SNow talks sustainability

It’s no secret that sustainability is important to many students at MSU. MSU’s commitment to becoming more sustainable attracts students from many different states and countries. In order to continue educating Bobcats about the planetary crisis we face and sustainability on campus, the Honors Presents Lecture Series and the student club, Sustainability Now, co-sponsored the event “Sustainability at MSU.” 

The Webex lecture took place on Thursday, Jan. 21, from 6-7 p.m. and featured the Director of the Office of Sustainability, Kristin Blackler. 

About 75 students and community members gathered to learn more about sustainability efforts at MSU. Some of the projects highlighted were the Geothermal wells increasing energy efficiency around campus, dining hall composting, zero-waste events and passive solar walls that are scattered around campus buildings. 

Blackler also talked about the great strides towards sustainability our campus has taken. In 2020, MSU was able to divert 32% of recycled materials, which is significant considering the lifestyle changes that were required due to COVID-19. Additionally, in 2020, the campus dining halls were able to compost 550,000 pounds of food waste. 

Blackler encouraged students to pay attention to what goes on on campus, saying, “it is up to all of us to look around our campus and think about how we can make it better. We can always be doing more.” 

The MSU Office of Sustainability encourages all students to think about what changes they want to see on campus and use the office as a resource to make their sustainability endeavors become reality. “If I am truly successful, I will put myself out of a job, because sustainability should be a part of everyone’s daily lives and job description,” Blackler says. 

After Blackler talked about sustainability on campus, those in attendance were encouraged to get involved with the student club, Sustainability Now. Sustainability Now (SNow) is a club on campus that works to systematically unify the student voice behind climate change and local sustainability through facilitating student service, promoting education, sparking activism for environmental and social justice and creating a close-knit community of people that are passionate about sustainability. 

This past semester, SNow has been focusing heavily on creating a food recovery program on campus. This program would help to reduce the amount of food waste on campus by giving dining hall food waste to local partners, such as the Gallatin Valley Food Bank. 

For those that are interested in getting involved with the Office of Sustainability, stop by and say hello in SUB 284.