Student Union

That's tricky. What would the requirements be for being "green enough"? Would the standard be the same for every group or different for each group? For clarity purposes: I don't think it would be fair to compare the "greenness" of a group like Green Action to a group like Society of Automotive Engineers (WUracing). They're each made for a different purpose. One is to promote exactly what it's named, green action, and the other is to apply engineering principles to design, build, and race a formula-style racecar. Of course Green Action probably won't emit any GHG's into the atmosphere unlike WUracing which most definitely will, but then again, it's an inevitable result of the actual purpose of WUracing. So should WUracing be penalized for not adhering to the same standards as Green Action? I would definitively say NO. My opinion would be that this "greenness" legislation NOT be passed at all as it will inhibit many groups from surviving based solely on how "green" they are regardless of the educational values the group promotes, but it probably will considering SU's previous decisions. Therefore, I think each group should have a realistic standard of "greenness" factor in which they must meet. This could be like what WUracing is putting into action such as implementing E85 instead of gasoline, something realistically that can be attained while still fulfilling the goals of the group. Just my thoughts....

No, I think that this is absolutely ridiculous. I am all for saving the environment whenever possible, and this possibly has more to do with huge events like WILD or Dance Marathon, but I used to be the event organizer for a small SU group. I'm just imagining how terrible it would have been to get a small event approved with all of these requirements. SImply ordering pizzas for everyone will turn into expensive Bon Appetit catering and buying carbon certificates because the event occurs indoors or after 7pm (umm...doesn't almost everything?)

And pointing out bike routes??? Seriously? Imagine:   "For attendees arriving from the North Side, please be sure to utilize the underpass while biking over. Turn left and then right on Wallace to follow a bike-friendly, construction-free path to Myers dorm, where the training session/holiday party/info session will be held. There are plenty of bike racks in front of HIGE."

There should be incentives to be "green" at most. Forcing students to host green events puts just another burden on student groups planning major events. Student groups simply don't have the resources or TIME to deal with making sure their events are sustainable and green. Being sustainable and green raises costs, which limit the quality of the overall event and may prevent some organizations from hosting an event period. Moreover, being sustainable and green is a very subjective ideal and not one every student necessarily adheres to. Thus, we should not force students who do not think it is very important to be green to use their time, money, and other resources on being green.

I think that Wash U groups should be offered incentives to make their events "greener."  Penalizing groups will only serve to create ill will, but offering incentives is likely to work.

No, student group events should be not incentivized or penalized in respect to their "green" status.  For a lot of events, this would not make any sense, as the planning is so straightforward (for example: buy food, then watch movie) and there simply isn't room to make it more green (except, perhaps, adding a recycling bin - but those are fairly abundant).  To incentivize the events that can become more green would be to penalize those that cannot, which is unfair to the straightforward and simple events.

That said, groups and events should definitely be ENCOURAGED to be green!

There should absolutely be incentives to encourage sustainable events. We are far too well informed to continue putting on blinders about the environmental consequences of our actions. Events such as Vertigo entail filling large venues with decorative materials-most notably huge black plastic sheets that cover all the walls- and then frantically ripping them down and throwing them in a dumpster the following morning. Aside from degrading the environment, practices like this are short-sighted and illogical.

The financial payback of saving and reusing basic materials from one year to another is an incentive in and of itself. Aside from that, in a community as informed as ours it should just be a basic responsibility to act sustainably. For all of these reasons, it is critical that we reward student groups for taking the initiative to do the environmentally and socially responsible thing by making their events sustainable.