We need your energy: A letter to new students

Dear new student,

You are currently taking the first few steps to a whole new life, and we – the Green Office – would like to be a part of it!

University is a time for you to make new discoveries, explore your interests, and consolidate your personal beliefs. As has been agreed upon by the majority of scientists, we are currently in the midst of a global environmental emergency. In fact, the situation and its causes are only getting worse, with an increasing number of natural disasters engulfing the world.

Many would think that a place like the Netherlands will be safe from all this, without counting the warming summers and lowering water table that we can already see. And yet the only thing standing between the Netherlands and flooding is a network of dams like the Oosterscheldekering. As noted by Dr. Peter Kuipers Munneke of Utrecht University:

While this dam was designed in the 1970s to deal with 40 centimetres
of sea level rise, a scenario of 2 meters of sea level rise within this
century cannot be ruled out.

You are one person, and while your lifestyle changes can already make a difference, what we need even more is a change of mindset, of awareness, and of the way we keep decision-makers on their toes. To achieve that, the world needs your vote, your words, and even better… your energy and willingness to speak out for what is important to you.

The Green Office is here to support you on your green journey. We are Utrecht University’s central sustainability hub that seeks to make the university’s policy tangible in the everyday reality of its students and staff by informing them, involving them and empowering them to act. Visit the Green Office headquarters at Utrecht Science Park (Heidelberglaan 8) or go to our website and join the Green Office movement.