Norwich students go green

Over the past few years, people have been growing more aware of the effects of global warming and the many issues involving the environment.

 Just last year, a group of Norwich architecture students came together and formed a group to spread the ideas of being environmentally conscious.

This group is known as the Norwich University Green Building Collective (NUGBC).

Rosario Gallo, a senior architecture major from Ticonderoga, N.Y., who was unable to be reached for an interview, founded the NUGBC during the 2007-08 academic years.

As said by Joe Britton, 23, a senior architecture major from Rochester, N.H., the NUGBC's primary focus is to promote green awareness on the Norwich campus and "make the campus as green as possible."

One of the tasks involved in spreading green awareness happens at the start of every academic year when the members of NUGBC go throughout the different dorms and buildings on campus and switch out the incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.

"We do that at the beginning of every year," said Peter Abiles, 22, a senior architecture major from Vienna, Va.

This group of students was inspired to create the NUGBC after watching a film called "Architecture 2030," which shows where the world will be if the environmental hazards keep going at the rate that they are currently set at and nothing is done about it. Architecture students are invested in the topic because construction has a very large carbon footprint; many materials are used in their designs and buildings. 

Some may say that Norwich is not a very environmentally strong campus, but "[Norwich] is a [much] green[er] campus that people think it is." says Andrew Doyle, 22, a senior architecture major from Harrisville, R.I.

The power plant behind Gerard Hall is a one example of "green awareness" on campus. It produces electricity through steam turbines and the left-over steam is transported through pipes to the buildings as a heat source in the long months of winter. 

Another sign of the Norwich campus "going green" is the use of the energy-saving washers and dryers in the laundry rooms of each dormitory that use efficient amounts of electricity and water.

Doyle mentioned that the school has started composting all of the left-over food from the dining hall. The NUGBC goes on to compliment Norwich's green acts by going a few steps farther.

They are proposing ideas that will continue and/or further the greenness of Norwich. Their ideas include wind turbines, solar energy and maybe even green roofs.

The NUGBC is open to all majors and is particulary seeking interest from students in the majors that play a part in the carbon footprint and majors that can help to limit the carbon footprint in their field of interest.

"The goal is to get Norwich on the same green level as UVM," said Britton, "because

UVM is known for their green practices."
Majors that have been mentioned in this movement include engineering, biology and environmental science.

"This is not just (for) architecture (students)," said Britton. "You can be a CJ (or) undeclared (major) (or) faculty member and as long as you want to do something better for the school, you can join our club."

The NUGBC has very lofty intentions and goals for inspiring the Norwich community to go green.  However, efforts have been very slow.

"We've tried to branch out (and) have gotten e-mails from people who want to join," said Abiles, "but no one has really come to a meeting."

The club has very well-thought ideas for the future of the university on an environmental level and considering the scare of global warming, students should take the opportunity to take part in such a admirable activity.