March Editor's Note

First, I want to thank you all for taking a look at this issue. I know it is a bit different than many are used to, but the team is excited to bring this to you!

The theme of this issue is ‘The Environmental Issue,’ and we thought it would be a bit hypocritical to speak on this and then print 2,000 copies of it for campus. I hope you enjoy the contents of this issue and I hope it makes you think about what you can do to help stop climate change.

If you have seen Reporter’s February issue, you know there is a lot of anger towards the lack of reactivity in the world over the issue. Every person pushes the responsibility onto someone else like a hierarchy of denial running up the entire ladder.

Our choices: our purchases, the food we eat, what we wear or where we shop – these have an impact on how our environment works around us.

That is not to blame the consumers, no, but we influence the corporations with our money and promotion. These corporations look for cheap, detrimental and easy ways to get products to us – resources to us, at the expense of the planet.

So what can we do?

This issue talks of multiple instances of possible change within the RIT community, and I encourage everyone to try and find one take away from this to implement going forward.

I would be remised if I did not mention that the largest impact we ourselves can cause would be to stop eating meat and dairy. I know so many people will stop reading right at this point, but I challenge you to at least consider. Animal agriculture is the number one proprietor of climate change in every way. The animal farming industry is the largest consumer of freshwater, the largest producer of waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The industry is the leading cause of biodiversity loss, rainforest loss and soil depletion. I urge you to look through this issue and to take a look at the February issue and really think about these choices. We have the power to make a change and to urge others to make a change. 

That being said, please enjoy the March Issue and reach out with your thoughts, we look forward to hearing from you.