University of San Diego - Sustainability Task Force Newsletter

A Word About the Logo
Just so you know, the only resources used in the development of the Logo was one pencil eraser, five turns of the pencil sharpener, and six sheets of recycled paper. It’s an earth-friendly logo. And it will help you recognize information related to the Sustainability Initiative much quicker than reading “this is related to our Sustainability Initiative.” Enough about that.

This issue launches our communication effort to inform you of progress on the new Sustainability initiative that is being undertaken at USD. We’ll keep track of what’s happening, what progress is being made, what the measurable outcomes are. We’ll celebrate every change for the better, and keep identifying more things that need to be worked on. When you’re asked to help, or when you volunteer, please remember what you are doing is not only making things better for the rest of us, it is making a dent, however small, in helping to change the bad past habits of each of us who share this planet—and those who will come after us. So, thank you in advance for your participation and your support. Together we will make a difference in our little portion of the planet.

What’s Happening?
In response to a call from USD leadership, who responded to the call of the conscience of a great many members of the faculty, staff, and student body, USD has begun an intensive effort to do what we can to improve sustainability focusing on all aspects of the campus community. That includes dining services, facilities planning, physical plant management, procurement, energy conservation, campus transportation, student life, office affairs—and many other campus areas.

What’s the Goal?
The charge given to the Sustainability Task Force is three fold:

Inventory what we are currently doing that supports sustainability or climate change (education, research, facilities initiatives, service learning, etc.)
Survey best practices at other universities.
Develop a strategic plan that includes education, research, service, and operations.

USD’s Dining Services and alumni-owned Ryan Bros. Coffee are partnering to launch the new Aroma’s Coffee Roaster Program, designed to make a significant green impact on campus.

USD will be the first campus in the nation to have its own on-site roaster, capable of roasting 250 pounds of coffee a day. Aromas will be its home, giving us all a true coffeehouse experience. Weekly roastings from the beans in the green state will supply La Paloma and Bert’s Bistro, as well, saving significantly on resources and materials. Watch for coffee classes, and frequent tastings. New products will include frosty blended frappes and a variety of teas and tea lattes including greens, whites, reds, and black teas.

With this new approach, the annual purchase of coffee packs (3,408 for Aromas, 4,800 for LaPaloma, and 2,400 for Bert’s Bistro) are projected to save 10,608 metalized polyester tube bags, equaling 7,072 linear feet of film, or 3,500 square feet of film. Nearly 8,620 pounds of coffee compost will flow from the three cafés, totaling more than 4 tons of available compost that could eventually be recycled back into the campus garden.

This program supports eco-friendly farm practices through the purchase of Estate, Organic, and/or Fair Trade green coffee beans and leaf teas. It uses 10% less packaging for the beans. It recycles all grounds and roasted chaff. It saves all burlap bags for transport use. It uses bulk packaging to promote freshness and conserve resources.

Who’s Involved?
The Sustainability/Climate Change Task Force was created last fall by President Lyons and charged to inventory activities currently in place at USD that support sustainability and/or climate change programs, to survey best practices at other universities, and to develop recommendations by March for a strategic plan that will promote sustainability in education and in practice at USD.

For a complete list of members, see www.sandiego.edu/strategicdirections/year5/sustainability/

Five working groups have been formed. If you are interested in participating, please contact the chairs:

Academics, chaired by Michel Boudrias and Andrew Narwold, is addressing issues of curriculum and research.
Campus Life, chaired by Andrew Gorrell, is examining a wide range of activities undertaken by students and employees.
Operations Management—Auxiliaries, chaired by André Mallié and Dawn Anderson, is developing standards for procurement, print services, and vendors.
Operations Management—Physical Plant, chaired by Roger Manion, is studying energy, utilities, transportation, recycling, and waste management.
Community Relations/Outreach, chaired by Sandie Ciallella, is looking at fundraising, media relations, government relations, conferences, and internal communications.

So, What Can I Do?
During this planning time as the committee gets going, we can each begin to take some action:

Use the blue recycle bins.
Turn off lights and computers; and unplug appliances when not in use.
Use compact fluorescent lights instead of incandescent bulbs.
Set sleep mode on your computer and turn it off each night.
Carpool, bike, walk, or use public transportation whenever possible.
Take shorter showers.

Did You Know…
            -that the blue recycle bins can be used to recycle all paper, cardboard, cans, and
            bottles?
            -that USD recycles 90% of our greens and cuttings?
            -that Aromas has started a Green Coffee Program?

Progress to Date:
The Inventory of what we are currently doing is well underway. See complete listing at www.sandiego.edu/strategicdirections/year5/sustainability/

USD has Joined AASHE
AASHE is the Association of the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Colleges and universities who are working to advance sustainability work in partnership with businesses, nonprofits and government agencies that support the mission. Here’s how to access the website using your USD email address.

From AASHE home page click on “member login” or follow this link http://www.aashe.org/members/memberlogin.php Click “create new account.” Use your campus email address as your user name. You will receive a password in the inbox of the email account you used for the user name. Go back to the login page, enter your email in the user name box and type or paste the password that was emailed to you in the password box. That should give you access to all of our locked resources. All faculty, staff and students on campus can use their own email to create login credentials for themselves.

The new residence hall programs are Recyclemania and USD’s Greenest Resident. Recyclemania is a national recycling contest, see www.recyclemania.org.
USD’s Greenest Resident involves an essay contest in which students keep track of what they do on a daily basis to create a more sustainable community within residential life. Winners will be announced on Earth Day, April 22nd.

Both programs are sponsored by USD’s Sustainability Committee, Associated Students and the Residence Hall Association.

Focus the Nation is Taking Action
Focus the Nation is organizing a national program to combat the growing threat of global warming solutions engaging over 1,300 colleges and schools, civic organizations, businesses and places of worship, students and citizens with the nation’s decision-makers. Check out the website at: www.focusthenation.com.

On Thursday, January 31, at 7:30 pm a presentation about this program will be held in Missions Crossroads. All USD community members are invited to learn about this initiative and hear about two exciting contests being held in the residence halls this spring. Committee reps will provide information on what is happening at USD. Dining Services offers organic food options at Missions Café in the valley, and will feature sustainable specials every Friday.

All Faith Service Focuses on Creation
Join us on Thursday, Feb.7th at 12:15 at the Immaculata for this year’s All Faith Service. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Gathered in Prayer: Reverencing Creation.” This annual event celebrates the diverse gifts of the five major world religions, recognizes the manner in which our community is blessed by the presence of multiple traditions, and highlights the fact that the manner in which we care for God’s creation is an important value for each religion.

What’s Next?
This newsletter will keep you updated as developments occur. Once the “best practices of other universities” research is completed, that will be featured. We look forward to keeping you updated each quarter on what’s happening. We offer our congratulations to those who take the time to get involved, and we hope that will be everyone who enjoys on a daily basis all the things we take for granted and mistakenly expect will be there forever. It’s our chance to do something of value today in exchange for making sure there will be something of value in the future.