ENVIRONMENT: The University of California, Riverside (UCR) participates in a statewide sustainability program; Poly also works for sustainability with commitments to keep the campus clean.
By Emily Hughes, Staff Writer
With a new program called the UC Global Food Initiative, all ten University of California campuses are working to create specialized programs to help combat the growing global problem of feeding a growing global population. The University of California, Riverside, is playing a major role in this initiative. At the same time, Riverside Poly High School is also showing its commitment to sustainability both on and off the campus.
The UC Global Food Initiative was designed to research the best ways to nutritiously sustain a rapidly growing world population. It was introduced and launched by the ten chancellors of the ten schools, along with the president of the UC system, Janet Napolitano. “Our goal is audacious, and it is far-reaching. It is our intent to do everything in our power to put the world on a pathway to feed itself in ways that are nutritious and sustainable,” Napolitano said.
The world’s population is predicted to reach eight billion people in ten years. So how do we feed such a large population while preventing people from overeating at the same time? According to its website, “The University of California is committed to addressing this challenge.” By drawing from each of the schools’ unique resources, this initiative will hopefully identify the best ways to feed the state, country and world, while obtaining valuable research. The end-all goal is to identify ways to help the one billion people worldwide suffering from malnutrition, as well as the half billion who suffer from obesity.
According to Director of Sustainability Dr. John Cook, UCR plays a major role in this process. “UCR is developing an outreach program through a lecture series that will be presented live and through webcast across the UC system,” he explained. Cook also mentioned that UCR will be working on the agriculture aspect of the process, as well as health and nutrition. Cook’s personal goals for the initiative include “making sure we are looking for the most sustainable solutions that embody the social, environmental and financial ramifications of how we produce food and what type of food we produce and for what reasons.”
Some of UCR’s programs include “Bug Vs. Bug,” a study of a Pakistani wasp that can help maintain a stable citrus industry; “Cleaner Spinach,” research on how pathogens destroy vegetable crops; and “OMG, is it GMO?” an effort to address misconceptions about genetically modified food. UCR is also expanding and working on R’Gardens, which are community fruit and vegetable gardens that help students learn about the environmental side of gardening.
On Poly’s own campus, students in clubs such as SAVE (Students Against Violence to the Earth) are working for sustainability as well. Club President Jolie Carreon (11) explained that SAVE is responsible for “recycling and trying to clean up the campus, [as well as] picking up bottles.” Carreon believes that “it’s all about keeping the campus green and keeping it, in a sense, healthy.” She explained that SAVE Club does what it does not only because of sustainability issues, but also because SAVE wants Poly to be a place that visitors find attractive.
Members of SAVE go on “cleanup” trips, or outings where members carry large plastic garbage bags and travel around the community, picking up trash and recycling off of the ground. SAVE has cleaned up Mount Roubidoux on multiple occasions, as well as the San Clemente Pier.
Poly chemistry teacher and SAVE’s club advisor Mr. Gregory Aniol promotes sustainability changes on Poly’s campus. “We want to get composting going on campus [because] that will lead to more sustainability,” he explained. Aniol also hopes to put up solar panels all over the campus, and he supports the UC Global Food Initiative. “If we keep farming the way we’re farming, things aren’t really going to work out so well,” he expressed.
Carreon, like Aniol, hopes that Poly will continue to increase sustainability in the future. Carreon believes that clubs like SAVE and programs like the UC Global Food Initiative are important not only for making campuses “look beautiful, but [for] making people feel comfortable and making people feel welcome.”