"think green" promotes ecological awareness

By MARA MCGINNIS
Reporter Assistant Editor

Think green. Act green. Be green.

Save energy. Recycle. Reduce waste.

Members of the UB Green Office in University Facilities urged members of the university community to promote these concepts at UB as they kicked off their "think green" campaign this week to raise environmental concerns to a more prominent place on the agenda of the university and its students, faculty and staff.

The purpose of "think green" is to encourage campus environmental stewardship and create partnerships between groups on campus in an effort to make campus operations less consuming of natural resources and less polluting of natural ecosystems.

At the kick-off reception held Tuesday in the Student Union, Walter Simpson, UB energy officer, and several other "green thinkers" outlined some of the efforts of different campus environmental organizations on campus, talked about the goals of "think green" and unveiled the new comprehensive UB Green Web site located at http://www.wings.buffalo.edu/ubgreen.

Simpson also introduced "think green. A UB guide to campus ecology," known as "UB's Little Green Book," which lists all of the policies that have been approved by the administration as part of an ongoing effort by the university and the Environmental Task Force to increase campus environmental sustainability. He added that various environmental resources are available in the new UB Green Resource Room located in the Service Building at 220 Winspear Ave. on the South Campus.

"This is not something you do once and for all and are done. It is something you have to keep doing and we are continuously looking for new ideas," said Simpson, who has been promoting environmentally minded thinking and action at the university for 17 years. "Establishing these policies is a positive step, but they only will be effective if they are put into practice. Achieving greater environmental responsibility at UB depends on informed, voluntary cooperation and personal commitment from members of the UB community."

Simpson talked about environmental achievements at the university, including a network of 170 members of the university community called Building Conservation Contacts, or BCCs, who have volunteered to promote environmental stewardship in their areas. He said this system has become a model for colleges and universities nationwide.

Meghan Fay, student recycling assistant in the UB Green Office, reported that while UB currently is recycling about 30 percent of its waste, the goal is to have the university recycling at least 50 percent of its solid waste stream. She noted the implementation of six test recycling bins that have been placed in various public-area sites across the campuses to allow "one-stop shopping" for trash disposal and recycling of various materials and called for comments and suggestions about the bins from the university community.

Simpson noted that people at UB throw away a shocking 1,555,550 Stryofoam and paper cups each year, a number that could be reduced greatly if students, faculty and staff began using reusable mugs available through the Faculty Student Association (FSA).

The event also featured comments from some of the "think green" partners, which include Computing and Information Technology, the Environmental Network, the Environmental Task Force, FSA, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, Go Green, University Facilities, University Libraries, the Dymaxion Eco-House, and University Residence Halls and Apartments.

For more information on "think green," contact the UB Green Office at 829-3535 or enconser@acsu.buffalo.edu