Alumni Association

UMD Strives for Sustainability

Although the official UMD Bulldog colors are maroon and gold, there is a movement on campus toward “going green”. Sustainability has become a popular buzzword, but at UMD it is more than just talk. For many years UMD has been working to balance environmental impacts, economic realities, and the needs of the campus community. Now there is a strong and growing commitment plan called "Sustainability."

Recently UMD Facilities Management has built two LEED-certified buildings on campus--designed to use less energy, water, and other resources. They also program buildings to ramp down overnight, reducing electricity and energy use. Custodians have switched to Green Seal cleaning products. UMD Stores are experimenting with ways to reduce plastic bag use, and stocking more recycled products. The Food Court has switched to biodegradable plates and utensils. The Dining Center reduces waste by composting both pre- and post-consumer food scraps through a partnership with the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District.

In March the UMD U-Pass bus program saw its 3 millionth rider. The U-Pass program is a convenience for many students and staff, and riding the bus helps to reduce the commuting footprint of the campus. It also importantly helps introduce the idea of using mass transit as viable alternative to future generations. In housing, aerators are installed on faucets to save water, eco-friendly laundry tips are posted, and resident assistants are involved in sustainability outreach and events, including ways to save energy and increase recycling rates.

Although UMD departments have been working toward sustainability for a long time, it is the charge of UMD’s new Campus Sustainability Coordinator, Mindy Granley, to make these changes more visible on campus. Granley provides a communication link between campus departments, students, and faculty. She also is responsible for assessing these efforts--which include completing a greenhouse gas inventory to determine the campus carbon footprint. What are the greenhouse gas emissions due to the existence and operation of UMD, and how can they be reduced? The inventory accounts for many sources of greenhouse gases, including emissions from the natural gas burned to heat campus buildings, the fuels burned to produce the electricity purchased to power the campus, and emissions from everyday commuting by UMD students, staff, and faculty.

The first greenhouse gas inventory for UMD is expected to be completed in summer 2009, and the campus will have a baseline for its carbon footprint. It is an important first step, and the UMD Sustainability Committee (formed in December 2008 with faculty, staff and students) will help guide planning efforts to find ways to reduce UMD’s carbon footprint.

Beyond incorporating sustainability into how UMD operates and maintains the campus, the inventory can be a valuable way to enhance student learning experiences. Because sustainability combines environmental impacts, economic considerations, and the needs of people and society--it truly is an interdisciplinary topic.

Many classes are incorporating sustainability concepts in their curriculum. The fit is easy in courses such as environmental studies and renewable energy courses, but sustainability concepts are also relevant to courses that study culture change and human behavior, such as anthropology (where a student group conducted a Trash Audit to research campus recycling and waste behaviors). Health and wellness classes are interested in how UMD’s LEED-certified buildings benefit air quality and people’s comfort. Thermodynamics classes have studied ways to increase the heating plant’s efficiency. And in a globally competitive economy, business students are interested in evaluating how sustainability can provide advantages in the corporate world.

Beyond the classroom, student groups are getting involved. Through a partnership with the Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon Program, the UMD Student Sustainability Coalition hosted a professional energy auditor on campus in March. The groups took students and staff on a tour of three campus buildings, looking for strategies to save both electricity and energy for heating.

April was filled with sustainability events focused around Earth Week. A Spring Sustainability Fair featured booths, demonstrations, and presentations on renewable energy research, energy conservation, alternative transportation, sustainability efforts at UMD, UWS, and Lake Superior College—demonstrating the value of everyone keeping our campus beautiful. Presentations featured student research on the solar photovoltaic array on top of Malosky stadium.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers student group recently toured and learned how UMD saves energy using the campus’s building system automation center. The first annual Bike-to-Class Fest featured local vendors and organizations, including biking trails, routes, safety concerns in the area and free bike check-ups. April Earth-month activities culminated in the forum "Sustainability and U: Viewpoints from UMD", where long-term goals and a vision for the University of Minnesota system were outlined. It was a watershed moment for U of M campus sustainability efforts. Goals for sustainability were presented and discussed, along with topics such as renewable energy planning, integration of sustainability into academics, and faculty and student research.

The Office of Sustainability web blog (http://www.addinguptozero.com) is designed to engage the UMD community in sustainability efforts. During tight budget times, sustainability can be an easy sell, as saving resources can also mean saving dollars. Together, it all adds up: riding the bus, printing double-sided, recycling, bringing a reusable mug into the coffee shop, turning off lights, setting computers to save power, and toting a reusable bag to the bookstore, carpool. There is a team spirit evolving at UMD, as campus members do their part to minimize UMD’s environmental impact.
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