A year of growth for green groups

Boston University's campus has seen a year of green changes, but while more recycling bins are popping up on Commonwealth Avenue, some students and staff say the university has a long way to go until it is truly eco-friendly.

The campus is going green faster than in the past because students are now more conscious of the need for environmentally friendly programs, Paul Kelly, Office of Environmental Health and Safety environmental manager, said.

"There's a demand for it, and we're providing it," Kelly said. "It's growing and it's the thing to do. Everybody's going green."

However, BU's increased commitment to the environment has been met with reports that the university's efforts are lagging behind those at other schools. The 2008 College Sustainability Report Card, released by the Sustainable Endowments Institute in October, gave BU a C grade for its environmental policies.

BU finished behind local schools, but the mark represented progress from last year's D grade. A large reason for the jump was an improved recycling program, which received an A score in the 2008 report.

Kelly said a lot of attention has been funneled into developing BU's recycling program, which has added outdoor recycling bins and begun composting yard waste and leftover food from dining halls and the George Sherman Union. This winter, the school hired Save That Stuff, a company that collects recycling at better rates with more pick-up options than BU had before, Kelly said.

BU recycling has increased substantially this school year, although there is still room for improvement, he said. He cited BU's location as one challenge the recycling program has to overcome.

"We're in an urban environment, and we don't have a lot of space on campus to put things," Kelly said. "That's a challenge on an urban campus."

Kelly and Mackie Welsh, one of three student recycling coordinators, said another obstacle to BU's green projects is students' willingness to make the extra effort.

"People expect the school to do a lot more than is actually feasible," Welsh, a College of Arts and Sciences junior, said. "As long as people take the initiative, they have access to recycling."

Welsh pointed to the placement of a recycling bin on Marsh Plaza and an increase in bins in the College of Arts and Sciences building as marks of success, but said there is still more to do.

"I'd like to see recycling incorporated into the construction and beautification project," Welsh added. "We're redoing everything out there, so we might as well invest in something for recycling."

BU has also created a web page detailing all green efforts on campus. In November, the university created BU RideShare, which pairs students looking to save money and gas with those driving to the same area. The website describes how BU has incorporated eco-friendly practices into the Student Village Phase II construction, and also provides tips for students looking to help the environment.

Environmental groups also increased their focus on sustainability. The Environmental Student Organization is trying to establish an optional green fee of $10 per semester toward environmental initiatives. The proposal passed the Student Union in February, but is still waiting on approval from the administration.

ESO Vice President Rachel Weil said the proposal has "stalled" because the BU Sustainability Committee needs to be set up first. The committee, which will be chaired by CAS geography and environment professor Cutler Cleveland and Vice President for Operations Gary Nicksa, will be responsible for allocating the green fee funds.

"We'd like to see it going to finding alternative energy sources instead of our conventional oil sources for energy on campus," said Weil, who will be ESO president next year. "Also, increasing our recycling programs would be great."

The sedGreen committee is another group dedicated to bringing greener practices to BU. The committee, composed of School of Education students and faculty, came together in November 2006 to improve recycling at SED. Committee Chairwoman Theresa Redmond said the group has expanded its efforts since.

This semester, sedGreen installed solar panels and wind turbines on SED's roof. The panels feed directly into the electrical grid, providing power to the building, while the wind turbines will power an educational display, Redmond said.

Another ongoing sedGreen project is the power-down campaign, aimed at reminding people to turn off the SED building's lights when not in use. The campaign came about after sedGreen conducted an energy audit of the education building. The results showed 42 percent of energy consumption in the building came from lighting, Redmond said.

"That's really exciting because we have so much personal control over light," she said. "It's just a flick of the wrist and we can reduce carbon dioxide emissions."

As part of the campaign, sedGreen installed laminated tabs on the building's light-switches with phrases like "Green up, power down" and "Turn off lights for a brighter future."

SED science education professor Doug Zook said in an email that green projects are educational as well as environmental, because teaching students eco-friendly practices will spread the word far and wide.

"We want those who are learning to become teachers here at SED to develop a familiarity and commitment to the importance of renewable energy," Zook said.

SED graduate student Ayora Govignon-Berry, an sedGreen member, said encouraging small lifestyle changes is an important goal for those interested in going green.

"The daily behaviors become massive movements," Berry said.