Current Campaigns and Actions

The Presidential Climate Commitment

The Presidential Climate Commitment is a document created by American college and university presidents to encourage facilities of higher education to take a leading role for climate neutrality, energy independence, and overall sustainability. The document serves as a guide to achieving these goals.

The Green Fee

In order to create a more environmentally-friendly campus, we need funding that will be used strictly for greening the campus. The best method of acquiring funds is by initiating a green fee, which would be synonymous(though not necessarily as expensive) as other student activity fees that are charged at the beginning of each semester(I.e. RAC fee, Public Transportation fee, etc). Any amount of money would be helpful, so were not set on any certain amount at this point.

Tabling, conducting a photo petition, and performing street theatre

To increase awareness, we are currently compiling our materials and ideas to begin educating students by operating a table outside of the Rusell Union that will be filled with broad and specific information on SAGE and the Green Movement.

To increase concern, suppress apathy, and allow for the students to truly voice their opinions, we will be conducting photo petitions for various issues throughout the campus. A photo petition consists of students engaged in the movement by showing their support(or lack there of) for any issue by holding a sign and allowing for their picture to be taken. Afterwards, all of the pictures will be compiled to show the student bodys support.

To deliver simple concerns and messages to students, street theatre is extremely effective. This is mostly performed by using improvisation, and our focus might be for recycling, or our lack of support for dirty energy. Its usually silly, but is a quick, interesting way to deliver a message.

The drought --- Conservation

We have formed a committee thats primary focus is conservation. With the drought in full swing, it is necessary for SAGE to take action on this issue.

Surveys

Our survey committee has already conducted nearly 1500 surveys just this semester in order to discover students opinion on the importance of GSU becoming a more green campus, and eventually acquiring a green fee. The results were outstanding, revealing that over 90% of the students surveyed support both a Green GSU and a green fee here on campus!

LEED Certification --- Green Building and Smart Growth

As Georgia Southern grows as a school, we realize that expansion will be vital to obtain several more students in the future. To ensure that we, as a institution of higher learning, are promoting sustainability, we have created a committee that will ensure that as we grow, we will grow as green as possible.

Direct Action

Yes, we are primarily focused on the issues involving Georgia Southern University, but we must unite with other colleges in Georgia, the southeast, and throughout the United States to tackle environmental issues that are on a larger scale. Direct action, or organizing and protesting, is an effective way to go about this. We are currently discussing a possible protest against Georgia Power for continuing to support new coal and nuclear power, without seeking new direction in clean energy. This protest will be sometime during the Spring 2008 semester.


Our History

SAGE is now in its eighth year after having formed in spring 2000. Our attention has mainly focused on increasing awareness of recycling at GSU. During our first year SAGE received the "Student Organization of the Year" award. Special thanks to our ex-presidents for all their leadership and inspiration (in chronological order): Brooke Brandenburg, Chris (#42) O'Neil, Jocelyn Coulter, Paul Phillips, Hannah Goddard, Nick Fierstos, Brian White, Sherri Cannon and Will Russell.

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