With political leaders such as Gov. Kelly Ayotte refusing to take adequate action on climate change, The Equinox feels it is important that Keene State steps up and fights for clean energy.
In recent years, climate change has become more of a political issue than an environmental issue, with the Trump administration prioritizing money for billionaires and defunding climate change research. When federal and state governments refuse to make positive changes, Americans are forced to take matters into their own hands. But how does this affect a small college in Keene?
Unfortunately, we have been seeing low water levels all around campus. On top of the drought, KSC lacks recycling bins that are convenient for students living on campus.
N.H. is the only state in the region that has resisted the expansion of green technology and green transportation.
Although KSC still has a Green Bikes Program, we believe that more should be done to promote its existence and ensure students know how to rent these bikes. If the college could revitalize the program, it would do a lot to bring awareness to more green transportation methods available to students.
Another program missing on campus is Recycling On Campus Keene State (R.O.C.K.S). This program was previously made up of student workers who were in charge of collecting and managing recyclable materials disposed of on campus. R.O.C.K.S. then would take it to the recycling hub on campus and finally to the Keene Transfer Station.
After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program was disbanded due to concerns around students handling waste.
However, now that the pandemic has subsided, we see no good reason why this program could not be brought back into the fold.
KSC still has the R.O.C.K.S. vehicles on campus, so why not get the program up and running again?
While The Equinox strives to be as green as possible, we have run into difficulty in the past when it comes to easy ways to recycle our excess newspapers. Reviving a program like R.O.C.K.S. to assist in large-scale recycling, as is needed for our papers, would be a tremendous help and would be a step forward in showing the college’s commitment to sustainable practices.
While ideas have been tossed around in the past about potential new solar panel array construction, or buying up electric vehicles to be used by campus employees, such as the facilities department, none of these potentially game-changing solutions will be implemented due to inaction and even climate change denial among state legislators.
Advocacy is a crucial part of making change. If our state government will not take action for the sake of our planet, then we as students must encourage KSC to implement cost-effective changes that N.H. won’t, potentially even collaborating with the city of Keene.
While the sustainability office and clubs such as Eco-Reps do exist, The Equinox believes the KSC community should be more proactive in protecting/helping our environment.
Recycling is a big problem on campus, but the solutions are simpler than they may seem.
Bringing awareness to existing resources and outlets for activism, such as clubs, along with reviving R.O.C.K.S., would go a long way in the fight for a more sustainable KSC.
This article has been updated to reflect the fact that the Green Bikes program is currently operational. The Equinox apologizes for this error.
