Geaux Tigers!

Saw this article on the LSU homepage and had to share. Enjoy!

LSU has been selected as a university that demonstrates an above average commitment to sustainability in terms of campus infrastructure, activities and initiatives in the “Guide to 286 Green Colleges.”


The “Guide to 286 Green Colleges,” which is based on a survey of hundreds of colleges nationwide, profiles the country’s most environmentally-responsible campuses. For its release, Princeton Review partnered with the United States Green Building Council, a national non-profit organization that promotes sustainability in the design and construction of buildings.


Sustainability – to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs – has become increasingly important, especially on college campuses. The “Guide to 286 Green Colleges” highlights LSU’s efforts in that area, led by the Campus Committee for Sustainability. Denise Scribner-Newell, LSU campus sustainability manger, is responsible for promoting public awareness of LSU’s sustainability efforts and sustainability in general.


“As a role model for our community and state, LSU is in a unique position to lead the way in creating a sustainable future here at home and for our planet,” said Scribner-Newell, who organizes and catalogs existing eco-friendly initiatives around campus, as well as spearheads new ways to cut back on waste and carbon emissions.


The Campus Committee for Sustainability was established in 2008 to prepare a comprehensive inventory of LSU’s existing carbon footprint, document LSU’s existing efforts toward achieving sustainability, develop an action plan to improve LSU’s sustainability efforts and promote public awareness of those efforts.


“LSU has made a commitment to practice, teach and support environmentally-responsible choices. These choices involve complex connections among natural resources, climate action, sustainability curriculum and green jobs,” said Scribner-Newell, who also noted that LSU was included on Princeton Review’s “Best 371 Colleges” with a green rating of 87 on a scale from 60-99.


The Campus Committee for Sustainability pursues a 13-point plan that looks at the following issues:


•Energy conservation
•New construction
•Campus planning and design
•Hazardous waste management
•Solid waste reduction and recycling
•Energy purchasing
•Water conservation and waste management
•Disaster management
•Campus ground and land use
•Food and food service
•Teaching/research/public education
•Transportation
•Purchasing and administrative services


LSU UREC contributes to campus sustainability with their bike fleet, available to be rented for two hours for free or for the entire day or weekend for a nominal fee. UREC recently unveiled a new fleet of bikes, upping their total to 30 available for students, UREC members and the community. Other LSU efforts highlighted in the “Guide to 286 Green Colleges” include LSU’s Green Initiative, which focuses efforts on developing programs that reduce the need for students to keep cars on campus, including a bus service study, restricted parking, a guaranteed ride home program and a bike share/rent program. These initiatives have lead to the implementation of University Recreation’s Bike Fleet, Easy Streets and Tiger Trails.


According to the “Guide to 286 Green Colleges,” at LSU, 70 percent of all campus grounds are managed organically, and all building upgrades must meet energy performance standards beyond code requirements, which include the use of Energy Star appliances. Forty-four percent of food expenditures are directed toward local, organic or otherwise environmentally-responsible food.


LSU’s recycling program, sustainability research projects and student-run organizations, such as the Environmental Conservation Organization, are also factors for having LSU named to the list. All of these areas were a part of a new in-stadium recycling effort introduced this past football season. The effort resulted in a 77 percent increase in recycled materials for the regular football season.


“This is an incredible step,” said Andres Harris, manager of solid waste and recycling in LSU’s Department of Facility Services. “We knew the numbers would rise once we were able to more aggressively target in-stadium recycling, but to nearly reach 80 percent is just outstanding! We couldn’t be more proud of the LSU community and Tiger football fans for participating.”


In addition to these programs, LSU holds in annual competitions designed to educate the campus community on sustainable living, while providing a fun, friendly way to fuel competitive spirits.


The annual Recyclemania competition, held in the spring, has the campus compete in the “Per Capita Classic,” where all weekly recyclable tonnage is entered and divided per the LSU population.


Also in the spring, students living in residence halls and apartments on campus are challenged to see how much energy they can conserve over a one-month period with the UNPLUG Residential Life Energy Competition, sponsored by the LSU College of Engineering. The competition promotes an understanding throughout the LSU on-campus community of what energy conservation entails and empowers students to take action in their daily lives to reduce their personal carbon footprint and, consequently, the university’s contribution to conservation of resources and energy efficiency.


“Our administration understands the urgent need to implement an infrastructure that will allow students to live and learn sustainably,” Scribner-Newell said.


The “Guide to 286 Green Colleges” can be downloaded for free at www.princetonreview.com/greenguide and www.usgbc.org/campus.


For more information on LSU’s sustainability efforts, visit http://sustainability.lsu.edu/.