Going green

When Mark Werner took Campus Ecology in 2005, he found that the readings and discussions from the course were immediately relevant to his life at St. Olaf College. “Everyday I would leave class energized and hopeful, ready to change the design of our community and sure that it could be done,” he said. For Werner’s class project on green architecture for the new science center, he and his group made recommendations, many of which are now being incorporated in the current construction. “We’re pretty good at getting students involved and designing sustainability into everyday things,” says Jim Farrell, the St. Olaf professor who teaches the Campus Ecology course.

Involving students and campus communities in energy conservation is just one of the ways that more campuses are going green. With their many employees, students, buildings and land, colleges and universities spend billions on fuel, energy and infrastructure. This translates into a big environmental impact or “footprint.” The cost, environmental implications and a sense of social responsibility are among the reasons that many of Minnesota's private colleges are committing to greater sustainability.

The majority of the energy generated in the U.S. comes from burning carbon-based fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas — which produce carbon dioxide and other gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming and climate change. To reduce dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels and the nations that supply them means looking to renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, biomass and geothermal resources.

Students at a St. John's Arboreturm environmental education class

“The challenge of global warming makes environmental stewardship more vital than ever, and we are committed to efforts to attain climate neutrality and live responsibly,” said President MaryAnn Baenninger of the College of Saint Benedict. According to Derek Larson, chair of the environmental studies progr at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University (CSB/SJU) his colleges will be completing a carbon audit and developing a sustainability plan. “The process is very campus-specific. It will require a significant cultural shift and take work, but the higher education sector needs to take responsibility,” he said. He noted that CSB/SJU has a history of concern for the environment, as evidenced by the recent 10-year anniversary of its arboretum. For the 2006-07 school year for example, the Saint John’s Arboretum served over 5,100 preK-12th grade students with its environmental education classes.

Other private college initiatives range from making changes in science buildings to save $50,000 per year in energy costs at Macalester College, to the purchase of electric trucks at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, to building the first certified Passive House in North America at Concordia Language Villages.

Mark Dickinson, director of facilities management at Macalester College, believes that the most interesting aspect of its green initiatives is not any one action or activity but the overall leadership. “I feel as though sustainability is being infused into almost everything we are doing at Macalester from the classroom to the food service. We have a lot to do to reduce our ‘footprint;’ this is not a new concept here.”

Transportation is an emphasis at Augsburg College, which is well-placed to benefit from transit routes. “We’re promoting public transportation to get faculty and staff to work by offering a 50 percent discount and offering a semester pass for students that amounts to a 60 percent discount,” said Augsburg’s Tom Ruffaner, chair of the Environmental Stewardship Committee. He states that Augsburg has made a long-range commitment to reducing its emissions. “This is a cultural change — it’s hard for people to change their habits, but we are making progress.”

The sustainability focus at St. Olaf College is particularly obvious — an enormous wind turbine known on campus as “Big Ole” generates one-third of the campus’ energy and has reduced carbon emissions by 20 percent. Its new science building should receive a “gold” rating by the LEED Green Building Rating System. And its college cafeteria demonstrates its environmental ethic by offering cage-free eggs, meat, dairy and seafood produced with reduced antibiotics, and purchases from regional food producers and artisans. It also buys all the produce from the student-run STOGROW organic gardens. St. Olaf’s ten principles (stop generating waste and stop wasting it, put our money where our values are…) and other information about St. Olaf stewardship efforts are documented on its black&gold&green Web site.

Cost versus efficiency
So just how difficult is it for campuses to reduce their carbon emissions? “It boils down to money,” said St. Olaf’s Assistant VP for Facilities, Pete Sandberg. “You can conserve like crazy but you still need fuel. If you can use renewable energy, that’s great.” Sandberg notes that St. Olaf is looking for other ways to cut energy costs since those savings leave more money for its education mission.

Across town, Carleton College is making an impact too, including a wind turbine that generates power sold to Xcel Energy. The college recently announced a new single-stream recycling program that allows users to mix all types of recyclable materials in one bin, and plans to compost all food waste. In 2006 Carleton students engaged in Dorm Wars, where dorms “battled” one another to save the most energy. The event was so successful that it went statewide in 2007 with a dozen other campuses joining in. Overall, Carleton dorms reduced energy usage in February 2007 by about eight percent. “It's always amazing to see the level of interest and participation in these events,” said Rob Lamppa, Carleton’s director of energy management and project manager of Dorm Wars. “Carleton students continue to show that they are up to the challenge, and that they want to lead the way.”

Additional wind turbines are planned at Gustavus Adolphus College. “The college wants to install two,” said Jim Dontje, director of the new Johnson Center for Environmental Innovation. “The push for cleaner energy in Minnesota is so strong however, that everyone wants a turbine, so we are waiting for turbines to become available." In regards to overall campus sustainability efforts, Dontje noted Gustavus’ creation of the Johnson Center to lead the necessary transitions. "No campus is truly sustainable yet," he said, “but Gustavus is developing a clear vision for what it takes.”

For graduates who’ve been enmeshed in campus sustainability initiatives, the effects can be long-lasting. Christine Schwichtenberg, a 2006 St. Olaf graduate whose Campus Ecology project looked at recycled paper and lighting, says she applies the lessons learned to her life beyond college. “I currently live with four other girls in a house in St. Paul and we are attempting to make the right decisions. Most of our lights are compact fluorescents, we compost and I ride my bike to work. I have become more conscious of my actions and have strived to instill that consciousness into my housemates and my friends,” she said.

St. Olaf’s Sandberg should be proud. “The goal of our task force is to make sustainability part of the everyday fabric of this place. The most exciting thing for me is seeing that our kids can go out into the world and influence others,” he said.

Apparently, it’s working.

Resources:
For campuses to become energy independent and reduce their global warming pollution, Campus Climate Challenge recommends that campuses implement six basic reforms:

Upgrade to Efficiency: Replace inefficient appliances and upgrade inefficient buildings.
Build Better: All new buildings should be high performance and energy efficient.
Move to Clean Power: Buy or generate electricity from renewable resources.
Expand Transportation Alternatives: Make it easy to get around on less fuel.
Implement Green Purchasing: Buy products that use less energy, last longer, and are better for the environment.
Institutionalize Conservation: Create a culture of conservation on campus.

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment
Campus Climate Challenge
New Energy for Campuses (PDF)