“I’ve been to a lot of schools and seen a lot of programs and what we’re doing here is really quite unique,” says Cait McClanahan, sustainability coordinator for Berea College’s dining services. She is speaking of the college’s ability to fulfill food needs through the college farm—including returning kitchen waste back to the soil through the large-scale composting system. Yet it’s important to remember that this symbiotic relationship has only been re-established recently as a part of Berea College’s and several concerned students and staff members’ goals to drastically reduce the school’s carbon footprint. Continue reading Fresh, healthful and sustainable: Berea’s local foods →
Tag: sustainability
Lighting, Fans, and Pool Cover Retrofits
“You can feel the air moving in here” says HVAC and Energy Manager Diane Zekind, noting that the newly installed energy-efficient fans in Seabury’s natatorium have noticeably improved the room’s climate. A part of the fan’s energy efficiency is their size. At 18 feet long, these fans turned on high will send a piece of paper flurrying across the room. Their ability to circulate both warm air in the winter and cool air the rest of the year will reduce the number of months the school will need run their central chillers. In the winter, Zekind expects the increased circulation to enable setting the thermostat a little lower than usual. Continue reading Lighting, Fans, and Pool Cover Retrofits →
Berea College Using the Sun to Compact Trash
Berea College is transitioning to solar powered trash compactors and eliminating many dumpsters on campus. Continue reading Berea College Using the Sun to Compact Trash →
Berea College Begins Construction on “Deep Green Residence Hall”
Berea College will begin construction on what will be the most energy-efficient residence hall in the commonwealth of Kentucky, if not the country, in April 2012. The three-story, 42,000 square foot building – referred to as the “Deep Green Residence Hall” – will be constructed adjacent to Boone Tavern Hotel & Restaurant and will house 120 students in 66 rooms. Construction is expected to be completed by August 2013. Continue reading Berea College Begins Construction on “Deep Green Residence Hall” →
Berea College Hosts Sustainability Summit with Nationally Recognized Experts, April 13
Berea College will host a Sustainability Summit on April 13 in Baird Lounge in the Alumni Building. This day of sustainability conversations will feature nationally recognized authorities David Orr, Debra Rowe, Rev. Sally Bingham and Leander Lacy. Continue reading Berea College Hosts Sustainability Summit with Nationally Recognized Experts, April 13 →
Social Entrepreneur Ben Powell presents Berea College Convocation, Feb. 23
Ben Powell shares with Berea’s next generation of change makers how he cultivates change using his innovative approach toward social responsibility. Powell’s Berea College convocation lecture, “Sustainable Enterprise: Agora Partnerships,” on February 23 at 3 p.m. in Phelps Stokes Auditorium is free and open to the public. The convocation is sponsored by Berea’s Entrepreneurship for the Public Good (EPG) program. Continue reading Social Entrepreneur Ben Powell presents Berea College Convocation, Feb. 23 →
President Clinton Features Berea College in Energy Speech
On July 6, 2011, at a conference in Washington D.C., President Clinton mentions Berea College and students Hong Durandal and Sasha Solomatova for their sustainability efforts.
Photo Courtesy: Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton
Berea Blue Bikes Officially Opens
Berea Blue Bikes, a campus-wide bike sharing program, is officially open for Berea College students and faculty. Operated by the Berea Bikes Community Shop, located in the bottom floor of the Alumni Building, Berea Blue Bikes will allow members of the Berea College community to check out bikes for a certain period of time and ride them wherever they need to go. Much like with library books, patrons will be able to check out a bike for free and renew their checkout if necessary. This program, which existed in a previous form in 2005, has been created as “an easy way for Berea students and faculty alike to have access to bicycles as an alternative to walking or driving around the community,” says Jordan Engel, Berea student and co-founder of Berea Blue Bikes. This program has been made possible through the efforts and initiative of Engel, a junior, and his fellow Berea Bikes employee, Denny Scalf, a senior. Continue reading Berea Blue Bikes Officially Opens →