SGA-EC begins work on environmental issues across campus

Chair of the Student Government Association Environmental Committee, Rachel Dutton, stood in front of members and newcomers on September 30, 2009 to address those at the committee's kick off event of the year. All in attendance gathered in a circle to discuss ways students can take the initiative to conserve energy and waste throughout campus. Members showed high hopes of implementing changes, like the removal of trays from the dining commons, which Dutton set in motion at the end of last year.

“At first I didn’t like the trayless option because of the convenience issue,” said UMass Junior Kevin DiMuzio. “It took a week or two to get used to, but now I think it’s a great idea to conserve. Plus, incoming freshmen don’t know what it’s like to have them. So after awhile it won’t be an issue.”

UMass Junior Jordan Huskins feels that no trays are better for the environment, but an annoyance when it comes to leaving the DC.

“I think the removal of trays in the DC’s has had its pros and cons. I think it definitely regulates how much food students take, but makes it a bit of a hassle when leaving, not to mention harder cleanup for the workers.”

UMass dining services provides over 40,000 meals daily, making it the third largest food operation in revenue in the country. In the 2008 spring semester alone, the Worcester DC wasted almost 60,000 pounds of food.

Efforts by Dutton have paid off, as the amount of waste in DC's has decreased since the removal of trays.

Executive director of dining and retail at UMass, Ken Toong, says that although it is too early to measure the amount of waste reduction, workers in the dish rooms have noticed that overall there has been a lot less food going into garbage bins.

“From 7:00 am to 12:00 pm in the Worcester DC students used to fill an entire garbage bucket, but today it doesn’t even reach 70 percent full,” said Toong.

At the meeting, SGA-EC members also discussed bringing a bike sharing program to campus.

The pilot program, which the SGA-EC and sustainability coordinator Josh Stoffel will work on, will team up with the Bike Co-Op. To encourage people to leave cars at home, 20 to 25 bikes will be brought to campus. The bikes will be available to sign out without charge for about two days.

Stoffel says that the program has been proven at other campuses to be highly effective for students and faculty using bikes on campus and close vicinities instead of cars. Although the program is one of the smaller goals of the committee, Stoffel believes it to be very important.

“To neglect the small programs is very short sighted,” he said. "It's often the smaller programs that have the biggest effect."

SGA-EC member Elena Hadley is researching green roofing to decrease carbon dioxide emissions. In her research proposal she states that one story of green roofing can cut cooling costs by 20 to 30 percent, absorb carbon dioxide to help reduce the University’s carbon footprint, and work as a sieve. A thousand feet of green roofing could remove up to 41 pounds of airborne particles per year, and act as a filter for heavy metals and pollutants from rain water.

She will work with students to research an effective model using other schools such as Harvard and MIT, who have green roofing in place. Foods grown will be sold or given to Earthfoods, Food Not Bombs, and the local Amherst Farmer's Market.

"It's a great way to give back to the community," said Hadley.