Biola, while a Christ-serving campus, seems to lag behind surrounding schools when it comes to being eco-friendly.
The university is still behind the times compared to schools like UC Santa Barbara, which won the nation’s first double platinum, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified rating for the efficiency of its newest laboratory facility, Bren Hall. Other secular schools such as UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley, and UCLA already rank in the national organization Sierra Club’s top ten “green” schools. The Los Angeles Times reported that UCLA scored a 10 out of 10 in waste management, and Santa Cruz also had a perfect score for a transportation system that aids bikers in getting to class on time.
“We forget that God cares about Earth,” said Rafe Payne, interim director of the soon-to-be environmental science major and chairman of the biology department.
“He loves the land. All over the Bible are references to the land; place, boundaries, cleansing, years of jubilee in the Promised Land.”
Schools similar to Biola, in terms of size and values, are also becoming environmentally sensitive. Point Loma Nazarene University, sometimes considered a sister school, proudly announced their acceptance of a San Diego Excellence in Energy award this past March by SPG Solar Inc. for its solar power system which provides 80 percent of the school’s power.
Point Loma is also home to Students for Environmental Awareness, a club whose members actively go into the community aiding in beach clean ups and anything else to make their environment a cleaner place. Students Caring for Creation commended the club’s Creation Care week each fall to promote awareness of Christian stewardship of Earth.
Biola isn’t completely unaware of going green, however. The Caf recently initiated “Trayless Tuesdays and Thursdays,” saving energy and gallons of water that are ordinarily used to clean the trays after each meal. The take out boxes and utensils are also biodegradable.
Café Biola manager Esmeralda Martinez said workers are instructed to serve students a regular portion of food rather than piling on a large helping. Workers serve students a healthy amount of food unless students ask for more, thereby cutting back on food waste.
Students and professors from the biology department’s Granola Club recently planted a desert garden outside Bardwell Hall. The plants in this garden are drought-resistant and able to preserve water, saving the energy and resources needed to tend to the other plants around campus.
For environmental science majors, Payne envisions a new generation of Christians who see that the world God gave us is a beautiful thing, and that stewardship of this planet is imminent.
Biola’s efforts to take care of the environment have increased steadily over the past years. Biola Magazine noted that the campus now uses a cogeneration power plant, similar to the one at Point Loma. This plant provides over 80 percent of the campus’s electricity, and recycles heat consistently, saving the school over $1 million annually.
New buildings, beginning with Horton, have carpets consisting completely of recyclable fiber, and the new Talbot building are being constructed with the environment in mind. With a major dedicated to preserving the environment and changes already underway, although it may be behind, Biola is on the right track.
Despite these efforts, many students at Biola don’t make protecting the environment their first priority.
“I think it would be nice if little by little [Biola] made changes, but sudden extreme changes aren’t really necessary,” said freshman Danielle Peterson. “Evangelizing is more important. It would be nice to go green though.”
This raises the question of just how involved Christians should be in the green movement. Should Christians be more responsive? Why does it seem that Christian schools are behind secular schools?
Payne suggested several reasons as to why Christian campuses lack the activism or green frenzy many secular schools possess.
Like Peterson, many students are focused on causes like evangelism or feeding the homeless. Payne said Biola may not spend enough time on the theology of ecology.
Also, many conservative Christians don’t want to be identified with liberals or their causes, but that doesn’t justify completely rejecting the green movement, he said.
“Going green is not a bad thing.” Payne said. “In fact, it would be a great witness to liberals and non-believers if more conservatives became involved in protecting the earth.”
