Many on our beautiful campus of UMBC are accepting the challenge of creating a more environmentally friendly atmosphere for present and future students, staff and faculty.

However, there are still many of our peers on this campus who feel there are not enough resources to do so. They don't feel that their participation will be enough, or they simply do not see a reason to make the effort.

Here at UMBC, students are future leaders of America, and sometimes leaders forget their paths are the ones less traveled. And so, to reinvigorate some and cheer on others, here are some leader-friendly words of advice to help keep those leaders faculty, staff, and students on the path towards a greener, more environmentally friendly UMBC.

To those who feel that the resources available are not sufficient for the mission that is to be accomplished, consider the words of former United States President, Theodore Roosevelt: "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

Here on campus there are resources like the new composting bins in The Commons that are aimed at reducing our contribution to landfills. According to Chartwells, last year UMBC diverted 55 tons of compostable waste from landfills by composting it instead.Even though we are not as close to where we want to be at UMBC in terms of environmental practices, we are making do with what is available to us. 55 tons of waste is evidence of that.

The Pepsi Co. Dream Machine is also available at students' disposal. This machine has a convenient location in The Commons and is beneficial for students, faculty and staff who decide to utilize it. It is easy to use as well; all you need is a dream machine card and bottles, cans and other recyclables to make a difference.The act of recycling via the Dream Machine program is also aimed at helping Pepsi Co. donate funds to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. An added incentive is the ability to earn points towards entertainment, food or shopping.

These opportunities to make an environmental difference are just the highlights of UMBC's shift towards a more environmentally-friendly campus.To UMBC's leaders who need to be reminded that their contributions matter more than a little bit, reflect on the words of Mahatma Gandhi: "The best propaganda is not pamphleteering but for each one of us to try to live the life we would have the world live."The usefulness in this statement is undeniable.

To reiterate the importance of our roles as leaders here at UMBC, we do not need to depend on others to make a difference on our campus. There are plenty of initiatives that do not require any one person to necessarily depend on others or large groups to make a difference.

One such example is biking to campus if possible. There is an effort to install more bike racks and biker-friendly programs on campus, such as bike registration with UMBC Police Department.

Another program that does not require many people in order to make a difference is carpooling with a few people on campus. About 13 percent of UMBC's carbon footprint is the result of our commuting population.By carpooling to campus, this portion of the environmental footprint could be reduced drastically. Carpoolers can also enjoy preferential parking spaces on campus.

Individual use of one of six UMBC shuttle services as opposed to driving to neighboring cities, the mall or other popular destinations can also help reduce the students' environmental footprint.The idea is that it is not necessary to wait on others to initiate change that we want to see; we can make quite a difference as individual leaders accepting the challenge.

For leaders at UMBC who simply do not see a reason to make the shift towards a more environmentally conscious campus, there is a Kenyan proverb that addresses the fact that everything that we do affects those who come after us, it is translated as: "You must treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It is loaned to you by your children."

UMBC and the world may be ours today, but they are not ours alone. It is vitally important that as leaders of this university, students make decisions that not only benefit their current peers, coworkers, and fellow students, but that they make decisions that will make this campus greater once they graduate or move on to represent this university in other endeavors.

There are already many groups on campus that live by the principle of this proverb. These groups include Student Government Association's Department of Environment Awareness, Students for Environmental Awareness (SEA) and the Climate Change Work Group. All of these groups are made up of students and faculty making plans for the future of this university that may not benefit them at all right now, but will benefit future Retrievers in some way.The fact that these groups are open for any student to join means that there are people on this campus who have found that the future Retrievers are enough reason for this shift to a more environmentally-friendly campus.

It also means that it is not too late for any member of this community to find a reason for a shift to a greener UMBC.

Taking advantage of resources, programs and groups at UMBC is truly as easy as it sounds. UMBC is a university for leaders in all fields of study. Students have the capacity to take on the task of leading and setting the example for all colleges and universities in becoming a leader in environmental practices towards a greener UMBC and a greener world.