A Newsletter for the Neighbors of the University of California, Berkeley

The greening of the campus

A field of solar panels was recently installed on top of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Student Union.

By Janet Huseby

As Kermit used to sing on “Sesame Street,” “It’s not easy being green.” No doubt true, still, for the frog. At Cal, though, it is getting easier to be green, at least where buildings are concerned.

Last July, the UC Regents adopted the most comprehensive “green” building and renewable energypolicy in the nation. Called the Green-Building Policy and Clean-Energy Standard, it calls for all UC campuses to achieve a high standard of environmental stewardship and energy efficiency — equivalent to the nationally recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) “silver” rating — and to purchase 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2017. The policy applies to all proposed and existing university facilities, renovations, and new construction throughout the UC system.

The Regents’ policy reflects an environmental approach that goes beyond simple recycling to achieve “sustainability.” This means living with the long view —for today and tomorrow. By living sustainably — meeting present needs while living within the carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems — advocates of the growing movement say we protect the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

On a practical basis, “green” buildings have windows that open, carpets that don’t emit noxious fumes, efficient recycling systems, solar-power energy panels, low-flow toilets, motion-sensitive lighting, and occupants who carpool, bike, or walk to work.

At UC Berkeley, the quest for sustainability has begun to green the campus.

Even before the Regents adopted their policy, UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Berdahl began assembling the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability. And the campus had decided to include green policies in its Long Range Development Plan for 2005-20, which will guide future campus renovation and development. Among other points, the plan calls for reducing water consumption, cutting electric-energy use, and procuring at least 20 percent of campus electricity from renewable sources.

Across California, students are taking a leading role in the greening movement. The California Student Sustainability Coalition, made up of students from all UC campuses, first proposed the Regents’ policy. At Berkeley, it was an undergraduate, Ryan Buckley, who campaigned for creation of a campuswide advisory committee on sustainability — an idea Berdahl supported.

Lisa Bauer, manager of Campus Recycling and Refuse Services and chair of the Chancellor’s committee, is energized by the developments. “There is a real burgeoning of interest in sustainability — a combination of high-level support and a groundswell of interest among the students,” she reports. “More students than ever are interested in these issues. We are reaping the results of K-12 environmental education.”

On the Berkeley campus, a class on sustainability that drew 250 students three years ago now has an enrollment of 430; a network of student recycling experts advises undergraduates on these issues in the residence halls; the Greek system is putting together a recycling program of its own; and students are planning a host of activities for Earth Day 2004, on April 22.

Significantly, students are investing their own money on sustainability projects. For the past two years, UC Berkeley’s Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) and Graduate Assembly (GA) voted to allocate portions of their budgets — 8.5 percent and about 10 percent, respectively — for the first-ever solar-power system on campus: 312 photovoltaic cells installed on the roof of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Student Union. The system was turned on in late October and immediately began generating clean energy for use throughout the building.

Other campus sustainable efforts include the synthetic turf — made from recycled materials — recently installed in Memorial Stadium and occupancy-sensing light fixtures that turn lights off in remodeled and new bathrooms, and some hallways, when they’re unoccupied. The campus Excess, Surplus and Salvage unit recycles nearly 70 percent of the campus’s discarded furniture and computers. And recycling extends to construction projects. When Stanley Hall was recently demolished, only 8 percent of the building materials ended up in landfill; the rest of its concrete and rebar was recycled.

When Bauer joined Campus Recycling and Refuse Services eight years ago, only 12 percent of campus waste was being recycled. “We are up to 37 percent now,” she says. “But that’s still not good enough,” she adds. The city of Berkeley, by contrast, recycles about 50 percent of its waste. As Berkeley the campus works to catch up with Berkeley the city, the two entities share a strong interest in sustainability. Campus and city staff members meet regularly for what they call Green Bag Lunches, at which they exchange ideas and experiences related to green building techniques. The university and the city have also co-sponsored a workshop for small-scale contractors and remodelers on how to “green” their work.

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