One does not typically associate sustainable lifestyles with the Greek community. Green living conjures images of a barefoot philosophy major ordering a falafel from a Smart Car at the drive-through of Veggie Heaven on his way to the Ecology Action recycling center.
Fraternity and sorority life inspires images of, well, not that. But looking past the stigmas surrounding the two groups, it’s easy to see how they can benefit from one another.
Adopting simple conservation measures can save the Greek community vast amounts of money and cultivate a positive public image in the process.
If members of sororities and fraternities, many of whom will be very affluent later in life, learn the benefits of sustainable living while in college, they will undoubtedly continue to participate in and improve environmentalism for their entire lives, and everybody will enjoy the dividends.
There are very tangible reasons the Greek community should engage in sustainable living. Fraternity and sorority members often cite career-networking opportunities as a major benefit of Greek life. If so, one should know that sustainability is quickly becoming a valuable business asset.
According to a study conducted by McGraw-Hill Construction, an industry trade journal, 63 percent of CEOs “recognize the financial benefits of green building, and 67 percent of them see a specific operating cost benefit from being green.”
Additionally, the study reports that “60 percent of CFOs see the market differentiation that sustainability activities and green building can provide their companies.” Seeing as conservation is currently en vogue in the business world, knowledge and experience with it will certainly be advantageous to one’s career.
While I am not a member of one, I am well aware that being in a fraternity or sorority can be very expensive. Green living significantly reduces the organizations’ operating costs. Because houses have fewer residents and events over the summer, now is the optimal time to make the changes that will decrease utility expenses. One of the easiest ways to do so is conserving energy by ensuring air conditioners run efficiently. Fran Donegan of This Old House Magazine suggests checking to see if any air conditioning ducts leak into the attic. Donegan says, “A duct that runs through the attic can pull in 140F air in summer, making the cooling system work that much harder.” Insulating air ducts that run through the attic will reduce energy usage and save its owners money. Since many fraternity and sorority houses are rather old, it makes perfect sense for Greek organizations.
Additionally, the federal government is mitigating apprehension about the cost of investing in energy-efficient home improvements. This year, Congress authorized a tax credit that covers up to 30 percent of the price of products that utilize solar, wind and geothermal energy and their instillation. Information about the tax credits can be found at www.energystar.gov/taxcredits. A good way to start is having a professional energy audit. The audit will reveal where energy is wasted, what can be done to conserve it and how much money will be saved.
There are many ways to integrate conservation efforts with fraternity life. It is a hallowed tradition to make new pledges clean before and after parties. Wouldn’t it be a fun bonding experience for them to make their own cleaning supplies? Simran Sethi, a journalist with an MBA in sustainable business, reports cleaning solutions made from non-toxic items such as vinegar, vegetable soap and baking soda can save a family up to $600 a year.
With the number of people living in West Campus houses, and the amount of cleaning that occurs before and after parties, one can only imagine how much money a fraternity could save over just one semester. As creating homemade cleaning supplies would be a fond memory of pledgeship and save untold amounts of cash, there is no reason not to adopt this practice.
Jay Banner, a professor in the Jackson School of Geosciences and the director of the Environmental Science Institute, suggested some pragmatic steps the Greek community can take. Aside from energy conservation, he recommended recycling, alternative energy and growing urban crops. He also said the Greek community would seem a good place to make these measures a competition. Banner suggested fraternities and sororities create a competition similar to last year’s dorm energy challenge, where every dormitory competed to see which could conserve the most.
“It got a lot of people participating that otherwise wouldn’t,” Dr. Banner said of the dorm energy challenge.
There is no reason the Greek community should not become involved in sustainable living. It’s easy, cultivates valuable skills, has the potential to save tremendous amounts of money and, most importantly, is the right thing to do.
Luippold is a government and journalism junior.
Be the first to comment on this article!