UC Berkeley offers a certification program to encourage student organizations to be environmentally friendly.  The program consists of a training program, requirements and certification.  PHA decided to go green and successfully completed the program and requirements.

The certification program suggests strategies for being smart when it comes to the environmental impact a campus group may have.  In addition to reviewing the basics of recycling e.g. what types of plastics and papers can be recycled and what cannot, the program suggests strategies for club and event promotion that does not requirement paper flyers.

PHA felt it was necessary to seek certification because the health of the environment is inextricably linked to public health for many reasons.  First, the quality of the environment determines what populations are exposed to.  many negative health outcomes can be explained by exposure to toxic environments, whether that be occupational or residential.  Second, in order for the health of populations to prosper we need a sustainable habitat that can produce nutritious foods.  Promoting and protecting the health of our environment is a pre-requisite to promoting and protecting public health.

If you are a student organization at UC Berkeley, consider getting certified!  Making campus organizations environmentally savvy will have an important impact on our coal environment and the campus’s environmental footprint.

For more information about how to make your club green, click here