As Pepperdine’s Center for Sustainability completes its first year it is redoubling efforts by partnering with various departments on campus to reduce waste and energy and increase its “green” factor.
According to Director of the Center of Sustainability Rhiannon Bailard sustainability is the idea of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
“It is not about going green at all costs but instead about finding a way to achieve balance to sustain our resources for future generations Bailard said.
According to Green Team President Clifford Champion, Pepperdine’s concerted efforts have inched it upward in the Sierra Club’s rankings, from a D in 2008 to a C- in the 2009 September/October ranking.
At Pepperdine what is important is not how we measure up on a survey but in doing the right things for the right reasons Bailard said.
Pepperdine’s sustainability efforts date back to 1972, when the university began reclaiming water for irrigation, using native vegetation, and recycling across campus. These green” practices laid the foundation for the creation of the official Center for Sustainability.
“Gary Hanson Phil Phillips and I realized that we had essentially been doing all of the work that a Center for Sustainability does but we did not have a department formally committed to this role Bailard said.
Executive Vice President Gary Hanson, Chief of Administration Phil Phillips and Brannon then proposed a sustainability policy, which was approved by the University Management Committee in July 2008.
Moreover we knew how important this was and is to President Benton Bailard said.
The center works closely with departments such as Facilities Management and Planning, Construction and Campus Planning and Information Technology in order to maintain
sustainability in and around campus.
The center essentially functions as a clearinghouse for sustainability on campus Bailard said.
We are not going to undertake every single sustainable measure out there but what we do we will do well and with great intention consistent with our mission Bailard said.
According to Bailard, a substantial obstacle in the way of maintaining sustainability on campus is the amount of food waste produced. Pepperdine recycles its food waste, which Bailard said is an unusual but important step, given that 25 percent of America’s food is thrown away each year.
In light of such crises, the center is working with the Green Team on a project dubbed Trayless Tuesdays.” Beginning Sept. 15 and on other Tuesdays throughout the semester trays will not be provided in the cafeteria in order to compare the amount of food waste produced when trays are not available to when they are.
“The notion is to reduce water consumption our waistlines and the amount of waste produced by eliminating trays from the dining halls Bailard said.
Students can participate in a variety of ways, from joining the Green Team to participating in the Volunteer Center’s environmental programs, in which students can help plant trees or clean up parks and beaches. Even small modifications to daily life, like reducing shower time and using metal cutlery in the Waves Café, can create an impact as well.
Bailard encourages students to visit the center’s Web site at www.pepperdine.edu/sustainability for further information or to apply for a fall internship.