Blueprint for Sustainability 2011-2020
The 2010-2011 academic year at Western State Colorado University (WSCU) has been recognized as the Year of Sustainability. To build on this momentum and culminate its successful effort, the Environmental Studies (ENVS) capstone class, ENVS 400 initiated a campus-wide process to develop a working sustainability plan. Students in the class used the following processes to develop a plan: 1) an exhaustive search of sustainability plans from colleges and universities across the US to identify appropriate models for WSC, 2) dozens of meetings with student groups, faculty, administrators, and WSC standing committees to develop and refine ideas, 3) surveys of the student body to assess support for proposed action items, and 4) a series of open forums widely attended by campus and community members to develop both an understanding of current progress and a shared vision for the future. This document is the result of these planning efforts, reflecting ideas, desires, and a sense of purpose held deeply across the campus community. The plan is divided into six sections: campus landscape, education, energy, food, material flow, and transportation. Included herein are immediate actions recommended for 2011-2012 and longer term proposals to be considered for implementation between 2012-2020. The blueprint is intended to stand as a living document, to be passed from current to future students, faculty, administration, and community members. It is meant to evolve and adapt with the times while keeping all stakeholders in constant dialogue with opportunities to sustainability at WSC.
Immediate Actions:
- Expansion of native plants, xeriscaping, and food production gardens
- Residence Life sustainability education and power strip project
- Pilot micro-hydro system
- Real Food Challenge for campus dining services
- Green purchasing policy
- Recycling policy
- Bicycle rental program
- Tracking of fleet fuel consumption
Future Recommendations:
- Decreased amount of impermeable surfaces
- Enhanced sustainability education within the WSC curriculum
- Increased purchasing of renewable energies
- Increased on-site production of renewable energies
- Fully functioning campus greenhouse
- Phase-out use of bottled beverages
- Implementation of a parking permit/fee system
2020 Goals:
- 20% reduction of baseline 2006 CO2 emissions from electric and natural gas consumption by 2020
- Reduction of transportation fuel consumption and CO2 emissions to meet our climate commitment goals for the year 2020
- Increased local, sustainable, fair, and ethical real food choices to 20% by the year 2020
- 20% of campus landscape as native gardens, xeriscaping, or food-production gardens by 2020
- 20% reduction in waste stream by 2020
Downloads:
Blueprint for Sustainability 2011-2020
Appendices
