GREEN BUILDING @ BARNARD
THE MAYOR'S CHALLENGE
As part of his vision for a greater, greener New York City in the year 2030, Mayor Bloomberg has set 10 key goals for the city's sustainable future. One goal is to help slow or stop climate change by reducing carbon emissions by 30%.
New York is unlike most of the rest of the nation. It has little agriculture or major industry, and many people make use of its extensive mass transit system. Consequently, buildings are the primary source of carbon emissions in New York and are the focus of the city's emission reduction strategy.
An emissions inventory showed that nearly 70% of carbon emissions come from buildings. Governmental and institutional buildings account for almost 20% of those emissions.
In June 2007, nine institutions, including Barnard College, answered Mayor Bloomberg's challenge to reduce carbon emissions 30% by 2017 – the same commitment that the Mayor has made for city operations. Dubbed "30 in 10", this challenge and the challenge partners are leading by example in helping to make a sizable dent in the City's overall emissions.
What must Barnard do as a Challenge Partner?
AT THE LEADERSHIP LEVEL
Leadership must be visible
The public commitment of the challenge makes energy efiiciency a priorty
Get organized, provide the structure
The 10-year deadline necessitates immediate, sustained action
Provide operating support dollars
The partnership can achieve economies of scale through purchasing agreements and sharing best practices
AT THE STAFF & STUDENT LEVEL
Invite participation
Student eco-reps, SGA, other
Invest in ongoing education
Environmental sciences, other
Establish policies and practices that reduce waste and promote sustainability
Create "green" standards and specifications for purchasing, renovation and construction
Campus-wide sustainability initiatives already in place:
Energy audit
No smoking on campus
Recycling
Mulching
Bicycle racks
Bio-digester in Food Service kitchen to breakdown organic waste
Usage of Green Seal products in custodial cleaning
Working with College Eco Reps student organization to encourage waste reduction and energy efficiency (also with Columbia)
Sustainable materials and/or content in construction materials
Roof replacements, window replacements, façade repairs
Installation of occupancy sensors and compact fluorescent lamps
New energy-reduction initiatives including high-efficiency boilers, high-efficiency lamps, BMS, windows, pointing, pipe insulation, summer boiler, steam trap replacement
Lowering our thermostats in winter and raising them in summer
Dishware in lieu of plastic ware in our dining rooms
Retro-commissioning