Laboratories are often thought of as controlled and sterile environments, but the UTM Center for Sustainability’s laboratory changes with every season and with each set of students that enters the university. By using the main Martin campus as a living laboratory, the Center works to educate students on the concept of sustainability and puts forth changes to promote a more sustainable campus.
Although the idea of sustainability can be viewed through a broad lens, the UTM Center for Sustainability, located on the second floor of the Paul Meek Library, bases its work around the principle that the United Nations defined in 1987, that being to not to use more resources than can be restored when developing societies.
“Imagine a Venn diagram with three overlapping circles. One is ecological, one is economic, and one is social. We try to be sure that we don’t use up natural resources faster than they can regenerate. We try to be sure that we don’t use our financial resources faster than they can generate, and we have to be sure that as we’re using resources and creating a society that is a livable society for everyone, hopefully fair and equitable,” Dr. Eric Pelren, professor of Wildlife Biology and the Center’s coordinator, said.
Scattered across his office in Brehm Hall are a variety of wood burned signs, one of which reads ‘Dad’s Office’ in primary colors.
UTM’s Center for Sustainability was created in 2018, and is funded by a $5 fee paid by students each semester. The money generated from the fee goes toward funding various projects across campus that promote sustainable options.
Groups with at least one student involved can apply for a grant from the center. From there, the Center’s Oversight Committee, which is composed of students and professors from each of UTM’s five colleges, chooses the strongest proposal based on the campus’ need and how measurable the project’s impact will be. The Center provides up to $5,000 to help groups reach their goals.
The first of the projects funded was a lightbulb exchange facilitated by the Office of Housing and Residence Life. Starting in 2018, the Center purchased and provided LED light bulbs for students living in the residence halls to use instead of CFLs or incandescent bulbs in order to conserve energy.
Another project that the Center took on was the bike sharing project, which was started on campus in 2019.
The need was brought forth by Dr. Emalee Buttrey, associate professor of Animal Science, and Dr. Sandy Mehlhorn, professor of Agricultural Engineering, through the Tractor Club and the American Cattlemen’s Association. They noted that some students who did not have personal cars on campus struggled to make the trek to the agricultural fields and buildings outside of the Quad for their classes.
Five bikes were then purchased and are stationed outside Brehm Hall and the Boling University Center for students to access at any time. Students may borrow the bikes for free through the MOVATIC app. The app also monitors the location of each bike, so students know where they can find an available bike.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the Center’s functioning, they are still working on expanding pre-existing projects and working toward other ventures.
“We would love to add more (bikes), and a really neat place to add more would be at Gooch Hall because that’s where international students are, and they usually don’t have cars,” Pelren said.
Future plans include working with the University Scholars Program to build an outdoor classroom and planning for future buildings to meet Leaders in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications. LEED certifications are the most widely-used green building program worldwide and take note of various factors, including water and energy use and choices of native plant life.
Whether the change is simple like light bulb trades or more complex like the creation of a bike-share system on campus, the center exists to benefit students.
“This center is here from the will of the students and from the pockets of the students, so I want it to serve the students,” said Pelren.
Another way the Center serves students is through providing internships. Students who earn internships through the Center report to the office, where they answer questions from those who come by the center and help with events that the center puts on, such as the recent household hazardous waste drop-off day, where locals were able to drop off products like pool chemicals, pesticides and automotive fluids to be properly disposed of.
Another major part of the interns’ job is to create ways to make students more aware of what sustainability is and how they can live more sustainably. This includes creating educational content for the Center for Sustainability’s Facebook, Instagram and TikTok accounts.
“I would say that’s maybe my biggest goal here to just create that awareness, and not just saying, ‘Okay, you’ve got to do this, you get into that,’ but actually explaining to them why they’re doing something because that can make a difference,” said Emely Van der Vliet, a sophomore sports business major from Rosmalen, The Netherlands, and an intern at the center. The internship office is tucked away in a corner and is filled with books and posters related to sustainability. On the wall on the right side of the cubicle is a whiteboard with a timetable for the student interns to plan ideas for social media posts.
Coming from the Netherlands, Van der Vliet has seen the changes she works towards put into action. The Netherlands is a much smaller country with fewer people, which allows the state to handle processes like recycling pick-up for free instead of citizens having to pay for it directly out of pocket. Buildings also tend to be closer together, which allows people to bike or walk instead of drive. If someone chooses to drive, electric vehicles are a viable option as well.
“Electric cars are really, really popular in the Netherlands because the government subsidized them, and also there are a lot of loading points. I would say, 80% of all the gas stations have an electric loading point … That’s the thing (in the United States), if you have an electric car you’re not getting very far because you can’t really load your car up. You can’t really charge it,” Van der Vliet said.
These differences, along with the initial costs of sustainable alternatives, allow Van der Vliet to get creative with her posts in order to meet the UTM community where it is right now rather than where it could be.
“It’s gonna take a lot of time to get to where we can be, but you know, the fun thing is I really like the creative side to just find the best and most fun way to create awareness for myself and students,” Van der Vliet said.
The philosophy of finding creative alternatives rings throughout the center’s whole mission. Although the more costly and expansive changes are to come, the center works to come up with creative ways to educate students and help them make changes in their own lives.
“I think my favorite thing about my position as coordinator is sharing new ideas with students and faculty across campus,” Pelren said. “So many people here have so much creativity and passion for seeking sustainable alternatives to old models of doing business, and I find it really energizing hearing their ideas and brainstorming with them how we might bring those ideas to life.”
