EV 120: Elements of Sustainability

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Student Campus Sustainability Projects, 2003-2004

 

PrintSmart (proposal)

Eric Monk

Joe Young

 

Green Computing

Young Yi

Zheng Mi

Arica Crootof

 

Building Monitoring

Hillary Nicolls

Ashley Boynton

Blair Woodbury

 

Smart Recycling

Tiffany Moldehauer

Christy Jackson

Tenzin Yangchen

 

Composting (proposal)

Adrienne Kmetz

Khin-Moe Myint

Juanita Rufran

 

Project Design: the following aspects should be included in all projects:

 

Public Outreach Component

This could include an e-newsletter, web page, public forum...

 

Ecological Footprint Analysis

This would include an analysis of how the footprint of the college would be reduced. It will include a number as well as the analysis. For projects that may have only a small effect, an estimate of a long-term impact may be useful. For instance, if a project is educational, estimate the number of students, faculty and staff who will change their habits over the course of a year and then calculate the footprint reduction.

 

Project Assessment

A pre- and post-survey for assessing the impact of the project.

 

Project Design

An actual campus component that will be changed in the course of the class and through follow-up work.

 

 

Project Proposals

All proposals should include the following components (one per group):

A detailed day-to-day work plan for all aspects and all members of the group.

A summary description of the project (1-2 paragraphs describing the main focus and goals of the project)

An ecological footprint analysis-or a summary of all variables that will be needed, how they will be related and what information is missing to complete the analysis.

A brief description of how the project will be assessed for success.

A description of the public outreach components (types, costs, duration, distribution, etc.)

A proposed financial impact of the project (costs and savings)

A systems analysis to look for possible unintended consequences of your project (causal loops!)

 

 

 

Project Ideas

 

Campus Sustainable Computing Initiative (3)

All three of the student projects are under the umbrella of our Sustainable Computing initiative. A "sustainable computing" initiative is one of the initiatives recognized by the WGCS and Colorado College's Information Technology Services (ITS) division as an infrastructure activity that could have a substantial impact on Colorado College's ecological footprint. Joseph Sharman, the manager of our Help Desk, has worked with other members of ITS to draft a Sustainable Computing Policy. This policy promotes a holistic, "cradle-to-cradle" framework for more environmentally responsible computing at Colorado College, including responsible disposal and recycling of computers, energy-saving computing practices, and more environmentally responsible printing/paper use options and practices.

Project 1 - work with the Director of User Services, Joseph Sharman to analyze Colorado College's current computer recycling and disposal practices and to help propose even more sustainable procedures (both from an environmental and human resources perspective). (1 student)

Project 2 - Work with Marla Gerein - Academic Technology Specialist for the Social Sciences and David Ziemba - Lab Services Coordinator - to benchmark current computer-related electricity consumption in a typical faculty, staff or student office and in a typical student lab. And then to research equipment and practice recommendations to reduce energy consumption. (1-2 students)

Project 3 - Work with Kris Jones - Director of Academic Computing - on a PrintSmart campaign for Colorado College. The purpose - to benchmark current paper consumption/waste and printing practices and to research the potential impact of a "PrintSmart awareness campaign", the choice of paper being supplies in the public labs and the possibility of implementing a fee structure for student printing. (1 student) PDF Description

 

Campus Energy Policy

Contact: Jim Cain & John DeLaHunt

* 3, 5 and 8-year histories with of all buildings and all utilities with a statistical analysis

* compare residential utilities use to academic use

* compare natural science buildings to non-science based buildings

* compare house gas use to heating degree days (indication of gas use for heating) - needs a building with its own boiler, like Jackson and/or Lennox

* compare non-potable water use to cooling degree days (indication of irrigation intensity?)

* compare carbon use in central plant to heating degree days & square footage (w/addition of Western Ridge, e.g.)

* Water use by CC compared to water use in Colorado Springs

* Western slope water imports over time

 

Assess recycling under the new system, just by visually assessing contents of dumpsters and containers.

Approximate total new carbon load by looking at consumption of gas, gasoline, oil. On the NSO/FOOT trips, e.g. - how many lbs of CO2 per experience?

Transit ridership studies and route selection from population density data?

A meta-goal is to develop systems by which we track these things. Once we have the system, keeping the data handy is easy.

 

Campus Recycling

Contact: David Lord

 

Downtown Shuttle

Contact: Tom Nycum

 

Campus Sustainability Council

Contact: Howard Drossman, Walt Hecox and Beth Brooks

 

Campus Green Purchasing

Contact: Gina Alvarado


Last updated September 16, 2003
Copyright 2003, Colorado College Environmental Science Program