OU is the flagship university in Oklahoma, and when it comes to taking on climate change, it is doing its part to set a positive example for other colleges and universities in Oklahoma.

Last week, OU submitted its climate action plan report in accordance with the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment OU President David Boren signed in 2007 (see page 1 for details).

So far, 650 colleges and universities have made the commitment OU made two years ago. Only two of those, however, are in Oklahoma: OU and the University of Central Oklahoma.

Conspicuously absent from the list of commitment signatories is Oklahoma’s other major state university and OU’s biggest in-state rival, Oklahoma State University.

We would like to commend OU for leading the way in the state by making this commitment, which calls for universities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. If OU achieves its stated goal of cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2050 (admittedly a long way off), the university will be setting an excellent example for schools nationwide.

But OU has gone even farther than merely signing this commitment. It has also committed to becoming completely wind powered by 2013.

We realize that achieving the climate and energy goals OU has set for itself is not easy, nor is it required of the university. But OU is taking these voluntary steps, and Oklahoma will benefit from them.

While OSU has taken some steps to help the environment, we are proud OU continues to be the state’s leader in the environmental movement.

This is just another reason why Oklahoma is known as the “Sooner State” and not the “Cowboy State.”