| ISU taking initiative to be energy efficient |
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| Written by Matthew Wendling, Daily Vidette Staff Reporter |
| Thursday, 29 January 2009 00:00 |
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With the advent of a new semester, ISU continues to make strides to improve its impact on the environment. With a major focus on making the campus a greener place to learn and live, many different operations are continuing their environmental initiatives. Campus Dining Services is one of the areas striving for constant improvement of environmental practices. According to Arlene Hosea, assistant to the vice president of Student Affairs and director of Campus Dining, CDS is moving towards improving both the practices and the equipment it employs. "We also are purchasing more energy efficient equipment," Hosea said. Such improvements start with items such as the recent purchase of a hybrid vehicle by Dining Services. The vehicle, according to Hosea, is one of several purchased by ISU and will allow employees to reduce the pollution when traveling around campus. Energy Star rated equipment is also being purchased. In addition, such initiatives including the policy change on carryout dining to reduce the amount of waste that will eventually make its way to landfills has been implemented. Hosea said that some of these efforts were met with resistance from students accustomed to the convenient older, more wasteful practices. However, she was careful to note that she believes "most people understand what we are trying to do." "The challenge with any new initiative is proper education and awareness. A common misconception is that green or sustainable has to cost more," Enid Cardinal, coordinator of sustainability at ISU, said. "Change is often difficult to accept, so when there are noticeable changes, we need to make sure that we do our best to educate people as to why changes were made, and what the benefits of those changes are." Another initiative involves the eventual replacement of paper and plastic dishes with reusable ones. The use of trays is also a factor in the amount of waste produced. "We have eliminated trays at Lincoln and that helps reduce the overall waste," Hosea said. Aside from these policy decisions, ISU works behind the scenes in ways many students might not be aware of. According to Cardinal, for instance, ISU is nearing completion of a project that installed energy saving light bulbs across campus. ISU supports a vast array of other ongoing sustainability initiatives and, according to Cardinal, each student plays a vital role in the success of these projects. "A lot of little things, especially on a campus this size, have a huge, huge impact," she said. "It does make a difference if everyone does something." ISU's first ever sustainability report will be released to the public in the near future, according to Cardinal. |
