The Green Zone: Where Sustainability and Justice Intersect

In Union Square a large clock ticks down the minutes until the impacts of global warming become irreversible. It certainly gets your attention—and it’s pretty terrifying. So, beyond recycling and buying local, how can you contribute to a greener, fairer world? “One of my main takeaways from the Green Zone training was how each and every little thing I do to promote sustainability can help out in the long run,” shares Akash Nagapurkar, Tandon Class of 2023. “It’s easy to say, ‘Oh, my throwing away this plastic bottle won’t make a big difference.’ But over time, those small differences add up; those water bottles pollute on a massive scale. The training was a great reminder of that.”

In addition to exploring key concepts related to sustainability and equity, the Green Zone provides a space in which community members can safely discuss their and others’ attitudes and behaviors. Each training opens by prompting participants to set a personal goal for attendance. Then, the group runs through some basic definitions: sustainability, climate change, and environmental justice. Together, they discuss the social, economic, and environmental implications of sustainability. This builds a sense of accountability and community.

Finally, the session closes by emphasizing the need to take meaningful action against climate change. Everyone brainstorms actions they can take as individuals as well as further steps NYU can take to create a more sustainable, just campus. For example, Abby Brachio, Liberal Studies Class of 2023, shares, “Everyone attending the training with me was a representative for one of NYU’s residence halls. So, each of us has some influence over building operations. We learned that over 70 percent of New York City’s greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings. Consequently, we discovered that we can make a big impact changing how our buildings operate.”