WSU Celebrates Earth Day
OGDEN, Utah –Weber State University is dedicated to becoming a greener and cleaner campus and will celebrate Earth Day with tree planting and an electric lawn mower and trimmer exchange.
Since 2009, WSU has reduced consumption of electricity by 33 percent, natural gas consumption by 35 percent and total greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent. WSU has reduced energy costs by 47 percent in the last 10 years, saving more than $11.7 million. This has all been accomplished while Weber State has added 603,183 square feet in new or renovated buildings.
Tree Planting – April 18, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
For years, community members and students have helped plant trees around campus for Earth Day. The tradition continues this year. Volunteers will meet at the WSU practice field (south of the W8 parking lot). Trees help clean pollutants from the air, as well as beautify the campus and unite those who come together to plant.
Mower/Trimmer Exchange – April 27, 9-11 a.m., Weber State University Davis (2750 University Park Blvd., Layton)
Weber State’s sustainability offices have partnered with the state Department of Air Quality and the Weber-Morgan, Davis, Salt Lake and Utah health departments to help residents switch to electric lawn equipment. Operating a gas-powered lawn mower for one hour emits the same amount of pollutants as driving a car 160 miles.
Residents of Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, Tooele and Utah counties who entered and were selected from a random lottery are eligible for a $99 electric lawn mower or $49 trimmer when they trade in an old, gas-powered tool. This year’s lawn mower exchange program will provide 1,259 electric mowers and 972 trimmers. The exchange will take place at the WSU Davis parking lot.
Ongoing Sustainability Efforts:
Carbon Neutral Goal
In 2007, Weber State made a commitment to become carbon neutral by 2050. Weber State is ahead of schedule, expecting to meet the goal by 2040 or sooner.
More Solar Power
Since 2016, a seven-acre solar field has provided 100 percent of WSU Davis’s electrical needs. This summer, Weber State will install its first solar covered-parking array over the W10 lot, on the north west side of the Ogden campus. The array will house 550 kilowatts of solar panels that will feed directly into Lindquist Hall and the campus electrical grid. The power produced by the array is expected to offset 80 percent of Lindquist Hall’s energy consumption.
Campus-wide Green Department Certification Program
WSU’s Green Department Certification Program encourages offices and departments on campus to support university-wide sustainability efforts. The voluntary, competitive program allows participating departments to assemble a “Green Team” and earn points by making their departments more sustainable. Depending on the number of points achieved, the department may be certified as bronze, silver, gold or green. Currently, 70 offices and departments are involved and actively seeking certification.
Sustainability Summit
Weber State has hosted the Intermountain Sustainability Summit every year since 2009. This year’s 10th anniversary event brought more than 400 people together from across Utah and the country for two days of sustainability programming and networking on March 21-22.
Awards
In March, Weber State achieved a Silver rating in the national Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating (STAR) System, which is administered by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.
Additionally, Weber State was awarded the Tree Campus U.S.A. recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation. This designation requires that a college campus have a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan and dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program.
For photos, visit the following links.
Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
Ross Rosier, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7948 • rossrosier@weber.edu- Contact:
Alice Mulder, Sustainability Practices and Research Center director
801-626-6198 • amulder@weber.edu