Editor’s note: The columnist is a member of the Students for Bars Awareness group.

If you exit campus and enter Lawrence proper on a winter evening, the glare of the streetlights overhead changes. The University has used an environmentally friendly and energy efficient exterior lighting system since a deal with Chevron Energy Solutions in November 2005. The city of Lawrence, on the other hand, adheres to standards set by Westar, Inc. — the company that installs and maintains Lawrence public lights. The less efficient make and bulb of these lights causes light pollution.

Here we see the division between campus and community. While many students trumpet green initiatives, they seem to be concerned only with making these changes within the very small radius of the KU campus.

Unfortunately, down the hill, Lawrence seems to be having trouble going green of late. And it isn’t just the lights. Last week, the newly created Mayor’s Task Force on Climate Protection named the creation of a Director of Sustainability position as its No. 1 priority. The director would ensure the efficient and environmentally friendly use of resources by the city. However, it seems that Lawrencians are not in favor of this position. In a Lawrence Journal-World poll of 761 readers, 73 percent said no to the creation of this post. The naysayers said the directorship would be a waste of money without realizing that part of the director’s job would be to cut energy costs — which would surely cover his or her salary ultimately.

In Fall 2006, the provost created a similar task force on the KU campus. Unlike the Lawrence task force, this one was successful. On Jan. 29, 2007, the KU Center for Sustainability opened its doors. Jeff Severin is the current director.

The first objective listed on the KU Center’s Web site is that it will “serve as an avenue for students and student organizations to collaborate on sustainable initiatives and provide input to processes that promote sustainability on campus.” It is not until the fourth objective that a passing nod is given to community outreach. But we have been lighting the way, literally and figuratively, for years and have not made a significant effort to promote change in the community so intrinsically tied to ours.

Some groups, such as Students for Bars Awareness, are reaching into the community with green ideals in mind. Recognizing that Lawrence bars depend on students for revenue, student members of the club are prompting local bars to recycle. Those students are trying to use the relationship between the student body and the community to make positive change. More of us should do that, especially in light of the negative responses to the task force’s recommendations. The issues being discussed by the Lawrence task force affect the lives of KU students. When the proposal is presented to the city government in March, we have a responsibility to ensure that these environmental initiatives are enacted, especially if we want to live in a place where more than just the top of the hill is green.

— Daldorph is a Lawrence junior in journalism and French.