Green does a world good

By Staff Editorial     1/8/09 6:00pm

This week, Wiess College senior Jeremy Caves showed off his scientific literacy, and in an magnificent showing with the rest of his research team, he won Houston's Recycle Ike contest by suggesting that the city turn the organic waste into Biochar (see story, page 1).While our lengthy stays in the newsroom and away from the lab prevent us from fully comprehending just how remarkable a process this truly is, we do know that by turning Ike's debris into buried carbon, Caves and his crew have taken one more step toward providing a good environment for all of Rice's generations.

Impressive, yes, but we want to note that in the end, Caves was merely a student - albeit a highly-motivated and successful one - who turned his education into a cause. Caves should be an inspiration to not only his fellow engineers, but to all of us who wither away with problem sets and lengthy reading assignments while the world outside has problems in need of solving.

This particular time and place is perfect for students to propel their talents into the field in the name of progress. And since not every achievement has to be of monumental consequence, we encourage the student body to think on the small scale; small achievements often combine to change the world. Use college resources, connect with fellow students, and throw yourself into the myriad environmental programs around campus. With any luck, we can make stories like Caves' the rule, and not the exception.

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