Green College Spotlight: Berea College

Berea College has been celebrated as one of America’s Greenest Colleges by The Daily Green, most notably for the college’s impressive EcoVillage residential complex. But, cool as the EcoVillage is, Berea’s sustainability initiatives go far beyond that. This small private college in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains of Berea, Kentucky has spent the last dozen years implementing green practices into daily life on campus.

President Larry D. Shin has signed the Presidents Climate Commitment, vowing to work toward carbon neutrality on campus. Thirteen full-time employees work on Berea’s sustainability initiatives – a big number for a college with just over 1,500 students. So far, Berea’s efforts in energy and climate have paid off. They set an admirably ambitious goal to cut emissions 65 percent by 2015 and recently upgraded its heating plant from coal to natural gas, reducing greenhouse gas emissions dramatically.

Among Berea’s fleet of vehicles are 3 hybrids and 13 small electric carts. Berea operates a 12-passenger van so students, who are discouraged from bringing cars on campus, can get from the college to local towns. Priority parking is given to carpoolers, and a student-run program called Berea Bikes fixes, rents and builds bicycles for students, faculty and staff to use.

Then, of course, there’s the college’s green crown jewel: The EcoVillage. This eco-friendly complex of 50 townhouse apartments and other buildings houses more than 120 people in sustainable style. EcoVillage has set a goal to reduce water use by 75 percent and waste by 50 percent. It features eco-friendly appliances, heavy insulation, solar panels, wind power, rainwater collectors and more. Within the complex is the partial straw-bale SENS (Sustainable and Environmental Studies) House, which acts as both a residence and learning facility for four students as well as a classroom for the rest of the college community. Students living in the EcoVillage enjoy a free car-sharing program.

Berea College runs its own campus farm, which provides the school with organic produce, beef and pork. Berea also purchases food from local sources including nine farms and two co-ops through a collaboration between dining services and the Local Food Initiative. Berea serves a number of fair trade products including coffee, and 90 percent of food waste is composted at the campus farm.

As you can see in the video above, students at Berea College are pumped about sustainability, and that’s incredibly important. Students can participate in the ‘Helping the Earth and Learning’ organization as well as a number of sustainability-related work study opportunities.

Great work, Berea!

Link [Berea College]

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