We are seeking your feedback regarding ideas expressed at the UNI Campus Conversation on Sustainability!
On April 14, 2009 approximately 120 UNI faculty, staff and students gathered in the Maucker Union Ballroom to engage in a campus wide discussion about sustainability and the role and responsibility of UNI as responsible environmental stewards. This meeting was sponsored and supported by the UNI Energy Conservation Committee, the UNI Sustainability Council, the Division of Administration and Financial Services and the Office of the President. The Energy Conservation Committee task group that planned the event consisted of Jan Hanish, Dean Shoars, Lou Weber, and Jack Yates (convener).
The goal of the project was to invite all members of the campus community to discuss thematic areas and to provide input, ideas, share concerns, and identify strategies that could assist the University in decision making as it pertains to sustainability initiatives outlined by the University, Board of Regents, and the state of Iowa.
To review the suggestions shared at the conversation, click here.
Comments (3)
good work Jack!
Posted by Jim Walters | May 29, 2009 9:18 AM
Posted on May 29, 2009 09:18
If trees help reduce carbon emissions, why did UNI cut down the perfectly healthy (cyprus?) tree
next to the facilities services building? Just wondered.
Posted by Luke Wilson | June 9, 2009 8:45 AM
Posted on June 9, 2009 08:45
Luke:
The tree in question was a stately Concolor Fir, located between the Curris Business Building and Baker Hall.
Unfortunately, the tree in question was struck by lightning on Sunday, June 7th. The lighting severely split the tree causing it to become structurally unstable. This is why the tree was removed. See photos at: http://www.vpaf.uni.edu/fs/services/tree_lightning_strike.html
Trees sequester atmospheric carbon as they grow. Trees removed from campus are often re-purposed as firewood, compost or landscape mulch. These uses eventually return the sequestered carbon of the tree to the atmosphere.
The tree was measured by the tree rings to be about 75 years old. It provided shade, habitat, aesthetic appeal and carbon sequestration on campus since 1934. The good news is that trees are a renewable resource that are systematically replaced on campus as they are lost. Replacing lost trees preserves the ongoing carbon sequestration potential of campus lands.
Posted by Paul Meyermann | June 11, 2009 11:52 AM
Posted on June 11, 2009 11:52