LETTER: USU can be more green

To the editor:

    Recycle bins and environmental groups at Utah State give the illusion of a green, Earth conscious school, but the community as a whole seems to be failing at one fundamental idea of environmental conservation: using less paper.

    Between Blackboard and e-mail why do we still use paper in the classroom? It’s hard to imagine the amount of paper used each day for handouts, readings, assignments, essays, tests and notes, all of which could be converted to electronic formats to save paper.

    I think Utah State would benefit from restricting paper used on campus. If all the professors committed to giving and receiving assignments electronically over Blackboard, the school could save bundles of money on paper each day, not to mention each semester. In addition, the school would help the environment by reducing paper waste.

    With all the saved money from paper, USU could help students buy laptops who otherwise could not afford them. This way, no student would be at the mercy of the computer labs and their hours to finish readings and assignments. Public elementary, middle, and high schools are already beginning this exact process.

    The technology is available to rid paper almost completely from the classroom, so why do we still use so much paper?

Lauren Harper