Student Council displayed seven sustainability projects funded by its Green Initiatives Funding Tomorrow grant on the West Range yesterday. The GIFT Committee allocated $20,000 in March to students for the purpose of reducing the University's energy costs and increasing sustainability, Committee Chair Jason Truwit said.
Council created the GIFT Committee in April 2011, after a February 2010 referendum showed 76 percent of students would support the creation of a University "green" fund. The Vice President of Student Affairs Office last spring gave Council $20,000 to explore ways to fund these projects.
Council awarded $8,700 to third-year Engineering student Kyle Smalkowski, whose group proposed installing an electrical recharging station in the Central Grounds parking garage. He said he first thought of the idea in February 2011 as a way to address the issue of "range anxiety," the belief an individual should not purchase an electric car because he fears the car's battery may not last long enough to get him to and from his destination. The charging will be free initially, but may eventually be accompanied by a fee.
Committee member Story Hinckley, a first-year College student, said Council gave a $360-award to second-year Engineering student Andrew Heekin and third-year College student River Bennett to create a sustainable composting project at their fraternity, Phi Delta Theta.
"The problem ... is that compostable waste constitutes about one-third of the solid waste stream in the United States," Heekin said.
His project will collect and compost waste from the fraternity house and mix it with rain water to fertilize a garden.
Heekin said although his fraternity brothers liked the idea, no other fraternities were interested in a similar program, but added "maybe we'll change that."
Second-year Engineering students Matt Hamilton and Greg Coffin designed energy regenerative bikes to add to the Aquatic and Fitness Center. Coffin said the bikes would easily produce enough energy to power themselves and help power the AFC.
Hamilton said the team hoped to move on to energy regenerative elliptical machines, which could be as much as 10 times as efficient in energy production. The project received about $5,000 in funding.
Hinckley said Council sought to fund projects which could be implemented quickly and would have a meaningful impact on the University community. Grant recipients must complete their projects before the end of the summer.
Truwit, a fourth-year College student, said projects must take place on-Grounds, be cost-effective and utilize student involvement. The Committee evaluated 15 total proposals for consideration.
Hinckley said Council will award another $20,000 in grants for sustainability projects next year.
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