The notion of environmentalism is breaking away from the involuntary likeness of a tree-loving hippie. You need not recite Edward Abbey to verify your concern for Mother Nature. The time has come in which being “green” is more of a rational approach to living and less of a “secret society” subsistence. It’s OK to be earnest about finding a recycling bin or to advise your friends to wash clothes in cold water. Hot showers should be left alone though – they are a welcoming morning fixture that few people would sacrifice for the sake of energy conservation.

As more people are going green, so are universities. Around the country a lot of environmental good is happening. WSU is no exception. The CUB is LEED certified. LEED is an acronym for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.” For a building to acquire this label, it must meet special requirements and be designed in such a way that it functions on a high level of environmental awareness. As the CUB bathrooms indicate, their water conservation was consciously integrated. To have such a heavily used building operate at a lesser impact not only sets a good example, but shows people that the way of life we’re working toward can still be comfortable.

Other schools are setting examples too. Dartmouth has its Big Green Bus, which tours the country each summer with 12 students in tow. It travels some 13,000 miles on waste vegetable oil – a renewable alternative to petroleum. The purpose is to reach out to consumers and elected officials across the board and facilitate discussion and inquiry about energy consumption, green initiatives and the latest and greatest news about the environment. According to the Big Green Bus Web site, it reached 36 states and more than 15 educational institutions last summer.

Last November, Vermont’s Middlebury College devoted an entire issue of its student newspaper to environmental news and awareness. Understandably, Sierra Club magazine gave Middlebury College its highest ranking on its 2008 “Schools That Get It” list.

Five American universities compose “The Eco League”, a group of like-minded institutions that are “dedicated to environmental learning and the active pursuit of environmental studies.” The schools in the Eco League are Alaska Pacific University, Prescott College, Green Mountain College, Northland College and College of the Atlantic.

So, as the going green prevails, it is time to compete in an online contest among universities and colleges in the U.S. I urge you to take a break from Facebook and register at www.climateculture.com. Use your WSU e-mail to signify you’re a student, and make declarations to lighten your carbon footprint.

Two schools will win overall, one for highest number of participants and one of the most carbon reduction by percentage. For a school to qualify as a winner, it must have an official sponsor. Climate Culture states that an official sponsor is recognized when a group from that school completes an online application, detailing its commitment to environmentalism. If a group is officiated as a sponsor, the school is then able to garner members and the tallying can begin. This is where you come in.

If any student groups are interested in applying to become an official sponsor, you can go to www.americasgreenestcampus.com and click on the easy-to-find link for applications. Without a sponsor for our school, we would not receive any prizes if we win. However, the aspect of simply winning is cool enough. As I write this, WSU is in 20th place with two members – me and a friend. If that’s all it takes to get to number 20, I think we can do this. The contest ends at the start of Earth day, midnight April 21.