Okay, admittedly this is not a research post…but bear with me.

We pride ourselves on being sustainable here at Northeastern. But are we putting our money where our mouth is…so to speak? I know there are probably a million things I personally could be doing better — I’m a paper fiend, for instance. I recycle as much as I can, but reducing would probably be the better of the three Rs at this point.

As I said in my last post, I did go way out of my comfort zone this week by biking to work for the first time…ever. I am not a biker. I start sweating when people say it’s easy because “it’s just like riding a bike!” But I did it and it turned out not to be the worst thing in the whole world.

Well, my new found lack of cyclephobia* is just in time: the second half of May is Bay State Bike Week. Northeastern has a team in the Mass Commutes Bicycle Challenge, which is tallying all the miles that individuals and local institutions rack up during bike week. I registered my measly 2.5 mile commute, bringing Northeastern’s pledged miles to a whopping 30. Compare that to BU or MIT and you’ll be sorely disappointed, my friends.

So, let’s put Northeastern on the map as a truly sustainable campus, committed to giving this planet a longer lifetime not just through our research initiatives but also through our daily practices.

Biking is only one option. Check out HEAT and the Sustainability page for more info about how Northeastern really is working toward a cleaner world and how you can get involved.

* This is not to say that I’m a super cycler now or anything…and please, follow the rules of the road and be safe.

Photo: Flowerego, “The last morning in Boston” October 13, 2010 via Flickr. Creative Commons attribution.