As part of a university-wide initiative to raise sustainability support and awareness, OU recently launched its new “green” Web site, ou.edu/green.

The OU Crimson and Green Web site allows students to learn about sustainability on campus, how they can get involved and features a commitment form that will in turn raise money for additional recycling measures on campus, said Brandon Mikael, Office of Green Initiatives director and entrepreneurship junior.

The commitment is available to all current OU students, faculty and staff, said Amanda Hearn, Physical Plant spokeswoman. A menu of personal sustainability actions are listed on the Web site and include exercising, taking the stairs and using public transportation among many others.

“Everyone’s actions together really can make a difference and [add] up to something that really does make a difference, not just for us but for future generations as well,” Mikael said.

Every individual who submits a Crimson and Green Commitment will add $2 to a fund to help expand OU’s recycling program, Hearn said.

With money that has already been contributed by Student Congress, the Physical Plant can put 12 additional outdoor dual-purpose recycling bins across campus, Hearn said. The bins vary by price ranging from $4 for a desk-side bin, to $70 for a standard lobby bin.

And while the additional recycling bins will be a great help, they are by no means the first and foremost goal of the campaign, Mikael said.

“Those are really secondary issues to modifying behavior of people making individual choices for sustainability, and it’s not something hard; it’s something like turning off the light or riding the bus to campus, things like that,” he said. “That is what the commitment is really educating about: OU students, faculty and staff taking ownership of their actions.”

He also said the university is in no way behind other universities in recycling efforts and effectiveness.

Internal data from the OU Physical Plant in 2007-08 stated OU decreased waste by 15 percent and increased the campus’ overall recycling by 20 percent. OU was ranked first in the Big 12 after last year’s Recycle Mania, a conference-wide recycling effort, Hearn said.

Students have until Dec. 18 to make their commitments online and OU will recognize these commitments with a $2 contribution toward the campus sustainability project, according to the group’s Web site.