It’s been a productive term for sustainability at Carleton. STAs Alex Lai and Michelle Hesterberg successfuly worked to implement bathroom composting in nearly every dorm on campus and took a survey on the Trayless Tuesday campaign that found approximately 90% of students would be all right with continuing the program! They’re hoping to use this data to perhaps expand Trayless to every day of the week beginning next year.
Libby Nachman got the “Green Offices” program going in Facilities with plans to expand the program to other departments on campus as well. She and I also worked to plan Green Wars, a week-long energy-saving competition between dorms. Memorial was the surprise victor, and nearly every dorm reduced their energy usage. Events included an Experimental College class on cool innovations in the field of energy use, a documentary screening of “Crude,” and Environmental Jeopardy!
Meanwhile, Nina Whitney continued her work on Carleton’s greenhouse gas inventory relating to the school’s Climate Action Plan (CAP). A draft of the CAP was released this term and a final plan will be unveiled to campus later this year. The CAP details the steps Carleton will take to become carbon-neutral by 2050, in accordance with the Presidential Climate Commitment.
Outside of the STA world, Food Truth worked with the national organization Real Food Challenge to co-host 2 workshops with St. Olaf, and also sent a group of 10 students to Chicago for the Midwest Real Food Summit. Members of SOPE got a Sustainability Revolving Fund proposal passed that will purchase drying racks for dorms, and the Residential Life Sustainability Committee got started on “Take Back the Tap” in an effort to eliminate bottled water on campus.
What will spring term bring? Earth Day (April 22nd) and Earth Week leading up to it; a proposed town hall meeting to review the CAP; and much, much more! We’ll be sure to keep this blog regularly updated so you can find out about everything going on!