How would you like to go to lectures in classrooms that automatically respond to the temperature outside?

What about sitting in classrooms that are amply ventilated without headache-inducing fluorescent lighting and are, therefore, adequate conditions for learning?

What about walking through buildings that have been built with and run on recycled materials so they produce less waste than other, more poorly designed buildings?

How would you like to beautify our campus while at the same time cutting down on energy use and keeping things environment-friendly?

What about a garden in the computer lab to help you keep your sanity?

The proposed “green buildings” discussed at Memorial Union over a week ago would make these hypotheticals a reality for UW-Madison. Graduate students from UW-Milwaukee and undergraduates from UW-Madison got together to present their ideas which, if implemented, will allow UW to remain at the forefront of conservationism and environmentalism, keeping with the rich heritage of our state.

The state of Wisconsin has a distinguished legacy of environmental activism and green politics. Even today, both of our senators, Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl, hold strong stances concerning the preservation of the environment. Back on April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day celebrated Mother Nature and conservationism and is still something environmentalists can be proud of today, even if it’s only for one day a year. The senator behind the establishment of the preservationist holiday was Wisconsin’s very own former Senator, Governor and State Senator, Gaylord Nelson.

As I’m sure many of you already know, since 2002 Nelson has also been the namesake of the Institute for Environmental Studies, which has yet to find a permanent home here on campus. Within the past year, with the interest in making some buildings so-called “green buildings,” the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies along with the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, the Computer Graphics Facility and others, are being considered for the environmental modernization.

Rising energy costs should also light a fire under these proposals and encourage action in a timely manner. The long-term benefits of a move toward energy efficiency alone easily surpass the building costs to create the “green buildings.” These buildings will be cost-saving as well as comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and modern, something environmentalists can be proud of every day of the year.

The designs proposed also include low-impact construction, which would be a nice change from the usual Madison construction.

Not only will this affect the University, it will be a stepping-stone for others attempting to create a working environment that is less hostile to the surrounding environment. Being the first buildings of their kind in the Midwest, the “green buildings” at UW will be a beacon for urban planners all over the world.

Architecture Professor Jim Wasley of UW-Milwaukee pointed out at the presentations that “54 percent of our energy goes toward large buildings and their construction.” There is constant pressure to build up and modernize, but now, at least here in Madison, there is a plan to modernize that addresses environmental concerns as well. The proposed building will help repair the environment instead of the negative impact buildings have now.

This should prove to be an exciting point in history for environmentalists in Madison. Real change is about to be made that can have a direct impact on the environment and how we interact with it on campus.

Not only is this a legitimate possibility, but this debate has also brought the issue of energy conservation to a new level. Hopefully this will be the beginning of an era in which we realize that our environment has limits, and we can work to develop in a way that does not push those limits to the point of breaking.

Julie Isen ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in political science.