Montana Living Green MSU: A Sustainability Resource Book For Students - Montana State University

reen ng G Livi MSU at
a sustainability resource book for student leaders in the Residence Halls
Created by the student staff of the ASMSU Sustainabilty Center Fall 2011
This booklet was designed and created by the Student Staff of the ASMSU Sustainability Center beginning in the summer of 2010.
A special thanks to the following students for their contributions: Beth Schmiesing Colleen Thurston RaeAnne Friesenhahn
175 Strand Union Building Bozeman, MT 59717-4200 http://www.montana.edu/greenasmsu/ ASMSUsustain@montana.edu (406) 994-6873
Dear Resident Advisor,

Greetings from the ASMSU Sustainability Center! We have created this Sustainability Resource Booklet to help encourage and inspire sustainability initiatives in the Residence Halls. We hope this binder will be the start of an exciting relationship between ResLife and the Sustainability Center. The list of things that we can accomplish is endless, so let us take this opportunity to utilize one another. This booklet is just the beginning! Education is a powerful place to start working toward environmental sustainability. Universities, as centers of innovation and learning, can be leaders in the charge toward a sustainable world. Students make up the largest part of every university. At Montana State University there are over 13,000 students and only 3,000 staff and faculty. For this reason, you as students can be a powerful voice for changes in your University. Impact is made with passion and voice, so let yours be heard! In college, most students live alone for the very first time. As leaders in the residence halls, you have an amazing opportunity to shape that experience. We ask you to empower your fellow students, and while doing so, prepare them to be leaders in sustainable living. It is now our time to act responsibly and preserve the great outdoors we all know and love. To make this task less daunting and more tangible, this binder outlines several ways in which students can make their residence hall, as well as the college experience, more sustainable. We hope you find inspiration from this binder along with event ideas, tangible facts, figures, and hope.
Yours Truly, ASMSU Sustainability Center Staff

Strand Union Building 175 Bozeman, MT 59717-4200 ASMSUsustain@montana.edu Tel: (406) 994-6873
Table of Contents
Introduction: What is Sustainability? ...................................... x Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls ........................ 1
Energy........................................................................................................................................... 3 Waste Reduction & Recycling .................................................................................................... 10 Transportation............................................................................................................................ 15 Moving Out................................................................................................................................. 19
Chapter 2: Efforts and Resources on Campus.......................... 21

Student Action............................................................................................................................ 22 Recycling at MSU ........................................................................................................................ 25 Food............................................................................................................................................ 28 Administrative Efforts ................................................................................................................ 30
Chapter 3: Additional Resources .............................................. 33

Reading Lists ............................................................................................................................... 34 Movies & Videos......................................................................................................................... 36 Web Resources ........................................................................................................................... 38 Eco-Reps Programs..................................................................................................................... 40 Recycling Facts ........................................................................................................................... 42
What is Sustainability?
Sustainability is most commonly defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In practical terms this means preserving non-renewable resources, conserving existing renewable resources, and discovering ways to live more harmoniously with our environment. Sustainability can be used as a casual word, or a formal one. At one extreme, it can be seen as nothing more than a feelgood buzzword with little meaning or substance but, at the other, as an important but unfocused concept like "liberty" or "justice". A Google search on the definition of sustainability produced 18,900,000 results, some the same, and some drastically different. Denise Lach, Ph.D., a professor of Sociology at Oregon State University, describes the shifting definition of sustainability this way: Sustainability is like love and democracy-multiple meanings, not always perfectly realized, but always struggled for, at least by most of us. I think we do agree, basically, on what it is. We disagree when we must make specific choices in our lives. I think the major questions are: Who does not want a sustainable society? Why? Perhaps the biggest question is: what does sustainability look like? Dr. David Orr, a professor at Oberlin College and a guest speaker at MSU for Earth Day 2010, does a beautiful job of describing a sustainable community: A sustainable community is one where there are front porches, public parks, local businesses, windmills and solar collectors, local farms and better food, more and better woodlots and forests, summer jobs for kids doing useful things, local employment, more bike trails, summer sports leagues, better poetry, community theaters, neighborhood book discussion groups, better schools, vibrant robust downtowns with sidewalk cafes, great pubs, fewer freeways, shopping malls, sprawl, television and more kids playing outdoors. Let us join these great thinkers and begin our own journey toward sustainability. We ask you to go and become a part of the definition. Maybe someday we can stop defining sustainability with our words and begin to describe it with our actions.
Introduction
Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

A lot happens in the college residence halls. To some students their room is a sacred study ground, with occasional sleep opportunities. To others it is a lounge, hopping with people. These are all energy intensive acts. Even the super-studier is consuming resources while silently studying. Their computer is idling while they skim through a book; a lamp is on, along with the overhead light. The microwave is heating up a glass of water for tea. We all consume resources. Now let us figure out how to consume less while empowering ourselves and becoming more self-reliant in our rooms and our Hall. The next few sections will address areas of potential action: Energy, Recycling & Waste, Transportation, and Moving Out. Each section includes a list of program ideas from other colleges and universities to inspire future sustainable activities in the Residence Halls. Please contact us at (406) 994-6973 or ASMSUsustain@montana.edu if you have any questions or would like to collaborate on an activity.
Getting Acquainted with your Hall:

It is important to know your hall. This knowledge will be a great asset when informing your fellow residents about the residence hall and how to live more sustainably in it. Knowing your hall will prepare you for all the questions eager peers will ask about the Hall! This will also help you identify problems or possible areas of improvement! Know where recycling bins are located! Are they easy to find? Do your residents know where they are and how to sort their recyclables? Is there a bulletin board that you could use to post sustainability updates on? Are there any issues in common areas that could be addressed? (i.e., Lights being left on, students leaving trash around, or recyclables in the trash) What are the bathrooms like? Do they have occupancy sensors? Could they use better shower heads, or dual flushing toilets, to help reduce water waste? Are there any areas where sustainable action could take place? Where else do you think you can make a difference in your hall? If you see something that may need changing, dont be afraid to take the lead! Keep these few questions in mind while you continue reading, there are many ways to face a challenging situation. Good Luck!
Energy
Our greatest national energy resource is the energy we currently waste. --Spence Abraham, Former U.S. Secretary of Energy
Energy is the lifeblood of advanced civilizations. Our ancestors, only a few centuries ago, relied on the most basic forms of energy: man power and fire. We have come a long way. Our power is now cheap and seemingly plentiful. We flip a switch and electricity from a distant power plant lights up our rooms. But to keep our power cheap and abundant, we have become addicted to dirty energy sources. According to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, 50% of electricity in the US comes from burning coal a fossil fuel and limited resource. The burning of coal for energy accounts for 27% of US greenhouse gas emissions and 20% of global emissions. And furthermore, most of the coal we use comes from surface mining operations such as mountaintop removal and strip mines, which scar our landscapes and threaten waterways. Montana is not immune to the impacts of coal mining; in fact we are a major producer of coal 6th in the nation. In 2006 our state produced 41.8 million tons, or 3.6% of the U.S. total. How can we break the dirty energy habit and clean ourselves up? One of the best ways is to simply use less energy. Keep reading to see why it is important, what can be done, and what other universities are doing.
If we were to turn off every light on campus for an additional hour per day the result would be nearly $75,000 in annual savings to the university. --David Klem, MSU energy consultant, March 2009
Why conserve energy?

The Union of Concerned Scientists (www.ucsusa.org) offers a good, if somewhat lengthy explanation: Burning fossil fuels for electricity is the single greatest source of air pollution in the United States. This process produces many important pollutants including nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, hydrocarbons, dust, soot, smoke, and other suspended matter. These pollutants can cause serious health problems including asthma, irritation of the lungs, bronchitis, pneumonia, decreased resistance to respiratory infections, and early death. Nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons combine in the atmosphere to form ground level ozone, the major constituent of smog. Human exposure to ozone can produce shortness of breath and, over time, permanent lung damage. It can also reduce crop yields. In addition, nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides are important constituents of acid rain, which destroys lakes and rivers, diminishes crop yields, and deteriorates buildings. The burning of fossil fuels for electricity generation is the major source of carbon dioxide emissions, a primary contributor to global warming. Climate scientists predict that if carbon dioxide levels continue to increase, the planet will become warmer in the next century. Increases in temperature will most likely result in a variety of impacts including sea-level rise, extreme weather events, and an increased frequency of droughts in inland agricultural zones. Along with polluting our air and warming our climate, the exploration, extraction, and use of fossil fuels can cause incredible damage to water and land resources. Oil spills, for example, destroy plant and animal life, and leave waterways and their surrounding shores uninhabitable for long periods of time. In addition, strip mining for coal deposits devastates landscapes by lopping off whole mountaintops and filling-in valleys and streams. We need to conserve to stop the calamity described above from happing. The book, Worldchanging sums it up nicely by saying, Satisfying todays hunger for energy comes with enormous and severe environmental costs: climate change, air pollution, oil spills, river-killing dams, and nuclear waste. Our addiction to cheap energy is the driving cause behind not only the massive disasters we all fear, but also the longer, slower emergencies that threaten to undermine our entire society, from energy shocks to climate crisis. (Worldchanging, Alex Steffan, ed.)
Where does MSUs energy come from? According to the MSU Greenhouse Gas Inventory conducted in 2010, the energy at MSU comes from several sources; the most prominent are Fossil Fuels 43% and Hydro 47% (see figure to left). We are lucky to have the opportunity of using so much Hydro power. But, it is close to 50/50 between Hydro and Coal, so we must consider finding our energy from other resources, such as the sun, and wind. Imagine if we used just 5% Coal, and 38% Wind? MSU will also soon be installing a new 5 kilowatt solar array on the south side of the Strand Union Building. This project was initiated by students! They wrote grant, acquired money from NECO and the ASMSU Senate, and worked closely with MSU Facilities. Their success came from constant questions and collaboration with entities across campus. MSU also has a small wind turbine behind the heating plant building! The turbine is part of the Montana Wind for Schools program. The turbines were funded by grants from Northwestern Energy and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. While the turbine wont put much of a dent in MSUs energy use, its an important part of the Wind Applications Center at MSU, which helps teach the public about wind energy and brings wind topics into engineering classes for MSU students. If you havent seen it, go look for it! How much energy do our possessions use? To make smart choices about our energy consumption its helpful to know how much our appliances and gadgets use. There are two easy ways to figure out how much power things like the TV or coffee maker are using. One is to use a Kill A Watt power meter (see image at right). This device allows you to watch as the component plugged into the meter is consuming energy. Or, you can do as students at University of Ohio do and calculate out how much energy you are using in a whole room by taking an inventory of electronic devices (see examples on page 8).
What Can You Do to Help?

Negative Nancies sometimes say little actions dont mean much. This is completely false, especially when talking about energy. Straightforward adjustments, and small improvements, are simple steps toward cutting electric and heating costs, while still taking part in a global movement. Say each person in your hall reduced their energy consumption by just 3%. That is not too much, but if everyone did so it could make a world of difference. Below are tips that are useful when trying to reduce energy consumption, along with some frequently asked questions about energy. Use CFLs CFLs are compact fluorescent lightbulbs those spiral shaped bulbs. They may cost a bit more, but they last 10 times longer and use 75% less energy! In Montana most of our energy comes from burning coal, so conserving electricity means cleaner air and fewer greenhouse gasses. Take old bulbs to your front desk, they will replace them! (Please do not throw CFLs in the garbage, they contain mercury.) imagine the savings in both money and energy if they were all turned off at night? Opting to put the computer into sleep mode whenever you leave for periods of time is a much better choice when considering the environment. You can play with the settings so that your computer goes into sleep mode after 15 minutes of inactivity. The IT Help Desk (x1777) can help with any questions on how to change your computers current settings. Dont forget to turn off your printer and speakers too! Consider using a power strip and then with one flip of a switch you can turn all your electronics on or off. The Smart Strip Power Strip is a product that can even be programmed!
Turn off your Computer Even when idle, your computer uses tons of energy, especially if you use a screensaver. Opting to put the computer to sleep is a better choice when considering the environment. Facilities Services at MSU did some calculations and found that if our computers were off for 8 hours per day, we could save roughly $15 per computer per year! There are approximately 4,000 MSU-owned computers on campus, and many more student computers. Can you Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls
Turn off Lights If leaving the room for a few minutes, just hit the switch! It does not hurt the bulb and it makes a huge difference.
Buy Energy Star Appliances These products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and US Department of Energy. Energy Star certification is available for many items that could be used in a dorm room such as microwaves, computers, mini fridges and so on. Keep an eye out for the label, and try to buy the star.
Regulate Room Temperatures Normal winter thermostat settings should be 68-70; summer should be 76-78. If your room is too hot in the winter please dont just open the window. Not only does this waste energy, it is potentially very costly if a pipe should freeze due to cold air coming in. If your room or any of your residents rooms are always too hot or too cold try contacting ResLife or Facilities Work Control at x2107.
Recycle Recycling is a key conservation act. It not only reduces waste and saves resources, it also conserves energy. Recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV set for three hours or to light a 100 watt bulb for 20 hours!
What do I do if I notice a place of extreme energy waste? Contact ResLife or MSU Facilities (daniel.stevenson1@montana.edu). Be sure to follow through to see if it gets taken care of. The biggest problem is often that the right people do not know about the issue. So, let them know!
Use Less Hot Water Take shorter, cooler showers, and wash your clothes in cold water. It uses a lot of energy to heat water, so by taking a cooler shower or washing your clothes in cold water you saved the energy that would have been used to heat the water you are using. Clothes washed in cold water also last longer.
Unplug electronics Even when they are not being used, electronics will draw out phantom energy or vampire power while in stand-by mode. Unplugging things like laptops, phone chargers, and ihomes can really make a difference.
Energy Saving Examples & Ideas from Other Schools

University of Vermont has a great Eco-Reps program focusing on energy (see Chapter 3 for list of EcoReps program and what they are). Each UVM Eco-Rep has a bulletin board in their hall that they update with factoids on energy. They do a survey of over 20 rooms to see how their peers use energy, then take their findings and try to discover new ways to make their dorms more environmentally sustainable. They also have a LIGHT BULB SWAP! where the Eco-Reps go door to door in the dorms and hand out energy efficient light bulbs. For more information: http://www.uvm.edu/~ecoreps/about/downloads/Energy_Electricity.pdf
Tufts University has a Do it in the Dark campaign every Fall Semester. This campaign is focused on educating students about the simple things you can do to save energy. They host a competition between the dorms in which their Sustainability Coordinator along with Facilities tallies the energy used by the dorms. The winning dorm is treated to food, entertainment and prizes! As they say: Do it in the Dark. Turn off the lights and have fun. For more information: http://sustainability.tufts.edu/?pid=24
Ohio University is asking Residents to Get Caught Green Handed. The RAs walk around and reward Residents who are minimizing the energy use in their rooms. The Residences Halls at Ohio University have also started a Green Crib Certification, in which students complete an energy audit of their room and vow to perform to one "conservation action." Their names are then entered into a drawing for a prize. One other great challenge they have going on is the Residence Challenge. The dorms compete against each other to try and use the least amount of energy during the seven-week competition. Results are tallied and posted weekly. The winners get an all expense paid trip to an amusement park! For more information: www.ohio.edu/sustainability/
University of Florida has begun outreaching to students, faculty, and staff calling them to join your fellow Gators and chomp down on energy. They are promoting turning off lights and unplugging electronics. When you leave for the evening, or are the last person to leave a room you are to turn off the lights. For more information: http://sustainable.ufl.edu/chompdown-on-energy/
Yale University participates in the Earth Hour, a nationwide campaign to turn off your lights for one hour. For more information: http://www.yalestep.com/
St. Lawrence University upgraded all the washers in their laundry rooms to highly energy efficient front-loading models. Not only do the washers use less energy, but less water, and less detergent, too! The high-speed spin cycle also reduces drying times by removing more water from the clothes. Learn more at: http://www.stlawu.edu/green/node/296
Waste Reduction & Recycling

We use a whole lot of stuff coffee cups, food packaging, grocery bags, etc. and most of that eventually gets thrown away. BioCycle Magazine and the Earth Engineering Center of Columbia University reported in 2003 that every American generated an average of 1.31 tons of garbage a year. Slightly less than 27 percent of the aggregate mess was recycled or composted; 7.7 percent was incinerated; and the overwhelming majority, 65.6 percent, was buried in a hole in the ground. (Garbage Land, On the Secret Trail of Trash by Elizabeth Royte) It is easy to forget, but it is important for all of us to be aware of what happens after we have consumed something. There is no place called Away. Its called a landfill.
"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It's not." Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
Last year (FY 2011) MSU sent 4 million pounds of waste to the Logan landfill. If we want to keep our mountains well, mountains (as opposed to a landfill) for the generations to come, we need to decrease the amount of waste we generate. We can do this by reducing consumption, reusing items, and keeping valuable materials out of the waste stream by recycling.
Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. Ancient American Indian Proverb
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Why recycle?
Recycling is something many of us have done since we were children. But why do we do it? Recycling conserves our natural resources, saves landfill space, conserves energy, and reduces water pollution, air pollution and the green house gas emissions that cause global warming. Not only is it important to recycle, but to also buy recycled goods. By closing the loop, we go full circle. Buying recycled means we are creating a demand for recycled goods! Here are some eye opening factoids about waste and recycling. For a more extensive collection of recycling facts, please reference page 41. The US is the #1 trash-producing country in the world. The US has 5% of the world's people, but generates 40% of the world's waste. About one-third of an average dump is made up of packaging material! Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour! Most of them are thrown away! Recycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times would save 75,000 trees. Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year! Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam coffee cups every year, enough to circle the earth 436 times. Each of us uses approximately one 100foot-tall Douglas fir tree in paper and wood products per year. Recycling paper instead of making it from new material generates 74 percent less air pollution and uses 50 percent less water. Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy needed to produce new aluminum from raw materials. Energy saved from recycling one ton of aluminum is equal to the amount of electricity the average home uses over 10 years. When you toss out one aluminum can you waste as much energy as if youd filled the same can half-full of gasoline and poured it into the ground. If only 100,000 people stopped their junk, mail, we could save up to 150,000 trees annually. If a million people did this, we could save up to a million and a half trees. The junk mail Americans receive in one day could produce enough energy to heat 250,000 homes.
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Where can I recycle my stuff? Every residence hall at MSU has a recycling station in the main lobby for cans, plastic, paper, and newspaper. These recycling stations are provided and maintained by the ASMSU Sustainability Center and emptied weekly. In most halls there are also bins on each of the upper floors. The Residence Hall Association purchased these bins and the ASMSU Sustainability Center empties them. Most halls also have a cardboard dumpster outside, or a place to leave it for pick up inside (ask the RA/RD). If you live in a hall that doesnt have recycling on every floor, talk to your RHA about allocating funds to buy bins. For all the details about recycling at MSU, please see page 25. Reduce & Reuse - Personal Habits & Awareness You vote with your actions. When you are in class drinking bottled water, you vote, YES! Yes, I vote it is O.K. to use valuable resources in mundane ways, to make my life easier. Lets start voting NO! and start consuming less! Of course we all consume. Sometimes things are a necessity. But there comes a time in our life when we have the realization, but. . .its served in Styrofoam, and ask ourselves do I really need a single-use cup that will be around practically forever? These are instances where personal habits can be altered. Sustainable personal habits often look like everyone elses habits, but are made with a few more conscious decisions, such as: Bring a reusable water bottle with you. If concerned about tap water (which is actually very high quality in Bozeman), then keep a water filter pitcher in your room. Its a lot cheaper than buying individually bottled water and it really will make a difference. Bring your own cup, bowl, or plate to an RHA event. Chose to eat a meal for here, instead of to go, with all its extra packaging. Carry your own bag when you go shopping. Lets start thinking outside of the quick & easy society we live in, and start living for the earth for the future rather than for ourselves alone.
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Reduce > Reuse > Recycle! Here are some ways to reduce waste in your personal life and in the residence halls.
Share Information Show everyone in your hall where the recycling is collected on your floor and in the lobby and explain what is and is not recyclable at MSU. Make sure there are adequate signs on or near the bins. If there is a cardboard dumpster behind your building, make sure your residents know how to access it, too. Periodically, check the trash and recycling bins to see how well your hall is doing and provide feedback.
Seek out Recycled Materials From paper to plastics, look for products with recycled content when you need to make a purchase.
Green Hall Functions Serve as a role model by encouraging students to recycle and reduce waste during hall functions. If hosting an activity where refreshments will be served, ask your floormates to bring their own plate or mug instead of using disposables.
Think About Packaging When possible choose products that have the least packaging, or have reusable or recyclable packaging. Avoid Styrofoam (its NOT recyclable and it is made from a known carcinogen). Carry a reusable bag with you so you dont need add a layer of extra packaging just to get the item home.
Promote Hall Events in a Low-Waste way Whether you're promoting a sustainabilitythemed event or not, you can advertise in a "low waste" way. Use bulletin boards or posters instead of slipping notices under everyones door. If you make flyers consider using scrap paper or other materials in a creative way.
Buy Used Stuff You could buy something at chain store, OR you could go to the thrift store in town and find something completely unique and different. Because of our throw-away society many companies are making cheaper and less durable products, so that vintage item from the thrift store may actually last longer.
Trust Yourself! You are the best judge of how you can reduce your waste. So, be aware, think, and act accordingly. Good Luck!
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Waste Reduction Examples & Ideas from Other Schools
Western Washington University Residence Halls all participate in a Go for the Green competition during the Winter Quarter. It is a total waste reduction challenge including energy, water, and landfill waste. The winning hall receives many great prizes including: $90 dollars from REI, girtcards to the Campus Bookstore, and more. For more information about Go for the Green visit : www.wwu.edu/sustain/goforthegreen/ Western Washington University also has a composting program that serves students living in oncampus apartments. For more information about this project visit: www.wwu.edu/sustain/initiatives/residence/compost/index.shtml
Eco-Reps at University of Vermont conducted waste sorts in their halls to determine what was in the trash that could have been recycled. When done in a public place with student volunteers a waste sort or dumpster dive can be a great way to build awareness of how much trash there is and how we can address it. Results and information from the UVM waste sort can be found at: www.uvm.edu/~ecoreps/?Page=actions.html University of Vermont also supports a One Less Bottle campaign, encouraging students to use refillable bottles by retrofitting drinking fountains with spouts to make it easier to refill bottles. For more information visit http://www.uvm.edu/~ecoreps/?Page=campaigns/olb.html&SM=campaigns/campaigns_menu.html
RecycleMANIA is a ten-week recycling competition and promotion event that universities across the country partake in every spring. MSU joined up during the 2009-2010 school year. The success of a RecycleMANIA campaign depends on enthusiasm and promotion in all areas of campus especially the residence halls. To learn more about this program visit www.recyclemaniacs.org/ or contact the ASMSU Sustainability Center, ASMSUsustain@montana.edu.
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Transportation
For most students living in the MSU Residence Halls, Bozeman is a new place. Exploration is a key part of the first year experience, but getting around can be a difficult task. We live in Montana, where things are often rather spread out. Transportation is just another consideration to living a sustainable life.
How does transportation affect sustainability? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, driving a private car is probably a typical citizen's most 'polluting' daily activity, accounting for major source of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides in the air. Transportation has a significant impact on the environment, accounting for 20-25% of world energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Our transportation systems rely predominantly (95%) on a single source petroleum and the greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector are rising faster than any other energy-using sector. (Facts from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007.) Closer to home, travel (including, employee and student commuting, air travel for study abroad, and travel university business), accounted for a whopping 38% of MSUs greenhouse gas emissions, according to an inventory taken in 2010. Transportation is not inconsequential!
What is sustainable transportation? Sustainable transportation rethinks the one car for every person paradigm. It means using transport modes that take no fossil fuel energy (like walking and cycling), more fuel efficient modes (like mass transit and green vehicles), and social systems (like carpooling and vanpooling). Community planning also plays a big role in sustainable transportation by creating safe and pleasant places to bike or walk, and encouraging development patterns that help people live closer to where they work, shop, or go to school. All of these things can contribute to increased quality of life and better overall community health as populations become more active.
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Here are some ways to get around in a more sustainable fashion use them and encourage your friends and neighbors to leave the car at home, too!
Bus: Streamline is our local, fare-free, bus system. It will take you where you would like to go around the Bozeman area, including 4 Corners, Belgrade and Livingston! There is a weekend bus to Bridger Bowl in the winter, and the Skyline will also take you to Big Sky. For more information and routes visit http://www.streamlinebus.com/
Bike: Bozeman is a pretty flat city, and that should be utilized! We have an amazing trail system, Main Street to the Mountains, which can take you from campus to different parts of the town or countryside. Registering your bike is also a good idea; you can do this with the MSU campus police at: http://www.montana.edu/police/bikes.shtml#bikeregulation
Walk: Walking home can be a fun journey; you can look up and see the stars at night, or look at the surrounding mountain ranges during the day. Try walking to Town and Country for your groceries. Walking is often times the fastest mode of transportation both on and around campus because then you do not need to worry about traffic or parking.
Train: Many people do not realize it, but there used to be a passenger train through southern Montana. It travelled through Bozeman, Billings, Missoula and other cities. Many Montanans are pushing to Bring Amtrak Back! to connect our cities. There is a pretty awesome effort coming forth, but it needs more support. So, lets support it! If interested, email MSU Concrete Reform: concretereform@gmail.com.
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Intercity Buses: Like most other states, Montana has a system of buses that can take students to most towns inside and outside the state. Greyhound and Rimrock Stages are the two main bus companies that operate throughout Montana. More information and routes for these bus companies can be found at http://www.greyhound.com/ or http://www.rimrocktrailways.com/. Linx is a newer transportation cooperative which aims to connect transportation providers across 27 counties in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana to address the Greater Yellowstone regions transportation challenges. Linx is currently in a pilot phase, but current information and routes can be found at http://www.linx.coop/index.html Passenger Cars: While we do our best to use alternative transportation methods, sometimes the car is the only option. Here are a few tips on how to make this resource-intensive option a little greener. Check your tires! If they are fully Dont idle. Restarting uses less energy inflated you can save up to 220 pounds than idling (even for 20 seconds) of CO2 per year! Take it out of 4-Wheel drive when its Inspect your car regularly and perform not needed. regular maintenance to reduce Dont accelerate only to have to brake a emissions. few seconds later, try coasting when Keeping your engine tuned can save up possible, its pretty fun. to one ton of CO2 per year. Carpool Relying on a passenger car all the time is not only the least sustainable mode of transportation, but it can also be enormously expensive. The University of Montana did some research and determined that a student can save up to $7,000 a year simply by not owning a car. So when you try to use more sustainable methods of transportation, you might discover that you can help the environment AND have more money to spend on the things you love! Here are the results from the study: COSTS OF OWNING AND OPERATING A CAR
Expense Gas/Oil 12,000 average miles per year Gas is approx. $2.87/gal as of Aug 2010 $1,730 Repairs/Maintenance Average cost of annual standard repairs Registration/License/Taxes Average fees for a 5 year old vehicle Parking costs MSU SB permit Insurance Average good student/good driver, age 20 Most people spend more on driving than on education, food, or health care. $2,000 $175 $159 $2,000 Average Total $5,000 $7,000/yr Annual cost
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Examples & Ideas from Other Universities

University of Montana has an entire office devoted to transportation. They have student ambassadors who go around campus letting people know accepted safe ways of biking around campus and how to lock a bike properly (as in, not to a handicap railing). They also have a Cruiser Co-op and Semester Bike rental programs. The Cruiser Co-op is a program set up for 1-2 day bike rentals, and it is FREE! The semester Bike program costs $30 a semester, and you can keep the bike the entire semester. This motivates students to leave their cars at home. For more information visit: http://life.umt.edu/asum/asum_agencies/Transportation/default.php Stanford University also has an office specifically for transportation. One of the largest programs they put on is the Commute Club, in which students, faculty, and staff give back their Stanford parking passes and commute to Stanford by carpool, vanpool, bicycle, walking, or public transit. Members of the club are eligible for many rewards, including up to $282 a year in Clean Air Cash or Carpool Credit. The transportation office also sponsors bicycle safety stations and bicycle safety repair stands where students can get a free bike safety check-up, pump up their tires, ask questions about bike laws, and make minor repairs. For more information visit: http://transportation.stanford.edu/alt_transportation/AlternativeTransportation.shtml University of Texas at Austin has a program called Green on the Go which advocates alternatives to the single-occupancy vehicle. In addition to advocating carpooling, the Office of Parking and Transportation also holds and annual used bike auction and promotes a Vanpooling program, which saves students money and provides preferred parking spaces. The Campus Environmental Center coordinates the Orange Bike project, which is run by enthusiastic volunteers and provides the campus community with access to used bikes, tools, and shop space in which to work. Through this program, students can also check out a bike, just as if they were checking out a library book, and may keep the bike for the entire semester. For more information visit: http://www.utexas.edu/parking/transportation/ Other possible ideas and activities: Tune Up Day where residents could share tools and biking tips and be taught how to tune up their bikes. Bike Safety Day where students can learn about popular biking trails and the best ways to get to many popular destinations as well as learn how to get to these places in town safely. Streamline Scavenger Hunt in which students take photographs or find clues at each destination, but MUST use the Streamline bus system to get around.
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Moving Out
Moving out of the Residence Halls is a crazy time. Everyone is trying to figure out what they can take with them, what they need to store, and what they no longer need. It is when you begin to purge yourself of all the things you never want to see again like that loft bed, or those cinderblocks you stubbed your toe on every other morning. Then you have the microwave, toaster, textbooks, notebooks, and everything that you wont need again. BUT: One mans garbage is another mans treasure! So, lets use our trash wisely. This is a great time for proactive sustainable action. Colleges and universities all over the U.S. have observed that in the rush of move-out week a lot of reusable things can end up in the dumpster. So rather than throwing out that carpet, cinder block, loft bed wood, clothing and other objects not close to your heart, let us work together and reduce the waste. Despite strong efforts to reduce the waste associated with move-out day, MSU still generated an additional 45 tons of trash during this time last year (FY 2011). ResLife was able to divert six tons of material for recycling and reuse, but more can be done in the future to make this end of year event more environmentally sustainable. Here are some examples of what other Universities have done in the past: Florida State University - Chuck It for Charity The Universitys Sustainable Campus Initiative, for the second year in a row, sponsored the Chuck It for Charity event. The program provided an outlet for students to dispose of their stuff rather than sending it to the dump. In return, the items gathered were donated to charity. Last year 12,000 pounds of materials were collected and saved from the landfill. This year, FSU hoped to collect 20,000 pounds. For more information, visit http://www.fsu.com/News-Archive/2010/April/Students-urged-toChuck-It-for-Charity-at-second-annual-event
Virginia Tech & Radford University Ytoss? For the fifth year in a row, the YMCA at Virginia Tech offered the annual move-out recycling drive, Ytoss? Virginia Tech and Radford University students donated used household items, clothes, furniture, appliances, and food. Materials are cleaned and stored and will be sold on both campuses in August. (The food will be donated to local charities) The money raised will be donated to support the YMCA. In the past four years, 74 tons of materials have been diverted from the landfill. For more information, visit http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/wb/245923
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Luther College Trash into Treasure For the sixth year in a row, Luther College hosted the Trash into Treasure sale. Students donated unwanted items during move out day that were sold to members of the campus and local community. Items that did not sell were donated to the Depot Outlet, a non-profit secondhand store. Last year the College saved five tons of usable items from going to the landfill. For more information, visit http://www.luther.edu/sustainability/waste_recycling/trashtotreasure/
University of Cincinnati Re-Use Market At the end of the spring semester, University of Cincinnati students hold the annual Re-Use Market. Students recycle and provide furniture, clothing, electronics, and household items to fellow students and community members for free. Items not adopted are given to local charities. For more information, visit http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.aspx?id=11749
Dump and Run is a great example of an organization committed to turning trash into profit. Their motto is, We turn trash into cash for non profits! They also have great stats and figures as to why it is important for Residence Halls to be conscientious on move out day. For more information, visit http://www.dumpandrun.org/garbage.htm
For more move-out day re-use and recycling events, please visit the website of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). They have a large list of Universities spanning across America that have great move out day programs: www.aashe.org/blog/trash-charity%E2%80%93-campus-move-out-day-2010
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Chapter 2: Efforts and Resources on Campus
This chapter is a resource to start linking sustainability efforts in the Residence Halls with the rest of the campus community. The goal of the chapter is to provide an overview of what is happening to promote sustainability in these other areas of campus and open up ways to collaborate.
Student Action
The MSU campus has many opportunities for student involvement in sustainability, from clubs and organizations related to environmental issues to the student government.
Student Organizations
Student organizations are student-led clubs or groups that are organized around departmental, recreational, or other special interest areas. Below are a few of the larger groups that focus on sustainability-related issues. To learn more about student organizations and for a complete list of clubs on campus, visit the Student Activities Office: SUB Room 282 | www.montana.edu/studentactivities The Network of Environmentally Conscious Organizations (NECO) NECO is a grass roots community-based student organization. NECO was created to serve as a network connecting people who care about environmental stewardship. They encourage students to harness their interests and work together to improve campus and community sustainability. The goal of NECO is to empower students to do what they think is right; to stand up for the environment in whatever way is most meaningful to them. To that end, NECO supports many committees working on a variety of specific project areas. NECO meets every Tuesday in the Alumni Legacy Lounge of the SUB (Room 266, next to First Interstate Bank). NECO Projects & Committees: Earth Week: coordinates a week of events, both educational and entertaining, as a way to educate the MSU campus about NECO and environmental sustainability. This committee works closely with the Gallatin Earth Celebration committee as well as the ASMSU Sustainability Center. Education: works to integrate sustainability into both the formal and informal classroom through changes in campus curriculum, educational luncheons, speakers, and outreach to K-12 schools. Energy: researches, creates, and sustains alternative energy projects on the MSU campus to reduce carbon emissions through collaboration with CSAC and individual student projects. Food: educates consumers on healthy food choices for the planet and their bodies and serves as a liaison between MSU and community initiatives, such as 1000 New Gardens and Towne's Harvest. Housing: collaborates with ResLife and the RHA Sustainability Chair to make environmental improvements in the residence halls and continues research to begin the creation of an Ecohouse for students, similar to the University of Montana FLAT (Forum for Living with Appropriate Technology). 22
Legislative: informs NECO and the MSU campus on what is happening in environmental policy from the municipal to federal levels of government. It also strives to educate students on how to be active citizens through responsible lobbying, signature gathering, and letter writing. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: creates outreach programs that work to educate consumers about the impact of purchases on the environment. Transportation: Promotes alternative transportation to, on, and from campus in an effort to reduce carbon emissions. Waste: collaborates with CSAC, the ASMSU Sustainability Center, and Campus Beautification Project to create and sustain recycling and composting programs as well as waste reduction plans. To get involved, contact President@bozoneco.com for more information or visit www.bozoneco.com. Engineers without Boarders (EWB) EWB does sustainable development work in the community of Khwisero, located in Western Kenya. Their projects provide clean drinking water and composting and biogas latrines to promote sustainable community growth. Not limited to engineers, this group welcomes collaborators from all disciplines. EWB meets Monday evenings at 6:00pm in the Alumni Legacy Lounge of the SUB (Room 266, next to First Interstate Bank). To get involved, contact ewbmsu@gmail.com for more information or visit www.ewb-msu.org. Friends of Local Foods (FLF) The Friends of Local Foods are advocates for local food systems. FLF was formed to bring concerned students, faculty, and community members together to raise awareness, create academic opportunities and conduct research related to local food systems and food quality. They have been working with the Montana Made food program through University Food Service and are also closely affiliated with Townes Harvest Garden, a 3-acre diversified vegetable farm on the MSU campus. To get involved, contact townes.harvest@gmail.com.
Student Government
The Associated Students of Montana State University (ASMSU) is the student government association serving as the elected voice of the students of MSU-Bozeman. This is where student voices are heard and decisions are made, by students for the students. ASMSU holds elections twice a year for representatives to the 21-member ASMSU Senate and elects a President every spring. In addition to elected representation, ASMSU offers many programs and services that are funded by student fees; the ASMSU Sustainability Center is one of them. To learn more stop by the ASMSU main office in SUB Room 221, or visit www.montana.edu/asmsu. Chapter 2: Efforts and Resources on Campus 23
ASMSU Sustainability Center Strand Union 175 | x 6873 | www.montana.edu/greenasmsu The ASMSU Sustainability Center is the student government voice for sustainability at MSU. It was formed in the spring of 2009 with the implementation of a student sustainability fee ($3.50/semester), created by a vote of the student body. The Sustainability Center runs the student-funded recycling program (ASMSU Recycling) and works with students to develop other initiatives and events that move sustainability forward on campus. The Sustainability Center is staffed by student employees, volunteers, and a full time Director. The goals of the ASMSU Sustainability Center are to: Steward use of the Student Sustainability Fee, ensuring these funds contribute effectively to campus sustainability efforts and engage students in a meaningful way. Provide employment, volunteer, and internship opportunities to students who wish to contribute to sustainability efforts at MSU. Build programs that engage the campus in dialog and action. Link students to information, campus resources, and decisionmakers relevant to campus sustainability. Leverage student activism by bridging summer vacations and annual turnover to provide program continuity year-to-year. Advocate for increased institutional commitment to sustainable policies and practices. Some programs that the Sustainability Center runs are: Recycling Offering an alternative to the landfill in most campus buildings and all residence halls. See the next section for details on this program. Take Back the Tap This is a national campaign to raise awareness about the environmental and health concerns related to bottled water. Visit: http://www.montana.edu/greenasmsu/TBTT.html MSU Climate Action Plan The Sustainability Center is working closely with campus officials to ensure student involvement in plans to reduce green house gas emissions here at MSU. Gallatin Earth Celebration A weeklong celebration of Earth Day, organized by the Sustainability Center, MSU, the City of Bozeman and community organizations. Visit: www.montana.edu/gec Chapter 2: Efforts and Resources on Campus 24
Recycling at MSU
The recycling program at MSU is a studentfunded, student-initiated program run by the ASMSU Sustainability Center with student employees.
Between October 2009 (when the program began) and June 2011 ASMSU Recycling has diverted over 300 tons of material from the landfill by recycling. This represents an equivalent energy savings of more than 1.6 million kWh, which is the annual power use of 156 average Montana homes! Recycling this material also avoided the emission of about 1000 metric tons of CO2.
ASMSU Recycling maintains recycling centers in most areas of campus including academic buildings, the library, sports facilities, and residence halls. Student employees collect material from these recycling locations each week. ASMSU also provides several large dumpsters for office paper and cardboard in convenient outdoor locations around campus.
In the spring of 2010 ASMSU won an ARRA Recycling Infrastructure Grant from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to support recycling at the major event venues on campus, such as Bobcat Stadium and the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. The grant provided ASMSU with the additional recycling bins and equipment necessary to build an MSU Sports & Events Recycling Program. This expansion of service has diverted approximately 2 tons of material from MSUs waste stream during the 2010 football season alone!
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What Is Recyclable?
Plastics: All plastic containers #1-7 can be recycled at MSU and at all the community drop-off locations in Bozeman. You may also include the lids of the containers! Empty all contents and if the product is stinky, please rinse the container. Some examples of recyclable items are: Water and soda bottles Shampoo & detergent bottles Milk and juice jugs Yogurt containers The plastic tray inside an Oreos package Even Rubbermaid storage bins! NOT ACCEPTED: Plastic bags and films, Styrofoam (even if it has #6 on it), plastic utensils, straws, and packing peanuts. Basically anything that is not a container or #1-7 plastic. Aluminum and Tin: Soda and beer cans Soup cans NOT ACCEPTED: Foil (it is too thin to process), steel scraps and other heavier metals. Scrap metal can be taken to Pacific Steel and Recycling in Bozeman. Chapter 2: Efforts and Resources on Campus 26
Paper: In the residence halls we collect all paper together as mixed paper to keep things simple. However, elsewhere on campus paper is sorted into two different grades Office Paper and Newspaper, which allows us to get a better price on the higher quality office paper. Dont worry if there are staples, paperclips, or wire bindings these can be removed in processing. Office Paper: (high quality) White office paper Colored paper (except neon) Cardstock Books/Notebooks Mail/Envelopes (windows can be left in) Posters or brochures Newspaper: (lower quality) Newspaper and newsprint Magazines Catalogs Phone books
NOT ACCEPTED: Used paper plates, napkins, or neon orange paper.
Cardboard: Please break down and flatten all boxes. It will make life a lot easier for the Recycling Staff. Shipping boxes Cereal boxes & Shoe boxes Egg cartons (the non-styrofoam kind) Pizza boxes (if they are not too greasy) NOT ACCEPTED: Waxy or foil-coated cardboard such as Milk Containers or Juice boxes.
Other items that should not be trashed: Batteries, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and old electronics including cell phones, computers, stereos, etc. should not go in the trash. Not only do they contain reclaimable materials, but hazardous stuff, too. These items should be recycled or disposed of properly. Visit the ASMSU Sustainability website (www.montana.edu/greenasmsu) for a list of locations in Bozeman where these items can be taken.
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Food
We all eat and how we grow and serve our food affects sustainability around the globe. This is because of the resources used to produce the food, along with the resources used to get that food to your table. The average U.S. meal travels 1500 miles from farm to plate (often with a factory in between). This makes food choices very BIG choices and a great place to start making responsible and sustainable decisions. By eating food grown closer to home and reducing food waste we can make a difference.
University Food Services

Montana State University Food Services (UFS) has reacted to the growing demand for sustainable living and eating. They have begun a number of programs to address sustainability in their operations on campus these. Here is a link to their web page: http://www.montana.edu/ufs/Sustainability.php. To get involved please contact Stephanie Hanson at: stephanie.hanson@montana.edu Montana Made Food Program: The Montana Made Program is a local food buying initiative to optimize the use of Montana grown and/or processed products. MSU Food Services currently spends 12% of its food budget on products that are grown and/or processed in Montana - which means $460,000 per year goes towards Montana farmers, ranchers, processors and distributors. Trayless Dining Halls: Many universities across the nation have gone trayless in an effort to reduce water waste, food waste chemical use. In 2009 MSU Food Services conducted a lengthy period of research on the issue and concluded that going trayless for ONE DAY in the dining halls at MSU saves an estimated 2,000 gallons of water and 312 pounds of food. Food Services has been trayless since Fall 2010. Composting: In 2009, UFS did in-depth research on the feasibility of implementing a composting program at the University level. With funding from CSAC and the President's Office, a composting pilot was initiated on August 30, 2010 and continued through December 17, 2010. Pre-consumer waste was collected from the Fat Cat Bakery and Skinny Kitty Salad departments and transported to Earth Systems Organic Composting. While valuable data was collected from the pilot, UFS is now collaborating with Facility Services and Earth Systems to continue the pilot in Harrison Dining Hall to ultimately evaluate waste input from a different source. UFS hopes to eventually integrate their composting efforts into Towne's Harvest Garden and generate a fertilizing source for the operation of the farm. This would allow waste to be converted into resources that would benefit students, the campus farm, and the greater community. For more information and opportunities for involvement contact the Environmental Services Manager: edward.hook1@montana.edu Chapter 2: Efforts and Resources on Campus 28
Take Back the Tap: University Food Services has joined the City of Bozeman and the ASMSU Sustainability Center in supporting the "Take Back the Tap" initiative. Take Back the Tap is a national campaign to raise awareness of the environmental and health concerns surrounding bottled water and to reduce the waste associated with the production and transportation of bottled water. To promote the use of refillable water bottles UFS is selling stainless steel Take Back the Tap bottles for $10 each at retail locations in the SUB. All proceeds from campus sales will benefit the ASMSU Recycling program. Student Farm: University Food Services has been working closely with Towne's Harvest Garden (MSU student farm), the on-campus Registered Sanitarian, and the Farm to College Vista Coordinator to enable UFS to purchase produce from THG. Beginning in the fall of 2011, UFS will purchase red onions, white onions, and squash from THG to use in their operations. UFS will continue to find ways to increase the amount of food they purchase from THG. To get involved in this effort contact the Friends of Local Foods: townes.harvest@gmail.com Biodegradable To-Go Containers As requested by student customers, UFS eliminated use of large white Styrofoam take-out containers at retail operations. In their place, customers can have items wrapped with saranwrap, or purchase a biodegradable to-go container for $.35. For more information about this program, contact Dan Yerigan at: dyerigan@montana.edu. Refillable Mug Discount Over the last 25 years, University Food Services has promoted the "Refillable Mug" discount. At ALL Food Service locations, a customer who brings in ANY refillable mug or water bottle will receive $.20 off of fountain beverages or drip coffee. Oil Re-Use Since 2008 University Food Services has been donating used fryer oil from all three dining halls to Bozeman Biofuels. The used oil is processed for use as an alternative automotive fuel. Learn more about vegetable fuels at www.bozemanbiofuels.com/PRIMER.htm
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Administration Efforts
Campus Sustainability Advisory Council
The Campus Sustainability Advisory Council (CSAC) was created by former president Geoff Gamble to guide the university in meeting and exceeding the requirements of the University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) while positioning Montana State University as a true leader in energy and resource management, research, education and outreach. The committee is comprised of faculty, students, administration, and community members and meets on a monthly basis. For details on CSAC visit the MSU sustainability webpage: www.montana.edu/sustainability .
American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment

The ACUPCC is a coordinated effort by signatory colleges and universities to address global climate disruption by reducing and eventually eliminated campus greenhouse gas emissions. Universities all over the country have signed on. As of August 2011 the ACUPCC had 667 signers, including MSU-Bozeman. That is 667 colleges and universities taking a stance on the climate crisis ahead! By signing the Climate Commitment, each institution must conduct a Green House Gas Inventory and begin the development of a Climate Action Plan, with a target date for becoming climate neutral. To see the complete text of the Climate Commitment visit http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/
Greenhouse Gas Inventory

A Greenhouse Gas Inventory is a comprehensive accounting of the quantity and source of CO 2 emissions associated with an institution. MSUs Greenhouse Gas Inventory was competed in April 2010 and found that the activities of the university emit the equivalent of 77,375 metric tons of CO 2 each year. This total includes everything from the power purchased by the university to whats generated on campus, and even emissions associated with student and employee commuting and university financed air travel. The complete results from the Greenhouse Gas Inventory may be found on the MSU Sustainability webpage: www.montana.edu/sustainability (currently under News). MSU must update the inventory on a regular basis, so there are many opportunities for student involvement. If interested contact the ASMSU Sustainability Center. Chapter 2: Efforts and Resources on Campus 30
MSU Climate Action Plan

As part of the ACUPCC, MSU will be developing a Climate Action Plan. A Climate Action Plan (CAP) is a comprehensive plan for our campus to reach Carbon Neutrality, or in other words, a carbon footprint of net zero. The CAP is a BIG project with many subcommittees focusing on specific topics relating to the reduction of MSUs greenhouse gas emissions. Each subcommittee will have a place for a student representative. This is a great place for students to make their voice heard about sustainability! So, get involved! Contact the ASMSU Sustainability Center to learn about opportunities to participate in MSUs CAP.
CAP Subcommittees:
Communications Keep the campus community current on MSUs CAP efforts and Develop and implement plans to involve campus community appropriately in both the planning process and in actions that reduce GHG emissions. Education and Engagement Develop Climate Action Plan components that deal with introduction of climate change and sustainability into the curriculum, campus life, and public engagement. Energy Develop energy conservation, renewable energy, green power purchasing, new construction/green design, and CFC reduction strategies and projects. Greenhouse gas inventory Create, interpret, and periodically update campus GHG inventory Research Summarize existing Research as it relates to CAP. Explore opportunities to enhance and expand climate change and sustainability related research. Solid Waste, Purchasing and Food Develop waste minimization, responsible purchasing, and other GHG reduction strategies not addressed by other sub-committees. Transportation Develop fleet vehicle, public transportation, commuting, and air travel components of CAP.
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Chapter 3: Additional Resources

This chapter contains lists for additional reading materials, movies and videos, web resources, eco-rep programs at universities, and recycling facts for more ideas to promote sustainable living in the Residence Halls and throughout the whole campus.
Reading Lists
CLASSICS, BESTSELLERS, & FAVORITES Sustainability is an area of study that spans many disciplines and can be approached from number of different angles. The titles below include classics, bestsellers, and favorites recommended by the staff and friends of the Sustainability Center. Pick up one (or several) and begin exploring this important and diverse topic. All of these books are available at MSUs Renne Library. A Sand County Almanac - Aldo Leopold (1949). A classic collection of essays by a highly influential thinker on environmental ethics and conservation. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature - Janine M. Benyus (1998). How technology designed to mirror nature can provide solutions that benefit both people and the environment. Biophilia: The Human Bond With Other Species - Edward O. Wilson (1984). Personal essays by a renowned naturalist on the links between mankind and the rest of the living world. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed - Jared Diamond, 2005. An exploration of why some ancient societies have fallen apart and the environmental factors that frequently contributed to their downfall. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things - William McDonough and Michael Braungart (2002). Introduces a new way of thinking about how products are made and disposed of and how we can model natural cycles to avoid environmental damage. Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future - Bill McKibben (2007). Challenges the prevailing idea that the goal of economies should be unlimited growth and proposes what a sustainable economy might look like. Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth - William Bryant Logan (1995). A natural history of the soil and our connection to it. Also released as a movie in 2010. Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect - David W. Orr (1994). Essays on ecological literacy from a noted environmental educator. Earth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet - Bill McKibben, 2010. Argues that weve passed the tipping point of irreversible change in planetary systems, and lays out how we might adapt. Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth - James Lovelock (2000). A classic work explaining how life on Earth functions as a single organism. Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit - Daniel Quinn (1995). An unusual novel that takes form as a series of philosophical dialogs between a man and a wise gorilla. Living Downstream: An Ecologist's Personal Investigation of Cancer and the Environment - Sandra Steingraber (1997). A book in the spirit of Silent Spring that traces the links between environmental pollutants and cancer. 34
Silent Spring - Rachel L. Carson (1962). Documenting the effects of pesticide pollution, this book is widely credited for launching the modern environmental movement. Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered - E. F. Schumacher (1975). A collection of essays critiquing traditional Western economics and the notion that bigger is better. The Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration of Sustainability - Paul Hawken (1993). A call for a restorative economy by a successful entrepreneur. The Lorax - Dr. Suess (1971). A parable on sustainability from the much-loved childrens author. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals - Michael Pollan (2006). And examination of the American food chain and why what we eat--and where it comes from--matters. The Weather Makers: The History and Future Impact of Climate Change - Tim Flannery (2006). An explanation of the fundamental science behind global warming. The World Without Us - Alan Weisman (2007). A thought experiment on what would happen to the natural and built environment if humans disappeared? Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century - Alex Steffen, ed. (2006). An encyclopedia-like inventory of what is happening around the world to build an environmentally and economically sustainable future.
BOOKS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY ON CAMPUS These books look specifically at making colleges and universities more sustainable. All of these books are available at MSUs Renne Library. Earth In Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect - David W Orr (2004). Ecological Literacy: Education and the Transition to a Postmodern World - David W. Orr State (1991). Greening the Ivory Tower: Improving the Environmental Track Record of Universities, Colleges, and Other Institutions - Sarah Hammond Creighton (1998). Planet U: Sustaining the World, Reinventing the University - Michael M'Gonigle and Justin Starke (2005). Sustainability on Campus: Stories and Strategies for Change - Peggy F. Barlett and Geoffrey W. Chase (2004). The Green Campus: Meeting the Challenge of Environmental Sustainability - Walter Simson, ed. (2008). The Sustainable Learning Community: One Universitys Journey to the Future - John Aber, Tom Kelly, and Bruce Mallory, eds. (2009).
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Movies & Videos
Films and shorts on environmental topics. Watch one with a friend or sponsor an event in your hall! The Story of Stuff Project - http://www.storyofstuff.com/ A series of excellent online videos offering quick and informative overviews on sustainability related topics. With over 12 million on-line views, The Story of Stuff is one of the most widely viewed environmental-themed short films of all time. See them all! The Story of Stuff The Story of Cap and Trade The Story of Citizens United v. FEC The Story of Bottled Water The Story of Cosmetics The Story of Electronics
An Inconvenient Truth (2006) Director Davis Guggenheim eloquently weaves the science of global warming with Al Gores personal history and lifelong commitment to reversing the effects of global climate change in the most talked-about documentary of the year. Dirt! (2009) Takes you inside the wonders of the soil. It tells the story of Earth's most valuable and underappreciated source of fertility--from its miraculous beginning to its crippling degradation. Flow: For Love of Water (2008) An award winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21 st Century the World Water Crisis. Food Inc. (2008) Lifting the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Gasland (2010) The drilling technology of "fracking" has unlocked a "Saudi Arabia of natural gas" just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. Gimme Green (2007) A humorous look at the American obsession with the residential lawn and the effects it has on our environment, our wallets and our outlook on life.
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Go Further (2003) The film follows actor Woody Harrelson as he takes a small group of friends on a biofuelled bus-ride down the Pacific Coast Highway. King Corn (2007) A feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. No Impact Man (2009) A documentary about the experience of Colin Beavan, a newly self-proclaimed environmentalist who could no longer avoid pointing the finger at himself and leaves behind his liberal complacency in an effort to make as little environmental impact as possible for one year. Planet in Peril (2007) From the respected and thorough news team of CNN comes this look at our changing planet as seen through a variety of habitats that have felt the harsh imprint of human behavior. Tapped (2009) A look at the big business of bottled water asking, is access to clean drinking water a human right, or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce? The 11th Hour: Turn Mankinds Darkest Hour into its Finest (2008) A look at the state of the global environment including visionary and practical solutions for restoring the planet's ecosystems. The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream (2004) Explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006) A documentary about electric cars, hybrids, hydrogen and the future of transportation.
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Web Resources
Here are some starting points for pursuing more information on sustainability programs on our campus, other universities, and around the world. This is not by any means an exhaustive list and more and more sustainability web resources are appearing every day! So if you find a great resource that should be added, please let us know at ASMSUsustain@montana.edu.
MSU Sustainability Pages: ASMSU Sustainability Center www.montana.edu/greenasmsu MSU Campus Sustainability Advisory Council (CSAC) www.montana.edu/opa/coms/csac.html Network of Environmentally Conscious Organizations (NECO) www.bozoneco.com Sustainability A Montana State of Mind www.montana.edu/sustainability Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems Degree Program http://sfbs.montana.edu/ Townes Harvest Garden MSU Student Farm http://townesharvest.montana.edu/ University Food Services Sustainability www.montana.edu/ufs/sustainability.php University Sustainability Resources: AASHE: Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education - www.aashe.org American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/ Campus Consortium for Environmental Excellence - http://www.c2e2.org/index.htm Campus Ecology - http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/Campus-Solutions.aspx Campus Sustainability Planning Network - www.campussustainability.info/ GreenCityBlueLake - www.gcbl.org/education/university-initiatives Montana Green Campus - http://mtgreen.mus.edu/ Second Nature - www.secondnature.org/ Other University Sustainability Webpages: Columbia University http://www.environment.columbia.edu Harvard University http://green.harvard.edu Oberlin College http://www.oberlin.edu/sustainability/ Ohio University http://www.ohio.edu/sustainability/ Portland State University http://www.pdx.edu/sustainability/
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University of Colorado at Boulder http://ecenter.colorado.edu/ University of Florida http://www.sustainable.ufl.edu/ University of Idaho at Moscow http://www.uidaho.edu/sustainability University of Montana http://umt.edu/greeningum/default.aspx University of Vermont http://www.uvm.edu/sustain Western Washington University http://www.wwu.edu/sustain/ Yale University http://sustainability.yale.edu/ Bozeman Organizations and Resources: BioRegions International http://www.bioregions.org/ City of Bozeman Sustainability http://www.bozeman.net/Business/Sustainability/Home Greater Yellowstone Coalition http://www.greateryellowstone.org Montana River Action http://www.montanariveraction.org Project WET http://www.projectwet.org/ Refuge Sustainable Building Center http://refugebuilding.com/ Sierra Club-Bozeman Headquarters Group http://www.Montana.sierraclub.org/headwaters Sonoran Institute http://www.sonoraninstitute.org/ Streamline Bus http://www.streamlinebus.com/ The Bozeman Bike Kitchen http://www.bozemanbikekitchen.org/ The Madison-Gallatin Alliance http://www.wildmontana.org Wheeler Center for Public Policy http://www.wheelercenter.org/ News, Art, & More: Etsy http://www.etsy.com/ Futerra Sustainability Communications http://www.futerra.co.uk/ Good Magazine http://www.good.is/ Inhabitat: Design Will Save the World http://inhabitat.com/ TreeHugger http://www.treehugger.com WorldChanging: Tools, Models and Ideas for Building a Bright Green Future http://www.worldchanging.com
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Eco-Reps Programs
Many universities across the nation have student peer-to-peer sustainability outreach programs (often known as Eco-Reps). Generally, these programs work in the residential areas of campus and are sponsored by a campus department (such as Recycling, Residential Life, or the campus sustainability office). The University of Vermont described their highly regarded program this way: Eco-Reps are select undergraduate students who work to educate their hall mates about environmental issues. Eco-Reps distribute information, and create, coordinate and host activities in their residence halls, operating on the philosophy that we can reduce our harmful impact on the environment by making simple changes in our lifestyles. We are providing this list of links to some of the better-documented Eco-Reps programs to help you get a better feel for them, and to use as references when developing sustainability-focused events and programs in the residence halls.
Bard College Bard Environmental Resource People (BERPs) http://inside.bard.edu/berd/rrr_students.shtml Barnard College Eco-Reps http://barnardecoreps.wordpress.com/ Bowdoin College ECO-Reps http://www.bowdoin.edu/sustainability/campusinitiatives/ecoreps/index.shtml Brandeis University Campus Sustainability Initiative Eco-Reps http://www.brandeis.edu/campussustainability/geti nvolved/ecorepcontact.html
Brown University Eco-Reps http://brownecoreps.wordpress.com/ Carnegie Mellon University Eco-Reps http://www.cmu.edu/eco-reps/ Harvard University Resource Efficiency Program http://green.harvard.edu/rep/ Harvard Law Green Living Program http://green.harvard.edu/hls/green-living Ithaca College Resource Representatives Program http://www.ithaca.edu/remp/getinvolved/EcoReps/
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North Carolina State University Generating Residential Environmental Education Now (GREEN) http://www.ncsu.edu/energy/2008/green.php Princeton University Eco-Reps http://www.princeton.edu/sustainability//student/gr oups/eco-reps/ Rice University EcoRep Program http://cohesion.rice.edu/facilities/sustainability/inde x.cfm?doc_id=12772 Skidmore College ECO-REP Program http://cms.skidmore.edu/sustainability/ecorep/index .cfm Tufts University Eco-Representatives http://sustainability.tufts.edu/?pid=151&c=49 University of British Columbia Residence Sustainability Coordinators http://www.sustain.ubc.ca/sustainability-reps
University of California, Berkeley Residential Sustainability Education Coordinators (RSECs) http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~recycle/ssec/program s/rsec.html University of Pennsylvania Eco-Reps Program http://www.upenn.edu/sustainability/eco-reps.html University of Vermont Eco-Reps Program http://www.uvm.edu/~ecoreps/ University of Virginia Conservation Advocacy Program http://utilities.fm.virginia.edu/sustainability/cap.asp x Western Washington University Residence Hall Sustainability Program and Eco-Reps http://www.wwu.edu/sustain/initiatives/residence/e co-rep/index.shtml Yale University Student Taskforce for Environmental Partnership (STEP) http://www.yalestep.com/
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Recycling Facts
Paper Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7,000 gallons of water, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 2 barrels of oil, and 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity enough energy to power the average American home for five months. The 17 trees saved (above) can absorb a total of 250 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air each year. Burning that same ton of paper would create 1500 pounds of carbon dioxide. Recycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times would save 75,000 trees. Each of us uses approximately one 100-foot-tall Douglas fir tree in paper and wood products per year. Recycling paper instead of making it from new material generates 74 percent less air pollution and uses 50 percent less water. Plastic Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour and 25 billion every year. Most of them are thrown away. Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year. Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam coffee cups every year. Every year we make enough plastic film to shrink-wrap Texas. In 1988 we used 2 billion pounds of HDPE just to make bottles for household products. That is about the weight of 90,000 Honda Civics. If every American household recycled just one out of every ten HDPE bottles they used, we would keep 200 million pounds of the plastic out of landfills every year. Metals The US population discards enough aluminum each year to rebuild the US commercial air fleet four times over. Recycling aluminum saves 95% of the energy needed to produce new aluminum from raw materials. Energy saved from recycling one ton of aluminum is equal to the amount of electricity the average home uses over 10 years. Americans throw out enough iron and steel to supply all the nations automakers on a continuous basis. A steel mill using recycled scrap reduces related water pollution, air pollution and mining wastes by about 70%. The 36 billion aluminum cans thrown away last year had a scrap value of more than $600 million. Someday we will be mining our landfills for the resources we have buried. An aluminum can that is thrown away will still be a can 500 years from now!
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Styrofoam Styrofoam is not recyclable. The industry wants you to assume it is- don't buy it! Each year Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam cups, enough every year to circle the earth 436 times. Trash About one-third of an average dump is made up of packaging material! Every year, each American throws out about 1,200 pounds of organic garbage that can be composted. The U.S. is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year. This means that 5% of the world's people generate 40% of the world's waste. Americans throw away enough glass bottles and jars every two weeks to fill the 1.350-foot towers of the former World Trade Center. Junk Mail If only 100,000 people stopped their junk, mail, we could save up to 150,000 trees annually. If a million people did this, we could save up to a million and a half trees. The junk mail Americans receive in one day could produce enough energy to heat 250,000 homes. The average American still spends 8 full months of his/her life opening junk mail. Random Facts Rainforests are being cut down at the rate of 100 acres per minute! One quart of motor oil, if disposed of improperly, can contaminate up to 2 million gallons of fresh water. Motor oil never wears out, it just gets dirty. Oil can be recycled, re-refined and used again, reducing our reliance on imported oil. A typical family consumes 182 gallons of soda, 29 gallons of juice, 104 gallons of milk, and 26 gallons of bottled water a year. That's a lot of containers -- make sure they are recycled!
* These recycling facts have been compiled from various sources including the National Recycling Coalition, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Earth911.org. For more information, please visit http://www.oberlin.edu/recycle/facts.html and http://www.recycling-revolution.com/recycling-facts.html
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Montana Living Green MSU: A Sustainability Resource Book For Students - Montana State University

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reen ng G Livi MSU at

a sustainability resource book for student leaders in the Residence Halls

Dear Resident Advisor,

Yours Truly, ASMSU Sustainability Center Staff

Chapter 2: Efforts and Resources on Campus.......................... 21

Chapter 3: Additional Resources .............................................. 33

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Getting Acquainted with your Hall:

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Why conserve energy?

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

What Can You Do to Help?

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Energy Saving Examples & Ideas from Other Schools

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Waste Reduction & Recycling

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

What Can You Do to Help?

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Waste Reduction Examples & Ideas from Other Schools

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

What Can You Do to Help?

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Examples & Ideas from Other Universities

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Chapter 1: Sustainability in the Residence Halls

Chapter 2: Efforts and Resources on Campus

Chapter 2: Efforts and Resources on Campus

Chapter 2: Efforts and Resources on Campus

NOT ACCEPTED: Used paper plates, napkins, or neon orange paper.

Chapter 2: Efforts and Resources on Campus

University Food Services

Chapter 2: Efforts and Resources on Campus

American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment

Greenhouse Gas Inventory

MSU Climate Action Plan

Chapter 2: Efforts and Resources on Campus

Chapter 2: Efforts and Resources on Campus

Chapter 3: Additional Resources

Chapter 3: Additional Resources

Chapter 3: Additional Resources

Movies & Videos

Chapter 3: Additional Resources

Chapter 3: Additional Resources

Chapter 3: Additional Resources

Chapter 3: Additional Resources

Chapter 3: Additional Resources

Chapter 3: Additional Resources

Chapter 3: Additional Resources

Chapter 3: Additional Resources

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