Sustainability Day focuses on Xavier’s environmental commitment, actions

By Sarah Wieten

Campus News Editor

Newswire Photo By Jessica Thimons

Nancy Tuchman, director of the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy at Loyola University Chicago, gave the keynote address.

Sustainability Day, took place yesterday October 27th in Cintas Center in front of an audience of over 100 students and about 250 staff and faculty members.

The day focused largely on the work of the Sustainability Committee, a group of about 15 students, staff and faculty who work to consider issues of sustainability on Xavier’s campus. The group was created in the spring of 2008, as part of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.

The group is co-chaired by history professor Dr. Kathleen Smythe and Dave Lococo of Physical Plant. Presentations included descriptions of green initiatives already implemented by the committee, such as the postal service’s electric vehicle and recycling program, a study of the university’s current carbon footprint and the committee’s plans for the future.

Keynote speaker Nancy Tuchman, director of the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy at Loyola University Chicago, spoke on the unique sustainability efforts her campus has undertaken, including a program to power their shuttle system with biodiesel created from vegetable oil waste from their dining services, as well as a series of rooftop gardens.

She also offered advice on the best way to institutionally implement these ideas using both top down and grassroots strategies, suggesting the creation of a paid position of Director of Sustainability and increasing the number of paid sustainability student interns. She also advocated the use of grant writing in order to bring in money from outside of the University to fund these efforts.

A portion of the day included remarks from President Fr. Michael Graham, S.J., who noted how far the university had come but that more work could be done in the field of sustainability especially in light of the new construction.

The day concluded with a discussion portion which allowed students, faculty and administrators to brainstorm about how the campus could become more sustainable.

“It went really well, I can definitely see some reincarnation of this event being carried on next year,” Dr. David Mengel, history professor, said.

Mengel, although not on the Sustainability Committee, played a large role in the logistics of the event.

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Debate on Issue 3, casino law, held at Cintas Center

By Jake Heath

Staff Writer

Newswire Photo By Jake Heath

Left to right: Former mayor of Cincinnati Charlie Luken, Associate Director of Research at the University of Cincinnati Jeff Rexhausen, Ohio Council of Churches member Rev. Deanna Stickley-Miner and Ohio State Representative and member of TruthPAC Louis Blessing participated in Monday night’s debate.

With opinions varying on how much money casinos will generate for Ohio and the morality of gambling, supporters and opponents of Issue 3, the proposal to legalize gambling in Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and Toledo, shared their opinions in the “Is Gambling Good for Ohio?” forum.

Xavier’s Institute for Politics and Public Life, with WLWT, held a debate on the details of Issue 3 on Monday, Oct. 26 at Cintas Center.

Panelists consisted of former mayor of Cincinnati and member of the Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee Charlie Luken, Associate Director of Research at the University of Cincinnati Jeff Rexhausen, member of the Ohio Council of Churches Rev. Deanna Stickley-Miner, and Ohio State Representative and member of TruthPAC Louis Blessing.

Topics addressed included crime statistics, job creation, fiscal opportunities and the morals of Ohioans.

“We go north, south, east, and west to gamble outside of Ohio,” said Luken, who strongly supports Issue 3.

Jeff Rexhausen said jobs will be created through Issue 3.

“During the development of our study, we found an impact of jobs in the range of 10,000 construction jobs and jobs involving the provision of goods and services. In the end we have around 19,000 jobs,” he said.

However, Blessings is skeptical Issue 3 will bring revenue to Ohio.

He said many of the jobs that are estimated to be created because of Issue 3 are low-end or temporary.

Stickley-Miner addressed many of the morality issues involved with allowing gambling in Ohio.

“Video slot machines are the crack cocaine of gambling,” she said.

Members of the audience asked the panel questions, including what impact Issue 3 will have on small entertainment businesses.

Others raised safety concerns that casinos can bring to cities.

“Reducing crime rates is only partially about how many cops you have. City development will reduce them too,” Luken said.

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Activist to speak about sustainable agriculture

By Meghan Berneking

News Editor

As part of Xavier’s Sustainability Week and the Ethics/Religion and Society lecture series, environmental activist, physicist and author Dr. Vandana Shiva will speak at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 at Cintas Center about sustainable agriculture in times of globalization based on her new book, “Soil Not Oil: Environmental Justice in an Age of Climate Crisis.”

She will tailor her talk to fit this year’s E/RS agricultural theme, maintaining that a move toward sustainable agriculture and away from highly oil-dependent “big agriculture” will also produce healthier food worldwide.

Shiva, who has a Ph.D. in physics, is best known for her activism in areas such as seed conservation, water conservation and the empowerment of marginalized groups, particularly women.

Though she works on a global level as a leader of the International Forum on Globalization, the Third World Network and the Women’s Empowerment and Development Organization, she encourages efforts toward local sustainability.

She focuses her work regarding sustainable agriculture toward giving power back to small farmers and moving away from large farming corporations, which largely rely on genetically engineered crops, Dr. James Buchanan, director of the Brueggeman Center for Dialogue, said.

The Brueggeman Center is co-sponsoring the event along with the Women’s Center and E/RS program. The work towards local sustainability coincides with the effort to allow developing countries to have equal advantage on the global market, Buchanan said.

Shiva works effectively on all fronts, putting together a reasonable, scientific basis for her positions, not only protesting but offering real solutions, he said.

Shiva has also been a voice for water rights. “It’s hard for us in Cincinnati to realize we have a serious global water crisis,” Buchanan said. Shiva believes water is a common resource because everyone has a right to it, but it has become a market as private businesses gain control of it. Shiva addresses this issue in her 2002 book “Water Wars: Privatization, Pollution, and Profit.”

The environmental issues Shiva stands for are intricately connected to development and particularly the well-being of women and children throughout the world, Dr. Jennifer Wies, director of the Women’s Center, said.

“The violence against the environment most acutely affects women and children,” she said.

“When we place our emphasis from food to cars, it affects our health. When we move away from respecting food sources, it contributes to poor overall health and within that there arise health inequalities,” she said.

Women and children (both world-wide and in the United States) are most affected by the irreverence of food sources,” she said. The Women’s Center will host a breakfast discussion with Shiva at 8:30 a.m. Thursday focused on health related issues brought to the fore in her writings.

This is Shiva’s second visit to Xavier. Because she travels outside her native Delhi, India less frequently than in the past, she often combines trips, Buchanan said. Shiva will remain on campus for several days visiting classes and meeting with groups and university officials to discuss sustainability issues.

“I think the important thing Vandana represents for the Xavier student body is the non-governmental organization world at its best. She represents the importance and excitement of the non-profit world at a global scale. This is consistent with the Jesuit mission and Xavier is beginning to recognize it as an option [for students] after graduation,” Buchanan said.

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