Sustaining the Campus

Note: This is the 2nd post in a series on the role of sustainability in higher education.

When we think about the word campus, we may think of the faculty, students and staff that form a community based around academics and service or even the culture of student life that flourishes at these places.  Some think about the various structures including buildings, roads, and other components of infrastructure lying below the surface that many don’t even know exist.  But all of these aspects are an important part of making a campus whole and creating the living, breathing organism that is a college or university campus.

The problem is, those organisms consume a considerable amount of resources, and put out a considerable amount of waste. That creates a challenge in figuring out how to provide a valuable service without exceeding our carrying capacity so to speak.  But it also provides us with the opportunity to examine our operations through the lens of sustainability to not only reduce those impacts, but also demonstrate strategies for more sustainable operations to those in the campus community and beyond.

Institutions of higher education are an important part of community conversations and our actions capture attention both locally and regionally.  We therefore serve as a model for other communities to follow and have a responsibility to our funders and communities to maximize our efficiency, to operate in a way that not only helps sustain our own campuses but also the communities we are a part of.

That means looking at the environmental, economic, and social impacts of what we bring in to the campus as resources, how we manage those resources, and what we send away as waste.

The resources we bring on to campus present opportunities to support local businesses so that the dollars we spend keep circulating in the community.  Considering sustainability in the procurement means purchasing goods that are environmentally responsible and are produced by companies that also consider sustainability, that provide safe, healthy working conditions and fair wages for their employees.

It also involves thinking about the 3 R’s to minimize the the resources that will eventually leave our campus as waste.  When making procurement decisions, we need to consider how we might be able to reuse and redistribute goods once we are through using them, and ensure that what remains can be recycled, composted, or otherwise disposed of in a responsible manner.

One simple example of this purchasing recycled-content office paper.  Although we have worked to reduce the price of recycled paper, it still costs about 12% more than virgin paper. That means we have to decrease paper use by 12% to break even.  Student Success Technology Services has proven this can be done by setting printers to default to duplex: initial results indicated a 37% decrease in paper use after implementing their conservation policy. In this case, recycled-content paper could be used, and savings could still be realized.  In a system where the goal is to pay the lowest cost, it is important to consider strategies like this to be able to purchase items that may cost more because they are currently in lesser demand, but have greater environmental or social benefits.

One a much larger scale, similar arguments can be made about green building practices.  Although initial costs for efficiency and less toxic materials may be higher, over the lifetime of the building we’ll see a reduction in the amount of money spent on energy and maintenance, and studies even indicate that the health of employees is better in green buildings, leading to fewer sick days and increased productivity.

By integrating sustainability into our operations, we begin to address our second major role in advancing sustainability: education.  Highlighting the efforts made in operations presents an opportunity to educate the campus community – students, staff, and faculty alike – about sustainability.  For example the Multicultural Resource Center has a brochure in their waiting area detailing their efforts to recycle and reduce resource use, and offers suggestions for how visitors can help reduce their impact.  It also includes a reminder to return or recycle the brochure when finished.

This is just one example of how operations and education are intertwined and further highlights the multiple benefits of operating more sustainably.  Although the economic advantages are the most sought after in our current economic climate, they come with some very positive side effects that can help sustain the campus organism while eliminating its negative impacts.

– Jeff Severin

Buying Our Way Out

As the “green” movement gains popularity more and more products are entering the market for green consumers. Although there are more organic options (yeah!), I am left wondering if consumers will be able to really understand the concept of environmental responsibility and sustainability. There are several key problems that leave me questioning my purchases and ultimately making judgment calls that leave me feeling conflicted about items that are organic and/or local, and consumerism in general.

An apple may be organic, so many buyers, including myself, believe we are making a responsible choice in promoting the market for organic food options. However, in most cases there is no label identifying where the apple came from, or how it was transported. In light of the principles of sustainability, one way to alleviate this conflict is to think about the three common elements that are often associated with sustainability. Organic is environmentally more sound, local helps my community and economically both organic and local make the most sense. Often local farmers are not financially able to be USDA certified even though they may practice very environmentally sound production methods. Plus the non-local organic option isn’t as environmentally sound if one thinks about the emissions and other externalities resulting from long distance travel.

It may seem like a lot to think about just for an apple, but follow me in this thought process for anything we purchase. Topping this conflict of purchasing the best more affordable product, is the 500 pound gorilla in the room: good-old-fashioned-American-mass-unchecked-consumerism (dare I say, greed). America’s consumption patterns although filthy delicious fun, are at the core of the problems that have led us to our current situation with climate change, social inequity and economic stimulus checks.

It’s great there is a large market for “green” and organic, but for me, my community produce and other goods and services are more important and in my humble opinion more sustainable, even if they don’t have the all hailed “USDA Certified Organic” labeling or other green (often misleading) designations. I think by building a stronger community of local producers, we can be more independent of the impending oil crisis, reduce our ecological footprint and lead the way to a more sustainable future. So as we are bombarded with the mega-market pushing us all to “go green,” (ie buy because it’s green…not necessarily because we need it) let’s remember some of the basic tenents that will help sustain our community as well as our well-being AND keep our consumerist appetites in check.

– Steph

Editors Note: For more information on responsible purchasing, visit the Center for Sustainability “Living Green in Lawrence” guide.

Sustaina-what?

Whether making a presentation on campus or explaining to family members what it is that I actually do for a living, one of the questions I am asked most frequently is “What does ‘sustainability’ mean anyway?” If I can remember it on the spot, I’ll spew out the oft-quoted definition of sustainable development from the Brundtland Report:

“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

But that usually just leads to more questions, and sometimes more confusion. And it’s one of those dry definition that I don’t think quite does the term justice.

Although I’m generally not one to answer a question with a question, I often catch myself ditching the canned response and firing back: “What does it mean to you?” In the process, I’ve learned a lot about this all-encompassing term. To some it is about saving the planet from the perils of global climate change. To others it is about eating local, organic, and low on the food chain or protecting themselves and their families from the various toxins that can turn up in everything from deodorant to drinking water. Still others define sustainability as simply being part of a community and paying attention to personal relationships.

So what do I think it means? I used to spout off another textbook definition describing sustainability as the intersection of the the 3E’s – environment, economy, and equity (or equality). But I tend to see it more as the 3R’s (and I don’t just mean Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). For me It is about having RESPECT each other and our planet, taking RESPONSIBILITY for our own actions (and making responsible choices in everything we do), and understanding the many RELATIONSHIPS that take place in nature and society. If we can keep those three things in mind, I think we should all be in pretty good shape.

If you still aren’t sure what ‘sustainability’ means, you are not alone. Just ask these people:

The rest of the story – and some possible examples of sustainability – can be found on the Sustainable Lawrence blog. But before you let anyone else tell you what they think, be sure to ask yourself what ‘sustainability’ means to you.

– Jeff