EAC to Audit Harvard's Impact on Environment

Campus environmental activists plan to conduct a year-long survey of Harvard's overall effect on the environment, students said yesterday.

The audit of the University's environmental impact, titled "The State of Harvard University: Practices, Policies and Procedures," will be conducted by the Phillips Brooks House Environmental Action Committee (EAC).

According to EAC Co-Chair Peter E. Morningstar, the committee initiated the survey after the University this year took over the committee's former recycling coordinating responsibilities.

"We found ourselves to be a group with a cause but no project. We asked ourselves; what's the next step?" Morningstar said.

Morningstar said the group's hope is to "catalog the Harvard community's impact on the environment, targeting its accomplishments and areas in need of improvement."

Morningstar said the project will run according to "a two-point philosophy" of awareness-raising and activism. He added that the study will be repeated in years to come.

"We don't expect to accomplish a complete comprehensive study in the first year--we'll be able to make something very comprehensive next year."

"The big focus is to raise awareness of students and point out to the University where easy changes can be made with larger results on the environment," said EAC President Brett R. Huff '93.

"Basically, we're trying to make Harvard a greener place," Huff added.

EAC Co-Chair Rebecca E. Braun said the committee plans to publish preliminary results of its audit on Earth Day, which will take place next April.