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News from the Keweenaw Peninsula Updated April 8, 2003. Posted April 7, 2003 Text © 2003 Environmental Sustainability Committee, Michigan Technological University

MTU Environmental Sustainability Committee offers "Greenprint" for campus and community

By Angela Arpke

The campus recycling program, which began last year, is just the first of several projects planned by MTU's Environmental Sustainability Committee (ESC)*

 In May of 2001, Michigan Tech President Curt Tompkins appointed the ESC, which is composed of students, staff, faculty and several members of campus operations interested in furthering sustainable practices at Michigan Tech. The ESC is now reaching out to the local community to spread the word that "Going Green Means Saving Green ($)!"

The ESC was established after Students Against Violating the Environment (SAVE) and the Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) presented a petition and a proposal based on their research into reestablishing a recycling program on campus. However, the idea behind the formation of the ESC was not only to encourage on-campus recycling, but also to find ways to integrate an environmental ethic into how things are done at Michigan Tech and within the local community.

After launching the mixed paper recycling program on the campus last year, the ESC turned its attention to drafting a document referred to as "the greenprint," much like a blueprint. The Greenprint for Campus Environmental Sustainability will be a written resource intended to further sustainable practices on campus.

The greenprint contains chapters on energy efficiency, green building design, transportation alternatives, recycling and green purchasing, low-impact landscaping, campus and community education, cost-benefit analysis of proposed activities and funding of environmental initiatives.

Shalini Suryanarayana, the Chair of the ESC, recently stated, "The greenprint will recommend sustainable practices to promote economic, environmental, and health benefits. The recommendations won't serve the needs of only one agenda, but rather will attempt to address the interests of everyone involved."

The recommendations will be based on the ESC's review of benchmark universities, including the University of Michigan and Michigan State, as well as other sources. Not limited to the campus, many of the recommendations can be applied to homes and businesses. The ESC intends to present the greenprint, highlighting key recommendations, to President Tompkins and Provost Wray for review by May 2003, before the end of the academic year.

To further the goals of sustainability, in conjunction with Michigan Tech's upcoming Earth Week 2003 events (April 20-26), the ESC will soon publish its website and additional articles to allow Keweenaw Now readers to learn how sustainability efforts can benefit not only Michigan Tech, but also the local community. Look for the second article on energy and water efficiency.

Want to know more? Does environmental sustainability catch your attention? Are you interested in learning more about the greenprint? Here's what you can do:

• Come to an ESC meeting: Fridays at 9 a.m. in the Administration Building Conference Room, 5th floor. Community members, as well as all Michigan Tech students, staff, faculty and are welcome to attend.
• Subscribe to mtugreen-l@mtu.edu, a list-serv for announcements of ESC activities and information about other campus sustainability efforts.
• Contact Shalini Suryanarayana, ESC chair, at shalini@mtu.edu.

*Editor's Notes: *See the June 15, 2002, article, "Committee Promotes 'Greener' Michigan Tech," by Kenneth Thiemann, Keweenaw Now guest writer, who described the recycling program and outlined the philosophy and some of the goals of the ESC. Guest author Angela Arpke is currently a Masters of Science student in Civil Engineering at Michigan Technological University. Angela is a member of the Environmental Sustainability Committee and recently attended the National Wildlife Federation's first Women for Sustainable Development Conference in Washington, DC. Her primary research interest is green building design, with her Masters research focusing on sustainable domestic water use. In her spare time, Angela enjoys running and cross country skiing.

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