February 12, 2009
Colleges Go Green
Our college years are usually concerned with fulfilling academic requirements, establishing lasting friendships, and growing into adulthood. On many campuses, those accomplishments are accompanied by an ever-growing degree of concern for the protection and preservation of our environment.
Collegians, administrators and faculty are banding together at colleges and universities all across the United States, to develop and implement programs designed to help their local communities “Go Green”. There is broad recognition of the need to involve everyone on campus and in their local communities to make their programs successful. They realize that everyone must work together every day to clean up, protect, and preserve the environment for themselves and for future generations.
Campus environmental groups are coming up with creative ways to make “Going Green” more comprehensive. Established recycling programs for basic items such as cans, bottles, plastic, and paper are just not enough. About 500 schools have agreed to implement plans to become “carbon neutral” through the reduction of emissions. They are also working on minimizing waste, conserving water, and reducing the use of energy.
Various campuses are involved with ongoing projects such as using cooking oil from their eating places to make biodiesel fuel for vehicles driven by campus personnel. Fruit and vegetable scraps are fertilizing campus gardens; locally grown foods are being served where possible. One campus grows only edible shrubs so hungry students can grab a bite on the way to class.
Some new campus buildings are being constructed with recycled and sustainable materials; solar panels and geothermal pumps provide heat and cooling with no damaging carbon emissions. Although more costly, several universities are using renewable energy sources such as dams and wind farms to generate power.
Community organizations have become the recipients of clothes, books, cell phones, and other reusable items donated by students who are vacating dorms at the end of the school year. One school collected over 20,000 pounds of such items. Another school holds competitions to see which dorms can best conserve energy by dimming lights, turning off electronics, and unplugging appliances.
Colleges and universities are finding many ways to impact our environment favorably. Hopefully, future graduates will be committed to a life-long friendship with the environment and will teach others to “go green”. Our survival may depend on it!