Green College Spotlight: Grinnell College
It’s no surprise that Grinnell College has stepped up its game when it comes to being green: this private liberal arts institution in Grinnell, Iowa has a long history of social activism. Grinnell has been ranked among the top 17 liberal arts colleges in the nation since 1983.
Grinnell College has adopted a statement of environmental responsibility and a master plan of sustainability goals, with an environmental and safety coordinator working on sustainability issues. The school has set an emissions reduction goal of 20 percent below anticipated 2010 levels and is constructing a 4-megawatt turbine that will provide half the campus’ electricity. It also has a 15-kilowatt turbine at its Conrad Environmental Research Area, which meets over 90 percent of the center’s energy needs.
All new buildings at Grinnell must meet LEED standards, and the campus already features LEED-certified dorms. The Conrad Environmental Research Area is also LEED Gold-certified. Also featured on campus is the ECOhouse, an off-campus sustainability living project located in a converted older home. The twelve students who live in the ECOhouse try to live as green as they can, exploring ways to improve energy efficiency, reduce water usage and waste, grow their own food and educate the campus.
Local, organic ingredients are used in the dining hall, and food compost is delivered to a local farmer. Grinnell College also has a community garden in addition to two student gardens on campus. Yard waste is composted through the city of Grinnell, and the college collects reusable items at the end of the school year that would otherwise by thrown out, donating them to thrift stores or selling them to new students during orientation.
The Campus Advisory Committee on Environmental Concerns, known as EcoCampus, is made up of students, faculty and staff who work to research and share information on environmental concerns, and find ways to solve them. Grinnell also has a Dorm Environmental Coordinator Program, which hires students to serve as sustainability coordinators within their dorms, as well as student organizations like Free the Planet and the Environmental Action Group.
Thanks to everyone at Grinnell College for doing your part to make the world a greener, better place!
Related posts:
- Green College Spotlight: Pomona College
- Green College Spotlight: University of Minnesota
- Green College Spotlight: Brandeis University
- Green College Spotlight: Yale University
- Green College Spotlight: Colorado College
This entry was posted on Monday, July 20th, 2009 at 10:00 am and is filed under Consciousness, Green Living, Health, Science, Spirituality. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
