Crimson and gold are the official colors of this campus, but many areas on campus are going green.

At the DU Bookstore, customers can take part in the “Borrow a Bag” program, which allows them to take a bag for all of their purchases and then return it on their next visit. Customers can also pay $2.99 to own a “DU Goes Green” bag. Recycled products are available for purchase, including paper, clipboards, notepads and binders.

Today, Earth Day, the Sustainability Council offered an update on its activities.

In celebration, the council is providing a number of activities and opportunities for the community to have its voice heard.

Outdoor yoga is being offered in the Humanities Garden, at 2 p.m. and again at 2:30 p.m.; tree planting is being offered in the same garden from 1:30-4:30 p.m.; and the council, along with the DU Environmental Team, will have an information table for students to learn more about what it does.

“We want to hear what they (the community) have to say,” said Fred Cheever, chair of the council and law professor.

In June 2007, Chancellor Robert Coombe signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). His signature pledged the university to meet certain environmental standards.

As a result of that commitment, Provost Greg Kvistad set up the Sustainability Council to work toward meeting the pledges set out in the ACUPCC.

“The University of Denver has always been a pioneer in environmental quality and sustainability,” said Cheever. “We are an advisory council and our job is to get this (sustainability) process going.”

Currently, the council is working on plans that will help the university achieve its ACUPCC requirements.

The ACUPCC requires three major commitments from the university: include sustainability in the curriculum, create a greenhouse gas inventory and keep it updated and create a plan to make DU “carbon neutral.”

By the end of spring quarter 2009, the council is required to have a plan drafted as to how the university can meets its sustainability goal – becoming carbon neutral.

“I think this is a great opportunity for DU,” said Cheever. ” Not only is this a time of enormous change of attitude about the environment and our place in it, but it’s an opportunity for institutions of higher education to lead the way.”

Cheever believes DU is on track to achieve the carbon neutral goal.

“The Eco Pass is huge,” said Cheever. He also noted the student initiative to increase use of wind power and the urban location of DU as positive factors in the sustainability movement.

There is, however, a lot of room for improvement, he said.

“We need to work on our recycling,” said Cheever. “Recycling is a very important statement of commitment…we haven’t been that good at that in the past.”

Cheever also hopes that DU takes more of a national leadership role. With over 500 signatories, there are numerous initiatives taking place across the country among institutions of higher learning. Cheever believes DU is different, however. “Our mission is different. The landscape in which we operate is different. Our approach is different.”

He also maintains that the university must draw ideas and inspiration from the bottom up, from the students and the wider community.

“I hope we are less top down. I hope we draw more from the community around us,” said Cheever.

He advises students to be active in the green movement: “There’s just a thousand things to do…find some part of that and get involved because it’s a really important time.”

The council meets on the first Thursday of every month at 8:30 a.m. in the Dupont Room in Mary Reed Building.

The council has approximately 30 members, representatives from different departments on campus, students, faculty and staff.

As DU goes green on Earth Day, the sustainability council urges students to speak out and find worthy causes to support.

The environment is a significant issue, said Cheever, and students need to be involved in the solution.

“A lot of people think of the environment as going without…(but) you can live lightly on the land and live a better life.”