In an effort to increase environmental support on campus, Drake organization DEAL (Drake Environmental Action League) is petitioning for four changes on campus to make the university more environmentally friendly.
“We’re trying to get involved in some of the university’s choices concerning the environment,” said Jenny Koska, DEAL co-president.
The first suggestion DEAL is making to administration is to make all university printing double-sided. This would cut paper consumption on campus by half.
The second suggestion is for all university computers to have “eco-font” set as the default font. Eco-font has little holes in the text, which are not noticeable in small point size text. This would reduce ink usage by 25 percent. Eco-font is available to download for free at www.ecofont.com.
The third suggestion is for all paper purchased by the university to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which encourages the responsible management of forests.
“We want the university to know they are getting paper from a place that endorses social and environmental standards,” Koska said.
The final suggestion DEAL is making is to move more university paper work and class assignments online in order to avoid using paper altogether.
“These are recommendations we have for campus,” Koska said. “We really just want to get the conversation going about environmental issues.”
If you’re interested in signing the petition for these changes on campus, contact Jenny Koska or another member of Drake’s Environmental Action League.
Photo: Connor McCourtney