Sustainability is
CENTRAL
Update on Sustainability Activities on
the Campus of
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
2010
What is sustainability?
• Sustainable systems are those which are:
“…meeting the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs” – Our Common Future, UNWorld Commission on Environment and Development (1987) AKA
“The Brundtlund Report”
• Sustainable systems focus on the
“Triple bottom line”:
– Economic bottom line (profits & fiscal health)
– Environmental bottom line (planetary health)
– Social bottom line (health of people and society)
Why is it important?
• Shared planet—there are finite resources…
• Global Climate Change
– Weather extremes; intense storms
– Global warming nearing a tipping point
• Earth’s human population continues to grow and to
consume resources and energy as economies develop.
• Increased consumption per capita
– U.S. has 5% of the world’s population but uses 25% of
the world’s resources & energy.
– China and India on the same path.
• High dependence on fossil fuels and non-renewable
resources… not sustainable over time.
Why it is important to focus on
sustainability @ CMU
• Universities are a microcosm of the larger society and can be
laboratories for change.
• Increased costs for materials, utilities, services, travel, etc.
– Obligation to Michigan taxpayers to operate responsibly.
– Higher Education budgets not keeping pace with costs
• Educate students to be socially responsible, environmentally
responsible, and fiscally responsible
– Encourage civic engagement
– Model behavior – set the example. Showcase success.
– Shift institutional culture and have students carry this with them when
they graduate
• In higher education, “sustainability” involves facilities, curricula,
research, operations, planning, purchasing, community outreach
partnerships, professional development, and student life.
Campus Sustainability
Advisory Committee (CSAC)
• Formed in late January, 2008 by a charge from
former President Michael Rao
• 20 members – faculty, staff and students
• Charged by the President to ensure that CMU
strives to be “…ecologically sound, socially just,
and economically viable now and for future
generations.”
CSAC Charge
Within one year:
•
Complete a comprehensive inventory of CMU’s past and present energy
use, greenhouse gas emissions, and building growth.
•
Develop a comprehensive plan to stabilize and reduce long-term energy
and utility costs.
•
Draft an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy that promotes the
purchase of ENERGY STAR certified products.
•
Formalize sustainable design & operations policies so all new campus
construction and major renovation projects are built to LEED specifications.
•
Develop an institutional action plan with target dates, goals, actions and
mechanisms for tracking progress.
CSAC Charge
In subsequent years:
•
Recommend a target percentage of electricity that should be purchased or
produced from renewable energy sources.
•
Recommend a target percentage by which CMU should reduce greenhouse
gas emissions.
•
Complete a comprehensive review of additional initiatives and activities that
will further CMU’s commitment to sustainability.
•
Partner with senior leadership to model appropriate behaviors, raise public
awareness, and integrate sustainability into the institutional culture.
•
Engage and encourage academic leadership to integrate sustainability into
the curriculum.
•
Incorporate sustainability concepts into existing purchasing policies and
practices.
What is CMU doing?
•
Member of
– U.S. Green Building Council
– College and University Caucus, a division
of the National Recycling Coalition
– AASHE (Association for the Advancement
of Sustainability in Higher Education) –
http://www.aashe.org
•
Support car pooling and public transportation
use.
•
Green cleaning products in use
•
Energy conservation
•
Water conservation
•
Recycling
Significant Actions -- Energy
• New Energy Manager position – to assure
sustainable energy use on campus
• ESCO Audit – RFP going out soon.
• 1,250 ton steam absorber unit on line
• Comprehensive Inventory of all energy
use and calculation of CMU’s “carbon
footprint”.
• Action plan to reduce energy use.
Biomass Fuel at CMU
• Referenced in the 2006 NACUBO publication
“The Business Case for Renewable Energy: A
Guide for Colleges and Universities”
• Use of wood chips in CMU’s central heating and
cooling plant replaces natural gas and saves
over $1 million per year in energy costs.
Fire Up, Chips! Wood chips that is…..
Significant Actions -- Purchasing
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“Energy Star” rated appliances required in purchasing policy (computers,
monitors, etc.)
Phase out of personal inkjet printers
Networking of laser printers
Flat screen monitors for desktops
Apple eWaste program – recycling of electronics
Identification of “green products” to purchase and other products to avoid.
-- Recycled paper – yes!
-- Products made from post-consumer recyclables – yes!
-- Bottled water – no!
University Stores is constantly evaluating products and seeking “greener
alternatives”
Significant Actions -- Dining
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Local food purchases where possible
Trayless dining in residential restaurants
Reductions in water use
Reductions in food waste (34%)
Evaluation of campus composting program
Retrofitting of ventilation hoods for energy
conservation
Significant Actions -- Curriculum
• Review and listing of CMU courses that
address sustainability concepts
• Recommendations for new courses
• Evaluating the addition of sustainability
into the general education curriculum
• Proposed revisions to the CMU “Red
Book” to include expectations of
sustainable student actions while on
campus.
Significant Actions – Living
Environment
• Classroom renovations will address efficient
lighting and HVAC (Pearce)
• Brooks Hall – HVAC update
• Picnic tables and landscaping
• Educational posters, etc. in residential halls.
• Recycling & Energy Reduction competitions
• Improved campus landscape
Significant Actions -- Building
• Sustainable Design and Operations Policy
– Published standard for all new construction and major
renovations
• Education & Human Services Building will be
LEED certified– Likely at the “Gold” level.
• Seeking LEED certification in all new
construction and renovations.
• Geothermal heating system @ Beaver Island
Biological Station.
What Can Everyone Do?
• Be proactive:
– Reduce consumption, Reuse materials, Recycle!
– Turn off lights in areas not in use; Keep windows closed; Turn off
computers.
– Walk, use public transportation, car pool.
– Think before you print. Use paper on both sides
• Make “sustainability” a core concept in your
operation….part of everyone’s job.
• Submit ideas:
– Click “Sustainability” on CMU home page
– http://www.cmich.edu/Sustainability_Institute/Campus
_Sustainability.htm
Any Questions??
Contact: Tom Rohrer, Director
Great Lakes Institute for Sustainable Systems
116 Anspach Hall -- CMU
(989) 774-7636
tom.rohrer@cmich.edu