November 19, 2008 at 11:12 am (Education, Energy, Green Building, LC)
Lately, it’s all about green, green, green; the color? No! The environment, obviously. But is that all there is? Maybe it is time to combine the two. Can’t we be “green” with pinks, yellows and oranges? FIDER knows what’s up. They are making it a requirement for all interior design students to learn and have a good understanding of what sustainability means. Though they are not making sustainability a mandatory aspect of design, at least the students are being educated about it. I’m sure you’ll agree when I say: this is a small step in the right direction.
Luckily, design students are not the only college goers with sustainability awareness. Oberlin College conducted a huge experiment proving that if students know their levels of energy use, they are more likely to cut it down; granted it was made into a contest for motivational purposes, but it’s still legit. Now, you may say, “So what? If it was a contest, it means nothing, anyone will do something for a prize”, but that’s simply not the underlying point.
A little knowledge goes a long way. People will care for the environment when taught about its importance and needs. If everyone knew all the simple, little things we can do to help sustain our resources, small gestures of sustainability would have a huge impact. Prove to me otherwise, and then we can talk. It’s about those that are making a difference, not those that are not. So, take a look around. Need a new color scheme? Is it time for you to call a knowledgeable interior designer? I mean… green isn’t all bad…
- Monica
Editor’s Note: This post is one in a series published by students in the Sustainability Learning Community at KU. Additional posts from this series can be found under “LC” on the Categories list.
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November 19, 2008 at 11:09 am (Green Building, LC, Sustainable Solutions, Water)
Campus gardens are beautiful. There is no argument there. It seems as though some kind of flowering plant is always in bloom, no matter what season. It’s here that the problem arises. Sustainable gardens incorporate plants and flowers native to the area. They flourish in their native environments, requiring little if no maintenance, fertilizer, and extra water. Sustainable gardens also include perennial flowers that do not need to be reseeded.
Looking around KU, I have seen many people working hard in the various gardens, shoveling fertilizers and compost into gardens, digging up dead annual flowers, and watering existing plants. With the size of campus, and the number of gardens that can be found, I really wonder how much time and money are wasted on these not so “green” gardens. Furthermore, I am also curious about the affects of the fertilizer on campus. Could this be contributing to the nasty surface scum on Potter Lake? I think so. If you are familiar with the Potter Lake Project, students working to make it less of an eyesore also reported it to be polluted last year. Or even just how much water we are wasting irrigating those flowers.
I can turn the water off while I brush my teeth for the rest of my life and it won’t even come close to the gallons of water KU would save with sustainable gardens. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that KU has taken steps for a more sustainable existence. But I think that we can do more. If we convert the unsustainable gardens as KU to gardens that integrate native plants, perennial flowers, and plants that attract insects beneficial to the environment, KU could save time, money, and most of all, the environment.
- Taylor
Editor’s Note: This post is one in a series published by students in the Sustainability Learning Community at KU. Additional posts from this series can be found under “LC” on the Categories list.
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November 19, 2008 at 10:56 am (Green Building, LC, Sustainable Solutions, Waste Reduction & Recycling, Water)
I am a huge proponent of xeriscaping. Many people don’t know what it is, so I’ll define it as Webster does: xeriscape is defined as a landscaping method developed especially for arid and semiarid climates that utilizes water-conserving techniques (as the use of drought-tolerant plants, mulch, and efficient irrigation). Basically, its returning the environment in your front lawn to what the environment would have been like before your house was there. I have been in the landscaping business for about four years, and have had enough experience to completely verify all of these statements. The basis of the argument for the use of xeriscape is that “turf” lawns require fertilizer, extra irrigation, and gas extensive maintenance. With the use of native plants, it eliminates the need for fertilizer and irrigation, and drastically reduces the need for maintenance. In southern Florida, there was a law put into place that made a lenient form of xeriscape mandatory. They found that this simple form of xeriscape reduced the water use for irrigation by half. The other benefits, of course, being less water pollution due to the negated need for fertilizer. The air will also be much cleaner, due not only to reduced gas consumption, but also because bushes and trees produce much more oxygen than turf grass. Here in Lawrence, I see many houses that run irrigation systems every day. They are being run to support these really thirsty lawns of fescue grass that, in reality, should not be used as a turf grass in any other place than Seattle. The use of xeriscaping in Lawrence could improve the water and fertilizer consumption greatly. In short, xeriscaping will provide a better local ecosystem and will be more naturally beautiful.
- Dan
Editor’s Note: This post is one in a series published by students in the Sustainability Learning Community at KU. Additional posts from this series can be found under “LC” on the Categories list.
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