It has been encouraging to see an increasing number of KU students come together to promote awareness of environmental issues and participate in sustainability programs.

Joining the movement to go green is possible through a variety of groups and students should be familiar with the list of environmental organizations on campus. On its Web site, the KU Center for Sustainability provides a list of the environmental groups open to students as well as information about sustainability on campus, climate change, energy conservation and recycling.

The University’s environmental efforts this semester have been gaining momentum. Many events held on campus have prompted involvement from students and staff.

Tyler Enders, Leawood sophomore, served as the coordinator and networker for the movement “From Blue to Green: Conserve KU.” Enders said he wanted the average KU student to be overwhelmed by a student-led, University-wide environmental movement.

“For the spring, we decided to host as many environmental events as possible to raise awareness, to educate people and then to create action,” Enders said. “We wanted students to realize that the entire University was collaborating on a movement to make KU more sustainable both on the individual level and on the University level.”

“From Blue to Green: Conserve KU” was a campaign that included every environmental group on campus, to develop a more environmentally stable and sustainable KU community with the hope to obtain assistance in a “contagious movement” that would stimulate change. This campaign included 26 events in two weeks.

Among the many student organizations involved in “From Blue to Green: Conserve KU” was KU Environs, which advocates awareness of environmental problems and issues.

Ryan Callihan, Lenexa senior and vice president of Environs, has been involved with Environs for two years and has also collaborated with the Student Environmental Advisory Board, Eco-Justice and Alternative Energy Society. Callihan said some of the most significant issues Environs had been working on were maintaining student consciousness about the environmental impact of eating locally and staying involved with several campus sustainability concerns as well as local and regional issues.

“Joining a student organization, in my opinion, is the most powerful thing you can do to effect change on campus,” Callihan said. “Recently, so many avenues for involvement in sustainability have opened up, which are accessible to the average interested student. There is a group for green-minded engineers, green-minded builders, gardeners, people interested in environmental justice issues and a couple for alternative energy, just to name a few.”

Enders said the easiest way to support sustainability without making a large time commitment is attending the various events around campus sponsored by environmental student groups.

“The speakers this semester were extremely knowledgeable and entertaining,” Enders said. “There will definitely be more next semester, both sponsored through ‘From Blue to Green’ and through other University groups and departments.”

Students in general should be mindful of their environmental impact and make an effort to modify their daily routine.

“Sustainable living does not mean going out and buying all of the ‘green’ products you can find,” Callihan said. “It requires a tweaking of your living and consumptive habits. This would include things like riding your bike whenever possible, using only the amount of lighting you need to see and knowing the products and food you buy and where they came from.”