Small is beautiful

Or at least cheap. So says Amory Lovins, writing in Freakonomics, on the economics of scale in power production.

Maybe my furnace should really be an electrical generator.

Siena sustainability report to BOAT

What I presented to the:

Siena College Board of Associate Trustees November 6, 2008
Notes on Campus Sustainability Efforts prepared by Dr. James Booker, Economics Dept. and Environmental Studies Dept.

Categories based on the College Sustainability Report Card
(see http://www.greenreportcard.org/ ) .

Siena accomplishments are in italics. We have a very long way to go, but lots of low hanging fruit!

Administration – actions at the administrative or trustee level.

• mission/strategic plan/capital campaign : Franciscan commitment to "reverence for all creation" => endowed chairs
• commitments to sustainability agreements:
• sponsorship of sustainability events: "Sustainability Day" and others; student Environmental Club
  

Climate & energy; green buildings

• electricity usage: substantial restraint
• fuel sources:
• heating efficiency: consumption reduced through lower T
• new construction: environmentally friendly materials used.
• cleaning agents: environmentally friendly in most buildings

Transportation - how schools promote alternative transportation options.

• pedestrian friendly initiatives:
• vehicle fleets:
• incentives for car-pooling/transit:

Food & recycling, dining services and campus recycling

• organic, local, sustainable: corn based disposable containers
• paper recycling/reuse/reduction: bins increasingly avalaible; printing reductions
• general recycling: some visibility

Investment priorities, transparency, and shareholder engagement

• holdings & proxy voting records
• socially responsible choices
• proxy voting