Friday, October 12, 2007

Red trucks help SMU go green

By Amy Kalina
Managing Editor

A new student-led initiative to “go green” is bringing eco-friendly changes to the Saint Mary’s University campus.

The project, created by student senate last spring, aims at educating students, faculty, and staff on the importance of conserving natural resources and making environmental choices.
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“It is absolutely wonderful that the students took this initiative to champion, because it’s something that’s always been near and dear to me,” said John Schollmeier, director of building and grounds at SMU. “In maintenance, we try very hard to listen to students’ wants and needs, and when they want to push a cause like this, that’s even better.”

One environmentally-sound way to reduce fuel and energy costs was through the purchase of two electric trucks, said Schollmeier. These small red vehicles sport an enclosed cab and box, allowing for year-round use.

“We have been looking for an efficient electrical vehicle for about five years and never found the vehicle that we could afford that could be serviced locally,” said Schollmeier. “These met all of our criteria, and so far they’re very efficient. They can go on sidewalks, too, so they get us where we need to go much quicker.”

Although the electric trucks meet the needs of the maintenance department, they still came with a $12,000 price tag, a factor that causes some students to question their overall necessity. Still, the use of electric trucks helps SMU stay in line with the environmental efforts at other schools, said Schollmeier. Winona State, Luther College, and Macalester College are among the schools nearby turning to electric vehicles.

“Of all the Minnesota private [colleges], SMU is by far the most efficient when it comes to utilities,” said Schollmeier. “We’ve always taken a very aggressive role in trying to keep our utilities low while energy costs keep going up.”

Another change brought about by the “Go Green” initiative will be a machine that changes old cooking oil into bio-diesel fuel. The machine, which will likely be purchased later in the academic year, will be able to provide power for all of SMU’s diesel-fuel engines, said Schollmeier. According to Schollmeier, the machine is already being used at Luther College and is proving to be efficient.

Aside from maintenance’s efforts to reduce fuel and energy costs on campus, Schollmeier said that student participation is critical. Educating students on simple ways to cut back on energy and utility usage is important in making a difference on campus, said Schollmeier.

“If you’re not using lights, shut them off. If you have your air conditioner or heater on, close the windows. There are really easy ways that students can cut costs,” said Schollmeier. “It’s all about finding a balance between conserving energy and making students, faculty, and staff happy. That’s a balance that we all have to work [toward] together.”

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