Graduate students at Southeast Missouri State University have been learning about environmental sustainability in a new class offered this semester.

Dr. Anne Marietta, associate professor in the Department of Human Environmental Studies, teaches the course and hopes that it will "increase awareness that we're doing a lot of harm to our environment."

Even though there are only eight students in the class, Marietta said the subject is making a big impact. According to Marietta, the class time is from 5-8 p.m. but students are usually still in discussion nearly half an hour past the end of the class period.

"I've never had a class where I couldn't get the students to leave," Marietta said.

Class members have watched thought-provoking videos about the environment, studied the sustainability programs of other universities, visited a nearby sustainable home and discussed what is being done to create a more sustainable environment at Southeast.

Marietta said that positive steps are being taken on campus, such as switching the power plant from coal to gas, cleaning up the old coal that used to be outside the power plant and recycling oil from the campus dining services.

"What we really need is to get students involved in wanting a more sustainable campus," Marietta said.

Marietta said that one step students can make is to try and reduce their use of plastic.

"Plastic never really goes away," Marietta said. "Even when you recycle it, it still becomes something else plastic, and at some point will have to be dealt with."

Rajesh Vemuri, a student in Marietta's class, said this was one of the more important things he learned in this class.

"I learned a lot, like how to save Earth by eliminating plastic, carrying my own water bottle and minimizing water usage in my life," Vemuri said.

Marietta's interest in environmental issues stems from her childhood. She grew up near the Pittsburgh steel mills, surrounded by black soot and the smell of sulfur.

"As a child, I realized the effects of pollution," Marietta said.

The Sustainable Environments class is being taught on a trial basis, but Marietta said she hopes she will be able to teach the class again next year.

"I hope it gets approved," Marietta said. "If not, it's still been a lot of fun."

For any students interested in sustainability, Dr. Marietta will host a discussion about environmental issues at 5:30 p.m. April 26 in Rhodes Hall room 121.