Spring Break
Green ideas get moving
Chancellor creates climate committee; group will work with Clean Commute on reducing emissions
Timothy Langton
Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: Campus News
Even as the recent snowfall continues to make campus whiter, UW-Eau Claire officials and faculty have their minds set on making it greener.
Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich said the campus is laying groundwork for changes it hopes to adopt as stated in the President's Climate Commitment and the Clean Commute Initiative.
He has set up the Climate Commitment Committee, an advisory group made of faculty and students from various departments, to see what needs to be done as well as getting information out to the campus community, he said.
"I asked this group to get together because this is such a big issue," Levin-Stankevich said. "(The committee) will determine ways we can generate more involvement for faculty, staff and students."
Associate professor of biology Kristina Beuning will conduct a research course in the spring in which students will measure the university's carbon emissions, Levin-Stankevich said. After releasing a final report in July, the university will determine how to begin reducing its "carbon footprint."
Bob Eierman, professor of chemistry and chairman of the Clean Commute Initiative Committee, said the group is also helping to set base plans for the eventual energy usage changes.
Gathering commuter data, creating educational events and developing plans toward making the campus more bike, pedestrian and bus friendly are among the goals for the committee, Eierman said. The group also plans to inform the chancellor of proposals for improving the campus' transportation system.
The CCI committee will partner with the chancellor's committee to continue the process, Levin-Stankevich said.
"We look forward to moving ahead cooperatively," he said.
Freshman Andrew Meschke said he would like to see the university become more energy efficient. He said the energy-efficient washers and dryers the university installed are a step in the right direction.
But he added he would like to begin seeing more changes, such as the replacement of lights the university has now with fluorescent lights, as well as better use of the Eau Claire City Transit system.
"I think it's a good start," Meschke said of the university's progress. "I know these things take time, but I'd like to see (the changes soon)."
The chancellor said students won't see too many immediate changes because the university is still in the research and planning stages. Plans such as a potential utilization of wind-powered energy and Eau Claire's involvement in the Recyclemania, a nationwide competition for colleges and universities, are still down the road, he said.
Changes this big will not happen overnight, he said, and will require the entire community's help in order to work.
"It's going to be a process of people in our community doing things that result in change in behaviors."
Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich said the campus is laying groundwork for changes it hopes to adopt as stated in the President's Climate Commitment and the Clean Commute Initiative.
He has set up the Climate Commitment Committee, an advisory group made of faculty and students from various departments, to see what needs to be done as well as getting information out to the campus community, he said.
"I asked this group to get together because this is such a big issue," Levin-Stankevich said. "(The committee) will determine ways we can generate more involvement for faculty, staff and students."
Associate professor of biology Kristina Beuning will conduct a research course in the spring in which students will measure the university's carbon emissions, Levin-Stankevich said. After releasing a final report in July, the university will determine how to begin reducing its "carbon footprint."
Bob Eierman, professor of chemistry and chairman of the Clean Commute Initiative Committee, said the group is also helping to set base plans for the eventual energy usage changes.
Gathering commuter data, creating educational events and developing plans toward making the campus more bike, pedestrian and bus friendly are among the goals for the committee, Eierman said. The group also plans to inform the chancellor of proposals for improving the campus' transportation system.
The CCI committee will partner with the chancellor's committee to continue the process, Levin-Stankevich said.
"We look forward to moving ahead cooperatively," he said.
Freshman Andrew Meschke said he would like to see the university become more energy efficient. He said the energy-efficient washers and dryers the university installed are a step in the right direction.
But he added he would like to begin seeing more changes, such as the replacement of lights the university has now with fluorescent lights, as well as better use of the Eau Claire City Transit system.
"I think it's a good start," Meschke said of the university's progress. "I know these things take time, but I'd like to see (the changes soon)."
The chancellor said students won't see too many immediate changes because the university is still in the research and planning stages. Plans such as a potential utilization of wind-powered energy and Eau Claire's involvement in the Recyclemania, a nationwide competition for colleges and universities, are still down the road, he said.
Changes this big will not happen overnight, he said, and will require the entire community's help in order to work.
"It's going to be a process of people in our community doing things that result in change in behaviors."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Eileen Norby
posted 12/06/07 @ 8:24 AM CST
UW-EC ranked 4th out of 200 campuses nationwide in RecycleMania's waste minimization category last year. However UW-River Falls and UW-Stout did much better with pounds per capita recycling, so there's still room for improvement. (Continued…)
Post a Comment