By Olivia Wicik
One of the most important improvements C.W. Post has recently made is the effort to “Go Green.î Our campus facilities analysis service, Slightlines, informs us that CW Post ìhas been ranked among the most energy-efficient colleges and universities in the Northeast.” Also, “Our campus consumes 83,000 British thermal units per square foot, which is far below the average 138,000 btu among comparable campuses in the region,” according to the Post Press.
Throughout any given day on campus, students are sure to see numerous signs and posters advertising the campaign. To promote going green C.W. Post now has a P.E.A.C.E Club which stands for Protecting Every Aspect of the Environment. Also, there is an arboretum on campus, new recycling bins, and rewards for being green (especially on Tuesdays), among many other movements.
A major development has taken place in many of the dining halls, by incorporating sustainability to their operations. The C.W. Post Sustainability Committee is chaired by Dr. Scott Carlin, who received the Award for Environmental Vision in Sustainable Development from the Long Island Progressive Coalition, a nonprofit, community-focused organization, according to PR chairwoman, Rita Langdon.
The movement to go green has been taken seriously and adjustments have been made. For example, instead of using dining trays Winnick now uses dishes that are washed and reused. According to Post dining services, ìWe partner with J.Kings Food Service, a local foodservice company, SYSCO Foodservices and Sid Wainer & Son for local products.†We also purchase many of our baked goods from local bakeries.î Supporting local farmers as well as the community is a great step in the right direction.
Our main coffee go-to spot, Java City, has also joined the action by selling reusable mugs (made from recycled materials) and providing a discount to those that use them; Hillwood Cafe does the same. Other efforts in the dining services department include buying items in bulk to help reduce the amount of packaging as well as using green cleaning supplies. The use of non-toxic, green cleaning supplies is not only beneficial for the environment but for everyoneís health too.
Going green on campus has gained much support from the students as well. “Seeing C.W. Post taking some steps in a greener direction makes me proud to be a student,î says sophomore Corinna Sacchetta. ìEven noticing the smallest effort to be greener puts a smile on my face.”
Academically, CW Post offers many educational options for students who choose to take a green path. The Honors Green program began its second year this September and allows students to take a variety of classes, including Conservation of Nature Environmental Resources, which allow students to be aware of the issue. Students that take part in the Honors Green program have the ability to participate in field-base learning and visit parks throughout America through Partners in the Parks Program. Angela Calise, an Honors Green student, went to Zion National Park in Utah with the program in the spring. ìIíve always been attuned with nature, but this experience definitely opened up my mind,î Angela mentions.
To help advocate this movement the P.E.A.C.E club has taken an initiative to get the word out there. At Hillwood Commons we can see a ìGreen Boardî that often has advertisements and information about helping the environment and what we can all do to help. Right next to the board there are recycling bins, which cannot be missed, to motivate everyone to help do their small part in keeping CW Post as environmentally friendly as possible. Recycling has also been extended to the halls of Suffolk, Queens and Kings, which can now recycle mixed paper, plastics and aluminum.
Fun environmental fact:
The energy saved by recycling one bottle will power a computer for 25 minutes. Another initiative that was taken by those at CW Post is the community arboretum; the campus is home to 4,000 trees on 307 acres.
( HYPERLINK “http://www.liu.edu/CWPost/About/Resources/Initiatives/Recycling.aspx” t “_blank” http://www.liu.edu/CWPost/About/Resources/Initiatives/Recycling.aspx)
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