UMass Boston Emerging as Beacon of Sustainable Operations

On April 10, the UMBe Green recycling/sustainability program hosted a special lunch and green campus exhibit featuring Eric Friedman, director of the State Sustainability Program at the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. The speaker was welcomed by Provost Paul Fonteyn on behalf of Chancellor Gora. Guests included Vice Chancellor David MacKenzie, heads of the Auxiliary, Facilities, and Environmental, Health, and Safety (EH&S) departments, and staff, faculty, and students from around the campus and other state agencies.

Friedman elaborated on the State Sustainability Executive Order of 2002, which mandates all state agencies establish environmentally preferable operations in the near future. This includes everything from greening buildings and providing alternative fuels to recycling, energy efficiency, and mercury removal. The UMass system as a whole is the largest consumer of resources as a state agency and has a major role and responsibility in championing sustainability. Friedman explained the program's primary role in its implementation and the need to work collaboratively. He also commended recent UMass Boston's proactive environmental accomplishments and UMBe Green's efforts in setting a high benchmark in greening the campus operations.

The event also included a display of the campus's sustainable operations, which include energy- and water-conservation retrofits, green purchasing, recycling, green architecture used for the new campus center, use of electrical vehicles, student projects and large-scale community civic projects such as the Urban Ring Project. In keeping with the sustainable theme of the event, guests dined on organic food and drinks served on compostible plates and reusable campus mugs.

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