Making an impact on the environment can seem like a daunting task, but one Grand Valley State University professor believes making small changes in her classroom can have a big impact.

Star Swift, associate professor in the Seidman College of Business at GVSU, said when she first showed one of her classes a video about an organization called “1% for the Planet,” it was a challenge.

“Sometimes it’s nerve wracking, standing up for something, but you know it’s the right thing to do, so you do it,” Swift said.

“1% for the Planet” is part of a larger movement around the world that aims to help companies become more sustainable. Businesses and organizations that are part of the movement allocate one percent of their total sales for donation to some of 2,600 different environmental organizations worldwide. Currently, the organization has 1,390 companies involved and is still growing.

Swift said after the first time she saw the video, she was called to action, and her students followed suit. To eliminate paper use, the class started taking all of their notes on computers. Instead of turning in paper assignments, they switched to a service called Dropbox, which allows users to send large files online.

Matt Bazen, a senior business student at GVSU, said the majority of their work is spent outside class, meeting in groups. Instead of burning gas by driving to meetings, the class members use ooVoo, a video conference software, to allow them to meet online rather than in person.

“We are measuring the amount of gas and paper we are saving for just our class,” Bazen said. “Our goal is to try and take one class, and completely reduce or stop our use of gas and paper waste.”

Swift even made T-shirts for her students to wear to help raise awareness, which they all wore on a class trip to ArtPrize.

Swift and her students are working on getting other students to make the pledge, and Brazen hopes that other student organizations, as well as other colleges, might get involved.

“We are hoping they will learn by our example and join the cause,” he said. “All it takes is a conscious effort to try and do more for the planet. I love to print paper, and drive my car like the rest of the world. However, just by pledging to try and not do this for one class, I feel my one percent could be achieved.”

To view the YouTube video that started Professor Swift’s passion for this organization, and to learn more and how you can get involved, visit www.onepercentfortheplanet.org.

[email protected]