As Guilford enters the 2010/2011 school year with its theme of “Green and Beyond,” we are presented with the challenge of reexamining our impact on the environment, as both a campus community and as individuals.Success in making this year a year of sustainability for Guilford, however, will mean taking our understanding of sustainable living one step further.

There’s a difference between advocating for sustainability and actually incorporating environmentally friendly practices into our lifestyles. We can all agree that sustainability is important, but how many of us are willing to make the sacrifices in our daily routines? How many of us are willing to take that extra step and begin implementing more sustainable habits into our lifestyles?

This is a question that each of us must pose to ourselves individually. If it is met with a willingness to make changes, then it needs to be followed up with a close examination of where we could make small improvements.

As a community, Guilford has already begun this process.

As individuals, however, the responsibility to make sustainability a part of our lives is completely our own. While each individual will meet this challenge with varying levels of commitment and dedication, there are some things that all of us should be mindful of.

One of the elements that seems to be lacking in Guilford’s transition towards an environmentally sound community lies in sustainable transportation. The majority of us live on or nearby campus, and have a short commute to class, on-campus resources, meals, and surrounding convenience stores.

Yet in many circumstances, students will choose to hop in their cars and drive from Hodgins retreat to the cafeteria or will drive across the street to the CVS to pick up a pack of gum in order to save themselves 10 minutes.

In other cases, some students have found a major source of entertainment in driving circles around campus with friends, or taking a 10 minute drive over to nearby shopping centers a few times a week.

There are so many alternatives that students can easily substitute for these unsustainable habits. The impact of one car on the road may seem minimal, but when enough students make the choice to drive instead of walk or bike, it begins to chip away at the legitimacy of environmental dedication which many Guilford students have expressed.

This year presents an opportunity for us to challenge ourselves individually, as well as our community, to find out just how far we’re willing to go to make this a successful year of sustainable progress.