Sustainability professor pushes for LEED buildings

State law requires any new construction or renovation project, costing at least $500,000 and at least 5,000 square feet, to be certified as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design building by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Although the campus has buildings that qualify as being green, sophomore Dee Rife said she have not seen green efforts on campus.

“I’m not sure if the campus is being green or not,” she said. “I haven’t seen any green appliances on campus.”

According to the USGBC, LEED buildings have reduced costs of operation of up to 40 percent.

LEED certification is seen as the pinnacle of green building. The buildings also open the door to federal funding.

Items that can qualify a building for LEED certification consists of utilization of local resources in construction and inclusion of bicycle racks.

The DakotaDome complex renovations, Muenster University Center addition and Akeley-Lawrence Hall are listed by the USGBC, but accrediting information for the sites is currently not listed.

Rife said she did not know about the LEED buildings.

Sustainability professor Meghann Jarchow said the university should continue to work on and publicize sustainability, including LEED buildings. She said there are conditions that go into constructing a certified building that people don’t easily recognize, such as air filtration systems and the types of paint used.

In order to graduate with a major in sustainability, seniors must complete a project involving bringing greater sustainability to the community. Jarchow said for this year, a senior is planning on proposing plastic, metal, and Air Conditioning Recycling in the Muenster University Center.

Next semester, students will propose a project for sustainable landscaping, using a local yard as an example of using native ecosystems. Last year, students experimented with the effectiveness of solar ovens in cooking beans.

For how students can become more sustainable, Jarchow recommends bringing usable cups and storage devices to the MUC.

“We need a process of students demanding to not have throwables,” Jarchow said. “There are a lot of easy things.”

Jarchow also recommends turning off power strips and electronics when not in use, using communal electronics instead of personal ones in residence halls and washing clothes on cold.

“We’re in the early stages of pushing at people to do it,” Jarchow said.

In order to bring together individuals who have interests in sustainability, Jarchow hopes the university eventually has a sustainable living-learning community.

“There are a lot of students who are interested in these things,” Jarchow said. “We’re at the stage of helping these passionate folks find each other.”