Campus Greening: Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon

Since 2002, Lane Community College has been an active participant in the movement to run universities on clean, renewable energy. On-campus efforts began with the creation of an Energy Management Committee, which has saved the school thousands of dollars by installing direct, digital controls for heating and ventilation and organizing more efficient and longer-lasting lighting.

Since the creation of the energy committee, the college has made improvements in a variety of other areas. It has upgraded old toilets to new ones that flush automatically, using up 1.6 gallons of water per flush compared with 3.5 gallons for the older models. LCC also has a very active Recycling Committee whose impact is felt across campus. Kitchens have composters, and clothing exchanges are held frequently to eliminate old clothes being thrown in the trash. (A “Surplus Property Program” serves the same purpose with other kinds of possessions.) The school’s official recycling rate in 2004–04 was 52 percent.

In 2004, LCC established an official Sustainability Department and implemented a plan to save 20 percent on energy usage and to have the school running on 10-percent renewable energy by 2008–09. A departmental “Sustainability Group” hosts occasional four-hour workshops on how to live sustainably and to make small changes that can make a big difference. The school’s pesticide use has decreased dramatically, from 650 pounds in 1999 to a mere 9 pounds in 2003.

LCC is also looking to the future for its sustainability efforts, and aims to eventually run its maintenance vehicle fleet solely on hybrids and electric vehicles. It recently added a pair of electric golf carts and a Toyota Prius, one of the most eco-friendly cars available, to the fleet. The school also plans to emphasize sustainability and efficiency in its construction, favoring porous paving for parking lots and new, more durable flooring options.

—Mark Friese