Sustainability at Grinnell College

1
Sustainability at Grinnell College

• Main entrance to Conard Environmental Research
  Area
• Meredith Gray ENST 302

2
Background Information

• Grinnell College is located in the rural area of
  Grinnell, Iowa
• Founded in 1846
• Approximately 1500 students, 240 faculty, 350
  staff members
• Most popular major for graduates biology (11
  from 2000-2004)

3
Grinnell Initiatives

• EcoCampus Committee
• Sustainability Assessment Questionnaire
• Environmental initiatives
• Full-time sustainability coordinator
• Conard Environmental Research Area (CERA)

4
EcoCampus Committee

• The Advisory Committee on Environmental Concerns
  is a group of faculty, staff and students founded
  by faculty in 1996
• Goals of EcoCampus
• research and share information on environmental
  concerns
• be a central voice for communicating concerns
• research College actions that affect the
  environment and to lend advice on courses of
  action
• Recent EcoCampus successes
• implementation of differentiated heating and
  cooling setpoints - goals of 68 degrees for
  heating and 76 degrees for cooling
• Wind Feasibility Committee investigating the
  prospect of using wind power

5
Sustainability Assessment Questionnaire - SAQ

• Questionnaire was prepared by Environmental
  Coordinator for an audit by a member of
  University Leaders for a Sustainable Future
• Valuable source of data and statistics
• The campus is said to have a strong recycling
  program
• Recyclemania! campaign - in the first week alone,
  students recycled 2.49 pounds per person and
  threw away 9.59 pounds of trash per person. For
  comparison, this was a recycling rate of 25.93
  compared to 20 in the previous year.

6
Environmental Initiatives

• Two-year green power contract for new dorms, and
  windows and thermostats are linked in the new
  dorms
• Three acres of prairie have been reconstructed on
  Grinnells campus in recent years.
• Designated recycling rooms at every residential
  hall, where students can recycle glass, paper,
  plastic, and aluminum
• Their can and bottle redemption program is quite
  lucrative, too in the year 2003-2004, they made
  442 in 2004-2005, 558.47 and in
  2005-2006--401.92 (still counting).
• 10 soy biodiesel blend used at the boiler plant
  on campus.
• Biodiesel is also produced on campus, though
  the vegetable oil waste from the kitchen fryers
  is now collected and converted to biodiesel.
  Azure Biodiesel Company from Sully, Iowa,
  collects approximately 30 gallons of used
  vegetable oil from Grinnell College kitchens
  weekly (Environmental 2006).

7
Environmental Initiatives

• In summer 2004, twenty bright yellow Atlas
  Industrial bikes were purchased to be used in the
  re-implemented public bicycle program. Students
  can check out one of five bikes at the Forum for
  48 hours, and the other 15 are spread around
  campus for student use (Environmental 2006).
• Human Resources offers incentives for employees
  who bike to work (Sustainability 2006).
• Walking, too, is actively encouraged, since the
  security office has an escort service program to
  walk people home 24 hours a day, 365 days a
  year staff will safely accompany people anywhere
  on campus or within the city of Grinnell
  (Environmental 2006).
• Student groups
• Free the Planet! (FTP) addresses national and
  local environmental issues by participating in
  actions such as writing letters, demonstrations,
  and education
• Environmental Action Group (EAG) focuses on
  improving local and campus sustainability through
  projects such as recycled notebooks and managing
  the campus garden (Sustainability 2006).
• Alternative Break program in which students
  travel the country to volunteer for environmental
  and social justice organizations (Sustainability
  2006).
• annual student organized activist conference,
  Hoedown in the Heartland promotes awareness of
  environmental issues

8
Sustainability Coordinator

• Jennifer Jordan - Grinnell College's
  Environmental and Safety Coordinator
• Full-time position, but she splits her time
  between environmental initiatives and safety
  initiatives
• Thinks 10 of students are aware of and involved
  in environmental stewardship program
• Said that although there is currently no green
  purchasing program or green chemistry program
  just yet, these are targeted for future
  initiatives
• Board meeting on environmental mission statement
  this weekend

9
Grinnell Initiatives CERA Kiosk
10
Grinnell Initiatives CERA Kiosk
11
Grinnell Initiatives CERA Kiosk
12
Credits

• Conard Environmental Research Area. Home page.
  http//www.grinnell.edu/academic/biology/cera/.
  Accessed 2006 February 13.
• EcoCampus Committee. 2006 January 30. Home page.
  http//www.grinnell.edu/etal/ecocampus/.
  Accessed 2006 February 12.
• Environmental Stewardship at Grinnell College.
  2006 February 10. http//www.grinnell.edu/etal/gr
  een/. Accessed 2006 February 15.
• Grinnell College Factbook. 2004.
  http//www.grinnell.edu/aboutinfo/factbook/.
  Accessed 2006 February 14.
• Jordan, Jennifer. Sustainability Coordinator.
  641-269-3300. Contacted 2006 February 15 and 16.
• Roper, Montgomery. EcoCampus Committee Chair.
  641-269-3017. Contacted 2006 February 15.
• Sustainability Assessment Questionnaire.
  http//www.grinnell.edu/etal/ecocampus/projects/sa
  q/. Accessed 2006 February 13.
• All pictures from Grinnell College website.