Beginnings
For more than a decade members of the Belmont University community have been doing their part to positively impact the environment and encourage the campus at large to “go green.” From recycling efforts to educational initiatives, Belmont students, faculty and staff have shown their commitment to increasing the university’s environmental sustainability.
Belmont Goes Green Launched
In March 2007, those efforts took on a more public face when Belmont hosted “Belmont Goes Green,” a week-long event to encourage greater environmental awareness on campus. The week included related films, lectures and discussions, and ended with Belmont hosting a signing ceremony led by Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher. Several Tennessee university presidents attended and signed the Talloires Declaration of the Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (USLF). In signing the declaration, the presidents agreed to increase awareness of environmentally sustainable development, create an institutional culture of sustainability and educate for environmentally responsible citizenship, among other efforts.
Since the declaration, Belmont has worked to implement more eco-friendly initiatives. The Belmont Environmental Initiative Council was created to coordinate environmental efforts on campus. Religion professor Dr. Judy Skeen, founder and director of the BEI Council, said, “My goal for the future is that everyone who works and studies on Belmont’s campus will learn how to care for the earth, conserve resources, consume responsibility and live in sustainable ways. Belmont’s community practices are the best way to gain visibility and begin behavior change.”
Efforts to date, in no particular order, include the following:
- Belmont honored with the 1998 Tennessee Higher Education Environmental Stewardship Award from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
- Earth Day celebrations held since 2003
- Belmont Environmental Initiative (BEI)council established in May 2006
- University partnered with Metro Transit Authority (MTA) for students, faculty and staff to use public transportation to and from Belmont for free
- The Higher Education Sustainability Conference held at Belmont Spring 2007
- Recycling program started almost a decade ago and will expand campus wide Summer 2008 and be sustained by campus systems
- Environmental Studies program implemented with service-learning and internship components available
- Environmental club for students activated (O.N.E. club: Our Natural Environment)
- Retrofitted light fixtures to produce energy star upgrades
- Numerous academic lectures/convocations held each year on environmental initiatives
- Move-in day recycling events annually contribute more than a ton of recyclable cardboard through partnership with Metro Public Works
- Art department recycles hazardous silver from the film development process through Safety-Kleen Corp.
- New building proposals include efforts for greater sustainability
- Environmental awareness promoted to faculty, staff and students through campus postcards and posters
- The Graduation Pledge Alliance (GPA) invites students to consider the social and environmental consequences of any future employment
| For More Info Use the Links Below | ||
| Talloires Declaration | Belmont Dining Green Initiatives | Email Judy Skeen |
