Martha Larson, Carleton’s manager of campus energy and sustainability, and her team of student assistants support a variety of green initiatives on campus.
En
ergy
- Energy-efficient lighting retrofits
- Occupancy sensors for lights in restrooms and stairwells
- Green Wars, annual energy-savings competition among dorms
- Clothes-drying racks in residence halls
- Electric vehicle charging station
- Building energy audits and retro-commissioning
Waste
- Cetralized recycling and compost bins in every building
- Custodial Waste Busters work with students to reduce waste
- Annual “Lighten Up” garage sale diverts students’ unwanted items from the landfill and raises money for local charities
Food
- Tray-less dining reduces food waste by approximately 20 percent
- Student-operated organic farm supplies some produce for dining services
- Carleton uses the Real Food Calculator, an online tool, to evaluate whether its food purchases are local, humane, and ecologically sound
Research
- Feasibility study for solar domestic hot water systems (already in use in Cassat and James Halls)
- Preliminary research on ground source heating and cooling
Education and Outreach
- Carletonian’s “GreenSpace” column
- Carleton-produced Clean Energy in Our Community video submitted for the Second Nature 2013 Climate Leadership Awards competition
- Online energy and water information dashboard at buildingdashboard.net/Carleton
- Sustainability news blog at go.carleton.edu/sustainability
Web Extra: Learn more about Carleton’s sustainability efforts.