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With the publication of the College Sustainability Report Card 2010, more than 1,100 school survey responses from over 300 institutions are now available online. In total, these surveys offer more than 10,000 pages of data collected from colleges and universities during the summer of 2009. To access surveys from other schools, go to the surveys section of the website. To see grades, or to access additional surveys submitted by this school, please click the "Back to Report Card" link at the beginning or end of the survey.
Name: Ryan A. Jones
Position (in student organization): President of Emory Environmental Alliance 2007-2009
Date survey submitted: July 28, 2009
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
1) Please describe the student-run campus environmental/sustainability organization in which you have a leadership role.
Name of organization: Emory Environmental Alliance (EEA)
Number of active members: 70
Website: http://www.students.emory.edu/eea/
Date of last meeting: April 23rd, 2009
Frequency of meetings: Weekly
Key issues addressed and programs implemented since August 2008:
Over the past year, the majority of our efforts have been spent organizing around energy and climate change. Three of our major programs included:
1. A ‘clean bulb’ planting where 25 volunteers armed with CFL blubs walked around to all of the underclassman dorms on campus knocking on doors and swapping out all the incandescent bulbs. In one evening, volunteers were able to replace 180 incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescents;
2. The Emory Environmental Alliance was the lead organizer for a lobby day at the Georgia State Capital that was open to all Georgia Students. Lobby efforts focused on combating climate change and improving the state’s economy by spurring clean tech development in Georgia. The event received coverage in the Atlanta Journal Constitution and on local television. An article written about the lobby efforts in the Emory Wheel can be found here http://www.emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=26632.
3. Green Fee Campaign
Emory Environmental Alliance built a bike blender several years back which is often used at campus events to promote environmental causes, particularly around food. Several club members also worked this past year to promote Emory’s Farmer’s market. EEA also held a volunteer day at an organic farm in the Atlanta area last fall to help give participating students a sense of connection to their food production systems.
Emory Environmental Alliance has lobbied campus administrators to change Emory’s parking rate structures to send a price signal encouraging staff, students, and faculty to drive more fuel efficient vehicles.
EEA seeks to help educate students about the recycling options on Emory’s campus. EEA has organized student tours of the recycling center to increase awareness, and has helped out with national competitions such as RecycleMania.
See other projects below!
Progress made on each issue/program since August 2008:
The Green Fee Campaign:
The Green Fee Campaign that was started between the SGA and EEA resulted in the establishment of the Student Environmental Fund. The fund gives all Emory students the option of donating money to help environmental causes at Emory during the tuition payment process.
Money raised by the Student Environmental Fund is housed in the Office of Sustainability Initiatives and is appropriated by a committee of students advised by the Campus Environmental Officer and the Director of Sustainability Initiatives. Student Environmental Fund money may be appropriated at the committee’s discretion to any project from one of the following three categories:
· The purchase of or investment in clean renewable energy in the Southeastern United States;
· Student driven projects or services that produce measurable benefits to the environment;
· Student Government Association Revolving Green Fund projects.
Student Environmental Fund projects must demonstrate that they are above and beyond those things Emory is already doing to preserve the environment, and thus, donations will not be offset by reduced spending on environmental preservation by other parts of the university.
SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES AND COMPETITIONS
2) Does your group organize any sustainability challenges/competitions for your campus and/or with other colleges?
[X] No
[ ] Yes. Please list details for each competition.
#1 - Name of competition:
Year initiated:
Frequency of competition:
Participants:
Incentives:
Goal of competition:
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced:
Lasting effects of competition:
Website:
#2 - Name of competition:
Year initiated:
Frequency of competition:
Participants:
Incentives:
Goal of competition:
Percent of energy/water/waste reduced:
Lasting effects of competition:
Website:
SUSTAINABILITY IN STUDENT GOVERNMENT
3) Does your student government include a specific position or committee dedicated to campus sustainability issues?
[ ] No
[X] Yes. Please describe: This past year Emory’s Student Government Association started a revolving green fund. Interest that accrues from the student activities fee each student pays may be invested in building retrofits on campus. As the building retrofits save the university money through reduced energy and water consumption, the money is paid back to the SGA to reinvest in such projects. The SGA has established a committee that oversees and identifies such projects.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
4) Please describe any additional campus sustainability activities or projects that you or your group has initiated at your school: Emory Environmental Alliance, along with Outdoor Emory and Emory as Place, has helped establish a sustainable living themed house on Emory’s Campus. The house has been coined the “SEED house” after a similar project that was started at Oberlin College. SEED stands for Students Endeavoring for Environmental Design. Nine upper classmen were chosen through a selection process to represent the initial SEED group this fall.
The motivation for establishing this house came from students wanting a place to experiment with sustainable living practices in an effort to eventually make them apart of the culture of the university. In addition, the house brings together leaders from different campus environmental organizations to live together, a move which will hopefully increase collaboration between likeminded groups.
5) Please list and briefly describe any other student-run organizations related to campus sustainability at your school, and provide URLs if available (e.g., student groups; student government committees; student-run food co-ops, gardens/farms, bike co-ops) and provide contact information of the student leaders, if possible: Ciannat Howett, the director of sustainability initiatives at Emory keeps a complete list of such organizations.
Questions 6 is for informational purposes only; your response will NOT be included in the Report Card evaluation process.
6) Please list any regional or national networks with which your group is affiliated (e.g., Energy Action Coalition/Campus Climate Challenge, Sierra Student Coalition, a state PIRG, a state student sustainability coalition):
Metro Atlanta Students for Sustainability (MASS)
Georgia Students for Sustainability (GSS)
Energy Action Coalition
Southern Energy Network
Sierra Club
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