TO: Ethel
Cantu, President- Academic Senate
FROM: Pat Wade, Senator- CSMT & Chair- ER Comm.
RE: REPORT-
Senate Committee on Environmental Responsibility
The charge to this committee
from the President of the Senate was to:
·
Develop a plan
for sustainable habitat on campus that preserves remaining native plants and
enhances resources for wildlife.
·
Develop a
recycling plan that includes receptacles for specific products and education
material to foster environmental responsibility.
Subcommittees were created to
investigate each area, and, as is common with most committees, the group
created more work by also looking at the UTB/TSC Master Plan and an
“environmental responsibility” student pledge.
The following is a summary report of those recommendations with an
attached Addendum that includes the complete reports.
Sustainable Campus Sub-committee: Dr.
Ravi Nandigam (Chair),
Virginia Maldonado-Maxwell, Juan D. Garza, Enrique Saldivar,
Dr. William Berg
Flora and fauna: Efforts should be made not to disturb the natural balance between our
campus’ natural ecosystems. The
possibility of generating a natural laboratory on campus through fostering a conducive environment for the flora and fauna native to this
area should be explored. When developed this laboratory will be beneficial to
university students as well as naturalists and hence will become an academic
resource and may also have positive impact on local economy.
Wastewater:
UTB/TSC should consider inviting PUB to divert their clean effluent as feed water for our resacas.
This would provide a stream of irrigation water for campus needs.
Gray water: With appropriately plumbed buildings, grey
water could be piped to small constructed wetlands. Appropriate flora and fauna
in the wetlands would convert the gray water into clean water and plant and
animal nutrients.
Transportation: Most, if not all, on-campus vehicles should
be electric. The institution should develop a transportation system made of
trolley or bus and pick up students from parking garages, parking areas or
designated points throughout the city.
Architecture: New building design should consider
prevailing wind direction , tree shading, windows that
open, and motion sensors for light
switching.
Energy generation: Solar heated
water, wind energy resource., and electricity from
solar panels. (Where and when these alternative forms are cost effective.)
Education: Freshman-/Sophomore
level course in “Environmental Awareness”; annual half-day environmental
awareness workshop for UTB/TSC Faculty and Staff; presentations and workshops
in BISD; Bachelors Program in
Interdisciplinary (Geology, Biology, Chemistry and Engineering Technology)
Environmental Science; and support for research in the areas of bioremediation,
solar and wind energy.
Despite efforts made in the
past, there is currently no university-wide effort being made to recycle waste
products at UTB-TSC. An institutionally
supported initiative to recycle would reflect an environmental awareness on the
part of the institution, and should provide an example to students as well as
the community. In addition, certain
recyclable products can generate financial proceeds which could benefit student
clubs and organizations.
Master Plan Enhancement Subcommittee: Dr. Elizabeth heise,
Chair; Dr.
David Hicks; Dr. Paula Parson,; Ms. Pat Celaya
The Master Plan Enhancement Subcommittee
recommends that the following list of items should be incorporated to the
institutional Master Plan in order to focus on environmental responsibility:
Create a
water-efficient landscape ; utlize xeriscaping; appropriate native plant selection ; utilize
plants that attract target species; reduce the use of invasive plant species;
establish a long-term plan to preserve current habitats; preservation and
rehabilitation of existing wetlands; initiate re-vegetation program;
appropriate maintenance for existing and revitalized native habitats;
incorporate environmental awareness programs for the community ; signage
identifying native plants and habitats; implement gradually over several years.
Subcommittee on Environmental Awareness
Student Pledge: Under
construction.
Each committee’s
complete report is included in the Addendum.
The committee
believes that these suggestions for the creation of an environmentally
sustainable campus should be discussed and blessed by the Academic Senate and,
accordingly, be forwarded to and through the appropriate administrative
channels for consideration and approval.
With this approval and, ultimately, institutional support, these
recommendations could grow into something we could all be proud of from an environmental perspective. After all: “Money is the green stuff that
makes things grow.”
Hopefully this exercise won’t become another