Uw-River Falls / Campus energizing with vow to go green
BYLINE: BY KEVIN HARTER Pioneer Press
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls has gone green.
Campus leaders have pledged to reduce and eventually eliminate the school's share of the emissions believed to contribute to global warming. The move is part of a national initiative to create "climate-neutral" campuses. About 300 other colleges and universities have joined in. "Global warming is a defining challenge of our time," Chancellor Don Betz said. "Serious action is needed to stop adding global warming pollution to the atmosphere and University of Wisconsin-River Falls is committed to leading the way."
The pledge was made at an American College & University Presidents summit earlier this month in Washington. Along with the pollution cutbacks, schools are vowing to increase research and educational efforts into environmental improvements. Other area schools taking part include Carleton College in Northfield, the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph and Macalester College in St. Paul.
Other local universities, including the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menomonie, have not signed the pledge but are in the process of reviewing the guidelines, officials said. The College & University Presidents' action follows similar commitments to curb or end greenhouse emissions by an organization of the nation's mayors, which created a climate protection agreement. The efforts parallel UW-River Falls' work to improve energy efficiency and reduce its environmental impact, Betz said.
In creating a climate-neutral campus, UW-River Falls officials said they will implement a comprehensive plan, which will include:
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Adopting "green" standards for all buildings.
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Encouraging use of public transportation.
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Requiring Energy Star certification for all products purchased by the university.
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Purchasing energy from renewable sources.
"Colleges and universities must lead the effort to reverse global warming for the health and well-being of current and future generations," Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University and chair of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment steering committee, said in a prepared statement.
The River Falls campus is one of four University of Wisconsin System schools designated by Gov. Jim Doyle to "go off the grid" by the year 2012. The intent is for the campus to produce as much energy as it consumes. To reach that goal, campuses will have to make changes, such as using "green," or nonfossil, fuels; developing wind-energy power plants and solar-powered generators; and finding the most efficient methods to transport people and goods.
The school opened a $34 million environmentally friendly University Center in January. The facility features storage for 48,000 gallons of rainwater, which will be used to flush toilets. The design, including a white roof to reflect sunlight, is expected to result in a 40 percent reduction in energy consumption. In April, the school formed the St. Croix Institute for Sustainable Community Development, which is designed to help communities deal with economic development and other issues, such as the Twin Cities' sprawl into western Wisconsin.
"We have been committed to this before it was fashionable," Betz said. "It doesn't do any good to talk about it if you aren't going to act. We are not only a think tank, we are a do tank." Kevin Harter can be reached at kharter@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-2147.