When Lord Christopher Monckton came to lecture at Southeastern he offered a different perspective on the issue of climate change and encouraged students to think about and address important environmental concerns.
Students wonder how they can learn more and get involved in environmental conservation. Inquisitive and pro-active minds may be surprised to find eco-friendly action right here on campus.
This semester, a new sector of the SGA was formed with the goal of promoting eco-friendly projects on campus.
“My role is to serve as a middle ground between offices and organizations on campus such as Reconnect and sustainability management with Mr. Russell Evans, and the student body. I’m here to promote all things green. I’m here to be there for students that want to participate in aiding in the green environment here on campus,” said Stephanie Travis, Southeastern’s first campus beautification liaison, with the Student Government Association.
Many programs are suffering because of budget cuts, and Southeastern’s green programs are no exception. However, Travis expresses intent on working around budget cuts to fulfill the environmental needs of the campus.
Travis states that she is currently working on mapping out the recycling bins on campus and labeling them so that students know what they can and cannot recycle. Although most of Southeastern’s recycling bins display a sign reading “paper products only,” they have recently been modified to accept many more recyclable products, including manila folders, cardboard, plastic, aluminum cans and food.
“Most of the recycling bins on campus don’t reflect those changes,” said Travis. “Most of them still say ‘paper products only,’ and that’s because of budget cuts.”
SGA is hosting an event on Nov. 15 in honor of National Recycle Day to promote the Southeastern’s recycling system and make the students aware of the changes.
Though new additions have been made to Southeastern’s eco-friendly atmosphere, Physical Plant has always been a major contributor to the school’s green environment. Physical Plant is currently involved in recycling, harvesting energy, using solar panels, using and recycling biodiesel and the creation of a sustainability center, which will allow students to learn and observe the mechanisms of sustainable technology.
Perhaps the most notable of these projects is the biodiesel production. Making biodiesel involves taking used vegetable oil and mixing it with alcohol to produce a fuel that can be used in diesel engines.
“The key thing is that it’s a natural resource, but it’s a renewable natural resource,” said horticulturalist Martin Perrilloux. “There’s a whole cycle, from the farm, to the press, to the cafeteria, to making biodiesel and then to using the by-product that was used in making biodiesel, and it completes a circle.”
The biodiesel produced is used in fueling lawn mowers, tractors and other equipment on campus that have diesel engines. Not only is biodiesel fuel eco-friendly, but it is also inexpensive. The cost of making biodiesel is about 60 cents a gallon, much cheaper than it is to make diesel fuel. The leftover vegetable grease is donated to the biodiesel project by the Cayman Cafe and other local restaurants.
“I want to thank Rende’s, the convenience store across from the university, and Murphy’s Seafood, because they’ve been generous, and when they could’ve sold the grease, they donated it,” said Perrilloux.
One goal of Physical Plant is to provide hands-on lessons for the students to not only promote green technology, but also to understand it.
“I think that when they see how interesting it is, not that they’ll all go out and make biodiesel plants and biodiesel vehicles, but they’ll be educated, and when it comes time, maybe through politics, or election or land use decisions, they’ll know how to make the right decisions,” said Perrilloux.
It is crucial for students to realize exactly how they are affecting the environment. By becoming more involved with green campus projects, students can educate themselves and use that knowledge to make better choices.