Project Crunchtime, Looking Back and Moving Forward

For those of you that don’t know, “Project Crunchtime” is a gameday-recycling initiative in the Grove, Circle, and Vaught-Hemingway Stadium that takes place on Ole Miss football Saturdays. This initiative developed out of the Green Grove Initiative, and the 2009 football season marked the first full year of implementation. Looking back, the first year of “Project Crunchtime” was successful. However, there could be many improvements to the program, which would be aimed at more effective, more efficient, and most importantly, more sustainable tailgating.

First of all let’s look at the positives associated with “Project Crunchtime;” in five gameday recycling efforts 46 individuals volunteered to help with education and outreach. “Project Crunchtime” would not be possible without volunteer support. In the 2009 season, we sorted and recycled 1.8 tons of waste that would have otherwise ended up in the landfill. This waste included 1,219 lbs of #1 and #2 plastics and 2,409 lbs of aluminum cans. As the season progressed, so did the amount of recyclables we collected. In the final two home games, we collected 703 lbs of recyclables respectively. Lastly, the University of Mississippi has the most complex and advanced gameday-recycling program in the state of Mississippi. This is an excellent start, and we are extremely proud of this accomplishment. However, we would like to not only be a leader in the state of Mississippi but also the SEC and eventually the entire nation. To do so, we must make some fundamental changes to our gameday-recycling program.

For “Project Crunchtime” to continue to evolve, in 2010 it is imperative that we see an increase in student engagement and participation. Volunteers are the backbone of this program because they provide the necessary education and outreach to other tailgaters about more sustainable tailgating practices. We also have to see increased participation from alumni, as they are just as instrumental in the volunteering aspect of “Project Crunchtime.” Another area that needs significant growth for “Project Crunchtime” to continue is more involvement with public relations. “Project Crunchtime” is trying to change a culture to a more sustainable tailgating culture here at Ole Miss without changing those gameday traditions that we all love so much. We need to harness the power of the media, as we all know that the media is one of the greatest facilitators of information in this day in age. Lastly, for “Project Crunchtime” to be a success in 2010 we will have to see an extreme improvement in recycling inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. In 2009 this was basically nonexistent. In fact, out of the 7 home football games in 2009, we were not able to sort any recyclable materials collected inside of the stadium. This was mainly due to the fact that our recycling containers inside the stadium were contaminated with food, drink, or materials that could not be recycled and should not have been placed in the bin. For this to improve in 2010, athletics must become more involved in the gameday recycling process.

Moving forward, the Office of Campus Sustainability is extremely excited about the future of “Project Crunchtime.” The sky is literally the limit on how far this program can go. Besides the fact that we are doing the right thing for our environment and our future by recycling, we are also saving the University of Mississippi money. In fact, it has been estimated that just making these few subtle changes to our already expanding gameday-recycling program could save the University of Mississippi $75,000 in waste management costs. There you go UM, you’ve got the numbers and you’ve got the facts. We certainly know you can talk the talk; however, the unanswered question is: can you walk the walk as well?

Elliott Warren, GSIP Intern, Junior Public Policy and Leadership Major

Green Nutrition

We all want to be healthy and look our best, but what is the best way to achieve that? We have all seen the diets on TV with the amazing before and after pictures, but that is not the solution to our problem. Having food shipped to you or taking a pill and being able to eat whatever you want may seem like the dream. But think about what that is really doing to your body and the environment. All of the gas that it takes for the food to get to you is 17 times more than if your diet had come from local farms. This could be one of the solutions, and it is known as the 100-mile diet in which you eat all locally grown food. This does not guarantee sustainability, but it may help reduce wastes.

From April to September Oxford has a Mid-town Farmers’ Market. Vendors at the farmers’ market have a variety of locally-grown fruits, vegetables, eggs, dairy items, baked goods, and herbs. The market also features weekly musical entertainment and monthly children's activities. Making nutrition fun is what it is all about. Once you enjoy getting your food and understand what you should eat, being healthy is not as bad as you thought. Another idea is being a member of a community garden. Oxford is currently in the making of one located at the Old National Guard Armory on University Avenue. It was founded last March and will be ready for gardening March of 2010. It costs ten dollars to become a member, and there is an annual fee of five to fifteen dollars. More information is available at www.oxfordcga.org.

Another downfall of the food most commonly eaten by our generation is that it contains so many chemicals and preservatives that are not only not good for us, but they are not good for the environment. Going organic could be a solution for this. To be healthy, you need a balance of whole, natural foods and a limited amount of processed food.

Eating lower on the food chain is a good way to think of it. The average US household’s climate impact of food is roughly equal to driving 2 vehicles with a 25 mpg fuel efficiency a total of 12,000 miles per year. This is the average amount most people drive, so think of how much your family drives each year. Imagine that as how much impact your food is having on the environment. Replacing red meat with chicken, fish, or eggs one day per week decreases the impact by 760 miles per year. Replacing red meat with a vegan diet once per week decreases the impact by 1160 miles per year.

A more unconventional approach to this problem could be giving the gift of animals through Heifer International. You can donate money to give an animal in honor of someone to help families all over the world become self-reliant. This organization teaches holistic approaches to becoming a more sustainable community. Through this gift, the environmental impact is reduced because these animals are providing food and income and reducing land use. They are “working with an integrated system of plant and animal production practices to satisfy human food needs, enhance environmental quality and natural resources, and make the most of on-farm and renewable resources.” Check out www.heifer.org to learn more about this amazing opportunity to combat hunger while building a sustainable environment.

In summary, to be more green when choosing meals, try to buy local to decrease fuel use, eat organics to steer away from the use of chemicals, and eat lower on the food chain to conserve our resources.

Sarah Gehring, GSIP Intern, sophomore dietetics major

References:
www.eatright.org
Christopher Weber, Matthews HS. Food-Miles and the Relative Climate Impacts of Food Choices in the United States. Enviro Sci Technol. 2008;42:3508-3513
Emmy Parkes
www.heifer.org

Beautiful, Thought Provoking Student Art Exhibit

Recently, I took the scenic route home to stop by Meek Hall's Gallery 130 for an exhibit entitled, "Spin Cycled," by UM's own Ashley Hardy. The premise of Hardy's designs is the recycling of older clothes by resewing and redesigning them. Her use of vibrant colors and bold prints brightened my day, and, although the exhibit is a fun one, it also proved to be a thought provoking one for me.

I'm sure most people are familiar with term "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." Side note: If you're not, there's a great Jack Johnson song about it. Anyway, in recent years, a lot of emphasis has been put on the last of those three steps, when, in fact, that's the last one for a reason. Now, don't stop recycling because of this; I'm just pointing out that the slogan is a sort of hierarchy of waste management. First, you reduce what you're using, i.e. buy a 2 liter bottle of Coke instead of lots of 20 ounce Cokes. Then, you reuse what you can. For instance, reuse that 2 liter bottle of Coke as a vase or a rocket, unless you have too many vases or rockets. That's when you recycle. Maybe the Coke bottle was a poor choice of examples, but I'm sure you understand where I'm going with this.

Anyway, the Spin Cycle exhibit really made me think about reusing things. It'd be awesome if everyone had the artistic abilities of Ashley Hardy to turn two old dresses into fabulous new skirt/ shirt combo, but, as sad as it is to admit, I am not artistically inclined in the slightest. However, I can reuse the plastic cups from Newk's or Oby's, and I can stop buying bottled water in favor of a reusable (and durable!) water bottle from Ole Miss Outdoors.

So, my new promise to you and to Mama Earth is that I will start reducing and reusing as much as possible, while maintaining my recycling habits. I hope you'll join me in this.

--Elizabeth Seratt, GSIP Intern, freshman international studies and German major

Ashley Hardy's BFA Thesis Exhibition "Spin Cycled" will be on display in Gallery 130 at Meek Hall until Friday, November 20

A Call to Action

UM Students,

An idea has been presented to me that I’d like to pass on to you. If you are interested in reducing Ole Miss’ environmental impact or in saving Ole Miss dollars, please read on.

Over the past few years the University has been putting forth effort for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in new construction projects and renovations. The new Law School and the Center for Manufacturing Excellence are great examples. Ideally, the University will save the money it spends on these projects over a matter of years in electricity, steam, chilled water, etc. A byproduct (and a great selling point for UM) is lower greenhouse gas emissions.

However, the cost savings which are estimated at building times are not necessarily evaluated during the lifetime of the project. Also, while the potential for long-term energy savings exists due to the design itself, actual savings can be hugely affected – positively or negatively – by how we operate and maintain the building over its useful life.

My proposal is this:

For those of you that would like to take an active role in seeing real savings in University dollars and lowering the GHG emissions from our campus, and for those of you who would like hands on experience in campus affairs, please step up now. We have the power to assist or even lead the University in becoming more responsible. This would be welcomed by the administration, especially the University architect, Ian Banner, who presented this idea to me.

I have a few ideas, but I really want this to be a diverse group with input coming from everyone, students to faculty and eventually contractors and the physical plant.

Please contact me if this proposal appeals to you. I will be in touch with you with a date for an interest meeting. Most likely, it will be in the last week of the semester, and we will discuss steps forward.

We have the power to see a more responsible, prosperous Ole Miss if we work together.

Thank you for your consideration,

Jonathan Jones
Junior, Chemical Engineering
Office of Sustainability
jdjones12@olemiss.edu
(228) 265-3723

Ian G Banner
Facilities Planning
Director Of Facilities Planning And University Architect

Mother Earth Isn’t as Forgiving as my Mama

Today I broke my diet by eating two, yes, two cookies. As I inhaled the last chocolate morsel of my oh-so-yummy cookie, the guilt set in. I instantly started thinking of my punishment. No food for at least two days, I said at first. That seemed a bit harsh, so I settled on a plan of working out today and tomorrow.

I admit it. Sometimes this behavior can be a bit of a routine. I do something I know I shouldn’t and then silently repent and swear I’ll make it up tomorrow two-fold.

While burning off those calories may be easy enough, backtracking on bad Earth behavior isn’t. Mother Earth is not going to forgive us for being bad stewards. The trash will pile as high as we allow it, the water will become as polluted as we allow it, the air will become as dirty as we allow it. I think you get the picture.

We are going to have to start being better — and I don’t mean tomorrow. Today, right now, let’s make an effort to change the way we think and act when it comes to being green.

Besides, it can’t be nearly as hard as giving up my sweet tooth.

Rainy Days go Green too

Until now, I’ve typically disliked the rain. That’s right, I’m not one of those girls who lists “dancing in the rain” as a passionate hobby. For some reason it only rains when I’ve forgotten my umbrella, I’m walking and there is nowhere to take cover. Maybe it’s bad karma, or maybe I just need to read the weather forecast.

After visiting the new campus bioswale near Crosby Hall, I’m seriously reconsidering my dislike for the rain.

The bioswale is a gently slopping open area on Northgate Drive just west of Crosby Hall that is designed to treat rainwater. On the surface, the bioswale looks like just another display of beautiful landscaping. However, it’s more than a esthetically pleasing - it’s Earth friendly.

When it rains, the bioswale’s vegetation, rock and soil slow the movement of rainwater, allowing more time for the water to be cleaned of pollutants and silt. Pretty high-tech, huh?

Next time it rains, I’m going to ignore my soggy jeans and drenched hair, and think of the rainwater that is being naturally treated right here on the Ole Miss campus.

Community Garden: Two Green Thumbs Up!

Finally, a way to use my green thumb. OK, that was a lie. I’ve actually only owned one plant - it was a cactus and I managed to kill it.

Despite my past failure, however, I’m ready to hit the dirt at the new Oxford Community Garden. That’s right, a community garden!

Friday at 9:30 a.m., a ceremonial garden groundbreaking will take place on the future garden site located on a half-acre lot at the old National Guard Armory on the corner of University Avenue and Bramlett Boulevard.

At the groundbreaking, Oxford residents will be able to sign up for a plot in the garden. Depending on the chosen size, plots will cost $5- $15. Planting will begin next winter, which will allow time to improve the garden’s soil.

After the groundbreaking, stick around for a composting and “green kitchen” workshop.
The community garden truly is groundbreaking - go check it out!