Different Shades of Green
GoHo opens dialog across campus, but not all Colby students are interested in the conversation. One student-initiated project that is unpopular among some students is Trayless Thursdays. “Statistically, people throw away less when they don’t have trays,” said Barnwell, who has helped to measure the amount of food the dining halls discard under different conditions. A recent study indicates that on a single Trayless Thursday Colby saved 575 pounds of food from becoming waste. Trayless days also save water used to wash the trays. But some students say taking away trays isn’t the answer. “Trayless Thursdays are like going to Shaw’s supermarket without a shopping cart—annoying,” said Drew Piekarski ’08.
In this case student resistance hasn’t been strong enough to end Trayless Thursdays. But other factors have made it impossible for some projects to move past the proposal phase. A student-proposed wind turbine, which could have potentially produced green electricity for the campus, did not happen because detailed research determined that it would not be justfied because of wind conditions. “There was some enthusiasm for this [wind turbine] last year, but the student did a feasibility study and the Physical Plant Department did their own feasibility study,” said Kopp. “It’s not happening—not because the ball got dropped but because it’s not best suited for our campus.”
Students have reached beyond campus, too, and used their resources and skills to benefit Maine. Emmie Theberge ’08 focused on a huge land development proposed for the Moosehead Lake region. She gathered data and held a public a forum to educate the community on the potential impact. The local co-op will benefit more than just students looking to buy local food—it will be good for many people in the region. “Students are using their skills in a way that can actually benefit the local community, and I think that’s really neat” said Tietenberg.
Students grow and change from the time they are first-years to the time they are seniors, but right now the desire to be green spans all the classes. From the freshmen intent on reducing carbon emissions to senior Alaina Clark and her efforts to create a greener graduation, Colby students find time to act on their passion for the environment despite all the homework and classes vying for their time. The energy to come up with ideas and create change may be a result of all that fair-trade coffee they are drinking, but thanks to the administration and environmental groups on campus, students are learning how to harness their energy to save energy and tread lightly on our earth.
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