It can be easy being green ‘- at least at Boston University, sustainability officials said.
The BU Sustainability Committee collaborated with numerous environmental groups Wednesday at the George Sherman Union to host ‘BU Sustainability Day.’ The groups, including BU Energy Club, BU Recycling and BU Bikes, gathered to help promote a greener lifestyle among students.
The BU Sustainability booth handed out free reusable bags, each listing 10 ways students can reduce their negative impact on the environment.
‘ Sustainability spokeswoman Susan Lebovits said the Committee’s endeavors are finally paying off.’
‘ ‘We are thrilled that so many students are showing an interest in reducing the environmental footprint of the campus,’ Lebovits said. ‘We are working hard to get the BU community engaged.’
BU worked its way from a ‘D’ to a ‘B-‘ in two years, according to the Oct. 7 Green Campus Report Card, an interactive website providing detailed sustainability profiles for colleges in the US.
‘We gave away over 360 free reusable coffee mugs today,’ Lebovits said. ‘With these, you can get 25 cents off of coffee in select coffee shops both on and off campus.’
BU Sustainability efforts are evident on campus as the committee works to continue to improve the environment, Lebovits said.
Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Makechnie Study Center was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design by Commercial Interiors in April, according to the BU Sustainability website.
The Mugar Library will save over 2,000,000 kWh and $300,000 in energy related costs per year through extensive lighting retrofits, according to GCRC’s website.
Student Recycling Coordinator Rebecca Morgan explained the efforts of the Recycling center.
‘ ‘Our main job is to make sure offices are supplied with paper bins,’ Morgan, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore, said. ‘We get the word out by our web site and advertise to the BU calendar.’
Sustainability Director Dennis Carlberg said the Sustainability Committee is developing strategic plans to combat climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.’
‘ ‘We are trying to put a program together,’ Carlberg said. ‘We are taking a holistic approach.’
School of Management sophomore Rebecca Farmer, a member of BU Energy Club, said the club is interested in learning about all types of energy and often invites guest speakers to talk on similar subjects.
‘ ‘The main goal would be to bring together people from different fields of study to talk about energy,’ Farmer said.
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