Spartans are green by default, but it makes us feel even better to be environmentally friendly Spartans. This is the concept behind Be Spartan Green, the website for MSU’s Environmental Stewardship program. In 2005, MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon issued a Boldness by Design referendum, proposing that the university shift from land-grant to world-grant status by 2012.

Even ’80s babies grew up with the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” slogan. Now the standards have moved beyond that insufficient plan. Be Spartan Green also contains plans to Research, Reeducate, Redesign, and Rethink. They’ve been implementing programs since November 2006, hoping to live up to the new “green” expectations. Some ideas will seem totally new, while others are pretty much common sense ideas that will get revamped operations. One nifty project involves making the Main Library restrooms more water and energy efficient. As strange as it may seem, it’s actually possible to have flushless urinals, thereby significantly cutting down the amount of water used. Another cool project is the Anaerobic Digester, which could use dormitory food waste and animal waste to collect methane as an alternative energy source for MSU.

Personally I think that MSU should be ahead of the curve when it comes to environmental friendliness, and not just living up to the current industry standards. As a two-time MSU student, my first recommendation would be that the university put in more recycling bins — as in one recycling bin wherever there is one trash can. Luckily Be Spartan Green accepts your comments and recommendations via email to greenideas@vpfo.msu.edu. Whether or not they use those suggestions is beyond me.