Western’s Office of Sustainability created a draft of its Climate Action Plan a year and a half ago, which has yet to be approved by university administration. The office will present a final draft of the plan for approval to Western's Board of Trustees in June.

The plan aims for Western to be a technically carbon-neutral campus in the short run and an actually carbon-neutral campus in the long run. This means that the goal in the coming years would be to offset as much of the carbon emitted on campus as is possible through the purchase of renewable energy credits. After a long time period, perhaps 20 to 50 years, the goal is for Western to get all its energy from sources that don’t contribute to global warming.

This is a noble goal — one students and administration should actively support.

Seth Vidaña, coordinator of Western’s Office of Sustainability, said the university’s main concern has been cost. He said the final draft addresses those concerns. Vidaña said this is not about money, but about the university making a commitment to take responsibility for our carbon footprint.

It is about time the Western community take serious action to reduce dependency on energy sources that emit greenhouse gas.

Vidaña said the plan is already moving forward without the administration’s formal approval, though it university approval would help immensely. One way Facilities Management is currently moving forward with the plan is by searching for a company to generate a list of energy-saving ideas for Western's campus.

He said student interest could greatly influence the university’s decision to approve the plan. One way students can express this interest is by voting ‘yes’ for the renewal of the Green Energy Fee in next week’s Associated Students elections.

For the past five years, this fee has been used to buy renewable energy certificates that offset much of the carbon dioxide that Western emits into the atmosphere. Currently, about two-thirds is offset, Vidaña said. If passed, the $9-per-quarter student fee will be used not only to purchase renewable energy certificates, but also to fund student projects related to energy conservation on campus.

One potential project aims to assess the feasibility of building a biogas generator that would make use of compostable waste collected on campus. It would put compostable material into a sealed chamber where it would decompose, generating methane gas that could be used for heat and electricity.

Students should not only vote to keep the Green Energy Fee in place, but should write to Western's administration to request  support of campuswide efforts to keep decreasing Western's carbon footprint. While this green fee will help reduce our impact through student-led projects, it remains imperative that all students express a desire to advance the Climate Action Plan.

The Editorial Board is comprised of Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Johnson, Managing Editor Alex Roberts and Opinion Editor Megan Jonas.