Many student environmental leaders said Boston University’s committee to reduce the overall environmental impact on campus has come a long way in its efforts and structure.
But they said insufficient communication between the committee – sustainability@BU – and students, has made it difficult to discern exactly what that progress is, leaving many students in the dark on BU’s green efforts.
Environmental Student Organization Co-president Rachel Weil said though BU is clearly working to improve sustainability efforts, it has not been formally communicating to students.
‘OK, so they’re meeting, but we don’t know what they’re doing,’ Weil said.
Sustainability@BU’s structure consists of a steering committee that oversees four other working groups: recycling and waste management, energy conservation, sustainable building and facility operations and communications and outreach.
Weil, who is also the student recycling coordinator for BU Recycling, said she is connected to the campus environmental community, but still does not think the committee has been ‘transparent’ enough in its efforts.
She said, however, that she hopes sustainability@BU’s upcoming web site – one of the committee’s primary focuses since it formed last semester – will ‘bridge the gap’ between the administration and students.
‘I think the day when they’re going to tell all is when the sustainability web site launches,’ Weil said.
Sustainability Director Dennis Carlberg did not respond to questions concerning the committee’s efforts before press time, despite an email sent Monday and consistent contact with spokeswoman Susan Lebovitz.
The committee’s current web site lists its extensive efforts so far, along with projects underway.
Examples of sustainability@BU’s efforts include the following: gathering and analyzing energy use data going back to 1990 through Kyoto Protocol standards; retrofitting Mugar Memorial Library’s lighting to save 2,000,000 kWh annually; certifying campus buildings under LEED and collecting 800,000 pounds of food waste per year.
Weil said she thinks the committee needs to focus more on waste management, including reorganizing the recycling system.’
Though BU improved its grade on the Green Campus Report Card from a ‘D’ to a ‘B’ within two years, Weil said the report is largely compiled from ‘insider information.’
‘All the interviews, all the questions are answered by people who work here,’ she said.
However, she said having sustainability@BU is an accomplishment in itself and has helped drastically save paper cups, improve recycling and bring more awareness to the issue.
Slow Foods President Dory Dinoto, who is on the recycling and waste management committee, said they have made on a lot progress on getting trash compactors across campus.’
She also said gathering recycling data is an important addition to sustainable efforts. The Charles River Campus recycling rate has gone from three percent in 2006 to 15 percent, according to the website.
She agreed with Weil that the committee’s student accessibility needs improvement.
‘In terms of being accessible, verses visible, I would say accessibility is still an issue,’ she said, also citing the website as a hopeful means for communication.
Dinoto said publicity for BU’s sustainable efforts is important, but it is more important to use that energy towards actual improvements.
She said she is unsure whether BU is searching for a new dining hall sustainability director, since Kelly Dunn, who helped move many sustainable food initiatives forward, no longer works for BU.’
Dinoto said she hopes what Dunn started on campus will continue despite her absence.
‘I’d love to see what she has done already keep going,’ Dinoto said.’
Many students said they had never heard of sustainability@BU and wished BU would better communicate efforts.
Lara Bryfonski, a College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education sophomore, said she had not heard of the committee.
‘I don’t think BU communicates at all about how they’re trying to be greener on campus,’ Bryfonski said. ‘I see waste, but I don’t know what the university’s really doing so it’s hard for me to pass judgment.’
CAS senior Devin O’Leary said BU’s green initiatives have been more about saving money than the environment.
‘I’m in favor of them making green efforts,’ O’ Leary said. ‘But I don’t think the best intentions are there.’
Adrian Ciacci, a CAS junior, said he heard about sustainability@BU through an email he receives due to his environmental analysis and policy major. He said it’s hard to make people think sustainability is ‘worthwhile.’
However, some students said BU has greatly improved green initiatives within the past year, specifically citing efforts in the dining halls.
COM senior Laura Petrini said she has seen recycling bins all over campus. She said getting rid of the trays in dining halls was a positive change, along with separate bins for bottles in the George Sherman Union.
‘I think publicizing it can elicit more help and consciousness,’ Petrini said.
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