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| Ohio
Senator Talks About Green Schools by David Mislin On Wednesday, Ohio Senator Timothy J. Ryan came to Oberlin to speak about environmentally efficient schools in a lecture and discussion sponsored by the Oberlin student chapter of the Ohio Public Interest Group. Ryan, a first-term Democrat who represents District 32 in the northeast corner of the state, has been traveling around, particularly to colleges, in order to rally support for his legislative cause. Currently he is working on legislation that sets up environmental efficiency standards for Ohio schools. PIRG began working on the issue of “green schools” in the spring, as a result of sophomore Lindsay Baker’s interest in environmental efficiency and schools. Earlier this year, members of PIRG traveled to Columbus and met with both Democratic and Republican lawmakers to encourage their support of the issue. The basic outline of Ryan’s proposal is to use the $10.2 billion allotted for new school construction in the state to provide energy efficient schools throughout Ohio. According to PIRG, the money saved by using efficient heating systems and technology in school can then go towards raising teacher salaries and providing better equipment. Ryan believes that Oberlin students will be helpful in rallying support, and in helping solve the problems that exist in the legislation. “I’m not too schooled on the technical aspects, but you are,” he told the students. “If you’re interested in the environment, take this issue and run with it.” Over the course of the discussion, students and faculty members raised concerns about Ryan’s plans. Sylvestre Gaudin, an assistant professor of Economics and Environmental Studies, expressed several concerns. “I totally support what they’re doing,” she said, but she worries that Ryan does not grasp all the complexities of the issue. “If you don’t understand the problem, you can’t fix it,” Gaudin said. Problems with Ryan’s legislation that arose in Wednesday’s discussion include the possibility that money spent to make schools environmentally sound will prevent new schools from being built. Another issue of concern is that the $10.2 billion is already being spent on poor schools, and by the time the legislation passes, only wealthier districts would reap the financial benefits of “green” buildings. Furthermore, Gaudin fears that Ryan’s legislation will lack flexibility, and will not allow changes due to developments in technology. Overall, student response to Ryan’s presentation was overwhelmingly positive. “It was excellent,” senior Director of PIRG Yuri Futamura said. “It sounds to me like he believes Oberlin students can make a difference on this issue,” senior Mark Minnett said. According to Futamura, PIRG plans to continue its grassroots efforts with plans to begin an environmental curriculum at Oberlin’s schools, and by encouraging the Oberlin City Council to pass a resolution supporting Ryan’s bill if it comes up for a vote. The future of this legislation remains uncertain. “I don’t even know if it will come to a vote,” Ryan said. He hopes to introduce it sometime in the spring and encourages Oberlin students to be involved. Gaudin hopes that Oberlin students will be involved as well, but in a meaningful way, such as helping to draft the legislation. Ryan encourages students to contact him with ideas and suggestions. |
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