Students looking for more opportunities to go green and be sustainable won’t have to look any further.
The USGBC Students – Michigan State University group recently was established to unite like-minded students who want to make positive environmental impacts on campus, said Alyssa Vennard, an interior design senior and president of the group.
The USGBC is the U.S. Green Building Council, which works to motivate communities to build LEED-certified — or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — buildings that are environmentally sustainable.
“We want to educate our generation (to go) beyond just energy and recycling,” Vennard said. “There are a lot of little things you can do.”
Interior design junior Amelia Richards said the group is preparing for the Campus Conservation Nationals 2012 at MSU from Feb. 6-27, a national competition to encourage sustainability at colleges.
Although final details of the competition still must be determined, residents in Emmons Hall and a yet-to-be-named hall in the Brody Neighborhood are slated to compete to see who uses the least amount of energy.
“Michigan State is very much a green and sustainable school,” Richards said. “Students of all different backgrounds can come together and learn about sustainable practices.”
To truly act sustainable, students first need to understand that “green buildings” are important, she said. Although unplugging electronics and not wasting water are some of the actions people can take, Vennard said monitoring indoor air quality and using more natural sunlight in buildings can reduce costs.
Some people might scoff at the high up-front costs when building green, but Anthony Offak, USGBC Students regional Michigan chair, said those people might not fully realize the long-term payback.
“Right now, a lot of the stuff that makes a building green is becoming more and more inexpensive,” he said.
Vennard said Lynda Boomer, energy and environmental engineer with the MSU Physical Plant, is working closely with the newly founded group. Although Boomer was not available for an interview Wednesday, she previously told The State News that energy conservation at MSU is necessary to be sustainable.
“If we don’t need it, turn it off,” she said. “Conservation is key, and we’ve got a lot of efforts going on in that way.”
The group’s first general meeting is slated for 6:30 p.m. Jan. 30 in the Union’s Green Room.
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