The Advantages of Green Campuses for The Environment

Sheila Mitha

2223200032/4A

Academic Writing Final Test

The Advantages of Green Campuses for The Environment

As the world gets older, it is very crucial to protect the environment around us. One of the contributions that we can make in the field of the educational system is to actualize the green campus. Green campus is a program that incorporates environmental management and protection into tertiary institutions (Pedoman Green Campus, 2012). The goal of the “green campus” concept is not only to increase prestige, but also to increase people's awareness of the campus environment by educating them about the importance of constantly protecting and maintaining the environment. To create a green campus, it cannot be done by one individual. As stated by Salatin in Ruby & Nani (2013:18) that every academic community must be on board with implementing the ideas of an environmentally friendly campus, an eco-friendly campus, a green campus, a sustainable campus, a conservation campus, or any other terminology that truly share the same principles, namely an environmental perspective. For this reason, the very first step that the academic communities can do to support the realization of a green campus is becoming more environmentally friendly.

Being environmentally friendly simply refers to leading a more sustainable lifestyle. For example, adapting zero waste, 3R (Reduce-Reuse-Recycle), and using public transportation that has been provided by the university. According to Okafor (2021) the 'zero waste' approach is founded on the concept of managing materials in ways that preserve value, limit environmental impact, and protect natural resources. Instead of buying plastic water bottles, carrying a reusable water bottle is a good place to start. This simple effort can help to reduce the percentage of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. As reported by CIEL (2019), if plastic manufacturing and usage continue at their current rates, emissions might reach 1.34 gigatonnes per year by 2030, equivalent to the emissions produced by more than 295 new 500-megawatt coal-fired power plants. Moreover, using reusable bottles also makes a positive impact on the ocean. Because in 2016, about 480 billion plastic bottles were purchased globally, yet less than half of this waste was recycled, resulting in the majority of this waste ending up in the oceans and landfills (EcoWatch, 2017). Therefore, the concept of zero waste truly has a big impact on the environment.

On the other hand, some people must be familiar with the concept of 3R (Reduce-Reuse-Recycle). In short, this idea is a process for properly managing waste. One of the implementations of 3R in the campus area is minimizing using paper as a tool or media for teaching-learning process. Students or lecturers utilize electronic textbooks or digital notes instead of paper. In addition to accessing the content that will become much easier, going paperless helps to alleviate the effects of climate change. According to Xiong (2021) paper manufacture is also a big polluter of the environment. Sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide are produced, which contribute to acid rain, greenhouse gasses, and water pollution. Reducing paper use helps the environment by saving trees and the energy required to make paper from those trees and to transport it. In agreement with this, UNCTAD (2021) stated that going "paperless" reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions significantly. 

The contribution of green campus has a positive impact on the environment. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change, until deforestation. Even though it only starts with small things, the impact will be enormous if we all work together. Therefore, the role of academic communities is very important to protect and manage the environment, both inside and outside of campus.

References

Imas Gandasari, Oot Hotimah, and Mieke Miyarsah, (2020), “Green Campus As a Concept in Creating Sustainable Campuses” in International Conference on Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences, KnE Social Sciences, pages 1–9. DOI 10.18502/kss.v4i14.7853

Syafii, W., & Apriyandi, R. (2018). Implementing Educational functions of Green Campus on Environmental Education Course. Proceeding Of The 2Nd URICES.

Duval, Y., Bacrot, C., & Hardy, S. (2021). Quantifying the environmental benefits from paperless trade facilitation. Retrieved 20 June 2022, from https://unctad.org/news/quantifying-environmental-benefits-paperless-trade-facilitation

Okafor, J. (2021). Why is Zero Waste Important? From Manufacture to Consumer Behavior. Retrieved 20 June 2022, from https://www.trvst.world/sustainable-living/eco-friendly/importance-of-zero-waste/

Xiong, E. (2021). Council Post: The Sustainable Impact Of A Paperless Office. Retrieved 20 June 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/05/11/the-sustainable-impact-of-a-paperless-office/amp/

Plastic & Climate: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet - Center for International Environmental Law. (2019). Retrieved 20 June 2022, from https://www.ciel.org/project-update/plastic-climate-the-hidden-costs-of-a-plastic-planet/

1 Million Plastic Bottles Bought Every Minute, That's Nearly 20,000 Every Second - EcoWatch. (2017). Retrieved 20 June 2022, from https://www.ecowatch.com/plastic-bottle-crisis-2450299465.html