Green OWU

American College and University President’s Climate Commitment

The OWU Campus Sustainability Task Force is evaluating if Ohio Wesleyan should adhere to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment.

The Commitment has three parts:

1. Initiate the development of a comprehensive plan to achieve climate neutrality as soon as possible.
2. Initiate two or more of seven tangible actions to reduce greenhouse gases while the more comprehensive plan is being developed.
3. Make the action plan, inventory, and periodic progress reports publicly available

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Part 2 of the Commitment requires action on two (or more) of seven actions while developing the comprehensive plan.

The Immediate Action Subcommittee has found that

• four actions (A, B, D, G below) are viable immediately or within a short time-frame
• three actions (C, E, F below) need more research

Thus it would be relatively easy for OWU to meet the immediate action charge of the President’s Climate Commitment.

The seven immediate actions are described below, with links to related information and student projects.

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A. Establish a policy that all new campus construction will be built to at least the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver standard or equivalent.

Assessment: viable action: New OWU Recreation Center will attempt to meet LEED construction standards.

• See Green Construction @ OWU
• See John Romano: Alternative Energy Sources at OWU (Geography 360): focus on alternative energy sources and green construction of OWU Recreation Center.

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B. Adopt an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy requiring purchase of ENERGY STAR certified products in all areas for which such ratings exist.

Assessment: viable action: Requires organizing all appliance purchasers (or subcontractors providing appliances) and providing guidelines for purchasing.  From Implementation Handbook: “The policy may include a qualifier limiting application of the policy to “whenever financially possible,” “when the extra cost is less than or equal to the resulting energy savings,” or “wherever practical.”  Additional energy saving projects.

• See Energy Star Appliances @ OWU
• See Chris Drover, Bridget Fahey, & Alena Frate: Every Second Counts: Energy Efficiency at OWU (Geography 360): focus on Energy Star project in collaboration with Jann Ichida.
  

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C. Establish a policy of offsetting all greenhouse gas emissions generated by air travel paid for by our institution.

Assessment: difficult to assess without more data and potentially cost-prohibitive.  From Implementation Handbook: “Since few campuses currently track air miles traveled, and doing so can be challenging, until a tracking system is in place, signatories may approximate their total air travel miles by dividing the total amount spent on air travel by a factor of $0.25 per passenger air mile.”

• See Greenhouse Gas Offsets @ OWU
• Researching air travel potentially part of Will Ruzek, Jack Schemenuer, & Aaron McCown DisOrientation Project (Geography 355) or Geography 360 project.

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D. Encourage use of and provide access to public transportation for all faculty, staff, students and visitors at our institution

Assessment: potentially viable action. From Implementation Handbook: To achieve this option, signatories must provide free or heavily subsidized (50% or more below retail price) public transportation passes to students, faculty and staff.”  Which OWU could do, but the DATA system is so limited it may not qualify. From Implementation Handbook: “Operation of a fare-free shuttle system that provides access to key parts of campus and to surrounding neighborhoods (i.e. not just between campus and remote parking lots) also meets this option.”  Bike Movement program may be considered a public transportation component (but does not meet specific requirements).

• See Bike Movement @ OWU
  
• See Public Transportation @ OWU
• See Pooja Goswami: Alternative Fuel Vehicles & Public Transportation at OWU (Geography 355): Focus on campus vehicle use & alternatives
• See Brandon Hunter: OWU Public Transportation (Geography 355): map where faculty & staff live off campus & potential public transport options.
• See Ben Connelly & Trent VanHaitsma: SAD: Students Against Driving (Geography 360): focus on survey of student attitudes

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E. Within one year of signing this document, begin purchasing or producing at least 15% of our institution’s electricity consumption from renewable sources.

Assessment: difficult to assess without more data.  Where does our current energy come from?  OWU electricity sources may not offer such options.  Potential for OWU to produce own energy (solar, wind) costly.

• See Renewable Energy @ OWU
• Researching where our energy comes from and alternative sources potentially part of Will Ruzek, Jack Schemenuer, & Aaron McCown DisOrientation Project (Geography 355) or Geography 360 project.

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F. Establish a policy or a committee that supports climate and sustainability shareholder proposals at companies where our institution’s endowment is invested.

Assessment: difficult to assess without more data. Need to document OWU’s investments.

• See Green Investment @ OWU
• Researching OWU investments potentially part of Will Ruzek, Jack Schemenuer, & Aaron McCown DisOrientation Project (Geography 355) or Geography 360 project.

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G. Participate in the Waste Minimization component of the national RecycleMania competition, and adopt 3 or more associated measures to reduce waste.

Assessment: viable action as OWU participates in RecycleMania, many acceptable actions are in place (campus recycling program, promoting inter-office reusable envelopes, implementing campus printing initiatives which prohibit or discourage unlimited printing in computer labs and copy rooms, creating an office supplies exchange on campus, Chartwell food waste reduction programs, etc.) or could be quickly.

• See Waste Reduction @ OWU
• See Food Waste Reduction @ OWU
• See Rainwater Recovery & Rain Gardens @ OWU
• See Chris Kras & Mark Apsega: Paperless Classroom Project (Geography 360): study an attempt (Geography 222) to do away with paper & a comparative class without such goals.  Assess problems, issues, student attitudes, faculty attitudes.
• Todd Ufferman & Ryan Willis: Food Waste Reduction at OWU (Geography 355)
• Dan Conroy & Kyle Snow: Rainwater Harvesting & Rain Gardens at OWU (Geography 355)

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Resources for taking these actions are here.