Students rarely have an opportunity to impact issues of national importance on the national stage. They can, however, take matters into their own hands in their own little worlds. One way in which ISU students are trying to act sustainably, through a resolution passed by the senate of the Government of the Student Body, is by calling on ISU Dining Services to end the sale of water bottles on campus.

Last year, ISU Dining sold 168,306 bottles of water. Those sales generated about $200,000. Ending the sale of water bottles on campus (by which we mean the disposable kind one throws away and cannot run through a dishwasher) might cost us some money from having to charge more for other drinks, but every good action comes at a cost.

Eventually, we will have to decide as a country and as a culture whether we want to allow the needless disposal of cheap plastic. We will have to address the size and quantity of landfills and trash. Many areas have access to recycling services; Iowa State is not one of those locations. Opportunities for students to recycle rather than throw away their trash are hard to find.

Hard, plastic water bottles might be more costly, but lots of students already seem more than willing fork over the one-time expense of $15 to $30. Often, they are adorned with the symbols or slogans of political causes and serve as a means of expression. Others can be acquired by simply attending an event on campus that is sponsored by an organization.

We shouldn’t let worries about short-term inconvenience alter the decisions we make about our long-term future.

In addition to the initial cost that students must overcome before they can carry water around with them, some worry about the issue of whether student clubs and organizations will be able to sell bottled water at Veishea and during fundraisers, or what kinds of water will be included, or whether bottled water will be given out on campus tours. But so far, the issue is still in discussion stages. Additionally, university administrators will have to carefully consider how banning the sale of bottled water on campus will impact us all before it acts.

Another worry is that students will buy bottled water off-campus and dispose of the bottles on campus after their use. Even if that concern comes true — which, in all likelihood, it will to at least some degree — does not mean that the students, faculty and staff of Iowa State should not take a stand on an issue they think is of importance.