McLane Grow ’13, an environmental studies major, is writing LC’s “Red Goes Green” blog this semester. Below is his latest post. Be sure to subscribe to his blog.
Starting October 1, the second annual Project Green Challenge will kick off. Sponsored by the organization, Teens Turning Green, the challenge asks high school and college students to transition their lives from conventional to sustainable. For 30 days, participating students will be given a daily challenge that will consist of a sustainable theme. We want LC to participate this year.
The challenges from last year included: eco profiles, home dorm space, and fitness. Within each challenge there are degrees of difficulty (green, greener, greenest, and extra credit). Depending on the difficulty of the challenge completed, the student or group will be rewarded a certain number of points. At the end of each day, students will be ranked by a panel of judges. At the end of the month the students or groups that accumulate the most points will be invited to attend Green University. The three-day event will be held outside of San Francisco and will provide students the opportunity to meet and work with green leaders from around the world.
This challenge is a great opportunity for LC students to get involved with sustainability and learn how to live in an eco-friendly manner. Sitting in a classroom or reading a blog will provide a person with knowledge on sustainability, but actually going out and practicing the skill is a much more effective way to harness sustainable behavior. I have signed up for the event and will be acting as a campus rep at LC. It would be awesome if other students would check out the project and get involved. If you are planning on attending the Green Team meeting next Wednesday at 4 p.m., we will be discussing the Project Green Challenge in greater detail.
Sustainable Happenings at LC
Last Friday I attended the first Natural Resource Committee meeting of the semester. At the meeting many sustainable projects were discussed and future green initiatives were introduced.
Last fall the College broke ground on the eco-village that will be constructed at Claytor Nature Study Center. For the past few years this project has been on the drawing board and with the help of Dr. Greg Eaton, Dr. Kevin Peterson, and many other faculty and staff, the construction of the first cabin will begin this fall. The first cabin will house up to sixteen campers and will be built out of straw bale. An eco-friendly cabin will be an awesome addition to the pristine beauty of Claytor.
Many of you heard, or maybe experienced, the horrendous storm that hit Lynchburg this summer. The storm was classified as a “derecho” and it left a trail of destruction on our campus. The Dell lost a number of trees, the greenhouse on campus was severely damaged, and the wooded area near Faculty Drive was greatly impacted. Since the storm hit in July, LC has already taken positive strides in dealing with the damage. The physical plant staff is currently researching trees that will be planted in the Dell and in the process of obtaining estimates for the reconstruction of the greenhouse. Be on the lookout for a number of new-growth trees on the Dell.
The final project worth mentioning comes from the cafeteria. Starting this year the cafeteria will strive to become 100 percent compostable/recyclable. That means there will be almost zero waste taken to the landfill from Dining Services! When this goal is accomplished the amount of waste that is created on campus will be significantly reduced.
These three projects and a handful of others will continue to push LC to becoming an institution that is looked upon as a leader in sustainability.
Once again, you are all invited to attend the first Green Team meeting of the semester on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in Schewel 232!
Quote of the Week:
“The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world that it leaves to its children.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer