National Campus Sustainability Day celebrated at UWSP
STEVENS POINT The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point joined universities across the United States on Wednesday recognizing sustainability efforts on campus and in the community.
Nearly 30 businesses, nonprofit organizations and student groups took part in the university's National Campus Sustainability Day fair, held in the Laird Room in the Dreyfus University Center. Started in 2003, National Campus Sustainability Day has been held to recognize the successes, challenges and innovation in higher education to reduce the impact people have on the planet.
UWSP is nationally recognized for its green initiatives, sustainability and energy efficiency. The university was recently ranked No. 5 on a list of 50 affordable and eco-friendly colleges by the website www.bestchoiceschools.com. In its review, the website credited UWSP for its Operations and Waste Management Facility, which features a pilot wastewater treatment plant, a composting lab, a microbiology lab and a recycling center. The website also credited the university for receiving LEED Gold building rating for The Suites@201, a residence hall on campus that gets 35 percent of its electricity from renewable sources.
UWSP student Jessie Sprejda was at the fair to promote the CPS Cafe, located in the College of Professional Studies. The cafe offers meals prepared by students using local and organic foods, along with bakery items and fair-trade coffee. Sprejda, a senior from Pembine studying dietetics, said the cafe serves between 300 to 340 meals and averages just one bag of garbage from the kitchen each day. It also sends two buckets of compost to local farms.
"It's a great experience to work at the cafe because you can see everything that goes into making a business sustainable, and that it's not as difficult as you might think," said Sprejda, who helps manage the front of the cafe.
Local businesses also presented sustainable practices they offer the community. John Pawlak, owner of Point Area Bicycle Service, showed bike accessories including a pannier, which can be attached to a bicycle to help carry groceries to promote less vehicle use. Maud LaMarche, co-owner of the Wisconsin Wool Exchange in Stevens Point, gave demonstrations on wool spinning and explained that wool sweaters that can be made with locally raised fibers.
Dave Barbier, sustainability coordinator at UWSP, said he hopes the fair will continue to grow, along with people's interest in sustainable practices.
"Sustainability has become very diverse, and I think more students and community members are looking for ways to get involved. Hopefully this event connects them to services they might not know are available in this area," Barbier said.
Nathan Vine can be reached at 715-345-2252. Find him on Twitter as @SPJNathanVine.
Chevrolet selects UWSP for renewable energy partnership
STEVENS POINT Chevrolet has announced it has chosen to partner with University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a handful of other institutions of higher education that undertake energy-efficiency and renewable-energy projects.
As part of a voluntary carbon reduction initiative, Chevrolet is buying and retiring carbon credits from colleges that have reduced greenhouse gas emissions to permanently benefit the environment. The credits will not be used to offset emissions related to specific Chevrolet operations or products at any site.
Spelman College in Atlanta, Boston University, the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Portland State University were also selected to partner with Chevrolet.
According to a news release, UWSP was selected because its performance ranks among the top 15 percent of universities in the nation for energy conservation. The university will receive an estimated $30,000 to $35,000 for its carbon credits, which will be reinvested in additional energy-savings projects. One possibility being considered is a wind turbine demonstration.