2008 Woodie Awards
A global initiative on a global scale
Briana Gapsis
Issue date: 1/24/07 Section: News
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Washington and Lee University recently became the latest university to sign the Talloires Declaration, joining over 300 other colleges and universities in over 40 countries in a commitment to promote environmental sustainability in higher education.
"The signing of the Talloires Declaration is a monumental occasion for the entire W&L community," said Will Townes on behalf of the Student Environmental Action League (SEAL), "because it sets the tone for a long term vision of sustainability." It is also W&L's first major, campus-wide commitment towards a policy of environmental responsibility.
Concerned about the evident lack of specialists in fields related to environmental care, Jean Mayer, President of Tufts University, led 22 other university presidents and chancellors in a 1990 discussion of possible ways to address the situation. In particular, they stressed the importance of educating individuals across all disciplines about the environment and promoting research efforts to understand the impact of human activities on the environment.
They also emphasized the importance of institutions of higher education in modeling environmentally responsible behavior; college students can make a major impact on the health of the world around them not only by acting responsibly, but also by encouraging those around them to do so as well. The result of this convention was the Talloires Declaration, a 10-point plan of action.
The Talloires Declaration is a truly global effort; its signatories come from five different continents and are equally divided among low, middle, and high-income countries. What's more, the universities to ascribe to the Declaration span from small, liberal arts schools like W&L to large state Universities, from community colleges to technical institutes.
On our own campus, some of the most major problems include our dependence on fossil fuels and the lack of recycling. According to Townes, "W&L currently gets 100% of its energy from fossil fuels. This means we are contributing to the problem of global warming, and to the United States' dependence on foreign oil."
"The signing of the Talloires Declaration is a monumental occasion for the entire W&L community," said Will Townes on behalf of the Student Environmental Action League (SEAL), "because it sets the tone for a long term vision of sustainability." It is also W&L's first major, campus-wide commitment towards a policy of environmental responsibility.
Concerned about the evident lack of specialists in fields related to environmental care, Jean Mayer, President of Tufts University, led 22 other university presidents and chancellors in a 1990 discussion of possible ways to address the situation. In particular, they stressed the importance of educating individuals across all disciplines about the environment and promoting research efforts to understand the impact of human activities on the environment.
They also emphasized the importance of institutions of higher education in modeling environmentally responsible behavior; college students can make a major impact on the health of the world around them not only by acting responsibly, but also by encouraging those around them to do so as well. The result of this convention was the Talloires Declaration, a 10-point plan of action.
The Talloires Declaration is a truly global effort; its signatories come from five different continents and are equally divided among low, middle, and high-income countries. What's more, the universities to ascribe to the Declaration span from small, liberal arts schools like W&L to large state Universities, from community colleges to technical institutes.
On our own campus, some of the most major problems include our dependence on fossil fuels and the lack of recycling. According to Townes, "W&L currently gets 100% of its energy from fossil fuels. This means we are contributing to the problem of global warming, and to the United States' dependence on foreign oil."
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