This morning I learned about an initiative currently going on at UCSB regarding renewable energy. Two thoughts immediately came to mind when hearing this: will students approve an increase in fees with the current financial fiasco the UC is going through, and will the program provide effective measures to bring the campus closer to zero net energy?

The first green fee ever put forth in the UC system happened back in 2006, and was called The Green Initiative Fund. Students voted in a fee increase to their tuition to help pay for efforts to reduce their educational footprint on the environment. This initiative continues in that vein and will mostly pay for large-scale photovoltaic arrays around the campus and ensure the highest possible LEED certification of most of the Student Affairs' buildings. The reason I ask if people will accept higher fees is due to the recent substantial increase to student tuition costs within the UC system. The cost to attend UCSB in particular has risen 30% since I finished school last year. This program looks to tack on a $6 fee per quarter for every student over 10 years. I feel that the students will accept a change like this as they have been more active in the environmental front these past few years. It would at the very least serve as a symbol to the rest of the UC and college community that Santa Barbara is getting serious towards their energy use.

In addition to covering the cost of the PV arrays and focusing on LEED certification, the initiative has a few more tricks up its sleeve. it will allow UCSB to become a leading promoter of zero net energy and help the campus meet its Climate Action Plan goals for a carbon neutral campus by 2050. In the end, a significant portion of savings generated from this initiative will be diverted to student services, ensuring that tuition and career services, to name a few, will be around to help future graduates. I hope that this initiative passes, or at the very least draws the attention of other universities within California and outside of it. 

UPDATE: It was just announced that the initiative was passed by the students! Looking forward to updates on that and I am glad to see current students favoring such an action.

If you know of any current initiatives going on within your local campus or community we would love to hear about it in the comments or your personal blog!