Focus at Four: Sustainability at Texas A&M
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – The office of sustainability has signed and given a record total of more than $300,000 dollars in major grants across campus, and more than 26,000 in micro-grants. These are record-breaking numbers for funding, and for Kelly Wellman, the Office of Sustainability’s Director, it is an investment in the future. Wellman says that sustainability is the way forward if we want to benefit later on down the line.
“We need to be responsible stewards of not only our economic resources but also our environmental and also our people resources.”
Part of that investment is the Aggie Green Fund, which was set up by students over a decade ago. It relies on a student board, and faculty advisors, to help award sustainability grants. The funding is not only about encouraging sustainability, but it is also about going beyond recycling and thinking about what you do in everyday life.
“Recycling is really the gateway. It is the tip of the iceberg. Everything we do all the time has an influence on sustainability. What does your transportation look like? How do you get to a place? What food choices do you make? It really does impact everything you do,” said Wellman.
Texas A&M is no stranger to this subject. A sustainability master plan was released in 2018, and more recently the athletic department released its own master plan which is a 100-page document.
“They have a great team. I have been able to be kind of on the sidelines and support that. And the great thing about being, first of all, the first athletics sustainability master plan in the country, is huge at Texas A&M University. But it is a way that the community intersects with A&M usually around sports. It is a really nice cross of boundaries,” said Wellman.
You can find out more information on the sustainability master plan here.
