INTRODUCTION

Does Tulane damage the environment? What University programs, practices, and behaviors are the most harmful and helpful to the environment? Over the course of the Spring semester of 1997, Tulane University's Environmental Sociology class, led by Assistant Professor J. Timmons Roberts, conducted an audit to research how our school affects the environment. Students broke into small groups, each with the responsibility of researching one of the following environmentally related areas of Tulane: curriculum, energy use, recycling, procurement of materials, building and planning, hazardous waste, student environmental consciousness, food services, medical waste, University effort, research, investment, and water.

PURPOSE

Researching Tulane's effect on the environment is important for several reasons. First, a college campus represents a microcosm of society; thus, results from campus research can give valuable insight to environmental policy in society as a whole. Second, audit research can identify ways in which Tulane harms the environment so that those areas can be improved, and it can reveal things that we are doing right and ensure that we continue to do them. Finally, there is an extraordinary educational facet of this research: Many students, both those doing the research and those who are informed of the findings, will realize the impacts Tulane has on the environment. They may choose to make a change in the way they live and may push for the University to change the way it operates so that the campus community's impact on the environment is diminished. The lessons learned in doing and understanding this research are very likely to carry over into life after Tulane, thus reducing human impact on the environment wherever Tulane graduates live.

METHODS

The class generated a list of ways in which Tulane was most likely to have the largest effect on the environment. One to five students were assigned to cooperate as a group for each topic, with larger groups assigned to topics of greater importance and/or expected difficulty of research. Groups chose their research methods based on what was most appropriate for the area they were researching. Most groups procured information by interviewing or requesting documents from University officials, and sometimes from companies that operate with the University. Other research methods included surveys and observation. The audit followed an evolving model of similar evaluations being conducted at universities across the country as outlined by the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC), a national student environmental organization, outlined in the book by April Smith Campus Ecology.

It is important to note that this is a preliminary report of ongoing research. This environmental audit is unprecedented on the Tulane campus. As with any initial effort into unchartered territories, some unexpected difficulties in research arose. The students persevered, however, and all groups gathered valuable information. Now that we have found and documented the sources of this information, future researchers will have a path to follow. An environmental audit should be done on a regular basis at Tulane University to measure our progress in the quest to become the environmental University of the South. Future audits should include more detailed research, and should be done by a University committee or contracted auditor on a yearly basis.

MAJOR FINDINGS

The research shows that Tulane is making some effort to minimize negative effects on the environment, but in other areas it continues to cause serious damage. Each group gave their area of research a letter grade (A, B, C, D, F) to represent that area's positive or negative effect on the environment. In some cases more than one grade was given in one area to represent separate concepts, such as the separate grades for the U.C. and Bruff in the Food Services area.

Based on twenty-three separate grades, Tulane University received an average grade of C for it's relationship with the environment, with an environmental GPA of 1.9. Three A's were the strong points of Tulane's gradecard, but four F's and four D's represented areas that demand major improvements.

STRONGEST POINTS (Note: Comments in brackets, [ ], are an explanation of additional work to be done on the audit during the summer of 1997.)

A- Curriculum: A key catalyst for any type of change is education. Therefore, it is very exciting and promising that Tulane has a strong Environmental Studies program that is active not only in education, but in campus environmental programming as well. The program offers a continually growing number of classes, attracts more and more students, and is well funded. It is involved with the Tulane Green Club (the campus environmental organization) and other campus groups, and sponsors numerous projects, events, and guest speakers. Tulane is in the process of centralizing environmental programming, which will serve to coordinate and organize environmental efforts. One serious problem that remains, however, is the lack of full-time staff to direct the program.

A- Lighting: Tulane spends millions of dollars each year on energy bills. Energy efficient lighting and building designs that utilize natural light can contribute greatly to reducing the amount of energy spent on lighting. A recent upgrade involved the installment of low wattage fluorescent bulbs and ballasts, and classroom and office motion sensors that automatically turn off room lights if there is no one in the room for a designated period of time. The newer buildings on campus, such as the Reily Recreation Center and the Business School, with numerous large windows utilize sunlight. Most of the older buildings, however, are dark and inefficient. Furthermore, most of these buildings are not being fully retrofitted in order to save energy. Finally, turning off lights is a serious problem: many buildings leave lights on all the time, even those lights that do not serve a security function. New switches that leave only some lights on is an energy saving option. [Designation of areas that could implement this last suggestion will be compiled, as will buildings that are not being retrofitted with motion sensors and energy efficient lights.]

A- Hazardous Waste Policies: Tulane's Environmental Health and Safety Department has detailed guidelines for its own departments and personnel, as well as contract companies such as Jani King, concerning the handling and disposal of hazardous wastes. In addition, the Environmental Health and Safety Department requires that waste is classified and that emergency equipment is available in the event of a spill. Hazardous materials are placed into tanks that are collected by the Westside Oil Company. Whether their disposal of that waste is environmentally damaging is unknown.

B Research: Tulane has a growing environmental research community. Sources of funding and specific projects vary. [This summer a more detailed investigation of some of the significant environmental research will be compiled.]

B Procurement of Paper: At least half of the paper that is bought by the purchasing department for the Tulane campus is recycled paper made with post-consumer waste despite the fact that recycled paper costs more than virgin paper. Copy centers on campus do not have recycled paper policies and complain that recycled paper jams their machines. All new copying machines purchased will have two-sided capacity, although there are no immediate plans to upgrade. These will cut paper use considerably. Finally, there is no University-wide effort is pushing paperless approaches, such as electronic mail office correspondence. [Research into "tree-free" papers will be done over the summer. Many colleges and universities across the nation are moving toward not only higher post-consumer waste recycled paper, but also to alternative fibers, some of which avoid the bleaching process that produces dioxins, an environmental chemical on which much research has been done at Tulane.]

B Recycling - Academic Buildings: Office paper recycling in department offices is in place all over campus. More regular pick-ups need to be organized, and some offices need additional bins. [This sub-section of recycling will be included in the overall recycling proposal. See below.]

B Student Environmental Consciousness - Knowledge: A survey of 223 Tulane students found that most students are concerned with environmental conditions. Almost three-fourths of the respondents believed environmental quality is more important than economic growth. They are aware of the importance of recycling, buying recycled products, conserving water, and conserving energy.

B- Bruff Food Services: Bruff Commons makes considerable effort to minimize waste. Bruff uses few disposable eating utensils, management uses student food suggestions to decrease leftover food, and the cooks reuse leftover food in meals the next day. In addition, employees recycle the boxes food is delivered in. (There is no recycling program for glass and tin, however, and this could help drastically reduce waste.) To further minimize waste, however, they could donate leftover uncooked food to Second Harvesters, a non-profit that collects and distributes food at homeless shelters.

B- Business Partners: Tulane has contracts with several corporations to provide services for students. Some of these corporations incorporate environmental considerations with their business. For example, Marriott Food Services makes an effort to minimize its waste production. PepsiCo has many environmental guidelines. Ocean Spray has numerous environmental policies and management. Barnes and Noble will not use rainforest wood to furnish its stores, and many of its products are made from recycled paper. However, some of the companies also have some negative environmental impacts.

WEAKEST POINTS

F Endowment: Tulane has an endowment worth $406 million as of 1996. It could exercise considerable financial leverage with this, pressuring the companies it deals with to be environmentally friendly. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Tulane's investments are not environmentally screened. Disclosure of the names of the companies Tulane invests in will allow for research into these corporations' environmental quality. Efforts must be made to "green" Tulane's portfolio. The authors of this report believe that socially and environmentally conscious investing is good, safe business. To test its viability, however, we propose that the Board of Directors appoint one or two fund managers to invest $50-100 million using social and environmental criteria and compare their performance to the other ten fund managers. At minimum, Tulane should divest in the five or so companies with the most egregious social and environmental performance.(such as Freeport McMoRan and Philip Morris Companies) and redirect those funds into the aforementioned socially and environmentally "responsible" funds. [Research into what kinds of companies and what environmental and social impacts they have caused or cause will be done this summer.]

F Recycling on Campus Grounds: There are a few recycling bins on the campus grounds, but they are not in visible, high-traffic areas and are not clearly marked. Because of this, students, faculty, and staff dispose of a massive proportion of recyclable materials in trash cans. Recycling at Tulane needs to be more convenient and accessible. Clearly marked bins should be placed next to trash cans in high-traffic areas. Other suggestions are to include plastics in the recycling program, expand both the budget and the staff, institute a recycling education program, and use clear bags instead of opaque to ensure that the recyclable material is actually taken to the recycling center. Using these and other measures, Tulane should endeavor to reduce their waste stream by 40% by the year 2000. Finally, it has been noted that Tulane's garbage goes to the Greater New Orleans Landfill which is not an EPA approved site. [An in-depth proposal will be compiled this summer, complete with campus maps of necessary recycling locations, administrative procedures, and a suggested restructuring from a Recycling Department to a Department of Resource Management. Information will be gathered from other universities across the country via the College and University Recycling Council. A preliminary proposal will be reviewed internally, then taken to a national conference sponsored by the Grassroots Recycling Network for review, and then will return to Tulane for further editing, review, and implementation.]

F Procurement of Cleaning Chemicals and Pesticides: Representatives from the Tulane Physical Plant and Jani King custodial services said that environmental safety was not considered when they purchased cleaning products. They bought products that the staff were pleased with and that were cost efficient, with no regard for the effects those chemicals may have on the environment or employee safety. Several of the products they use are so hazardous that they cannot be dumped into sewage systems. More attention should be paid both to buying less hazardous cleaning products as well as to worker safety; there is little focus presently on educating and training the workers on safely handling these products. Additionally, Physical Plant Grounds staff do not use environmental considerations in their purchasing decisions.

D Donors to Tulane: Several corporations that donate millions of dollars to Tulane have dark records of environmental pollution. The United States Environmental Protection Agency recently listed Freeport McMoRan, Tulane's second largest donor, as emitting the most toxic chemicals of any industry in the United States. Environmental groups have accused Shell Oil, another donor, of numerous environmental injustices, including collusiong in the assassination of several environmental and human rights activists. These companies donate money to Tulane in order to improve their public images.

D Student Environmental Consciousness-Action: While surveyed students claim that the environment is an important concern, their actions do not demonstrate this sentiment. Only 29% always recycle, 41% make an effort to turn off the water when brushing their teeth, and only 13% limit the length of their showers to under eight minutes. In addition, students waste energy and contaminate recycling bins with non-recyclable trash. Environmental consciousness must become part of Tulane's institutional culture and consistent daily actions. Through a visible and accessible environmental infrastructure (e.g., recycling, community involvement, and information sources) participation, and classroom education, the campus community can become not only more aware but also more active in environmental practices.

D Heating and Air Conditioning Use: The bulk of Tulane's energy use is for air conditioning in the summer. For example, during the hot New Orleans summers, air conditioners run overtime at Tulane, even when no one is in the buildings. The University has not made any considerable effort to limit this use or increase its efficiency. Furthermore, the temperature is frequently too extreme. Many of the buildings on campus have poor insulation and leak air conditioning, wasting energy. President Kelly notes that upgrading the heating and cooling system could result in such large savings from lowered energy bills that those saved dollars could be used to fund other campus environmental initiatives, improvements, and events. These ideas indicate the need for improved environmental accounting at Tulane.

C- Hazardous Waste Policy - Compliance: Although Tulane has a detailed hazardous waste handling policy, they have no means of enforcing this policy and there is considerable uncertainty about adherence to these standards, especially in areas such as chemistry labs. Tulane needs to start being more accountable for the hazardous wastes produced. The University can do this by reducing use of wastes classified as hazardous, keeping strict records on the handling of the waste, and those handling the waste should be better educated on policies (especially teaching assistants in laboratories).

C Buildings and Parking: Tulane's parking policy has not addressed alternative transportation measures such as car pooling, shuttle buses, and incentives for non-drivers. This could alleviate the parking dilemma on campus. With the exception of the new Environmental Sciences Building, no environmental concerns are taken into account of the design of new buildings. With the numerous construction projects being planned for the next few years, small measures should be made to incorporate cost-effective environmental considerations (such as natural lighting, increased stair use through visibility/accessability, energy and water efficient devices, and a localized system of measuring resource consumption, i.e, water and electricity meters).

C Medical Waste: Tulane does not keep records on the amount of medical waste they produce, and this must change. Medical center personnel do adhere to environmental regulations, and workplace safety is good. In order to make an effort to reduce their waste, however, they need to know how much they produce. Presently, all wastes are incinerated by BFI. [We are investigating the environmental impacts of medical waste incineration and possible alternatives.]

C Dormitory Recycling: A 1996 effort placed recycling bins on each floor of the residence halls of the Uptown campus. Under a new contract, they are emptied by Jani King workers, and it is unknown whether they actually bring them to be recycled or just throw them out. In addition, the bins are lined with white bags rather than clear ones, which makes it very difficult to ensure they get to the proper place. Students also contaminate the bins with garbage. Better education in the dormitories, improved placement of bins, clear labeling and instructions, and lids are all necessary, and affordable, improvements. [This sub-section of recycling will be included in the overall proposal.]

C Water Use: Tulane students and departments use water in large volumes. Students in dormitories do not make an effort to conserve water. Tulane's water costs are high, in part because it is energy intensive for New Orleans to clean river water for residents. Water conservation requires education as well as low-flow devices. Additionally, the Grounds department often waters the grass and flower beds of the campus during the day, when most water evaporates. Watering less and in the evening or early morning would be more efficient and also more beneficial to the flora.

C+ U.C. Food Services: Food waste is minimal because it is cooked in small batches, but Marriott claims they would use a composting system if it were available. The main problem with the U.C. is the large amount of waste generated from food packaging and utensils, which includes styrofoam, plastic dinnerware, paper cups, and paper bags. Efforts are being made to use reusable china and silverware, however, and to reduce styrofoam and plastic. The U.C. has worked with students and the Tulane Environmental Project to improve the facilities environmental impact.

A BROADER COMMITMENT?

Many of the sections above includes proposals for steps for how Tulane can improve its environmental performance. For Tulane to become the "Environmental University in the South" there are a number of changes that must be made in the institution and its practices. An institutional commitment to incorporate environmental decision making into all facets of operation must be made. As an initial step, and as a way to have a formal statement, the University should sign on to the Talloires Declaration (a statement of commitment to the environment by universities and colleges all over the world) and the Valdez Principles (principles that seek to commit businesses to environmental concerns) and seek to do business with companies who also subscribe to them. Second, a standing University Committee for Environmental Affairs should be established or the Tulane Environmental Project, an institutionally recognized committee already in existence, should be made permanent and be given a more formal decision-making role. This committee should be made up of students, staff, and faculty and should report to the University Senate and the President of the University. Third, administrative procedures at the University should incorporate environmental decision making: The best (and most efficient and cost-effective) time to improve the environmental quality of Tulane is when scheduled upgrades, repairs, or additions are being undertaken. Decision makers at Tulane must include environmental concerns in all of their actions. Finally, all institutional changes and improvements should be tracked, recorded, and made public.

The authors of this report believe that it is imperative for Tulane to begin immediately to incorporate environmental concerns into decision-making and begin environmental improvements so that Tulane can commit to becoming the "Environmental University in the South."

Back.