Month: February 2015

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MCLA’s 2015 Green Living Seminar Series: Issues in Climate Change

Every semester, our friends in the North host a Green Living Seminar Series focusing on different aspects of environmentalism and sustainability.  This spring’s theme is Issues in Climate Change and features local leaders in the field. Tonight’s seminar is “Clean Energy Policy in the Commonwealth” with State Senator Ben Downing.  Please click here for more information on this and other Green Living events.

 

The Green Living Seminars are held every Thursday evening at 5:30 pm in Murdock Hall, room 218 on the MCLA campus.    These events are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.  Podcasts are available after the event.

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Small Things

“Not all of us can do great things.  But we can do small things with great love.” 

Mother Teresa

‘Tis the season of love, so I thought it would be a nice time to reflect on the small things we can do to live more sustainably.  Many people get frustrated when they can’t make huge changes, like buying an electric car or going off the grid, but the little acts are important.   The little acts, performed with great love, can create a paradigm shift that opens up more opportunities for sustainable living and a cleaner, greener future.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Recycle! Now is a great time to start recycling as we are in the middle of Recycle Mania!
  • Compost!  Did you know that almost everything from the cafeteria is compostable?  The only things that can’t go into the compost bins are glass, plastic, and metal.
  • Turn off your computer monitor when you leave your office!  This simple act can save a lot of money and energy.
  • Go vegetarian or vegan!  Factory farming is a major contributor to climate change and produces massive amounts of pollution.  Giving up or reducing your animal product intake is a compassionate choice that’s also good for your health!  Choose veg!
  • Divest from fossil fuels!  Did you know that this week is Global Divestment Week?  If you have a retirement account or investments, you can choose where your money goes!  This small act sends a powerful message to the fossil fuel companies. 
  • SUBSCRIBE TO THE BCC GREEN TEAM BLOG!  Sign up with your email to get updates on campus green events, local volunteer opportunities, and eco-friendly tips. 
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Recyclemania is Back!

recyclemania_itsbackRecycleMania 2015 starts this week (and will end on March 28th).  Last year BCC finished 24th out of 259 colleges and universities, with a 54.7% recycling rate. We beat – no, CRUSHED, schools like Harvard and MIT.

We’re going to have a hard time topping that this year, but we’d like to try – by getting to a 60% recycling rate for starters.  For a refresher on rules of the competition, and on what you can and cannot recycle and compost, see the brief FAQ (and links) below.

Here’s to another great competition!

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Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I bring recyclables from home?

No – I can’t believe you even asked that!  That’s cheating (plus I don’t think Dave, Tammy, and the custodial staff would appreciate it).

Can I clean out my office?

Yes!  It is within RecycleMania rules to clean out your office, throw away old papers, etc., during the contest, as long as it is something you would normally do anyway (and hey, um, aren’t we going to be doing a lot of office cleaning in the next couple of months?). If you clean out old files between now and March 28th that will count toward our total.

What can I recycle?

Please see the Green Team’s Recycling page for all kinds of information on what you can recycle on campus:

http://blogs.berkshirecc.edu/bccgreenteam/recycling/

How can I find out more about RecycleMania or follow results over the next ten weeks?

The competition runs from now until the end of March.  Go to the RecycleMania website at http://www.recyclemania.org/

What can I do to help?

Aside from doing your best to recycle, you can encourage students to do the same.  For example, please remind students to throw bottles and paper in the recycling bins outside the classrooms (rather than the small trash cans inside the classrooms, if there is one).  For those students who find it difficult to hold on to their Vitamin Water bottle for an extra ten feet, public shaming is encouraged.

The contest also measures how much we reduce waste – so it is helpful if you can find ways to reduce paper forms, paper handouts in classes, and so on.  (And: the college is saving several thousand dollars a year because we’ve reduced the number of trash pickups).

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact Chris Laney at 236-4631, or claney@berkshirecc.edu