Spring Break
Sustainability Team dreams in green
Alexia Lang
Issue date: 6/1/09 Section: News
Even as most of the university breaks for summer, the Sustainability Team is keeping an eye on the goal of greening campus.
The Sustainability Team held their final meeting of the spring semester April 29 to discuss the progress made in their eight key areas of focus for 2009 and to develop game plans for summer.
Out of the eight areas of focus, the team's top priority is transportation, and many advancements are being made.
A bike-centric map of campus is in the making, according to Beau Baker, from Bridging the Gap.
Throughout the summer, Baker hopes to place bike racks across campus where they will be used the most.
"I don't think anyone really knew where all of the racks are," Baker said. "Now we will have that on our map."
The team also discussed bus passes for university employees and students.
Discounted bus passes for students was one of the concerns students brought before administrators during the Tent State event in April.
The Kansas City Area Transit Authority is willing to offer the passes if it is a mandated fee for all students. The fee to students would be around $1.50 per-credit-hour. Students will be voting on the issue in the fall.
Additionally, Swinney Recreation Center now offers four bikes that can be checked out by the hour.
The other areas of focus for 2009 (in order of importance as assigned by the team) include, sustainability support, education, green purchasing, residential life, recycling, landscape and resource.
Each of these areas have representatives who plan to push for the goals over the summer.
The next Sustainability Team meeting is 2-3 p.m. on July 29 in the Gillham Room of the Administrative Center. All meetings are open to anyone who would like to attend.
The team is discussing scheduling field trips during regular meetings. One of the first places they plan to visit during the fall semester is the Deffenbaugh Recycling Plant.
Contact Kaye Johnston, Sustainability Team leader, at johnstonrk@umkc.edu for more information.
alang@unews.com
The Sustainability Team held their final meeting of the spring semester April 29 to discuss the progress made in their eight key areas of focus for 2009 and to develop game plans for summer.
Out of the eight areas of focus, the team's top priority is transportation, and many advancements are being made.
A bike-centric map of campus is in the making, according to Beau Baker, from Bridging the Gap.
Throughout the summer, Baker hopes to place bike racks across campus where they will be used the most.
"I don't think anyone really knew where all of the racks are," Baker said. "Now we will have that on our map."
The team also discussed bus passes for university employees and students.
Discounted bus passes for students was one of the concerns students brought before administrators during the Tent State event in April.
The Kansas City Area Transit Authority is willing to offer the passes if it is a mandated fee for all students. The fee to students would be around $1.50 per-credit-hour. Students will be voting on the issue in the fall.
Additionally, Swinney Recreation Center now offers four bikes that can be checked out by the hour.
The other areas of focus for 2009 (in order of importance as assigned by the team) include, sustainability support, education, green purchasing, residential life, recycling, landscape and resource.
Each of these areas have representatives who plan to push for the goals over the summer.
The next Sustainability Team meeting is 2-3 p.m. on July 29 in the Gillham Room of the Administrative Center. All meetings are open to anyone who would like to attend.
The team is discussing scheduling field trips during regular meetings. One of the first places they plan to visit during the fall semester is the Deffenbaugh Recycling Plant.
Contact Kaye Johnston, Sustainability Team leader, at johnstonrk@umkc.edu for more information.
alang@unews.com
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