Debra Rowe believes students have the power to make a difference toward a sustainable culture.

“Right now it’s kind of cool to be green. Let’s make it really cool to be green,” Rowe said. “You’re sitting with the power in your lap to make a difference.”

Rowe, senior fellow at the Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future and High Education co-chair of the U.S. partnership for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, spoke to a crowd of about 75 people Thursday afternoon in Charles V. Park Library Auditorium.

“This is not about saving the planet,” Rowe said. “It’s about our human relationships with one another.”

The focus of Rowe’s presentation was to inform the campus community of the importance of changing individual decisions and public policy.

The ecosystem provides humanity with resources essential to daily life, she said.

According to the Web site myfootprint.org, if everyone in the world lived the same lifestyle as the average American, it would take four to six planets to sustain human life.

University President Michael Rao, who spoke to the audience before Rowe’s presentation, said he is committed to support sustainability on campus.

“This is a way of looking at what we do, and doing it very differently,” Rao said. “This is not a separate initiative.”

Rowe said change begins with education.

“We need to infuse sustainability into core general courses,” Rowe said. “Every student needs to graduate engaged in the solutions.”

Rowe said students have the responsibility to encourage the faculty and community to support green ideas and energy conserving projects. Sometimes, however, people need a push to change their habits, she said.

“The familiar is comfortable, even if it’s dysfunctional,” Rowe said. “Build bridges and learn to be persuasive.”

Woodhaven senior Bobbie Coates has her own ideas for alternative energy.

“Wind energy is the most valuable resource when everyone is pushing hydrogen,” she said.

Manistee junior Christopher Venegas said he would like to see the campus become more environmentally conscience. Venegas is working with the Student Environmental Alliance as part of a dining commons compost initiative.

“If we could get support from students, that would really help,” Venegas said.

During the question and answer session, Venegas asked Rao to sign the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment. The promise is a three-year plan to reduce carbon emissions across campus.

Rao said he wanted to make sure this was the best option for CMU before signing the document.

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