Alfred University Gets Greener

As an alum, I'm very happy to hear that one of WNY's local universities is (literally) buying into the local food movement. Here's the press release about AU taking steps to purchase locally grown products: http://www.alfred.edu/pressreleases/viewrelease.cfm?&ID=5166

This idea makes so much sense, especially since Alfred is nestled in rural farm country and quite frankly, the views out of my dorm's apartment sophomore year always reminded me that there are probably more cows than people living in Alfred.

What really strikes me, though, is how the environmental movement has made its way into our national conversation and culture. When I started at Alfred ten years ago, I intended to be an environmental studies major. When I arrived on campus, I was advised to double major because I was told “environmental studies” wasn’t a robust enough field of study to justify an entire major. Can you believe that now? It seems like you can study just about anything you want related to environmental stuff and get a degree out of it. Which isn’t a bad thing but I’m so amazed and still trying to figure out what where some of the major players (Al Gore?) and events (Hurricane Katrina? Global warming in general?) that really brought the environmental movement to the forefront these last few years.

I’m envious of the kids who get to choose from so many “green” majors today although I suppose one’s actions/career speaks louder than a degree. Now that I work in the business development/advocacy field, I think it would be amazing to be a director or VP of corporate/social responsibility. A green czarina!