2015 Conference

Full Presentation Panel

How to save 10% on the all-college electric bill

Eric Pallant

For six consecutive years, Allegheny College has facilitated a month-long campaign called the October Energy Challenge.  Every year since the beginning of the challenge, electricity use on campus has dropped between 8 and 11% over the course of the campaign when compared to the baseline year of 2008.  Moreover, the reduction in energy consumption during the October Energy Challenge has been lasting as the use of electricity remains low following the end of each campaign.  Additionally, within our submetered residence halls, energy use in each year since 2008 has been lower than the prior year, further indicating that Allegheny’s October Energy challenge is successfully changing campus culture.  Unlike other campaigns we have observed, Allegheny’s energy reduction campaign has not relied upon competition or coercion.  Rather, we have fully engaged fun theory, inclusiveness, and cooperation to entice faculty, students, staff, and administrators to further engage environmental behaviors.  As a result we have observed a campus-wide change in culture that has led to large scale efforts toward energy reduction and energy efficiiency.  Our presentation will elucidate the techniques we have used to make lasting changes in the culture of energy consumption on our campus. 

Water pong works

Dr. Beth Choate

Come to Allegheny College on move-in day in late August and in addition to the tvs and refrigerators being hauled up several flights of stairs, you will undoubtedly notice hundreds of cases of bottled water being carted into dorm rooms. Allegheny prides itself on working toward a more sustainable future; however, the issue of bottled water use on campus has proven difficult to address. Bottled water bans have been considered in the past, yet the low sales of water from vending machines and campus eateries indicates that this would not reduce use.  In the fall of 2014, two environmental science courses focused their efforts toward understanding bottled water use on campus and creating fun methods to convince students to abandon the disposable bottle for a reusable one.  An online survey was administered to the student body to determine the frequency of bottled water use, the reasons behind it and student perceptions of water.  With a response rate of 31%, less than a quarter of respondents indicated that they prefer to drink bottled water.  The motivations for drinking bottled water varied, as did the percentage of each class receiving most of their water from disposable bottles. The success of projects aimed at invoking change in bottled water use were measured by counting discarded water bottles throughout campus. Through this project we learned why bottled water is common on campus and the role of a “green” campus climate in enhancing the popularity of the reusable water bottle.

Zero Waste Basketball Season: A Grassroots Effort

Ariel R. Marsh

Athletic events at universities function as a critical point of interface with the community. The large crowds they draw present both challenges with waste and opportunities for awareness and education.  In recent years some Division I universities have implemented Zero Waste Events—or diversion of at least 90% of waste generated from the event—to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability.  Cal Poly Pomona, a Division II school, has a smaller athletics program compared to the other universities, and took a grassroots approach to establishing a Zero Waste program for their men’s and women’s basketball games.  The program, led by a graduate student athlete and key athletic administrators, demonstrated the possibility for change from within. This program aimed to enhance the athletic brand, increase environmental awareness, educate the community, provide hands-on experience to students, and reduce the overall environmental footprint.  The first phase of the program established baseline measurements of the amount of waste generated from current operations by hand sorting trash after each game into the categories: bottles, cans, teracycle, other recycle, compost and other trash, and then weighing it.  The second phase included training student workers to run zero waste events, adding recycling bins, and labeling receptacles. The final phase introduced the three stream station of compost, recycling, and landfill that was overseen by a “goalie”—student worker that educated and assisted fans with waste disposal.  It also included working with concessions to  change from conventional to compostable goods sold at the event. Through the program waste has been weighed and recorded to track progress. Waste diversion has increased by 66% since the implementation of the program and basketball games on average are diverting 85% of generated waste.  Basketball games at Cal Poly Pomona highlight a commitment to sustainability and have impacted students, administrators and all fans in attendance. 

The Validity of Bio-Retension ponds as 'Natural Areas'; Transboundary Pollution Mitigation; and Sources of Environmental Education and Research

Jeffrey Cooper DePew, BS Biology, BS Environmental Science, BS Horticulture, MAed

As Climate Change and connected water issues become more prevalent in regional and local communities, Scientists and Urban Planners are seeking answers and contingincies. In addition, more of our population is moving to and adding to the demands of urban cities. With changes in rainfall amounts and patterns, an intense amount of water can overwhelm a storm water system and its mandated treatment of this water.

Bioretension ponds offer a way to hold this water on the land allowing for the slow release into sewer systems and groundwater.

At Webster University's main campus in St. Louis, Missouri we have used these highly engineered bioretension ponds to act as a focus and central feature, as we create urban migratory 'waystations' for threatened wildlife, recreation green space areas and sources for Citizen Science projects and student scientific research.

Bioretension areas that are providing relief to overwhelmed sewer systems and pollution mitigation for connected waterways  are giving us an opportunity to provide and model urban greenspaces, wildlife and migratory 'waystations', as well as experiential educational opportunities for the entire cummunity.