Carolina’s diverse and active student body is reflected in its wealth of student organizations. In 2007-2008, Carolina had 616 officially recognized student organizations. The following are student groups related to sustainability.
Carolina Environmental Student Alliance (CESA)
CESA focuses on education and service. Group members give presentations to local schools on environmental issues and participate in service projects such as trail building and invasive species removal.
Carolina Garden Co-Op
The Carolina Garden Co-Op maintains an organic garden behind Kenan Dorm on Battle Road. The group conducts outreach activities, educates the campus about gardening and food, and hopes to engage the greater Chapel Hill community in its gardening.
Environmental Law Project
The primary goal of the Enivronmental Law Project is to expand the opportunities available to law students in the area of environmental law. ELP works on numerous projects such as environmental awareness sessions, group and individual pro-bono opportunities at local organizations and firms, environmentally affiliated speakers and events, fundraising for important issues and providing grants for students working in unpaid public interest jobs in the areas of environmental law and policy.
Epsilon Eta
Founded at UNC in 2006, Epsilon Eta is the nation’s first environmental honors fraternity. Drawn from a range of environmentally-related majors, members complete service projects and host events such as career fairs and speaker panels.
Net Impact
Comprised of students in the Kenan-Flagler Business School, Net Impact is dedicated to spreading knowledge about sustainable enterprise. One of the largest and most active chapters in the country, the group hosted the national Net Impact Conference in 2001 which drew more than 740 attendees.
Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee (RESPC)
The Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee works closely with Facilities Planning to identify opportunities to incorporate renewable energy into campus. The organization manages $184,000 in student fees collected annually and has succeeded in funding solar thermal panels on Morrison Dorm, geothermal wells at the North Carolina Botanical Garden, and biodiesel for on-campus P2P buses.
The Roosevelt Institution
UNC’s chapter of the Roosevelt Institution, the nation's only student-run policy think tank, contains the Center on Environmental and Energy Policy. Group members have published editorials on a range of environmental policy topics, taken a trip to the state capitol with a former secretary of the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and attended Roosevelt conferences outside UNC.
Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC)
SEAC is an environmental advocacy group dedicated to making UNC’s campus and community more sustainable. In the past the group has worked on projects such as the Green Energy Campaign and has collaborated with the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling to improve recycling at athletic events. Currently, SEAC is advocating for clean energy legislation in the North Carolina state legislature.
Student Government Environmental Affairs Committee
A committee in the executive branch of student government, Environmental Affairs works with the University to make campus operations more sustainable. In the past the group has The Environmental Affairs committee also helps coordinate all environmental student groups at UNC.
Students Working in the Enironment for Active Transformation (SWEAT)
SWEAT focuses on the intersection of poverty and the environment. The group completes service projects and hosts educational events. In 2006, SWEAT conducted fundraising events and traveled to Kenya to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and work with the Green Belt Movement.
FLO Food
FLO Food's stresses Fair, Local, and Organic food purchasing. FLO Food takes a three-pronged approach to achieving its vision, first by working directly with Carolina Dining Services (CDS) to change purchasing practices and menus served in the dining halls, second by engaging the Local Farmers in the surrounding community and creating links between them and CDS, and third by informing and involving the student body, and students' opinions, with the changes being implemented in dining services on campus. To join the listserv that announces meetings and events, email Adam Sherwood at ads332 [at] email.unc.edu.