2008 Woodie Awards
WU leaders push to 'green' campus
Environmental concerns are the top issue at the Sept. 18 Delegates' Agenda
By: Amber Russell
Issue date: 9/20/07 Section: News
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Dey said there is a recycling committee on campus, but recycling is not the only area that needs improvement.
"Recycling is just a small drop in the bucket," Dey said.
According to a document produced by David Stone and other facilities staff, the number of recycling bins on campus increased from 13 in 1998 to 996 in 2007. The Webster Groves campus recycled nearly 90 tons of paper, three tons of mixed plastic and aluminum and 30 tons of cardboard in 2006. Because of these efforts, this campus alone diverted all this waste from sitting in a landfill to being reused. The facilities planners' document also show the recycling figures for 2007 are 35 percent higher than those in 2006.
King is a liaison between the Green Campus Committee and the student body as an SGA senator serving on the committee. He is also on an environmental committee within SGA called Green Stuff Yeah. He agreed with Dey that the first step is evaluation of the campus by an auditor and then complying with the recommendations from that audit.
"Our goals with the Green Campus Committee are accurately assessing the areas in which the Webster community can improve its environmental impact, creating a multitude of specific solutions to be implemented and outlining a system of program evaluation - complete with goals and timelines - to be used over a long period of time."
Junior Patrick Vacek, a computer science major and the SGA comptroller, said Green Stuff Yeah is an ad-hoc committee, meaning that it only exists as needed.
He said Green Stuff Yeah wants to support the university's green committee as well as aid student efforts and help other student organizations "stay green."
"Whatever we can do on whatever level; whether it is personal, in classrooms, through other student organizations - it's good by us," Vacek said.
He also said specific goals are still up in the air, but he wants to help communicate ideas and thoughts between students and the Green Campus Committee. There will be some drawbacks, he said.
"The biggest obstacle will probably be coordination and effective communication - a lot of people, students and administrators seem interested. But getting everyone to really work together for the same ends might be a challenge," Vacek said.
Along with energy conservation, preventative maintenance scheduling is improving. New software is being used for energy equipment to ensure the most efficient operating conditions.
Webster has become an institutional member of the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
The Green Campus Committee will be participating in Campus Sustainability Day, Oct. 24. The committee will join other universities via Web cast in the Library Conference Room to discuss environmental issues that affect schools. They will exchange ideas and learn the best practices that support a green environment from each other.
"Recycling is just a small drop in the bucket," Dey said.
According to a document produced by David Stone and other facilities staff, the number of recycling bins on campus increased from 13 in 1998 to 996 in 2007. The Webster Groves campus recycled nearly 90 tons of paper, three tons of mixed plastic and aluminum and 30 tons of cardboard in 2006. Because of these efforts, this campus alone diverted all this waste from sitting in a landfill to being reused. The facilities planners' document also show the recycling figures for 2007 are 35 percent higher than those in 2006.
King is a liaison between the Green Campus Committee and the student body as an SGA senator serving on the committee. He is also on an environmental committee within SGA called Green Stuff Yeah. He agreed with Dey that the first step is evaluation of the campus by an auditor and then complying with the recommendations from that audit.
"Our goals with the Green Campus Committee are accurately assessing the areas in which the Webster community can improve its environmental impact, creating a multitude of specific solutions to be implemented and outlining a system of program evaluation - complete with goals and timelines - to be used over a long period of time."
Junior Patrick Vacek, a computer science major and the SGA comptroller, said Green Stuff Yeah is an ad-hoc committee, meaning that it only exists as needed.
He said Green Stuff Yeah wants to support the university's green committee as well as aid student efforts and help other student organizations "stay green."
"Whatever we can do on whatever level; whether it is personal, in classrooms, through other student organizations - it's good by us," Vacek said.
He also said specific goals are still up in the air, but he wants to help communicate ideas and thoughts between students and the Green Campus Committee. There will be some drawbacks, he said.
"The biggest obstacle will probably be coordination and effective communication - a lot of people, students and administrators seem interested. But getting everyone to really work together for the same ends might be a challenge," Vacek said.
Along with energy conservation, preventative maintenance scheduling is improving. New software is being used for energy equipment to ensure the most efficient operating conditions.
Webster has become an institutional member of the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
The Green Campus Committee will be participating in Campus Sustainability Day, Oct. 24. The committee will join other universities via Web cast in the Library Conference Room to discuss environmental issues that affect schools. They will exchange ideas and learn the best practices that support a green environment from each other.
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