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Environmental Sustainability at K
At Kalamazoo College our motto is "be light." In order to be responsible global citizens who are truly "at home in the world," we must work hard to keep our home clean and safe for future generations. Environmental responsibility is therefore at the core of our mission as human beings and as an institution.
Featured Articles
Guest Chef Brian Polcyn Lectures on Seasonal Food
In the most recent Fresh Eats event, Chef Brian Polcyn shared his love of cured meats and local food through a sampling of cured pork and a morel and wild leek risotto.
Apply to be a Compost Intern!
The 2013-14 Compost Intern will work to manage and develop the on-campus Grove Point Composting system in collaboration with one existing Compost Intern. This position is open to applicants with any level of experience, and underclassmen are encouraged to apply. Please submit all applications to Paul Manstrom and Rob Townsend by Monday of 6th week (May 6th).
Fresh Eats Cooking Class
Simple, Fresh, and Local describe the new cooking class series that will be offered this quarter. Any cook worth their muster knows good meals start with fresh quality ingredients, but how can we get the fresh and local food on our dinner plate?
Kalamazoo College's First Solar Installation
In September 2012, Kalamazoo College received its first solar installation thanks to the efforts of Kalamazoo College student Tyler Benmark (K'13). The 1 kW photovoltaic (PV) array on the roof of the Facilities Management building is the campus' first on-site renewable energy.
Vending Machines Now Motion Activated
VendingMisers were added in July to all beverage vending machines on campus. These devices use motion sensing technology to conserve electricity by turning the machines off when no one is around. By turning off the machine's lights and running the refrigeration compressor less frequently each VendingMiser saves about 1750 kilowatt hours per year.
Summer Climate Campus Fellows Begin Projects
The Summer Climate Campus Fellowship provides an opportunity for several students to work on independent projects to reduce the college's green house gas emissions (GHG). This year the three students to receive the fellowship are Monica Cooper, Caleb Kline, and Dimeko Price. Cooper's project hopes to improve the college's composting program. Kline is collecting information for future implementation of occupancy sensor lighting controls, and Price's project will attempt to reduce GHG emissions from the college's fleet cars.
Sustainability Interns Hired for 2012-13 School Year
Three rising senior students were chosen to be sustainability interns for next year. The students were chosen based on their leadership, enthusiasm, and commitment to sustainability on campus. The three sustainability interns for the 2012-13 school year will be Trace Redmond, Alicia Pettys, and Rebecca Cummins-Lanter. These interns will pursue projects focused on reducing the college's impact on the environment.
2012 Sustainability SIP Symposium
All are invited to the 2012 Sustainability SIP Symposium to be held on Tuesday, April 24th, in Dewing 103 and the Dewing Commons. Presentations will be from 6pm-8pm followed by a poster session from 8-9pm with refreshments provided by The People's Food Co-Op. Projects include:
- German Climate Change Policy: Rhetoric versus Reality - Megan Bauer
- An Economic Perspective on Trees and Their Services - Robbie Post
- Green Islam: The Color of Environmentalism in Senegal - Aya Cockram
- Rain Gardens: Low Impact Development on Kalamazoo College's Campus - Emily Wolf
Audit Shows Decrease in College's Carbon Emissions
Over the summer sustainability intern Adam Smith, K'11, compiled data from across campus to complete Kalamazoo College’s biennial Greenhouse Gas Audit, as required by the American Colleges and Universities President’s Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). He completed audits for each of the last two fiscal years, finding that the College has successfully reduced its CO2 emissions by 10% in just two years!
Kalamazoo College Featured in Guide to Green Colleges
The Princeton Review and the U.S. Green Building Council recognized Kalamazoo College as a leader in sustainability and higher education in their first annual Guide to Green Colleges. The guide includes colleges and universities that excel at infusing sustainability into the life and operations of their campus, the community, and beyond.
The Race to Zero
Some two years after President Wilson-Oyelaran signed the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), the Board of Trustees has set the midpoint of the 21st century as the target date for the College to eliminate its net emissions of greenhouse gasses.
K Alums Attend Copenhagen Climate Talks
Two alumnae attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference (Copenhagen, Denmark) in official capacities. Aubrey Ann Parker ’08 kept a blog about the Conference on behalf of the Detroit Free Press and Christa Clapp ’97, a Paris-based analyst for the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, also attended.
Tower-Pinkster Establishes Sustainability Scholarship
As architects for the recently completed renovation of Weimer K. Hicks Student Center, Tower-Pinkster touches the social lives of Kalamazoo College students nearly every day. Now, through the TowerPinkster Sustainability Scholarship, the Southwest Michigan-based architectural and engineering firm will touch five “K” students in a meaningful financial way. Tower-Pinkster will award $2,000 to a student who has an interest in sustainability issues each academic year for the next five years, starting in 2009-2010.
