UMC Sustainability
Committee
Our perspective, charge, and
initiatives
Our Perspective
• Sustainability defined
– “meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.”
• (United Nations Brundtland Commission, 1989)
Our Perspective
• Sustainability is focused on the future.
• Sustainability is a global and local issue.
• Encompasses the major challenges of
our time
National Security
Arable Land
Clean Water
Energy Crisis
Climate Change
Population Growth
Our Perspective
Sustainability
happens here!
Social-Political
Environmental
Economic
Our Perspective
• How does sustainability happen?
– Education
– Research
– Policy making
– Planning
– Creating markets at appropriate scale
Our Charge
• The committee is charged with providing overall
leadership for [sustainability] work, while at the
same time encouraging broad participation from
across the campus, community, and region. It
is our responsibility to demonstrate our
commitment to sustainability by what we do,
and how we do it. The success of our
sustainability efforts depends on building broad
based support.
Our Charge
The committee is encouraged to:
• Create an inventory of current campus
initiatives
• Identify energy conservation practices on
campus
• Identify strategies to reduce/reuse/recycle
(RRR strategies)
Our Charge
The committee is encouraged to:
• Identify strategies to decrease the carbon
footprint caused by transportation
• Explore opportunities to increase the use of
local foods and reduce food waste
• Explore new program majors as well as
integrating sustainability into the curriculum
across the academic disciplines
Our Charge
The committee is encouraged to:
• Develop a communications plan to
increase awareness of the work of the
committee
• Identify internal and external funding
sources for those initiatives requiring
funding
Our Charge
• U of M President, Robert Bruininks,
signed the American College and
University Presidents Climate
Commitment (ACUPCC).
– Signatory date: January 15, 2008
– Signed for all campuses in the U of M system
Our Charge
UMC’s Responsibilities per ACUPCC
1. Establish an institutional structure to oversee the
development and implementation of the schools
program to comply with the ACUPCC.
2. Complete a green house gas emissions inventory
(May 15, 2009)
3. Establish a climate neutrality action plan and set a
target date and interim milestones for becoming
climate neutral (January 15, 2010);
Our Charge
UMC’s Responsibilities per ACUPCC cont.
4. Take immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by choosing from a list of tangible
action options;
5. Integrate sustainability into the curriculum, making
it part of the educational experience; and
6. Make our climate action plan, inventory and
progress reports publicly available.
Our Immediate Initiatives
• Green House Gas inventory
– Clean Air - Cool Planet carbon calculator
• Climate Neutrality Plan
• Divide and Conquer strategy
– 5 Working Groups
•Recycling
•Curriculum
•Communication and Outreach
•Physical Operations
•Food
Recycling Working Group
Membership
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Peter Phaiah,
Leela Hier,
Chris Waltz,
Melanie Meyers,
Andrew "A.J."
Wilson,
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Thomas R Melhorn,
Terry Fredrich,
Jenna Benoit,
Brian Christensen,
Shawn Friedland
Recycling Working Group
• Formalize campus-wide recycling program for cans,
bottles, paper and cardboard by the start of fall ‘09.
• Decrease the volume of recyclable materials that are
thrown away with campus trash. The specific goal is to
reduce tipping by 25%.
• Develop a marketing and educational plan by August 21st.
• Showcase best practices and increase awareness
• Incorporate tote bags made from recycled material into
Freshmen Orientation.
• Change behaviors and make individuals more conscious
about recycling
Curricular Working Group
Membership
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Katy Smith
Dan Svedarsky
Chris Waltz
Paul Aakre
Martin Lundell
Recruiting more students and Business
and AHSS Faculty
Curricular Working Group
• Identify methods to integrate sustainability into the
curriculum
– Sustainability degree programs
– common reading programs
– formalize sustainability components in existing courses across
both degree programs and the liberal education curriculum
– identify and promote sustainability Internships and Service
Learning opportunities for students
– identify and promote study abroad experiences with
sustainability focus
Foods Working Group
Membership
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Linda Kingery
Peter Phaiah
Terry Nennich
Deborah Zak
Eric Castle
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Harouna Maiga
Natalie Brown
Sharon Stewart
Ken Myers
Anna Ogaard
Foods Working Group
• Inventory current sustainability initiatives/practices on campus
related to food.
• Make recommendations for increasing the amount of locally grown
foods on campus.
• Develop and promote procurement process with incentives for
local food procurement.
• Support local growers in providing produce, meat, grain, dairy
products for the campus.
• Identify strategies to reduce food waste, compost organic fraction.
• Identify opportunities for teaching and learning to interface with
dining services in food production, processing, presentation,
nutrition, food service, business, etc.
Communication and Outreach WG
Membership
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Rachel McCoppin
Linda Kingery
Elizabeth Tollefson
Heather Donati Lewis
Stephanie Onken
Communication and Outreach WG
• Focus initially on internal communication (UMC News, eupdate, Golden Eagle Mix, Eagle News, Eagle's Eye,
Insight Radio)
• Work with UMC University Relations Office to develop a
website to highlight sustainability activities and events
(http://www.umcrookston.edu/committees/sustainability/in
dex.htm)
• Develop Face Book page for student discussion
• Promote the sustainability message for other events and
groups (e.g. Women's History Month)
Physical Operations Working
Group Membership
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Paul Aakre
Donn Anderson
Jason Brantner
Doug Langer
– Looking for more
Physical Operations Working Group
• Participate in establishing baseline greenhouse
gas emissions inventory (carbon footprint)
• Identify energy conservation practices/ideas to
reduce carbon footprint
• Identify practices for management and
reduction of peak electricity load
UMC Sustainability Committee
Membership
Paul Aakre - Faculty
Jason Brantner - Research Fellow
Shawn Friedland - Student
Leela Hier - Student
Pat Kelly - Crookston Public Works
Linda Kingery - Program Director (Extension Service)
Douglas Langer - UMC Staff
Martin Lundell - Co-Chair
Rachel McCoppin - Faculty
Peter Phaiah - Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Tricia Sanders - Interim Director of Finance
Jon Steiner, Polk County Environmental Services Officer
Chris Waltz - Co-Chair
Barbara Ricord - Asst to Chancellor
Crookston Students for
Sustainable Development
(CSSD)
Overview
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Student Support
Mission/Goals of CSSD
Students Role
Challenges
What can we do
A Look Ahead
Student Support
• First LEED certified building on the
University of Minnesota, Crookston campus
• Recycling (DTS)
• Attendance to Sustainability Speakers
Mission
• Mission Statement: The Crookston Students
for Sustainable Development Committee
Commissioned by the Crookston Student
Association will serve as the student group
for exploration, research and collaborative
conception of a number of sustainability
initiatives for our campus and community.
Goals
Sustainable
Initiatives
Cut Energy
Spending
Students
Collaboration
Research
Opportunities
Students Role
• We pay to come here.
• We make our experience
• We are a valuable resource
• We have a say in sustainability (CSSD)
Challenges
• Dedicated staff/faculty time
• Getting to Carbon Natural
• Costs/Funding
What can we do NOW???
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Turn off the TV/video games
Always recycle
Unplug/Turnoff everything
Short/cold showers
Go to bed earlier
• GO OUTSIDE
Looking Ahead
• Sustainability Week: April 20-24
• Possible $20,000 Grant through CERTS
Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon Program
• Communal Wind and Recycling Project with
The Red Lake Nation
• Maroon, Gold, and Green Recycling Stations
Policy
• Freshmen Orientation (Green component)
“What you do to the earth you also do
to your children” Red Lake Nation
Photo by Dr. Dan Svedarsky