On Monday, February 9th, Notre Dame held its second annual Green Summit. This event gave roughly 200 students, staff and faculty the opportunity to participate in a campus-wide sustainability planning session. This year, the tables were organized based on the participant’s major or department, allowing for people with similar backgrounds to discuss ways to make that area more sustainable.
Senior Anthropology and Sociology double-major Erin Murphy immediately went home after the Summit and sent an email to her 6 housemates to discuss greener changes they can make in their house. These included turning out the lights, making sure to recycle, and buying Brita water filters in place of bottled water. “Our conversations at the table reinvigorated my fervor for the green cause,” she says. “We discussed how making small changes really do add up, and how acting in an environmentally friendly way should be the social norm at Notre Dame.”
The Summit did not just inspire students. Says Micki Kidder, the Senior Advisor to the Executive Vice President, “After participating in the past two Green Summits, I am convinced it is one of the premier events on campus. The summit provides an opportunity to engage with students, staff, and faculty and always results in innovative yet practical suggestions for energy conservation!”
For the second year in a row, the Green Summit brought together students, staff and faculty to converse about ways to make Notre Dame a more sustainable environment. Given the energy and excitement of the evening, the participants are sure to make changes in their own daily lives and their school or job related surroundings.