Transcript Get a Gold Star by Going Green

Going Green on Campus
and in the Classroom
Hilary R. Mosher and James M. Haynes
Dept. of Environmental Science and
Biology
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
Discussion Outline
• How the College is Going Green
• The 3 Rs
– Reuse
– Reduce
– Recycle
• Energy Conservation
• What you can do to ‘Go Green’!
– Break old habits and form new ones.
– Be a role model for your students.
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
Did you know?
• Making paper from recycled material uses 60%
less energy than making virgin paper.
• If every household in the U.S. reused a paper
bag for one shopping trip, approximately 60,000
trees would be saved each year.
• Making cans from recycled aluminum saves 95%
of the energy required to produce cans from
virgin material.
• Approx. 75% of our trash can be recycled.
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
The College gets a Green Star!
• Reduced energy consumption
by 35% over the last 10 years.
• Installed geothermal wells in our
new Townhouses that meet
LEED certification standards.
• Has the only comprehensive
management of environmental,
safety and health system in all
of SUNY.
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
College Cont….
• Recycles 40% of all domestic refuse
collected.
• Implemented a collaborative
stormwater management plan in
cooperation with EHS, Earth Sciences,
Monroe County and NYSDEC.
– Produced a video, “only rain down the
drain,” widely used for training purposes.
• Student-run program uses fryer grease
(from food service) to make biodiesel
for diesel vehicles on campus.
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
Reuse!
• It’s as simple as it sounds!
– Have students buy used text books—this saves the
cost of reprinting and saves hundreds of sheets of
paper and therefore trees!
– Encourage students to write on required handouts
rather than use new sheets of paper.
– Try to reuse products as much as possible.
• Reuse water bottles by refilling instead of buying new.
• Carry a reusable mug for coffee- this saves money too!
• Bring your own plate, napkin, tableware and mug to the
Union.
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
Reduce!
• Consider the end life of the product you are using .
– Purchase post-consumer paper in your Dept.
• Be a good consumer—buy products with the least
packaging that are made from recycled materials.
• Purchase less.
• Prepare handouts that are single spaced and double
sided with narrower margins.
Nothing reduces consumption rates better
than less stuff to trash and recycle!
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
Recycle!
• Recycling one soda can (vs. making a new one) saves enough
energy to power a television or computer for 3 hours!
• Use the recycling bins in your classrooms and office.
– Paper and cardboard; clear, brown and green glass; plastics #1 and #2.
– Encourage classroom recycling by students.
– Make the building coordinator aware if there is not a recycling bin in your
classroom or office.
• Recycle your printer cartridges!
– Collection boxes set up all over campus—inquire at the information desk.
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
Paper Use at the College
• From 01 January through 23 September 2008,
3,103,618 pages were printed at the College.
• Daily printing at the College averages 14,598
pages!
• This equates to 6,207 reams or $15,518!
• How can you reduce paper use?
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
Reduce Paper Use
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Utilize the ANGEL system as much as possible.
Print documents double sided and single spaced.
Reduce margins and paragraph and line spacing.
Have students print in handout mode (9 slides
per page) for all power points.
• Try to reduce the amount of presentation
handouts you require.
• Emphasize paper reduction during class.
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
Be a good consumer!
Try to buy only products that:
• Were produced locally.
• Can be recycled.
• Have the least amount of packaging
• Look for the triangle with a # 1 or 2 for plastics.
• Only clear, green and brown glass.
Everyone can make a difference
through small changes.
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
Energy Conservation
• Do you enter or leave a lit classroom with projectors on?
• Turn off lights, computers, and AV equipment when not
in use.
• Use natural lighting as much as possible
• Keep windows and doors closed in the heating season
• Walk around the campus—don’t drive!
These actions reduce your
carbon footprint by decreasing your electricity use and
fossil fuel (mostly coal) consumption!
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
You and Your Students: Get Involved!
− Volunteer for campus cleanups and encourage student participation.
− Help make our campus aesthetically pleasing by acting responsibly;
don’t litter and pick up litter where you see it!
− Volunteer for environmental programs that benefit the campus and the
community.
― Use environmental examples in courses whenever possible (math,
English, business, nursing, etc.; examples abound!)
− Check out our Green Campus Initiative Website
(www.brockport.edu/gci) to get more information!
International Coastal Cleanup
Campus Beautification
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
Campus Cleanup
Campus Projects
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Recycling on campus
Geothermal heating and cooling
Solar photovoltaics
Waste water/storm water
Transportation issues (biodiesel)
Green design
Sustainable food services
Energy conservation
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
Sample Curriculum List from Ithaca
College
• School of Business
• School of Communications
• School of Health Science and Human
Performances
• School of Humanities and Sciences
• Division of Interdisciplinary and International
Studies
122 Courses with a sustainable theme!
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
Sample Inclusion from Ithaca
College
• Mathematics incorporates statistical data from governmental
agencies regarding curve fitting and regression analysis for
current environmental trends.
• Business, Biology and Sociology utilize “The Low Carbon
Diet” to encourage students to reduce their climate impacts.
• Communications students created a successful “pledge green”
campaign to encourage other students to be sustainable.
• English students write sustainable poetry.
• Business students create a green business and marketing plan.
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
Teaching Tricks for Going Green
• Choose books and readings on environmental issues that
meet course objectives.
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Collapse by Jared Diamond
Field Notes from a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert
Walden by Thoreau
Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in
Trouble by Lester Brown
• Tour of ENV 201/202 Angel site.
– Give, receive and grade assignments on Angel.
– Use “track changes” in MS Word for grading.
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
Help the College go Green!
Get a Green Star!
'The world is not dangerous because of those who do
harm but because of those who look at it without
doing anything'
Albert
Green Campus Initiative
www.Brockport.edu/GCI
Einstein.