every single vehicle in their fleet runs on gasoline or diesel, and in their stores you can find plenty of items with single use packaging that add to the immense amounts of waste that any institution this large generates. It could be possible to attribute this to lack of effort made by the student body.
With most movements that create any meaningful modicum of change it typically works its way from the bottom to the top, rather than through legislation made by those who are leading. For example Germany’s use of green energy came from protests by normal people and the democratic ownership by communities of these resources, and in the early 1900s women’s suffrage came from protest, as there are still states where the Equal Rights Amendment hasn’t been ratified. All students have environmental awareness courses in their curriculum yet this doesn’t matter unless the lessons learned in those classrooms are taken to heart. Last year in the freshman dorms there were power usages charts by dorm building posted every so often, and showing people how they stack up against others is always a good tool to get them thinking about how they’re using their resources and give them reason to shut off lights and unplug appliances when not in use. Perhaps metrics like waste, recycling, electricity usage, and composting could be better recorded and turned into a bit of a competition, rewarding those who use less. This could create social pressure to be more sustainable.
There are programs being put in place that will benefit UNE in the future. These include initiatives by science departments to recycle the large amounts of gloves used for experimentation, solar panels being placed on top of the forum, and a larger variety of sustainable and recyclable goods being sold in the campus center store. Although the University of New England hasn’t reached their final goals of sustainability yet, the school is still a leader in the fight against global warming and is making numerous attempts to shrink their carbon footprint.
Pitches
- What is UNE actually doing about climate change? I would like to focus on what UNE is currently doing to reduce their carbon footprint on campus. I know of multiple student run organizations on campus that are attempting to make a change, and there is constant talk of sustainability, but there are holes that exist, like what happened to fossil free UNE?
- Mental health at UNE. I would like to take a few surveys, discuss with students and talk to professionals on campus about the general mental health of the student body and what problems they encounter on a day to day basis.
