n I wanted to thank The Daily Free Press for its coverage of the effort by several faculty to add environmental sustainability to Boston University’s Strategic Plan (“Professors petition for BU energy awareness,” Feb. 22, p. 1).

Even with all the recent attention to global warming and other environmental problems, it can often seem there isn’t much one person can do to make a difference. But at least in this case, anybody can make a difference by reading and signing the open letter, mentioned in the article, advocating environmentally sustainable practices a central part of our everyday campus life, as well as a focus of the university’s teaching and research missions.

Al Gore’s speech at the Oscars mentioned (and I’m paraphrasing) that all we needed was the will to address the environmental problems facing us.

I sincerely believe that we can do that, right here at BU, right now, and in so doing also become an example for others. I would encourage everyone at BU who is interested in the environment and in making our campus more “green” to read the letter by Mark Friedl and Thomas Kunz and support this effort.

Mike Holmes

Dept. of Geography and Environment