Climate Change Top Issue for BC Students

Climate Change found to be far and away the most important sustainability issue in the eyes of Bellevue College students. This information comes as the result of a recent student survey conducted by the Office of Student Legislative Affairs (OSLA). OSLA conducts the survey to establish a legislative agenda to use down in Olympia during legislative session. The Office of Sustainability secured a few questions regarding sustainability issues on the survey, and the results were quite interesting!

The sustainability question asked students to rank issues on a scale of 1-11, with 1 being the most important. Topics included Waste, Water, Energy, Inequality, among others.

The most votes as #1 issue went to Climate Change. It received a lion’s share of the votes as number one issue; receiving 173 students of the 517 surveyed. These students believe that the most serious issue facing us is the “global weirding” we have all witnessed over the last year. This issue is directly tied to a lot of what we do around campus. We are always working towards carbon neutrality. Our carbon footprint is the best measurement for assessing our impact on the environment.

There was another way the question was ranked, and that has to do with the averaged importance rating of each issue. Energy actually had the highest average importance rating, with Climate Change and water following very close behind. Climate Change is still the number one issue in the eyes of students.

So what does this mean for our school? Well, with the upcoming Sustainability Advocate Internship, we will have the opportunity to work hard on Climate Change issues down in Olympia during the 2013 legislative session. For more information on the internship, visit the Volunteer Opportunity Page and apply. Deadline for applying is Monday, December 3rd.

Last Updated November 19, 2013