NY Times Talk - Emma Jackson/ The Towerlight

Students met in the University Union Wednesday to examine the topic of the monthly New York Times Talk: “Recycling vs. Consuming Less – Which is Best?”

Sustainability director Jack Nye spoke at the event about recycling and consumption.

“I was thrilled at how many students turned out and their level of engagement in the discussion,” Nye said

Nye said his position makes him an integral part of Towson University’s Go Green initiative.

“We facilitate and coordinate the initiatives throughout the university, examine resource usage, and coordinate compliance with the President’s Climate Commitment,” Nye said.

The Climate Commitment, signed on Aug. 30, 2007, pledged to neutralize greenhouse emissions on campus and develop an action plan for carbon neutrality. The Climate Commitment Committee has overseen green building construction and certification and encouraged public transportation and waste reduction.

More than 15 students and faculty used the event to discuss issues such as renewable energy, available recycling, and carbon emissions. Topics such as making green practices viable to business and the absence of nationwide recycling were touched on.

“It’s just a great topic and really interesting discussion,” Dave Jones said.

Some students in attendance were especially concerned with the lack of convenient recycling options in apartments around campus and the apparent disinterest in recycling shown by many students in Towson’s dorms. Recycling was considered by students to be one of many available options for environmental improvement being ignored.

“It’s not to save money, but for your ideology,” adjunct geography and sociology professor Ingrid Pfoertsch said about the cost of alternative energy.

Pfoertsch was just one of those in attendance who urged for implementation of recycling and consumption practices in the U.S. that have been in effect in Europe for decades.

Students were urged to contact school officials, apartment supervisors, and state senators if they wanted to help attempt to improve the green initiatives.