Lately, everything from brands like Mary Kay to companies like Black and Decker are making the commitment to “go green.”
The long list also includes institutions of higher learning, and New Mexico State University is no different.
The Honor’s College and the University Speaker Series committee voted on a speaker to invite to the campus, and on April 5, Laurie Garrett gave a presentation at the Center for the Arts. Garrett’s talk focused on how climate change affects human health, and how many recent outbreaks (SARS, Ebola, Zika, etc.) can be attributed to habitation loss caused by our growing exposure to the sun. Among her top ways to personally combat climate change are to vote for leaders committed to the issue and to try to reduce our own carbon footprint.
To take charge of this endeavor, NMS created the position of manager of Environmental Policy and Sustainability, which is now occupied by Joni Newcomer. About nine years ago, the university compiled the Sustainability and Climate Change task force to figure out how to cut energy and costs.
“(The idea of it was) so silly to me, because a task force is something that’s done briefly and then it’s done,” Newcomer said.
She said she jumped at the chance to be in the position full-time, and was hired a year later.
The office (whose physical location is in A100 at Regent’s Row) set an 11-point list of initiatives to promote sustainability on the NMSU campus, in the larger community of Las Cruces and beyond.
Some of the achievements made in the past few years include installing water-efficient toilets, “hydration stations,” constructing green buildings and replacing spiral lightbulbs with LED light bulbs. Newcomer said the LED light bulbs alone have already cut the university’s energy use by 9 percent.
Regular events to inform and educate the community include RecycleMania and the annual Earth Day fair.