Green College Spotlight: Syracuse University
April 13, 2009 · Print This Article
Add Syracuse University to the ever-growing list of Northeastern colleges and universities pushing their green efforts further than ever before. Syracuse has really stepped up their efforts in the past year, earning a B- on the College Sustainability Report Card and adding many projects to their list of eco-achievements.
Chancellor Cantor signed the Presidents Climate Commitment, promising to work toward becoming climate-neutral. A University Sustainability Action Coalition, which includes students, faculty and staff, addresses sustainability issues like transportation, green purchasing and recycling. SU also has four full-time employees working in the sustainability division.
Twenty percent of SU’s energy is purchased from renewable sources, including wind and low-impact hydro power. Syracuse University is also an active member of the Green Power Partnership’s Leadership Club and was recognized as the Big East Conference Champion for the 2006-2007 College & University Green Power Challenge.
Syracuse University has pledged to meet LEED criteria for all new buildings, additions or renovations over $10 million. The university is currently seeking LEED-EB certification on 16 buildings and has four projects currently underway that are expected to receive LEED silver and platinum certification.
Carpoolers at SU get preferred parking, and the university recently launched a car sharing program. Students can also ride regional transit buses for free in addition to campus buses, and the public safety department uses bicycles and hybrid vehicles.
In the dining hall, students will find locally-sourced produce and dairy as well as organic items. Reusable food and beverage take-out containers are provided, and all post-consumer waste is composted. Kitchen fryer oil is also converted to biodiesel. In addition, SU operates a weekly farmer’s market on campus so students, faculty and staff can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
We would love to see Syracuse University students get more involved in sustainability efforts on campus and in the community. There’s a chapter of the Student Environmental Action Coalition at SU, but there is plenty of room for more green clubs. Residence hall energy and recycling contests are a fun way to green up the university, so hopefully SU will plan more in the future.
Great job, Syracuse University – keep up the good work and don’t stop the momentum you’ve been building!
Link [Syracuse University] + [Green College Report Card]
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- Tulane University/The Green Project Marketing and Outreach Coordinator VISTA
- A Call for Washington to Support a Universal Green Power Standard
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I attend SU and they basically force being green on you. The school makes it incredibly convenient to do the right thing and recycle. In every single room of every dorm we are provided with recycling bins which we drop off in a storage room easily located on each floor of every dorm. Along with that every single trash can on campus (which is located in every classroom, in every lobby of a dorm, and scattered throughout the actual campus has a recycling bin for paper and plastics as well. I’ve visited many other college campuses and it pains me to see hundreds of beer cans from a Fraternity party being thrown in the trash because there is no easy way to recycle at a school like University of Florida. A school much larger in comparison to Syracuse but one that should most definitely attempt to go green.
Jenna , Thanks for the GREAT input….. LUV YA!
Actually, the whole Syracuse area has really started to pickup on going green. The city itself has come a long way.