Global warming. As temperatures increase, glaciers melt and sea levels rise, this threat seems all too real-an "inconvenient truth," some may say. Has Brandeis, a relatively socially conscious school, done enough to try to combat this by going green? Although I believe we have made some solid progress on the issue, we still have a way to go.On the positive side, University President Jehuda Reinharz and many students are adamant about reducing the use of plastic in the form of water bottles on campus. The Campus Sustainability Initiative has designed and distributed aluminum containers to serve as bottles. The Student Union and Students for Environmental Action, which have conducted surveys on the subject, are currently pursuing and exploring other options.

Additionally, we recycle heavily, have a composting program, consume many locally grown and organic foods, have invested greatly in our efforts to reduce our expenditure of energy and electricity and advocate carpooling.

However, we haven't gone completely green yet. As rated by the annual College Sustainability Report Card, an independent assessor of greenness on top colleges and universities, we actually received a B- for our overall profile. The report cited that the new buildings we're constructing aren't made from the most eco-friendly materials. Our attempts at decreasing our energy use and recycling got a B, which suggests that there's more to be desired in these areas. We have not done enough to promote clean fuels and green methods of transportation like bikes.

However, the students that I spoke to still had a favorable impression of our stance on the environment. Andrew Hyde '12 stated that we should "strive [for more eco-friendliness]," but qualified that "We're doing enough already, especially with the water bottles." Josh Basseches '12 also cited our policy on water bottles and remarked that "Brandeis is very conscious about the environment compared to other colleges." Generally, I support any initiatives to solve the environmental challenges we face. However, to implement them successfully, we must ensure that they are pragmatic, sensible and do not compromise our way of living too much.

For instance, I commend the action taken toward water bottles. But at the same time, I highly doubt that we can rid ourselves of plastic completely, considering that the material is used to cover salads and prepared meals and that it forms the hundreds of bottles of juice and soda that line the walls of the P.O.D. Market, Einstein's Bros Bagels and the Boulevard. Therefore, unless we successfully lobby to stop Brandeis from purchasing these products, which is highly unlikely, I think we'll have to compromise. Instead of trying to eliminate plastic on campus completely, we should simply try to reduce its use as much as we realistically can.

Also, it's crucial that we take individual action. Even slight restrictions on the use of resources, such as water and electricity, can go a long way in making our school greener. Those of us who have a vehicle on campus ought to carpool more and reserve it only for longer trips. Plus, I'm personally disgusted by the abundance of litter on our grass and walking paths. Garbage cans and recycling bins are your friends-use them wisely.

Although Brandeis is but one institution, we can serve as a role model for not only other universities, but the rest of the nation and even the world. Let's not wait for other schools to adopt more eco-friendly policies. Instead, let's take initiative and show others what it really means to be committed to social justice by combating global warming. Because real change starts from the grassroots; people will only be inspired once they see others who are inspired.