Editor’s note: This is the last in a five-part series exploring the topic of sustainability.

Considering environmental efforts by the federal government and university administration, students may wonder what they can do to live in a sustainable manner.

Colleen Rogers, assistant director of development at the ISU Foundation and chairwoman of the Council on Sustainability, said she thinks Iowa State could help students become familiar with the principles of sustainability by offering academic incentives.

“I think it would be great at Iowa State to establish some kind of sustainability certificate or a minor in sustainability,” Rogers said.

She said the certificate could be structured similarly to the certificate in leadership already offered at Iowa State. Students could examine the historical roots of environmental and sustainability movements and how those can apply to their particular majors.

Gene Takle, interim director of geological and atmospheric sciences and agronomy,who has studied global warming extensively, said students are at an age where they are naturally experimenting with many things.

He said students can experiment with ways to conserve energy and make other important choices for the environment.

Students can benefit from thinking about what it is in life that makes them happy, he said, and what the necessary energy consumption for that is.

For example, students can evaluate whether bottled water is really more enjoyable to drink than tap water.

Also, a walk in the woods could replace a drive, and simple actions such as shutting off lights and televisions can become small acts that are good for the environment.

Takle also suggested reducing the use of an electric clothes dryer and letting some articles of clothing partially or fully air-dry.

Carolyn Raffensperger, executive director of the Science and Environmental Health Network,said she believes students’ awareness is generally higher than that of their parents’ generation.

“I think students are already doing a lot for the environment by their lifestyle,” Raffensperger said.

She said living in a small residence with several people and not owning automobiles are all good for the environment.

Students have the opportunity to ask themselves if they should continue those kinds of conscientious behavior into the next stages of their lives, Raffensperger said.

Evaluating current practices and finding ways to cut back on the use of resources are both helpful, she said. For example, she suggested using rags rather than paper towels, handkerchiefs rather than tissues, and seeing if it is possible to e-mail in reports rather than print them off.

“I just think it’s going to be you – your generation – that is going to pull us out of the mess,” Raffensperger said.