Oct 18 2010
College of St. Benedict (CSB) and St. John’s University (SJU) are celebrating 2010 as the Year of Sustainability with goals of increasing knowledge about sustainability and trying to include sustainability in every segment of campus life.
According to Judy Purman, CSB’s new Sustainability Director, this campaign would get people to think about sustainability and play a major role in shifting life long habits of people such as walking out of rooms without shutting off the lights. Her office at CSB contains a motion sensor which puts the room into darkness if there is no motion for too long reminding her of the mission. Environmental stewardship was already a part of the two colleges even before sustainability came into vogue via the Common Grounds community garden and St. John’s Arboretum. CSB had a history of more that 1500 years in caring for the earth.
Consequent to the pledge taken by both the colleges to be converted into carbon neutral facilities by 2035, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to zero became crucial. To accomplish this goal, schemes for decreasing waste and purchasing foods grown in the vicinity have been initiated.
Derek Larson, environmental studies professor reveals that sustainability would play a vital role both inside the institution and in the nation and that to continue to evolve as robust and vibrant institutions sustainability must be the focus of strategic planning process.
Purman further stated that as sustainability equates savings it is quite easy to push the message through, in today’s difficult economic conditions. Efficiency is essential, said Ernie Diedrich , Co-Chairman of the sustainability committee and professor of economics and environmental studies proposed the idea of assigning the current year as the year of sustainability. Future plans for encouraging sustainability in the campus include erection of a wind turbine, usage of metal beverage containers, electronic billing, energy saving lights in swimming pool areas, usage of renewable energy from the solar farm established in St.John, and deployment of bicycles to move around the campus. The focus was on changing hearts, habits and consumerism mind sets.
Source: http://www.csbsju.edu/