1. Building a Sustainability Culture at SMC… and How You Can Help?
Riley Smith, Sustainability Coordinator
Staff Council
10/13/15

2. Today’s Flow 1. Wait, what does Riley do again?
2. What is the college doing?
3. What can Staff Council & Staff do?

3. What is sustainability?
Saint Mary’s defines the term as “commitments and behaviors that are ecologically viable, socially just, and economically sound, and will continue to be so for future generations.”
Community
Campus
Environment Air quality, food services, energy, landscaping, transportation, water, waste
Economy Purchasing habits, business partnerships
Society Community Service, affordability, curriculum, student/employee health, student life, diversity
Curriculum

4. Saint mary’s College and Sustainability
Before we begin, we wanted to provide a history – a primer – of where Saint Mary’s was and where we endeavor to be as it pertains to climate change and sustainablity

5. History of Sustainability at SMC
2006
2011
2014
Sustainability Committee formed
Mission & Vision adopted

6. Sustainability Distinctions at SMC
32% reduction in water (~9 million gallons) in 2015
100% of our electricity is being offset through the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (EPA Green Power Partner)
3,500 lbs of produce from the Legacy Garden (1,236 volunteer hours)
Over 42,000 community service hours ( )
SMC One Planet Film Festival (10 films)
420 acre campus (328 of which are vegetated)
All office paper purchased has 30%+ recycled content
We are committing a light audit to upgrade our fixtures

7. Sustainability Highlights – This semester
Waste Diversion (move-in, Oliver Hall, Residence Halls)
Spring 2015 – ~25-35% diversion rate
Fall 2015-Spring 2016 – Goal of 50% diversion rate
Student Life: Green Gaels & Waste Defense Team (2015)
Newly hired staff: sustainability orientation
Initiated our 1st Sustainability Assessment to Freshman (2015)
New programs: Farmigo, Carpool program, lighting audit, & more.

8. Laudato Si’ and Saint Mary’s College
4 THEMES
Technology as a driver and a deterrent (w/o ethics, tech progress should be goal. It can distract us from the real problem and but also can empower solutions)
Ecological = social; you can’t separate people from the environment (The poor face the consequences of our actions and they do not have the means to actually deal with it.)
Inconvenient Truth mentioned several times, and fortunately we get a glimpse of Al today.
Tangible items = greywater, takeout program at Oliver Hall, composting, paperless offices

9. 2015-2016 Goals 1. Build the student voice on campus
2. Create a sustainability experience for each student & staff
3. Streamline our waste stream experience at Oliver Hall & the Residence Halls.
4. Continue to build sustainability as a brand and unique element at SMC.
a. Events (ex. Encyclical; climate change)
b. Tangible projects (ex. Light and water audits)
c. Programming (ex. Gonzaga energy/waste competition)
d. Staff coalitions (ex. Ambassador program)

10. What can you do?

11. Personal Commitments
Make a commitment to have a personal affect and share your story:
- Water: navy shower? graywater? irrigation?
- Food: local? seasonal? meatless?
- Waste: Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle, Rot
- Energy: heating/cooling? hang drying? outlets?
- Transportation: bike? bus? carpool?
- Purchasing: is price the only factor?

12. Green Gael Living, #greengaels
Need a guide? goo.gl/HVMD31

13. What can you do in my SMC community?

14. Host Green Meetings/Events

16. Sustainability Ambassadors
Purpose: to serve as a liaison
Commitment: 2 hours/mo.
Duties:
Learn about different facets of sustainability (ex. brown bag lunch)
Apply simple tactics at workspace
Communicate efforts to peers/ colleagues
What I need:
Identification of staff
Promotion/marketing
Other support as needed

17. Office Certification

18. Contact info
Have a question?
Facebook:
Instagram: smcsustainability