College Campuses Go Green- Imprint Magazine

Across the country, college campuses are making the switch to greener, more energy efficient buildings. As solar paneled dorms and high efficiency classrooms spring up from Berkeley to Boston University, more and more college students are making the switch to green as well.
Many colleges and universities have chosen to build, re-build, or renovate old buildings to meet the standards of the United States Green Building Council. The USGBC certifies these new changes as a part of their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. The council has stated that if all new schools were to be built green, savings of up to $20 billion can be expected. Perks of the new building program include better ventilation, lighting, acoustics, and comfier temperatures. A building can be certified LEED after it has been compared to the USGBC’s checklist. This inventory of environmentally friendly structural choices includes six categories with points in each category. To see why green schools are the way to go, check out www.buildgreenschools.org. Here’s a look at the criteria green buildings have to meet:

• Sustainable Sites: Does this building make provisions for students riding bikes? Taking public transportation?
• Water Efficiency: Many LEED certified buildings, such as Allegheny College’s recently certified North Village student community, use grey water to power sinks and toilets. Grey water includes impure runoff and rainwater instead of pulling from the city’s water storage. Many toilets have a duel-flush option, saving water for those times you just don’t need a full flush.
• Energy and Atmosphere: New high efficiency, long lasting fluorescent light bulbs save thousands on electric bills for colleges choosing to go green. Brittany Baker, a freshman at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania has switched her desk lamp after her school handed them out for free this year. “They really want us to be concerned and active in the green movement,” states the English major. “If free light bulbs will help save the earth, I’ll be happy to take part.”
• Materials and Resources: Buildings seeking a LEED certification must prove that their wood hasn’t been harvested from the rainforests of Ecuador. James Newborg, an Emerson College sophomore, has the pleasure of shooting hoops in Piano Row’s newly installed basketball court. The court is made of wood certified friendly by the Forest Stewardship Council, an advocacy group supporting the use of farmed trees.
• Indoor Environmental Quality: Snuff out that cigarette, no smoking is allowed within LEED certified buildings. Better air quality leads to lower mold growth, less allergies, and pure air for everyone. In Ithaca College’s newly constructed school of business, large glass windows allow for more natural light, which has been found to heighten focus in students.
• Innovation and Design Process: Why stop with green buildings? Green students make a positive impact in the world just as much as a classroom powered with eco-friendly energy. The USGBC awards points to campuses who work towards a more aware and environmentally active student body as well.

Besides the green buildings popping up across the country, college campuses are starting many new environmental groups aimed at saving the world. Starting recycling programs, raising awareness, and planting trees, these students are just tie-die wearing hippies anymore. Environmental groups are becoming incredibly popular at many schools. Earth Emerson, a student run eco-friendly organization at Emerson College in Boston has begun raising awareness about environmental problems around the world and right at home on their inner-city campus. Kristen Golden, the president of Earth Emerson hopes other colleges will begin starting environmental groups. She knows all too well how hard it can be to raise ecological consciousness among college students. “I think that students are a hard demographic to concern with environmental issues. They’re focused, hard working people and sometimes I think people find them apathetic. For students working toward an important goal, it’s important for them to understand why they’re making changes.” Earth Emerson has taken on many projects recently, including a temporary ban on trays at the dinning hall in order to conserve water, energy, and lower chemical use. Other colleges, such as Bethany College in West Virginia who do not have environmental groups leave planet saving to the Greeks. Sally Mellring, a senior at Bethany spends one day a year cleaning up the mountain campus with her service-based fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega. Lynchburg College in Virginia has posed a list of tips for college students looking to go green on their campus. Point and click on http://www.lynchburg.edu/x10372.xml to get a few ideas for your school.

Colleges and universities are pleased with the recent change on campuses. Mary Wegmann, the assistant director of Housing and Student Services at Emerson College believes that recycling programs should become a part of every campus. “I think that every school should recycle. Administration and student organizations should get more active. This is something that needs multiple forces behind it.” Working together, college administrators and concerned students can make a real difference in their school and in their world.

For a look at ways to make your life greener, check out www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction. The tips listed here can help save the earth, and give everyone a little better karma. If you’d like to see your campus go green, consider starting up your own environmental group or talking to your college’s facilities manager to discuss building your own green building. Before you know it, you’ll be half-flushing a brand new grey water toilet and studying by long-lasting high efficiency light bulbs. For the budget and the earth, green is the new black.