University Business - June 2011 - (Page 73)

VIEWPOINT POWER THE Sustainable but Invisible Getting students excited about less visible green initiatives By Amanda King T IS BECOMING MORE AND more fashionable to claim a greener identity, and it seems college students everywhere are excited to help the environment, particularly when their actions are visible to others. When questioned about reducing the carbon footprint at Bentley University (Mass.), for instance, I’ve been asked, “When are we going to install wind turbines?” We’ve had our share of highly visible sustainability projects, such as the installation of a solar wall in the athletic center, placing sleek new recycling bins all over campus, and doling out countless free colorful reusable grocery totes. But the more invisible initiatives—implementing heating and cooling control systems in the dorms, or asking students to reduce their personal electricity consumption—can sometimes make the greatest impact on energy and cost savings. e challenge is not simply getting students excited to “go green,” but getting them to buy in to less exciting initiatives that may involve more sacriﬁce on their part, unplugging their beloved gadgets or perhaps experiencing a bit of discomfort at seasonal transitions. Coming from an environmental ﬁeld, I wish everyone would support sustainability because it is the right thing to do; we should be conserving energy, we should be protecting ecosystems, we should be preserving the planet for the next generation. Unfortunately, I know that, to some, this is unbridled idealism. I have learned that the most eﬀective sustainability campaigns come from developing the most eﬀective marketing campaigns that drive consumers (in my case, students) to join the cause because it universitybusiness.com I The most effective sustainability campaigns come from the most effective marketing campaigns. works for them—whether they’re majoring in business, science, or liberal arts. SUSTAINABILITY FROM THE INSIDE OUT When I came to higher education, I knew I could not aﬀect change all on my own (like at many schools, our Oﬃce of Sustainability is an army of one). So I looked to students to help create a buzz. Peer-to-peer marketing seems to be the best way to accomplish any goal. I hold weekly meetings with three groups representing very diﬀerent parts of the student body: the Green Society, Eco Reps, and the Student Government Association (SGA) Sustainability Project Group. e meetings provide a forum for collaboration while allowing students to put their own stamp on sustainability work. Here’s how these relationships were formed: First, I worked with the SGA Sustainability Project Group to focus on policy issues. When we announced we were upgrading our energy management system to use occupancy sensors, allowing us better control over most heating and cooling systems on campus (which contributed to a 10 percent reduction in energy usage and a 7 percent reduction of the overall carbon footprint), SGA senators came to me with concerns from students who were experiencing discomfort due to temperature issues in their rooms. I have learned that frustration and anger are often due to confusion and uncertainty. e SGA and I created heating and cooling instructional videos for every dormitory on campus, which have been instrumental in building student support for energy reduction and reducing student temperature complaints. I partnered with the Residence Hall Association to start the Eco Rep program, which enlists students to become peer leaders on sustainability. It gives students from every living space a voice, providing a distinctive learning opportunity and fostering a connection to issues aﬀecting daily life on campus. As part of their “Anti-Bottled Water Campaign,” the Eco Reps recently organized a water taste. ey encouraged passersby to compare the taste of tap water to bottled water in a blind taste test. Seventy percent of respondents could not detect a diﬀerence. e Eco Reps went on to educate water tasters about the beneﬁts of Amanda King is the manager of sustainability at Bentley University (Mass.). Her prior role was consulting for Environmental Resources Management, where she assisted Fortune 500 companies in solving complex environmental problems within their operations. June 2011 | 73 http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - June 2011

University Business - June 2011
Contents
Editor's Note
College Index
Ad Index
Behind the News
Sense of Place
Financial Aid
Independent Outlook
Four Fearsome Risks
Safra One Year Later
The Power of Green
Viewpoint
What's New
Internet Technology
End Note

University Business - June 2011