Earth Month at The Beach
Dear Campus Community,
The past two years have taught us that the world is connected, and we must work together to make meaningful progress and keep our communities safe. In the face of a global pandemic, our campus united as #OneBeach to navigate uncertainty and demonstrate true resilience. What I have witnessed during the pandemic gives me faith that we can meet our next grand challenge, mitigating the climate crisis, with similar rigor and collective action.
Earth Month at The Beach
April is Earth Month at The Beach, and I would like to take this opportunity to update you on our plan to address climate change and share how each one of you can be a part of the solution. My Commission on Sustainability recently finalized an update to CSULB’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). This document is a roadmap for the decarbonization needed to achieve our 2030 and 2040 carbon neutrality goals and help prepare our campus and community for a changing climate. The CAAP builds on the significant efforts our campus has already undertaken to maximize energy efficiency, increase renewable energy production, support clean air vehicle adoption, embrace the most ambitious green building standards, and integrate sustainability and environmental justice across the curriculum.
As we work to make The Beach greener, we ask for the campus community’s solidarity through individual supportive actions. To start, faculty members are invited to access the trainings and resources available for incorporating sustainability and climate literacy into your courses and to share your suggestions for how we can best support your efforts in this area. Next, all campus community members are encouraged to opt for a more sustainable commute method, even if only once a week. Being mindful of resource consumption and disposal is also critically important, and everyone can help by shutting off lights and equipment when not in use and following our Waste Not program to ensure that recyclable materials are diverted from the landfill bin. Even simple actions like refilling your reusable water bottle at one of the many hydration stations around campus can make a difference and help move us closer to our zero waste goal.
Of course, it is also crucial that each of us endeavors to multiply our impact by sharing knowledge with others, using our voices at the ballot box, “voting” with our dollars when we shop, and supporting organizations doing the frontline work to advocate for a more just, healthy, and sustainable future.
Learn more about CSULB’s climate action and sustainability initiatives, and about how you can support them and get involved in our upcoming Earth Month events.
Go Beach! Go Green!
Jane Close Conoley, Ph.D.
President
