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Accomplishments

Sustainable Dining

  • Formed the Sustainable Dining Committee.
  • Launched Sustainable Dining Club with 140 members. Members can dine waste-free on and off campus by carrying a cloth napkin, metal silver ware and a refillable water bottle and mug.  Washable to-go containers are available in Collis Café and Homeplate.
  • Implemented a Sustainable Dining Prototype in the dining hall know as Homeplate. Changes include:
    • 90% post-consumer, 100% recycled, chlorine-free napkins & dispensers.
    • Compostable and durable take-out container options.
    • Extensive bulk condiment bar -- eliminated almost all packaged condiments.
    • Installed cases for muffins, cookies and bulk snacks.
    • Increased food items from Vermont and New Hampshire farms.
    • Moved to-go containers to less convenient location.
    • Installed milk machine.
    • Reduced packaging.
    • Identified products with compostable and or minimal packaging.
    • Enhanced recycling and composing behind the scenes.
    • Education – social marketing, developed “Taste not Waste” tag line, displays and articles.
    • Redesigned tray clearing area and processing of compost, recycling and trash.

Support of Student Initiatives

  • Supported the formation of Sustainable Dartmouth, a student-led roundtable.
  • Employ student interns.
  • Formed Green Greeks intern position.
  • Supported Sustainable Move-out and move-in where 3 tractor-trailer loads of items to be discarded were captured, cleaned, repaired, priced and sold back to incoming students.

Carbon Reduction and Energy

  • Energy Task Force Initiated.
  • Energy Campaign 2006.
  • New light switch logo designed & released – replacing existing stickers as needed.
  • Worked with FOM in developing and releasing a campus-wide energy conservation statement.
  • Supported SPARC Dorm Energy contest.
  • 5.5 % oil use reduction 2004-2005 Oct.-April, $250,000 savings.
  • Solar Thermal Project -- Completed matrix analyzing 30 buildings. Researched and toured four best applications.
    • Proposal received for Alumni Gym.
    • Engineering study approved for McKenzie Hall.

Garbage Reduction & Recycling Enhancement

  • Solid Waste Reduction Committee Initiated.
  • Recycling in Greek houses and Dorms improved. Sustainability coordinators enlisted and trained for most of the Greek houses.
  • Waste-free dining initiated.
  • Worked with ECO to secure recycling in every dorm room.
  • Carry your Trash for EarthDay.
  • Sustainable move-out and move-in.
  • Conducted detailed dining waste survey

Sustainable Office

  • 27 Sustainability Coordinators enlisted and trained in a retreat titled The Art of Sustainability, run in cooperation with Hood Museum of Art exhibit “El Anatsui.”
  • Training Manual created for offices, Greek houses and dorms.
  • Sustainability Brochure, Survey and Eco-Audit created.
  • Developed power point and Sustain-conserve Checklist.
  • Led visioning session at Provost Office retreat.
    • Duplex printing analyzed and software installed.
    • 100% recycled chlorine-free paper now available through Procurement.
    • Enhanced lunch room recycling.
    • Purchased two catering kits for Presidents and Provosts office.
    • Catered waste-free lunches for large groups.
    • Evaluated Parkhurst (2nd and 3rd floors) for motion & IR detectors, timers, lighting retrofits w/costs and payback periods.

Indicators

  • Sustainability data published in annual Fact Book.
  • Sustainability Report released 10/2/06.
  • Building Feedback poster in 60 buildings display monthly water, electric and heat use compared to last year and compared to average campus building.

New Building Projects

  • Provide input on new building projects as needed.
  • Assisted in creating Integrated Design and Performance Matrix.

Communication

  • Logo and 'Branding' design
  • Created Website
  • Served on Review board for ENGS 44 Ecological Design
  • Lectured:
    • ENVS1: Humans and Nature in America
    • ENGS 44: Sustainable Design
    • ECS 151: Environmental and Occupational Health
    • GEOG 1: Introduction to Human Geography
    • GEOG 5: Global Climate Change
    • ENVS50: Environmental Analysis and Policy Formulation
    • Tuck School BSI Conference
    • Health Awareness Program lunch-hour lecture
    • Collis Common Ground, First Friday, Rotary, Sustainability Institute, American Society of Civil Engineers, UNH Department Seminar, UVM Class, Vital Signs
    • Thayer School Jones Seminar
    • Commencement speaker -- Putney School, Vermont Law School
  • Published Articles:
    • The Green Magazine, Winter 06, full page, The Latest Word…
    • Thayer School of Engineering, 01-06-06, Sustainable Design at Dartmouth
    • Valley News, 10-23-05, Back Talk, Low-Wattage Living
    • The Green Magazine, Fall 05, The Latest word…
    • Notes to Neighbors, Sept. 05
  • Media coverage:
    • The Harvard Crimson, 02-01-07, Green Harvard Makes the Grade
    • Grist, 01-27-07, Have Some Class: College Sustainability Report Card
    • Yale Daily News, 01-26-07, Univ. fifth in sustainability, Investments bring overall score down
    • The Dartmouth, 01-25-07, Sustainability initiatives earn College top marks
    • Inside Higher Education, 01-24-07, A Sustainability Report Card
    • The Chronicle of Higher Education. 01-24-07, On Sustainability Report Card, Most Colleges Surveyed Earn Only a C
    • CNN Money, 01-24-07, Universities don't ace the green test
    • USA TODAY, 01-24-07, Colleges graded on environmental practices
    • Channel 3 TV interview, 10-16-06, Sustainable Dining at Homeplate
    • The Dartmouth,09-21-06,  Front page, Homeplate aims to be waste-free
    • VOX, 09-25-06 Waste Watchers – Pilot program invites campus community to join Sustainable Dining Club
    • New Hampshire Public Radio, 09-19-06, an experiment in "sustainable dining"
    • Times Union, Albany, NY, 08-20-06, With World in Mind, he is living with less
    • The Dartmouth, 08-15-06 Front Page, Pilot Dining Program targets student waste
    • The Dartmouth, 07-04-06 Front Page, Greener to-go boxes debut at Food Court
    • The Dartmouth, 08-15-06 Front Page, Pilot Dining Program targets student waste
    • Valley News, front page 04-21-06 The Hallowed Hauls of Trash
    • The D Opinion 04-21-06 Sustaining Earth Day
    • Yale Herald, 04-07-06, Green eggs in Hanover
    • VOX, 04-03-06 Shell Game
    • Dartmouth Alumni Magazine Mar/Apr 2006, Environment
    • The D, front page 03-30-06 DDS switches to eggs from Cage-free chickens
    • Valley New, 03-26-06, A good Day for Chickens
    • New Hampshire Business Review, 03-16-06, Two more schools pick Pete and Gerry’s
    • The D, editorial 03-08-06, Verbum Ultimum
    • The D, Front Page, 03-06-06, Year later, sustainability still in planning stages
    • New Hampshire Magazine, Feb 06, Frugal New Hampshire
    • Valley News 02-22-06, letter to the editor
    • Valley News, Calendar, 01-31-06
    • The D, 01-27-06, Discussion focuses on waste in Greek houses
    • Cornell alumni magazine, Nov/Dec 06, across the green divide
    • The Green Magazine, Fall 05, Sustainability: More than a one man job
    • Dartmouth Free Press,11-18-05, Sustainability Arrives
    • Valley News, 11-05-05, Sustainability Director wants less Waste at College
    • The D, Front page, 11-04-05, Merkel preaches sustainability
    • Valley New, 11-03-05, Dartmouth to Unveil Sustainability Plan Valley News, 10-25-05 Energy Expert Says it Pays to Build Green
    • Connecticut Valley Spectator, 07-07-05, Weapons engineer morphs into sustainability guru
    • Vermont standard, 06-23-05, Energy Woes Threaten Suburbia
    • NHPR, 06-17-05, Front Porch with John Walters, Sustainable Living
    • Dartmouth Review, 06-02-05, Sustain This
    • The D, 04-27-05 Merkel appointed first sustainability director
    • The D, 03-27-05, Students cite Merkel as first choice for position

Last Updated: 4/12/07