Loyola already boasts one of the most beautiful campuses in New Orleans—now it’s time to make it one of the greenest.
Right now, sustainability is not a part of the daily life of the Loyola community. We have recycling bins and some eco-friendly organizations, but they are always easily overlooked. Loyola should help prepare students for a future shaped by climate change, which means sustainability should be front and center. We have already taken steps to help.
In 2023, Keep Louisiana Beautiful awarded Loyola a $4,800 grant to install recycling cans around Monroe Hall and a glass recycling hub in the West Road parking garage.This proves that we have the ability to secure resources and make progress when we are committed to it. These efforts should be expanded and made better known across campus.
One way this could be possible is a Campus Green Fund that would be used for eco-friendly projects.The fund could support projects like more refill stations, planting native greenery to reduce chemical use, and striving for zero waste during events like Crawfish in the Quad through compostable materials and better recycling systems.These are not complicated ideas and they are realistic and attainable. This would show that the University is serious about the environment.
Loyola has environmental programs and committees in place that include the student-led Sustainability Committee and the Earth Week Sustainability Fair that is hosted annually by the environmental and biology department. The Laudato Si’ Fund to promote ecological equity and climate action aligning with our Jesuit values. Giving these initiatives more visibility and resources is starting to incorporate sustainability into both academics and students’ lives.
The events hosted by Loyola already draw the attention of students and community members, and by making those events sustainable it would amplify our role in leadership. None of these ideas are impossible and they all build on what Loyola is already doing and aligns with the Jesuit mission to care for our common home. The question is not if we can, but if we will.
Past efforts have shown that with planning, commitment and student engagement sustainability can be a defining part of campus culture. If Loyola wants to truly prepare us for our future, they should also prepare us for the environmental challenges we are bound to face that will shape every aspect of our lives. It should be reflected in how events are planned, spaces are designed, courses are taught, and how money is spent.
By making it a priority now, we ensure Loyola’s beauty is more than just for posting on social media – it becomes a reflection of a community on a campus that aims to protect the world that we share. If Loyola truly wants to prepare us for our future, it must also prepare us for the environmental challenges that will define it.
