The Rice Thresher, Vol. 97, No. 20, Ed. 1 Friday, February 19, 2010 Page: 3 of 32
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Op-Ed
RESET to promote green initiatives
Patrick McAnaney
A few years ago, a group of fellow students and I
learned about an exciting new initiative occurring
on college campuses across the country. In an ef-
fort to combat rising energy costs and contribute
to the fight against climate change, students at
schools such as the University of North Carolina
and the University of Illinois voted to establish
sustainable energy funds to
implement energy conserva-
tion and renewable energy
projects on their campuses.
The idea has since taken off,
with more than 30 schools
nationwide establishing
similar programs amid high
levels of student support.
We were curious about
this idea and set about con-
ducting research to see if we could institute a simi-
lar program here at Rice. We discovered that over
the last eight years, energy costs for Rice have qua-
drupled. Furthermore, over the last three years, on-
campus housing fees have risen 20 percent, with
a portion of these fees being those same energy
costs passed on to students. We also learned about
the efforts the university is taking to defray energy
costs, such as Leadership in Energy and Environ-
mental Design accreditation for new buildings,
construction of the South power plant and instal-
lation of a new central energy dashboard system
that monitors energy usage across campus.
Three years later, our work has culminated
in the proposal to establish the Rice Endow-
ment for Sustainable Energy Technology. RESET
would work as follows: Students would pay a
$9 blanket tax each year, which would establish
the base fund for projects such as installation
of wind turbines or solar thermal water heating
systems. The fund would be overseen by a com-
mittee consisting of students, as well as faculty
and staff with expertise in the energy field.
Members of the Rice community could then
work together to propose ideas to the committee
for campus energy conservation projects or renew-
able energy projects. The committee would evalu-
ate the proposals and select the best ideas based
on a detailed set of criteria, including clear eco-
nomic payback for students and the ability to pro-
cure matching funds. The result of RESET projects
would be to reduce our energy consumption and
raise the campus energy supply, thus saving us
money while reducing our environmental impact.
RESET will offer economic, environmental and
educational benefits to the student body. Econom-
ically, lower utility bills at the residential colleges
will result directly in decreases in housing fees.
Furthermore, by saving money on energy costs
during a period of severe budget cutbacks, the
university will be able to preserve funding for pro-
grams and services that directly benefit students.
Environmentally, we will be reducing our reli-
ance on oil, gas and coal and promoting technolo-
gies that will eventually steer us toward a clean-en-
ergy future where we are free to consume electricity
without worrying about damage to our planet.
And educationally, we will be promoting stu-
dent innovation by providing those interested in
engineering or energy economics with a unique
opportunity to collaborate with their professors
and peers to design and implement large-scale en-
ergy projects with a tangible impact in their com-
munity.
Despite the benefits the
program could potentially
provide, I have heard sever-
al criticisms of the propos-
al. First, some have asked
why this fund needs to be
a mandatory, rather than a
voluntary, fee. The answer
is that because energy is a
public good that we all uti-
lize, we need to buy in equally. If everyone could
reap the benefits without paying the cost, there
would be a strong incentive to free-ride, which
results in programs being underfunded.
Second, some students have wondered why
we are requesting $9. We selected $9 based off
research we compiled from other schools. We
looked at the projects most other schools imple-
mented and found that $15,000 was the rough
threshold for large-scale projects that could
make a measurable impact on energy consump-
tion. The proposed $9 would provide the fund-
ing for roughly two such projects each year.
Finally, we have been asked why the univer-
sity is not simply addressing this issue on its
own. Rice has made impressive strides in its en-
ergy policy during the last few years and admin-
istrators from Facilities, Engineering and Plan-
ning, as well as from H&D, have demonstrated
strong interest in providing matching funds on
a project-by-project basis. It has been clear to us
in our discussions that if RESET is established,
we will be able to get the administration to sign
on as a partner. When we mentioned a sustain-
able energy fund to various faculty, staff and
administrators, they were all enthusiastic about
the idea. The real question is, "As students, do
we want to lead, or simply to follow?"
The Student Association General Election starts
today, and we students now face a choice. We can
choose to continue down the dangerous path of
business as usual, or we can choose to be proactive
and establish a program that will save us money,
save our planet and equip us with the tools to be
future leaders in the new energy economy.
I've learned a lot about Rice students during my
time here, and I know we are innovative and daring
enough to make this program work. Together, let's
vote for RESET, and invest in our future.
Patrick McAnaney is a Brown College senior and
Student Association president. CarI Nelson,
a Brown College junior and SA Environmental
Committee Chair; and Josh Rutenberg, a Lovett
College sophomore and Thresher news editor,
contributed to this column.
RESET ignores student awareness
Christoph Meyer
a
Over the past few years, Rice appears to have
made a serious attempt to clean up its environ-
mental impact. Mindful of its sustainability
grade on the Green Report Card, which, accord-
ing to the Sustainable Endowments Institute,
tanked at a C- back in 2007, the university has
seen its performance rise steadily above aver-
age to a B in 2010.
Since Rice has come such
a long way in such a short
period of time, one may
be tempted to assume the
university is excelling in its
environmental endeavors.
The new college buildings,
designed and constructed
to meet higher standards of
sustainability and environ-
mental friendliness, embody these "green" am
bitions. However, Rice's total energy costs con
tinue to rise, with no apparent end in sight.
Or is there?
In light of the upcoming Student Associa
tion elections, a blanket tax for the Rice En
dowment for Sustainable
Energy Technology aims
to establish a fund for re-
newable energy and ener-
gy investment for the Rice
campus. RESET is the lat-
est in Rice's efforts to join
the nationwide league of
environmentally aware
colleges and universities
that already boast hip
programs of their own.
These initiatives seek to
both curb energy costs
and spur green develop-
ment and sustainable in-
novations on campus. The
promotion of green tech-
nologies to reduce energy
costs represents a worthy
system transformation,
but while it is a great idea
in theory, RESET naively
overlooks a fundamen-
tal step in the equation
of reducing energy costs:
wasteful consumption.
Student awareness re-
garding energy consump-
tion is a fundamental
precursor to investing in
the RESET tax. One need look no further than
the average dorm room to find wasted energy;
if rooms are not over-air-conditioned, they are
over-heated, and lights are often left on in un-
occupied rooms. Sadly, these and countless
other examples epitomize the behaviors of the
student majority, who don't give these practices
even a hint of thought. If students are willing to
promote RESET and spend $9 on a blanket tax,
-ft
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4
Sm/,
The promotion of
green technologies
to reduce energy
costs represents
a worthy system
transformation,
but while it is a
great idea in
theory, RESET
naively overlooks
a fundamental step
in the equation of
reducing energy
costs: wasteful
consumption.
shouldn't they be willing to pay attention to their
own behavior as well?
That being said, turning off the lights or
opening the windows are by no means the only
solutions to reducing energy costs. Investment
in efficient reconstruction materials and renew-
able sources of energy represents a necessary
move forward for Rice as it
pushes towards an environ-
mental career cum laude.
Along with its Leadership in
Energy and Environmental
Design-certified gold and
silver buildings, Rice must
continue striving toward
sustainability by renovat-
ing its older colleges, many
of which are markedly out-
dated in comparison to the newer ones. Double-
pane windows, improved insulation and more
efficient light bulbs must become the standard
across campus, as all of them can help reduce
building energy consumption costs.
Therefore, the formula for Rice's success as a
leader in energy sustainabil-
ity involves both decreasing
excessive consumption and
pursuing — and carrying
through with — new envi-
ronmental efforts. While stu-
dent initiative is important
in these pursuits, RESET
may not be the most appro-
priate solution. The blanket
tax seems like an "out of
sight, out of mind" action.
Students may pay $9 and
feel they have helped cham-
pion a cause, when in real-
ity they haven't done much
at all. '
The system must
change, but so must we,
and unequivocally so. But
for this to happen, stu-
dents must begin living
environmentally consider-
ate lifestyles: transforming
the source of our electricity
alone will not guarantee
reductions in associated
cost. Installing a solar pan-
el may be more glamorous,
but lowering the air condi-
tioning and turning off the
lights may be just as effective for now.
Paying the $9 blanket tax is not the best solu-
tion. Just because you support an initiative doesn't
mean you are living by its ideals. It's time the peo-
ple of Rice, not just the buildings, went "green."
Christoph Meyer is a Hanszen College
sophomore. Yves Meyer, a tones College
senior, contributed to this column.
99
Unique character; programming of KTRU merit support for blanket tax
We Owls, with our college system and quirky
traditions such as Beer Bike, Night of Decadence
and Baker 13, take pride in a campus experience
that puts the average university to shame. For over
40 years, KTRU has served as an integral part of
that tradition.
Carina Baskett
In 1967, a few Hanszenites transmitted a two-
watt signal through the buzzer system of the col
lege, dubbing it KHCR (Hanszen College Radio).
Now KTRU (the "TRU" is "The Rice University")
broadcasts a 50,000-watt signal at 91.7 FM that is
heard all over Houston.
Throughout the years, despite many transi
tions in leadership, format and wattage, KTRU
has remained student run and true to its mission
to provide progressive and educational program-
ming and events, both on campus and on air.
Twice voted "Houston's Best Radio Station" bv the
Houston Press, KTRU boosts Ric e's reputation in
the Houston community through special program
ming, including broadcasts of concerts from the
Shepherd School of Music as well as coverage of
Rice baseball and women's basketball games.
This type of free, accessible programming is
not new to our mission. Though many students
may bemoan Rice's lack of live acts, KTRU puts
on several free concerts throughout the year, usu-
ally outside Valhalla or in the Ray Courtyard of the
Rice Memorial Center. In addition, the station also
hosts the KTRU Outdoor Show, an all-day concert
that began in 1992 and has recently featured acts
such as Ted Leo and RATATAT. KTRU also coordi-
nates Rice's annual Battle of the Bands, which be-
gins tonight at 7 p.m. in the Lovett Underground.
Even non-regular KTRU listeners will have
noticed an increase in our campus presence
this year. In addition to the regular broadcasts
of live Shepherd School concerts, which be-
gan last semester, we've also provided DJs and
equipment to all of the student-run Matchbox
Gallery openings, and even the most recent Rice
Gallery opening, free of charge.
Looking beyond out campus services, the sta-
tion has garnered a dedicated following throughout
Houston for its unconventional approach to music.
I11 fact, KTRU is not only unique in Houston it's
unique among college radio stations.
We play music that is difficult or impossible to
find anywhere else. Underground Houston bands,
experimental hip-hop, traditional Americana niu
sic, old fashioned Delta blues, frenzied improvised
jazz, poetry and sounds th.it defy categorization
we play them all. We value music for its artistic and
intellectual merit rather than for its mass enter-
tainment value, and we're one of the few stations
left that takes such an approach. Even if not all the
music we play appeals to you. we invite you to sup-
port our dedication to broadcasting these diverse,
underexposed genres and styles.
Because of the wide variety of genres and art-
ists in our collection, KTRU constantly challeng-
es its listeners and DJs to expand their musical
horizons; in turn, our listeners are always discov-
ering amazing new artists, music and sounds.
Most calls to the station are variations of "What
was that?! It was incrediblel" And if you find our
eclectic, genre-jumping format too jarring, you
might be surprised to learn that we boast plenty
of excellent single-genre shows - check our pro-
gramming schedule at www.ktru.org for weekly
programs like hip-hop, blues and spoken word
(all named "Best in Houston"), plus electronic,
dance, sixties, punk, reggae and world music.
The blanket tax increase KTRU is propos-
ing would increase your yearly fees bv a mere
$2 (from $5.50 to S7.50), but this would mean an
incredible amount to the station. We have not
received a blanket tax increase in more than
20 wars, so our operating costs have slowly
but steadily risen beyond what out blanket tax
funding provides. This is not only due to infla
tion, but also because the cost of technology
and performances has risen exponentially
Due to inflation, we haw lost 45 percent of out
purchasing powet owi the past 20 wars. We also
face technology expenses that did .lot exist or were
beyond our means in the 1980s: webcasting and
licensing fees, remote broadcast equipment for
events like the Shepherd School concerts and nu-
merous in-studio performances and interviews. In
addition, the music industry has changed: Bands
must now earn most of their profits through tour-
ing rather than album sales, so it is increasingly
difficult for KTRU to maintain the high quality of
the free, all-day Outdoor Show lineup.
In recent years, we have explored alternative
methods of raising money, turning to donations
from local businesses for much-needed supple-
ments to our blanket tax funds. However, with
the recession this source of funding has com-
pletely dried up. and we find ourselves in the po-
sition of asking the student body for its support.
Our aim is to continue broadcasting under-
exposed music and maintaining our tradition
of free, high-qualitv, unique programming on
the Rice campus. We urge students to vote in
this year's Student Association general elec-
tion and to support KTRU's first blanket tax
increase in more than 20 years. For the events
that we provide for Rice students, for our
40 year legacy as a student-run university in-
stitution and for a musical open-mindedness
unmatched among college radio stations, we
are asking you to take pride in Rice Radio.
Carina Baskett s a Mcrtei College senior and c
£V J 'tvfo and vws director
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Michel, Casey. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 97, No. 20, Ed. 1 Friday, February 19, 2010, newspaper, February 19, 2010; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth443140/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.