The School of Education got a green makeover on Oct. 5 with the addition of a new Sustainability Resources Center in the Pickering Library.
The SRC, located in the basement of SED, was a collaboration between the library and sedGreen, a group of BU students, faculty and staff committed to promoting sustainability on campus, according to its website.
“[The SRC’s] vision is a green education and green thinking and as an educator it promotes sustainability,” said Pickering Library Coordinator Alex Solodkaya.
Located in the SED basement, the SRC features a conference table, environment-friendly books, films, DVDs, kilowatt meters, a DVD player and other items.
It aims to serve as a meeting place for all green groups on the Boston University campus, Solodkaya said.
Sustainability projects in SED include recycling on all SED floors, solar roof panels that reduce energy consumption and 25 motion light sensors installed throughout SED, according to the sedGreen website.
“Students can come and learn about sustainability,” Solodkaya said. “Green Student groups can reserve the area for meetings.”
Mark Correia, the director of SED’s Instructional Materials Center, said he came up with the idea to coordinate sedGreen initiatives with the library.
“After many successful sedGreen events, I became concerned that we were preaching to the choir,” he said. “My idea was really just a common sense thought that sharing our resources would better spread our ideas. SED’s Educational Resources Library was then the obvious place to store and loan these resources.”
However, Correia said the project was influenced by ideas from all departments in SED.
Sean Giere, a Pickering Library technician, said he lauded the sustainability initiative and thought it was a good start.
“It’s good for the library as now more people know about us,” he said. “But more importantly, it leaves a little less footprint . . .we encourage students to bring their own mugs because we don’t allow paper cups now. It’s a good idea to have green resources.”
Students said they thought the focus on sustainability was advantageous.
“SedGreen emails are a good idea, and when you read the emails, then you think twice about your actions,” said SED senior Arielle Adler. “It’s the simple things that make a difference, like those little stickers,” she added, referring to the sustainability stickers found all over SED.
She added that she thinks SED is headed in the right direction in terms of sustainability, although there is more that can be done.
“A lot of times there is no reason for the lights to be on,” she said. “The light sensors in the building are a very good start.”
College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Kate Pancarician, who sometimes studies at the Pickering Library, said she thinks BU is “making great strides toward sustainability.”
“The best thing in this section is the free coffee and tea if you bring your own reusable mug and it’s encouraging green habits,” she said. “This is why the Pickering Library is such a great place to study.”
Correia said he thinks BU is making strides in terms of sustainability.
“I find sustainability to be very successful at BU,” he said. “Our university atmosphere understands the importance of our environment as well as the savings in the financial bottom line. That said, we are the people who must continue the conversation outside of our “choir’ to ensure our green ideas take root.”
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