 Media Credit: Sean Spitzer |
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| Devin Dingy tries an apple at the Living Culture Initiative table at the Scarlet, Gray and Green Fair Friday. |
Ask any Buckeye fan what Ohio State's colors are and the answer is simple - scarlet and gray, of course.
However, with environmental awareness making its way to the forefront of campus issues, OSU students, staff and faculty can expect to see more green.
OSU's existing environmental achievements and ideas for future advancement were on display at the Scarlet, Gray and Green Fair, held Friday on the South Oval, demonstrating a campus-wide commitment toward environmental awareness and sustainability.
 Media Credit: Sean Spitzer |
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| A student tries his hand at an oversized version of cornhole at the Scarlet, Gray and Green Fair Friday. |
Hosted by Students for a Sustainable Campus, the event included displays from OSU's administrative departments including the Office of Business and the Office of Energy Services.
"It's my feeling that the university is really doing a lot to be green," said Hudson McFann, co-president of SSC.
New energy policies for OSU are currently being developed by the Office of Energy Services and Sustainability.
"We're sort of running a pilot program right now," said Wally Giffen, the energy programs manager for the Office of Energy Services. "There are so many things to do."
Giffen's office is in the process of auditing the energy efficiency of campus buildings. Once complete, recommendations will be made to the university on the changes that need to be implemented.
"It's our job to make an assessment of where we are and where we're going in the next few years," Giffen said.
The Office of Energy Services is also involved in increasing the design standards of new buildings.
"There's a process under way right now to increase the energy efficiency required of new buildings," Giffen said. "We've recommended that all new buildings are LEED silver rated, which means higher levels of energy efficiency and other environmental concerns, such as water efficiency and better climate control."
Campus recycling programs are also the charge of Giffen's office.
"We're working on strengthening and simplifying our recycling programs," Giffen said.
This includes updated recycling programs in residence halls, introducing "all-in-one" recycling bins on campus in place of separate bins for paper, plastic and aluminum and the new tailgating recycling program, which distributes printed recycling trash bags to tailgaters at home games and places recycling trash bins in tailgating lots.
The office of Business Operations has also made a commitment to be green.
Chrissy Cooley, who co-founded SSC five years ago as an OSU undergraduate, is the first person to hold the newly-created position of "resource planning analyst in sustainability" for the Office of Business Operations. He said the move toward sustainability is new.
"There's no template to follow, but it's something that once we get going will just take off."
Business Operations supplies the university with products and services, such as CABS and UniPrint.
"In our office, wherever there's a green alternative, we'll take it," Cooley said. This includes initiatives such as switching all CABS buses to biodiesel and increasing access to environmentally friendly alternatives to office and janitorial supplies, such as recycled paper.
Jason Box, the founding member of Green Columbus and an assistant professor in geography at OSU, is pleased with the university's commitment to sustainability.
"I've seen progress and that's really encouraging," Box said. "It shows that the university is taking these issues more seriously."
Box feels that more can be done though.
"Ohio State does need to make a commitment to be more green friendly. I think there are lots of ways to improve," he said. "People can be more environmentally kind."
Box said that simple things such as turning off lights in unoccupied buildings and classrooms and installing power-savers on campus computers were examples. "It's not about buying things," he said. "It's about thinking smart."
With abundant resources at its disposal, OSU has the potential to make a difference and act as a model for the rest of society, Box said.
McF ann agreed.
"As the largest university in the country, we should really be leading the change in conservation and environmental awareness."
clare.6@osu.edu
2008 Woodie Awards
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