EAC Will Release Report on Harvard

The Harvard Environmental Action Committee (EAC) will release a comprehensive report on Harvard's impact on the global environment today.

The report, titled "State of the University 1991-1992", examines nine areas of concern, including recycling, the disposal of radioactive waste and academic offerings.

EAC member Rebecca E. Braun '94 said yesterday that the report, which will be distributed at Earth Day festivities today, is the first of its kind researched and written entirely by Harvard undergraduates.

Braun said last fall the EAC generated a list of concerns and interested members selected topics they wanted to cover.

According to Braun, the EAC has been concentrating on establishing an effective recycling program at Harvard for several years.

Once widespread recycling policies were implemented on campus, the EAC needed to define new goals, she said.

"We had all of this energy we could channel somewhere else," Braun said.

According to Braun, the EAC wanted to address issues of moral and national concern. However, they were concerned that Harvard students would have trouble seeing their impact beyond the campus.

"The report was an attempt to show that we really are connected, that our activities have something to do with the global environment," Braun said.

EAC Chair Brett R. Huff '93 echoed Braun's thoughts. "The idea was to make sure that people were educating themselves on their environmental impact at Harvard," he said.

Huff said he was satisfied with the report. "It evaluates Harvard in a pretty comprehensive way," he said, "and it often praises the University for significant steps in the right direction."

Amy Y. Horng '94, another EAC member, said the EAC wanted to examine Harvard's own policies before trying to effect changes elsewhere.

"We wanted to see if we could fit the standard we put on other people," Horng said.

She said that many of her doubts about the College's practices were proven false. "I thought Harvard was a real environmental backwater, but theimpression I got was very positive," Horng said.

Horng said report data about recycling andstudent interest in an environmental studiesconcentration would give the committee a "concreteplatform" in future dealings with Harvardadministration

Horng said report data about recycling andstudent interest in an environmental studiesconcentration would give the committee a "concreteplatform" in future dealings with Harvardadministration