Campus groups gathered Tuesday to show what they’re doing to promote and maintain UNC’s position as a leader in sustainability.
Campus Sustainability and America Recycles Day presented exhibits for a crowd of students and faculty, including Chancellor Holden Thorp.
Among the displays were interactive screens gauging UNC’s energy usage, poster boards listing campus-wide eco-friendly projects, local food provided by Carolina Dining Services and charts graphing the University’s economic and environmental savings.
In his address, Thorp praised those who have been involved in the University’s sustainability efforts — which have already saved millions of dollars.
He said these efforts have reduced UNC’s environmental footprint and are contributing to a better quality of life.
“Staff, students and faculty want to improve the world.”
UNC Energy Management highlighted the fiscal benefits of investing in energy-efficient facilities, saying that $10 million in utility costs have been saved to date.
To remind students of their environmental impact, the Energy Dashboard was set up to show campus buildings’ energy usage on an annual, monthly and weekly basis.
The renewable energy special projects committee, the environmental branch of Student Congress, receives $4 per semester per student — totaling $200,000 per year in student fees — to fund University projects.
