Two Toyota Hybrid cars sat on the lawn of St. Mary’s College last Wednesday in conjunction with various displays and activities across the campus as part of Campus Sustainability Day.
Events included special local food selections in the Great Room, displays by the St. Mary’s River Watershed Association, Smith Group Architects, Free Ride, and the Sustainability Committee.
Each group had a different environmental focus, from the effects of invasive birds and plants to the technology incorporated with the construction of environmentally friendly Goodpaster Hall.
The new classroom building has a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating of silver based on green features such as a 30-40 percent reduction in energy consumption, a 30 percent reduction in sewage waste and lumber from environmentally managed sources. All future projects such as the new boathouse are designed to be “green” as well.
Throughout the day, students and visitors had the opportunity to attend a Web-cast by the Society for College and University Planning on “Where is Your Campus on the Continuum of Integrated Sustainability Planning?” and a Global Warming colloquium led by Dr. Richard Wolfson from Middlebury College.
Students in general thought the event was successful in informing the college community of pressing environmental issues.
In addition to awareness, the college is making significant strides towards sustainability. Chairman of the Board of Trustees Jim Muldoon hopes to see St. Mary’s College become “The cleanest spot in the whole Chesapeake Bay.”
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The Bay Net photos by Chris Rodkey |
Students are currently being asked to sign petitions pushing for 100% wind energy on campus at a cost of roughly $160 per student per year. Most students see this as a trivial fee compared to the cumulative cost of tuition and fees. Muldoon seems optimistic that the sustainability initiative will be successful saying “We have to lead” in environmental matters.
Last year, St. Mary’s College students Holly Chase and Lauren Riggs completed a class project on the feasibility of using renewable wind energy on campus.
Although Chase and Riggs have graduated, their efforts have encouraged other students to carry on the cause, such as members of the Campus Sustainability Committee Rachel Clement and Julia Snyder.
Clement and Snyder challenged students to lift their weight in Carbon Emissions. By consuming electricity, gas and other forms of energy, the average person produces 110 pounds of carbon emissions each day, equating to over 40,000 pounds per year.
Clement explained how Carbon Emissions develop the Greenhouse Effect, deplete the O-Zone and cause Global Warming. Snyder noted that the current push for sustainability is “not even for us,” but thinks that it is unfair for future generations to have to deal with our irreversible environmental consequences.
Clement’s motivation for a sustainable campus was clear: “The picture of Greenland melting is affecting if we don’t slow Carbon Emissions in the next ten years.”