As the earth experiences its second hottest summer of all time, the sea is becoming an ever-important focus of environmental justice. At Brandeis, students are talking about SEA as well—Students for Environmental Action, that is.
SEA is one of the many clubs that fall under the political and activism umbrella of student organizations. It also happens to be the largest student-run environmental organization on the Brandeis campus.
On Sept. 6, SEA held their first meeting—a massive brainstorming session with all members that focuses on starting initiatives to make the campus more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Each year, they focus on three to four initiatives and break off into committees designated with the task of advancing one of the initiatives proposed in the kick-off meeting.
In the past, SEA has led a wide variety of initiatives focusing on many facets of environmental action, including “distributing reusable mugs for free to the student body to minimize paper/plastic cup waste, partnering with DCL to do sustainability programs in first year dorms and a week-long ‘Weigh the Waste’ campaign in lower Usdan to raise awareness about food waste in dining halls,” according to Guthrie Diamond ’19, the club’s vice president.
The work SEA does is campus-focused. It looks to inform about ways Brandeis can become a greener, more environmentally friendly campus and puts initiatives in place to help students move towards this goal. “Our impact on environmental activism is definitely on a smaller, campus-wide scale,” Diamond said, “but all changes start small!”
Diamond also mentioned that historically speaking, Brandeis has “lagged behind other comparable college campuses in the northeast, using more energy per square foot, recycling less, producing more waste and only beginning to compost within the last few years.”
In 2015, Brandeis found that it uses approximately 25 percent more energy than comparable schools, based on climate and building characteristics, according to the school’s new Climate Action Plan. The national average recycling rate for universities is 40 percent of waste, but as of 2015, Brandeis’ recycling rate landed at only 20 percent. Since then, Brandeis has implemented the action plan and lowered its carbon footprint for the first time in years. The university has also initiated a more aggressive recycling campaign.
SEA’s activism expands beyond that of the three or four initiatives they do each year. Throughout the year, they also offer opportunities for the club’s members to practice environmental activism through social justice work as well as political activism. One program that SEA partners with is a volunteer organization called Daily Table, which re-shelves “expired” food products that grocery store chains throw away and offers the food at discounted prices in disadvantaged neighborhoods. The program gives low-income communities opportunities to purchase affordable food, while also aiming to minimize unnecessary waste.
Offering opportunities for on-the-ground action as well, SEA helps coordinate club trips to protests such as the March for Science in Boston last spring, as well as holding an Earth Week celebration every April, Diamond mentioned.
The most important impact that SEA has on the Brandeis community, according to Diamond, is giving the students a space to voice their opinions on the matter of environmental action at Brandeis. If students want an outlet to express an idea, SEA is a great platform to see it potentially put into action.
Students in the club plan to vote on the initiatives they will be implementing by the end of this week.
