The Optimist
  • Home
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Features
  • Print Edition
    • The Pessimist
    • Special Projects
  • Police Log
  • Classifieds
You are here: Home / Opinion / Editorials / Going green presents golden opportunity

Going green presents golden opportunity

September 12, 2007 by Optimist Editorial Board

Greening the campus of ACU creates a butterfly effect that ultimately will change the world, as the university likes to do, by improving the local environment.

Environmentalism in is en vogue with American schools, and the university has duly noticed and joined the movement.

Some of ACU’s environmental initiatives include conserving water by using effluent water for irrigation and installing water- saving shower heads, and updating the outdoor lighting by using energy efficient metal halide. Also, the university recycles plastic and paper, switching from gasoline or diesel operated vehicles to electric carts and recycling the asphalt of parking lots.

ACU’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. The university won the 2006-2007 Keep Abilene Beautiful Donna Albus Beautification Award by creating both an environmentally friendly and visually appealing campus.

Albus served as director of the Keep Abilene Clean and Proud from 1981 to 1987 and was the president of the Keep Texas Board in 2002. “There is absolutely nothing more economically beneficial than a clean and beautiful site, and that is what the ACU campus has done for our entire city,” Albus said.

Make no mistake, the trees produce more than simply oxygen – they give the school a better reputation in the community. Greening a school produces jobs, improves the environment on the campus and saves money, according to a report by greenbiz.com, a project affiliated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Greenbiz.com says green schools use 33 percent less energy and 32 percent less water.

By switching to sustainable resources from conventional methods, ACU has shown good stewardship. Replacement of heating, ventilation and air conditioning saves 3.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity. The recycled water saves an excess of 85 million gallons of fresh water annually. The list of sustainable methods continues at ACU’s Web site.

Adding green to the Purple and White is a win-win for ACU.

Filed Under: Editorials

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

About Optimist Editorial Board

You are here: Home / Opinion / Editorials / Going green presents golden opportunity

Other Opinion:

  • Tariffs are the last thing struggling students need

  • Gen Z won the election for Donald Trump

  • A Swift rebuke: When it comes to politics, celebrities just do not get it

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
optimistsports Optimist Sports @optimistsports ·
26 Jun

The United Athletic Conference is officially taking the place of the Western Athletic Conference in the 2026-2027 athletic year. The UAC is a joint football effort between the WAC and the ASUN but will now extend to all sports. #acuoptimist #acuathletics #wac #uac

Reply on Twitter 1938240320854008109 Retweet on Twitter 1938240320854008109 2 Like on Twitter 1938240320854008109 7 Twitter 1938240320854008109
Retweet on Twitter The Optimist Retweeted
ashleyh1607 Ashley Henderson @ashleyh1607 ·
3 Jun

My second year at ACU was full of opportunities that grew me as an individual and a journalist.

In my first year as editor in chief of @acuoptimist, we published six print issues, filmed a 3-hour live election show, and revamped our newscast, all while producing news weekly.

Reply on Twitter 1929734328445178254 Retweet on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Like on Twitter 1929734328445178254 1 Twitter 1929734328445178254

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

1 years ago

The Optimist

Video

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

2 years ago

The Optimist
"Ending my college education early was always the plan for me, but the things that I have been able to see, experience and examine about ACU’s community were not. I have found immense growth in ACU over the past three and a half years, but ACU still has a long road to climb if it wants to keep catering to students as the world changes around them." To read more of this article visit acuoptimist.com or click the link in our bio. #acu #abilenechristianuniversity #privatechristianuniversity #collegestudentopinion #acuopinion ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 28, 2024

Our top stories today include a recap of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940, the ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 21, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 14, 2024
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 24, 2024

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Policies
    • Advertising Policy
    • Letters to the Editor and Reader Comments
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
  • Multimedia
    • Videos
    • Photo Galleries
  • Features
  • Advertise
    • Paid Advertisement
  • Police Log

© 2025 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved