Student Essays, Opinions & Other Insights on a Sustainable UMD 2013-2014 Academic Year | Page 25

Eric York
Major: Business Management
Class of 2016

A few weeks ago I signed up for the What Will
You Do sustainability pledge as a way to
actively participate in environmental
conservation. As a member of College-Park
Scholar’s Environment, Technology and
Economy program, I’m heavily vested in the
pursuit for an environmentally friendly
future. I truly believe that everyone has the
potential to make a significant impact, even if
they do so in the smallest of ways. By simply
taking shorter showers, turning off
electronics, eating less meat, using fewer disposable goods, and supporting eco-friendly policies students at
the University of Maryland can not only reduce their negative impact on the natural world, but also set an
example for others to follow. While the sustainability pledge is a good place to start for upcoming
environmentalists, there are still many other sustainable areas that need to be addressed.
One of the biggest issues that has not received a lot of attention is the University’s excessive energy
consumption. In addition to the growing dependence of electronic devices used by students (ex. laptops, cell
phones, TVs, tablets), the majority of the university’s buildings consume enormous amounts of energy to
power lights, wall sockets, heating units, etc. Most of this energy comes from power plants that use fossil fuels
as opposed to renewable energy. UMD itself has very limited renewable energy utilities (wind turbines, solar
panels), plus it wastes electricity late at night to light up mostly unoccupied on-campus buildings and
dormitory bathrooms. At the individual level, many students leave the lights on in their rooms after they
leave, keep chargers plugged into their walls, and take long hot showers. UMD must resolve this ongoing
problem by investing in clean energy and reducing the total amount of energy it consumes while educating its
students about how to conserve electricity.

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