April 30, 2012
St. John’s University has cut its campus carbon dioxide emissions
by 13,498 metric tons over the past three years, equivalent to the
amount of gas released by 2,747 vehicles during the same time
period.
This achievement — which the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) noted in its most recent
assessment report — stems from the many innovative energy
conservation and recycling initiatives the University has
introduced since 2009.
These measures were taken as a result of St. John’s commitment to
become a higher education
PlaNYC Challenge Partner and reduce its greenhouse gas
emissions 30 percent by 2017. They are also a result of the
University’s historic agreement with the EPA. “In 2008, we became
the first private institution to sign a
Memorandum of Understanding with the agency,” said Thomas
Goldsmith, Director of Energy and Environmental Conservation at St.
John’s.
“Thanks to
the continuing involvement of
Earth Club members, student
Sustainability Coordinators and our
Resident Assistants (RAs),” Goldsmith said, “St. John’s now has
a thriving organic garden and a high-tech, food-waste
composter.”
Implemented earlier this year, the University’s composter allows
student workers to collect as much as 1,500 pounds of food waste
weekly. “The composter combines University kitchen food waste
trimmings and lawn waste with coffee grounds to produce an organic
fertilizer,” Goldsmith explained. “We then spread the fertilizer on
lawns and foliage throughout the campus.”
St. John’s also took advantage of the $1 million grant it received
in 2010 from New York’s
State Energy Program to purchase and install LED lighting,
occupancy sensors, insulation and sophisticated ventilation control
systems.
The Office of Residence Life worked hard to boost student interest
in saving energy. “The RAs have had a positive impact on our
performance in Campus
Conservation Nationals (CCN) and RecycleMania,” said
Eric Finkelstein, Director of Residence Life. Through
RecycleMania and CCN, colleges and universities nationwide compete
in conserving energy and maximizing campus recycling.
“The Queens campus came in tenth this year in CCN’s list of leading
energy reducers,” said Goldsmith, “and we raised our recycling
percentage to 33 percent — up from 25 percent last
year.”
“We are simplifying our recycling process and finding ways to get
more students involved,” said Finkelstein. “This year we awarded
free T-shirts and ‘Get Caught Green-Handed’ raffle tickets to
students who signed the pledge to participate in both
competitions.”
“Our residence halls did especially well,” he added. “Henley Road
Hall came in first on campus, scoring a 15.4 percent reduction in
energy use.”
“I am hopeful,” said Goldsmith, “that the University’s impressive
achievements will spark greater student engagement, helping St.
John’s to become a higher education sustainability model.”