Green Wave, Green Campus
By Emma Chapman
As a new addition to the Live Green NOW team, I want to take this opportunity to introduce the perspective from which I will be writing. As a college student, my “green” experience in New Orleans has thus far been rooted in the projects Tulane is pursuing in order to reduce its carbon footprint and become a more green-friendly university. In fact, there are many projects that have been creatively designed to provide a sustainable campus.
Photo credit ~ Paul Crosby
Take, for example, the most recent green project at Tulane: the McAlister Place Project. As you may know, McAlister Place was the only road allowing thru traffic on Tulane’s campus, stretching from Freret St. to Willow St. In May 2009, construction began to create a pedestrian mall solely for walkers and cyclists. The mall will be beautified with a perimeter of oak and palm trees, creating a small canopy over the former road. This is part of the larger Newcomb-McAlister Unified Green project to transform the mid-section of Tulane’s campus into one large quad.
If the actual project turns out anything like the sketches (which can be viewed here: Newcomb-McAlister Unified Quad and McAlister Place Project), the new mall will contribute to a safer campus, while being both beautiful and environmentally sustainable.
The Lavin-Bernick Center (LBC), our student union, is another environmentally friendly aspect of Tulane’s campus that was actually featured in the July 2008 issue of GreenSource Magazine. It’s an initially striking building because of its unique façade made up of louvers (see picture), but it is the unseen mechanisms that transform it into a green building.
Photo credit ~ Paul Crosby
Air conditioning, a necessity for living in New Orleans, is provided in the LBC using a so-called “open mode” method in the fall, winter, and spring months that utilize “microporous air-cooled metal ceilings, chilled water walls, and stack-effect ventilation through the skylights” (GreenSource Magazine). According to GreenSource Magazine, this open mode system “reduces the periods of conventional cooling by 42 percent in the perimeter areas.”
This system works very well: I’m in the LBC frequently, and green AC feels just as good as traditional AC! It’s a testament to the fact that you don’t have to sacrifice quality to be green.
Smaller programs also contribute to environmental responsibility. Recycling receptacles are scattered all over campus, as well as in or around every dorm building. Student-run organizations that do anything from trying to control our feral cat population to offering bike repairs for students. Students even collaborated with manufacturers to create an ENERGY STAR Showcase Dorm Room furnished with Energy Star appliances to show how simple energy efficiency can be.
The programs at Tulane show that every project helps, regardless of its size or scope. Encouraging students to recycle is just as important as trying to construct the most energy efficient buildings possible. So, if you don’t have the means or the time to make everything in your life green, start with the little things!
August 30th, 2009Topic: Green Growth, Green Street Tags: green university, Tulane green campus
Readers’ Cork Board