IU campus improves carbon footprint

The 2010-11 IU academic agenda is proceeding with a motto that has become a household term in the past few years.

With the College of Arts and Sciences College Themester fall topic “Sustainability: Thriving on a Small Planet” and the success of the 2010 Energy Challenge, finding greener methods of life on campus appears to be a growing interest.

IU’s emphasis on the movement to operate more sustainably is currently on a whole new level of concentration, but the achievement has been several years in the making.

In March 2007, the IU administration assigned a Task Force on Campus Sustainability made up of students and faculty members to assess the sustainability situation. Later that year, the Sustainable Endowments Institute gave IU a “D+” by national campus standards of environmental friendliness.

The IUB Council of Environmental Stewardship, started in 1998, addressed academic and operational issues closely related to the current sustainability initiative during its seven-year run. After the disbanding of the council, the administration deemed it necessary to begin amplifying the school’s environmental awareness.

“About 100 people were involved (in the task force) that worked for nine months on
subjects ranging from transportation to food to academic initiatives,” said Michael Hamburger, professor of geological sciences.

The task force released its evaluation in 2009 and suggested that an Office of Sustainability be formed.

“The creation of the office is a milestone in itself,” said Emilie Rex, assistant director for the Office of Sustainability.

The office, established in 2009 and headed by Bill Brown, has spearheaded a number of operations on campus since its creation.

A main goal of the office is to establish a network of like-minded efforts across campus and to get their tasks accomplished, Brown said.

Connecting the operational and academic sides of sustainable IU is an important focus for the office’s interns.

The interns have toiled over methods of re-establishing the wetlands on campus, organizing an on-site composting spot and planning the Energy Challenge.

Graduate student Mckenzie Beverage conceived the Energy Challenge, which attempted to reduce energy consumption across campus. The challenge was deemed a campus-wide success, stemming from the residence halls to the greek community, with Zeta Tau Alpha and Collins Living Learning Center taking home prizes.

Even the buildings at IU are under reevaluation.

In 2007, not a single building on campus was certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, meaning that the carbon footprints being left by these buildings were more adverse to the environment than certified buildings.

However, as of 2010 IU is home to two LEED-certified buildings, one being the Research and Teaching Preserve, while 11 more are in the process of reaching the standards.

Energy saving is a prominent issue on campus, because not only does the reduction of energy prevent damage to the environment, it also helps keep IU fiscally sound — ideal in a time packed with budget cuts.

All incoming freshmen will be introduced to the school’s incentives and ideas concerning sustainability, Rex said.

“We had a strong presence at orientation this year,” Rex said.

A table informing new students about IU’s goals was present at orientation, and Brown penned an article containing material informing freshman on how to become active in the campus’s endeavors.

Additionally, the students living in residence halls will be presented with the opportunity to recycle.

Steve Akers, an associate director of environmental operations for Residential Programs and Services, helped kick off these recycling processes in the dorms.

“An increased awareness by all to be more sustainable — and by sustainable I mean recycling, turning off unnecessary lighting and taking shorter showers — has been noticeable since these greener efforts have commenced,” he said.

Additionally, the upcoming College of Arts and Sciences Themester’s concentration on sustainability is a way to expose all students and faculty to the idea.

An influx of people, ideas and opportunities all regarding sustainability will be flowing onto campus with the commencement of the Themester.

Renowned speakers and individuals of marked expertise in their fields will be gracing IU in regards to sustainability, including poet Wendell Berry and author Wes Jackson, during the 2010-11 school year.

A preliminary event highlighting the campus’s sustainability efforts will take place Sept. 10 in Dunn Meadow.

“The Themester will only add to raising the awareness by connecting with the different interests of students,” Akers said.

With all these innovations occurring around IU, the progression of campus toward becoming a greener space is apparent.

Although IU still has room to grow, the University has been most recently ranked a “B-” by the Sustainable Endowments Institute and is making strides in encouraging this change on campus.

“It’s not about sacrificing,” Hamburger said, quoting Brown. “It’s about learning to live within our means.”