Blog #3

First off, I got a little gripe with the Sustainable Carolina website.  Now, I'd like to preface this by saying I am in not a web designer, and I in no way suggesting I could design a better page, BUT, I feel like the site is quite difficult to navigate.  For each heading (About us, Get involved, Academics and research, etc...) there are several subheadings that lead to a static page. To get to a different subheading, you must click back on the main heading, and select your desired subheading.  I feel like once I choose a subheading, there needs to be quick links to the other subheadings within that heading.  Additionally, it would be nice to see a listing on one page of all available team meeting times.  This would make it much easier than clicking the "get involved" tab and choosing a subheading 17 times.  End rant.

So, its not all bad, and Sustainable Carolina is obviously doing a lot to get involved and make an impact on campus here at USC.  Thank you for all your efforts.  The team I find most interesting would undoubtedly be the Recycling Team.  I have always been interested in recycling since I was young.  I find it very wasteful to keep pulling the same resources out of the Earth, when we already have mined up most all we would need to live a sustainable life, if only we were more concerned with recycling.  The Japanese have a sayin, g for this, Mottanai culture, which means basically "don't waste" culture.  I remember reading Japans aluminum recycling rate is the highest in the world.  They realize how important it is not to waste, and how could they not, supporting a world competitive economy with just a tiny land area, 70% of which is mountainous! Surely, they understand.  Anyways, got a little of tangent, but yeah, Recycling Team interests me most from Sustainable Carolina's website.

From the AASHE website, I must say that their STARS campus rating system was rather interesting.  It's kind of like a green audit of your school.  You can choose to to it as a reporting school, without publishing your results, or you can "compete" with other schools, and get your results ranked and published.  I feel like this is an important first step for any school, and a valuable assessment tool.  It's always important to have a baseline for comparison when you have a goal for progress.  The STARS program offers schools this tool.

One question for Margaret Bounds:  How many people are involved in Sustainable Carolina?  And if I can get a follow up, then of those people how many are students?  I couldn't seem to find this information of the site, but would be interested to know the answers.