Sustainability

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Sustainable University
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Sustainable University

• University whose long term prospect for
  continuing to exist is good such a university
  behaves in ways that sustain the integrity and
  biodiversity of the local and planetary
  ecosystems upon which all life depends
• a university whose core values include respect
  for the biota and natural processes, mindfulness
  of place, living within planetary limits,
  accounting for full costs, and civic
  responsibility.
• the kind of university that Penn State Erie is
  striving to become.

PSErie Jan. 2002
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Ecologically Literate

• Understand basic ecological processes
• Appreciate planetary limits
• Able to evaluate the impacts of their life-style
  choices on the environment

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Belief

• We believe that we have a responsibility to
  foster and build a respect for the environment
• 1) appreciating the place of humans and
  institutions within their surroundings
• 2) committing to live within our environmental
  limits and consider the full cost of our
  endeavors and
• 3) assuming a leadership role in communicating
  and teaching civic responsibility.

PSErie Jan. 2002
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Mission

• Penn State Behrends Sustainability Task Force
  will develop and implement strategies and develop
  related programs for campus practices and
  policies that affect sustainability within the
  college community.

PSErie Jan. 2002
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Vision

• Penn State Behrend will have a student, faculty,
  and staff community that is educated about and
  committed to establishing and maintaining a
  responsible relationship with the fixed and
  finite natural resources on which we depend.

PSErie Jan. 2002
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Web Sites

• UB Green
• http//wings.buffalo.edu/ubgreen/
• Worldometers
• http//www.osearth.com/resources/worldometers

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Sustainability

• Material Resources Waste Disposal
• Energy
• Land
• Water
• Food
• Transportation

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Sustainability

• Building Environment
• Community
• Research
• Decision Making

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Material Resources Waste Disposal

• We consume DAILY
• 115 lb. Basic materials
• 40 lb. Petroleum coal
• 29 lb. Minerals
• 26 lb. Agricultural products
• 20 lb. Forestry products

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Material Resources Waste Disposal

• Paper consumption
• University publications
• Student class needs
• If we use 2000 tons/yr. then 4000 m3 of wood
  necessary then 3200 acres of forest
• Recycled paper use ????

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Material Resources Waste Disposal

• Solid Waste
• Go to Landfill
• Food food wraps
• Plastic
• Metals
• Recycling Efforts
• Glass
• Paper products
• Aluminum cans

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Minimize Solid Waste

• Reduce the amount of paper and the amount of
  paper that enters the waste stream
• Increase the percentage of waste paper recycled
• Identify and implement alternatives to paper use
  incentives to lower usage
• Identify sensible electronic alternatives to
  paper use

Goal 3 PSErie Jan.2002
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Minimize Solid Waste

• Investigate possibilities for composting waste
  paper
• Explore the possibility of buying and using more
  recycled paper

Goal 3 PSErie Jan.2002
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Material Resources Waste Disposal

• Reduce
• Reuse
• Repair
• Recycle

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Energy

• Fossil fuel dependency
• (total per capita consumption)
• Commuters
• Heating Cooling buildings
• Lighting
• Type of energy and emission form
• CO2, particulates, NOx, SOx, CO

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Energy

• Conservation Initiatives
• Use public transit and carpool
• Building temperature control
• Lighting retrofit
• Motion sensors
• Use of alternative energy sources
• Solar, heat pumps cogeneration

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Reduce Energy Use Promote Cleaner Fuels

• further reducing energy use for lighting by
  installing additional motion sensor units or
  lighting timers
• encouraging car-pooling and bus use
• replacing college-owned gas-powered vehicles with
  electric or hybrid versions
• developing projects that involve energy
  generation through cogeneration, tapping natural
  gas, or using alternative sources like solar or
  wind power.

Goal 1 PSErie Jan.2002
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Water

• Water Consumption
• Student water budget
• Showers - 4-5 gal./ min.
• Toilets 3.5 gal./flush
• Bathroom faucets 2.5 gal./min.
• Washers 35 gal./load

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Conserve Water Use

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• Since 1996, annual water consumption at PSU
  Behrend increased from approx. 2.7 mcf to approx.
  3.8 mcf.
• We would like to see per capita water use
  decrease by 25 percent over the next decade.

Goal 2 PSErie Jan.2002
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Conserve Water Use

• Adopt a proactive approach for water conservation
  in our food service practices
• Example Incorporating high efficiency
  dishwashing machines in the dining halls.
• Continue to provide water conservation measures
  in our housingsuch as low-flow shower nozzles
• Plumbing maintenance (water leaks) issues should
  also be a priority

Goal 2 PSErie Jan.2002
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Conserve Water Use

• Laundry contractor provide water-efficient
  washing machines
• Design future facilities with the ability to
  capture rainwater to be used for clothes washing
  and toilet flushing
• Re-use gray water for irrigating athletic fields
  and common grounds on campus

Goal 2 PSErie Jan.2002
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Food

• Healthy Diet
• Food guide pyramid five star system
• Low waste
• Regional perspective
• Purchasing policies
• Ecological sustainable farming practices
• Education in food production practices, packaging
  and labor practices

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Reduce Waste of Food Encourage Healthy Diets

• Improvement of processes related to waste
  reduction, composting, recycling, and food
  purchasing policies in college dining facilities.
• Reusable food and beverage containers
• Provide vegetarian alternatives.
• Use a dietician and publicity to educate the
  college community about food health issues.
• Reduce food waste by reducing portion sizes,
  investigating options for recycling waste

Goal 4 PSErie Jan.2002
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Land

• Value of native biota
• Native vs. exotic plants on campus
• Percent of campus land covered by Impervious
  Surfaces
• Pesticide Use in Lawn Care
• Respect natural processes
• Conserve green space

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Consider the following
Land

• In the US, an area the size of PA is covered by
  turf grass
• We add more synthetic fertilizer to our lawns
  than India uses for all its crops
• We spend more per acre to maintain our lawns than
  we spend on crops
• We use 10x more chem. pesticides per acre than
  farmers apply to their fields

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DELINEATE, PROTECT, AND PRESERVE FOREST-WETLAND
COMMUNITIES OF THE PENN STATE ERIE CAMPUS
Goal 5 PSErie Jan.2002
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Transportation

• Petrolium-based transportation hidden costs
• Land loss due to roads
• Green space converted to parking space
• Car generated pollution
• Public transportation Utilization
• Traffic calming road design

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Community

• We need to create a university that exhibits the
  characteristics of a healthy and responsible
  community.
• A sustainable community is
• Ecologically literate
• Safe
• Healthy

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PROMOTE ECOLOGICAL STEWARDSHIP WITHIN THE COLLEGE
COMMUNITY
This education and stewardship effort is being
coordinated and conducted by an education and
stewardship committee composed of faculty
members, staff, and students.
Goal 7 PSErie Jan.2002
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Sustain

• To keep in existence keep up
• To maintain specifically to provide sustenance
  or nourishment for SYN. Support sustaina/ble
  adj. sus.tain/er n.

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Project Organization
Energy
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DEFINITION OF AREA OF RESPONSIBLITY

• What is the current source of our energy?
• How do we use this energy?
• How can we reduce our dependence on fossil
  fuels?
• Can we become energy independent?

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Current Status

• Electricity use 2000-2001 14385000KWH
• 3.5 /KWH
• Natural Gas 2000-2001 215,400 CF
• .53 /CF
• Students Faculty Staff
• Full time 3270 179 389
• Part time 530 78 118

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Computers on campus (a minimum 1050,
excluding student PCs)

• Weekends when computers are not in use they
  should be turned off
• During the week all computers should be set for
  sleep mode

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Short-Term Goals

• Reduce the energy demand for lighting
• Electronic strikers on all gas pilots.
• Audit of all old motors on campus
• Evaluate thermostatic controls for heating and
  cooling.
• Boiler replacement in NICK

Goal 1 PSErie Jan.2002
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Short-Term Goals

• F. Encourage car-pooling and bus use (offer
  rebates for bus use or add free bus pass to fees)
• G. Become more bicycle moped friendly
• H. Work on reducing our dependence on the auto
  and establish a park and ride system complete
  with shuttle car pool lanes

Goal 1 PSErie Jan.2002
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Long-Term Goals

• A.    Build wind-turbines install solar panels
• B. Magnetic switches on dorm windows to
  control HVAC
• C. Use of cogeneration (In Reed specifically)
• D. Double pane glass in Science, Nick and Reed

Goal 1 PSErie Jan.2002
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Long-Term Goals

• E. Determine the feasibility of natural gas
  wells and cogeneration
• F. When the Bayfront Highway is complete, work
  with EMTA to increase ridership on busses.
• G. Replace maintenance vehicles, mowers, snow
  blowers, leaf blowers etc. with hybrid or
  electric vehicles and machines.

Goal 1 PSErie Jan.2002
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Vision

• Reduce energy consumption by 5 by 2004
• Become energy efficient to the point that we
  produce ALL our energy needs on-site.
• Do this in steps alternative energy production
  5 by 2004, 25 by 2006 and 75 by 2008.
• Reduce campus dependence on the auto by 25

Goal 1 PSErie Jan.2002