University should stay at forefront of sustainability

Editor,

This letter is to congratulate President David Schmidly, the Board of Regents, ASUNM, GPSA, Vice President of Student Affairs Cheo Torres and the SUB for taking steps to make UNM a more sustainable campus.

President Schmidly's energy-saving plan is a step in the right direction. It will not only save UNM $57 million over 10 years but will also drastically reduce the University's carbon footprint. The Board of Regents should also be thanked for adopting the plan so quickly. This energy plan allows UNM to be a state trendsetter when it comes to issues of sustainability. Also, New Mexico has the second highest potential in the nation for solar energy and the fifth highest for wind energy, so we should definitely take advantage of our potential for green energy use, as well.

We would also like to congratulate Torres for providing the $4,000 grant it took to acquire four outdoor recycling bins. These bins make it easier to recycle on campus and will increase recycling. The SUB is also implementing its own green plan in an effort to reduce energy use there. Not only that, but the SUB is also running off 100 percent renewable energy. Furthermore, ASUNM and GPSA have indicated that they will be lobbying the state Legislature for a grant to implement energy-saving features in campus buildings, such as motion detectors that would automatically turn off the lights when no one is around.

Our decision makers should continue to take steps to ensure UNM remains at the forefront of conservation and sustainability. I applaud all of the aforementioned people and groups for their dedication to this cause and would urge them to work to set a goal of making UNM 100 percent sustainable by 2020.

The student chapter of NMPIRG has been working on the Campus Climate Challenge campaign since the fall of last year. The goal is to make our campus 100 percent sustainable and to set an example for the rest of the state to follow. We are working to get 1 megawatt of solar power on campus, make a transition to green energy and to cut overall water and energy use in all buildings maintained by UNM. We look forward to working with campus leaders to expand on these accomplishments and build on UNM's reputation for sustainability.

Matthew Finnell and

Marissa Valdez

Co-coordinators,

Campus Climate Challenge

NMPIRG student chapter