This article is part seven of a nine-part series that focuses on climate change. More specifically, this series will go in-depth on the human disconnect of accepting the reality of climate change, the role of the media, the power of student voices in environmental movements, climate science and the pressure for the University of Denver to divest from fossil fuels. 

Reusable straws, clothing made from recycled materials, organic cotton dish towels and coffee tumblers are all items that are being described as “sustainable.” Sustainability is the “balance between the environment, equity and economy.” Sustainable practices are done to support human, economic and climate health through using material conservatively and focusing on the long-term priorities. 

The earth is made up of nine planetary boundaries, and society has pushed the boundaries to their threshold which is a risk to our planet. This means that we have reached a point within climate change where the effects are irreversible. The earth is warmer than ever and sea levels are continuing to rise at an unavoidable rate. 

The planet is unstable. We all must act now, and with urgency. Currently, climate actions are slow. When a university divests from fossil fuels, the process takes them 10-15 years to pull out investments. Governments are slow in enforcing climate policies and making vague and empty promises at COP26. 

That is why the issue of greenwashing is severe. Greenwashing is a form of marketing where a company deceives and persuades the public into purchasing a product that claims it is environmentally friendly. The University of Denver is guilty of greenwashing in a variety of ways, such as the development of the mountain campus, the Carbon Neutral Task Force, adding a sustainability minor and much more.

DU added a sustainability minor for undergraduate students in 2009. Before this, there were roughly 400 courses already offered at DU that connected to sustainability, so the university decided to make a minor that solely focuses on sustainability. 

The sustainability programs at DU pose a real threat to the students’ education on the environment. These programs are broad and do not focus on the urgent issue of climate change, but rather on how to maintain and manage our current state. The courses on the subject are missing conversations around activism and taking action against the structures that are contributing to climate change.

Currently, it is nearly impossible to achieve any aspect of sustainability because the planet is unstable. So why are students spending their time learning how to maintain our current environment when we cannot continue like this? 

DU’s goal is to entice students to attend the university and not to address the systemic issues that are present around the world and at DU. DU should be encouraging students to be activists and to look inward at the deeply rooted flaws of the university and challenge their investments and decision-making processes. 

DU has a moral obligation to the student body to be transparent and encourage different perspectives on topics, such as the moniker, DU’s history with racism, their investment in fossil fuels and other conversations. 

How can we be sustainable when we should not be sustaining the current state of our environment? 

There need to be major changes in how we are all operating in society today. A few ways to get involved are to join climate organizations that protest larger organizations and question your current ways of living and ask yourself: How can I be environmentally friendly? What aspects of my life can I alter? Now, adopt these changes, and never look back. 

The most impactful way to invoke change is to unite with your peers and work together to question large institutions from within. These actions can raise awareness on the institution’s investments if they are invested in unethical practices, check in to see if they are actually composting and recycling and last but not least, speak out on these poor actions to get more and more people’s attention. 

We cannot be sustainable and practice sustainability until we tackle the industries and companies that are contributing to climate change. Sustainability will not be successful until we all reevaluate our way of life and take action on climate change, rather than continuing on the path we are on by being complacent to the bigger issue at hand.