For the second year in a row, Gustavus Adolphus College has been recognized as a signatory of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment by the 2011 Edition of The Princeton Review’s Guide to 311 Green Colleges. This demonstrates Gustavus’s commitment to eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions while promoting the research and educational efforts of accelerating progress toward climate neutrality and sustainability. As seen through Gustavus’s participation in RecycleMania, the Campus Energy Wars among colleges and universities across Minnesota, along with the programs implemented in the environmental science and biology departments, it is fairly evident that Gustavus plays its part well in being an environmentally friendly institution.

The Princeton Review’s guide, which is based on a self-submission of most colleges and their collected data, reflects the effort of many different people who proposed ideas to make Gustavus an ecologically responsible school. According to Director of the Johnson Center for Environmental Innovation Jim Dontje, Gustavus sent a submission of the school’s institutional data to be analyzed by The Princeton Review in 2008. “All the good things happening on campus are the results of the collective effort of a lot of people,” Dontje said.

Some of the collabarators include “the Physical Plant making efficient energy changes—such as installing shower heads and toilets that use less water— the Administrative secretaries keeping track of little things—like the lights being turned on and off in a certain hallway in Nobel. This is the work of everyone pitching in, using less water, turning off lights and recycling,” Dontje said.

Since 2008, concerns with environmental issues and action became widely important to parents and students searching for colleges, as shown in a survey given by The Princeton Review.

“We’re still trying to do things to improve Gustavus and get the school rated as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED),” Dontje said. “So far, most of the things we’re trying to do will get Gustavus verified in LEED Platinum. This includes our effort and design on the new academic building, which is designed to use forty percent less energy than required. It’ll have solar thermal electric panels on it, which will provide very good day lighting by using outside light, which saves energy—which means everyone feels better and does better in school.”

As part of Gustavus’s commitment to diminishing waste, one of the school’s other great attribute is that it recycles much of its waste in an efficient manner, especially in proportion to the student population. As an Environmental Studies worker for the Interpretive Center, Sophomore Biology and Environmental Studies Major Ashley Hansen is involved with gathering data to report to RecyleMania. “Over the years, we’ve done quite well, considering the size of the campus,” Hansen said. “We’re slowly improving but we still have a long ways to go considering food waste, especially since we don’t compost the [Market Place] food.”

As part of the Environmental Studies program, evaluations of the Coca Cola machines on campus were made by students in a project. The data revealed that the cost outweighed the profit, leading to the school to find a solution that would replace these machines with venders that had a dormant phase when not in use.

The school attempted to conserve energy further by purchasing wind turbines. This, however, did not work out due to a law stating that turbines must be a certain distance from residential areas. Because of this, Gustavus had to put this plan on hold.

Though Gustavus has shown great growth over the years, there is still room for improvement. The school, overall, has been making huge efforts to minimize waste.  This includes  using organic produce in the kitchen, the formation of a Kitchen Cabinet (more of an informal committee), finding other ways to get renewable energy as well as purchasing local foods.

“I’m proud to go to a college that has an arboretum and that’s concerned about environmental issues—that we’re actually doing something,” Hansen said.

“Gustavus is among these other exceptional colleges interested in improving itself environmentally; it’s something to be proud of except just the food aspect (18th in Best Campus Food). We can all work together toward a common goal and work to minimize waste.”

If you’re interested in what the Guide had to say about Gustavus, the entire Guide to 311 Green Colleges is available online.