Rice Initiative for a Sustainable and Ethical Today (RISE Today) is a group that examines sustainability through a broader lens. RISE Today’s mission statement outlines goals to promote sustainable and ethical lifestyles on Rice campus and the city of Houston. Through means of education and activism, RISE Today will address topics such as fair trade, human trafficking, and the impacts of consumerism.
RISE Today aims to educate students on what they can do to limit their support for companies that use forced labor. Profits drive the human trafficking industry, and consumers can help by voting with their dollar. Through educational events and product fairs, RISE Today can educate Rice students on how to cast their vote. RISE Today also aims to transform Rice into a fair trade university. The organization’s overarching goal is to have Rice University pass a resolution saying it will dedicate itself to expanding use of fair trade products in campus facilities such as the bookstore and serveries. Some examples of fair trade products already on Rice campus are the coffee in the serveries and coffeehouse and the Alta Gracia clothing brand in the bookstore.
How to get involved:
- Contact Meredith Carle and Sarah Kim (mmcarle26@rice.edu and sarah.kim@rice.edu)
- Like their Facebook page
- RISE Today meets on Thursdays at 6:00 in the Baker Library.
- Support RISE Today’s mission by examining the choices you are making with your lifestyle, and ask yourself what changes you can make to live a more sustainable and ethical lifestyle.