USD clubs advocate for our common home

Student-led efforts toward sustainability and environmental health

HALEY JACOB / FEATURE EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

With an increase in concerns surrounding environmental issues such as climate change, pollution, and natural resource depletion, it’s important to be mindful and proactive about how our individual actions contribute to the decline in the Earth’s health. Taking small steps to incorporate greener, more eco-friendly practices into our everyday lives can create positive change for the future of our world and improve the quality of life for current and future generations. 

There are many student-led clubs and organizations on campus leading important conversations around sustainability and environmental justice. The valuable information, perspectives, and actions taught by these groups have the potential to carry on into the broader world off campus, fostering a culture of young leaders eager to fix the problems magnified and dangerously neglected by those before. While many people fear the direction the health of our planet is heading in, thoughtful and driven action is the solution to ensuring a safe, habitable Earth for everyone.

The Sustainability Club is one club on campus that aids in making the University of San Diego a more eco-conscious institution. The club focuses on bringing undergraduate students together to find solutions that make USD more economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable. Through hosting events and prioritizing community service and outreach, the club generates necessary attention to pressing environmental issues and works to limit USD’s contribution to such problems. 

Senior and President of the Sustainability Club Hannah Phelps discussed the importance of student involvement in promoting sustainability and holding higher institutions accountable. 

“It is imperative for students in a university setting to be exposed to and aware of the environmental impact of not only their own lives but also of those around them,” Phelps said. “Involvement is necessary at all levels for an institution to function sustainably because everything impacts everything else. Decisions made by admin set a precedent for other decisions, and if the students can push the admin to make more decisions around sustainable practices, investments, and initiatives, it sends a message to the admin that this is something important to students in their college experience.”

Phelps also shared ways students can practice sustainability individually. 

“Small decisions in our day-to-day lives can add up, not only by making greener choices but also by demonstrating to other students that sustainability is important,” Phelps said. “Students can have a big impact collectively by making choices such as eating fewer animal products, using less single-use plastics, carpooling with friends and classmates, being conscious about where we buy clothes and food, and being mindful of water and energy usage.”

Another club on campus that promotes sustainability is the USD Herbivores. The club advocates the benefits of a plant-based diet while educating students on the broader impact these eating habits have on environmental issues. 

Sophomore and USD Herbivores member Giacomo Battaglia discussed the environmental harms of the meat industry and its unsustainable practices.  

“Animal agriculture is horribly inefficient in terms of its use of water and fossil fuels because it is really difficult to produce livestock at the capacity to which we’re doing it,” Battaglia said. “We’ve bred so many cows, so many chickens, so many pigs to a completely unnatural level, and we’ve also made them so engraved in our culture that the demand for these products is just so high, although they are incredibly difficult to upkeep.”

The club’s first president is responsible for creating the vegan station at the Student Life Pavilion, and succeeding members have continued to collaborate with USD Dining to incorporate more vegan-friendly food options for the USD community. Additional educational actions include hosting local guest speakers to talk at club meetings about vegan eating. One example is Domaine Santé, a company that sells a vegan sugar alternative. The club also serves vegan food from local vegan restaurants at every meeting.

Battaglia expanded on the impact of introducing vegan food to the USD community. 

“It shows people that you can have good food without these products, and I think that’s one of the best things this club has done,” Battaglia said. “You know, you can give as much information as you want, but what it comes down to is the satisfaction somebody gets when they’re trying vegan food. I just think the club is doing great stuff by showing people how to eat vegan, not just talking about it.”

The USD chapter of the Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP) is an organization on campus educating and preparing students for environmental professions. AEP is a valuable resource for students interested in careers addressing environmental crises and protection because of the organization’s assistance with internships, resume workshops, and volunteer opportunities.

Sophomore and Lead Journalist and Photographer of AEP Bela Bidaburu shared the organization’s mission.

“The mission of AEP is to help students develop professional skills and build lasting relationships in the environmental community,” Bidaburu said. “As a club, we value social justice, inclusivity, and sustainability, not only in the environmental sector but throughout the entire USD community.”

AEP’s focus on preparing students for a future in environmental and sustainability work is rooted in the organization’s priority to proactively promote sustainability in the local community.

“Practicing sustainability on campus is important because these responsible behaviors and attitudes create a more enjoyable campus lifestyle,” Bidaburu said. “Life is better when we care about others and the planet. AEP actively promotes sustainability along with other organizations to ensure a better life for all of us.”

USD is home to many incredible student-led clubs and organizations advocating for a healthier future. Groups like the Sustainability Club, USD Herbivores, and AEP are vital for continuing conversations around environmental justice and finding solutions toward sustainability. These young leaders demonstrate the power of accountability, collaboration, and concrete action, providing hope that a greener tomorrow is still in reach.