American University (Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN)) Student Leaders - Claire Roby, Meg Imholt, Charlie Kilby, Rose Davis, Genna Vullo, Anne Morales, Casey Roe, Shilpa Joshi, Dave Smedick, Rachel Voss, Sarah Twomey-Mercurio, Kathryn Carroll
Biodiesel Shuttle BusesAU is in the process of converting their campus shuttle buses to run on biodiesel fuel. For years, the school's Sustainability Director and others in the Facilities department had been trying to get the school to make the switch. Re-fueling issues due to the location of storage tanks were continually cited as barriers to implementation. However, this year students took on the issue on as part of their Bikes and Biodiesel campaign. They drafted a comprehensive transportation policy to be implemented by the university which included a conversion of shuttle buses to biodiesel. The policy distributed to administrators and tweaked to reflect changes the school was already making. Once finalized, the policy was submitted to higher-level administrators and key decision-makers in subsequent meetings. In January, at the beginning of the spring semester, the SGA passed "a resolution on clean transportation alternatives" in support of the Bikes and Biodiesel campaign. Throughout the year EcoSense held a number of events to raise awareness about their campaign and the issues, including a clean car show at their Campus Beautification Day. Next steps for implementation will include physically making the switch to biodiesel and pressuring the administration to adopt the entire transportation proposal.
ASU (Students United from a Global Social Environment (SURGE)) SURGE began working with ASU students in the Fall 2006 semester on a number of campus sustainability projects. ASU is a very active university with several clubs and student/staff led initiatives on sustainable energy.
Biofuel BonanzaThe Appstate Biodiesel Collaborative (biodiesel.appstate.edu) has been successful in obtaining over $100,000 to fund the construction of a one-of-a-kind, closed-loop, net-zero biodiesel processor for furthering research about making biodiesel, and the Affordable Bioshelter Project has secured over $20,000 in funding for research concerning passive solar greenhouses. In late Fall 2006, ASU agreed to install a biodiesel filling station on campus and converted many work trucks and campus vehicles to biodiesel. The fuel used at the filling station is made on campus by students in the Appropriate Technology department. In the spring 2007 semester, ASU students and administrators began construction of their closed-loop biofuels processing station and solar greenhouse system. Student leaders include Adam Milt, Jeremy Ferrell, Quint David and Eric Mathis; the latter two were Spring 2007 SURGE Fellows who will be helping with the 2008 SURGE conference to be held in Boone.
Portland Community College (Global Exchange)
Bio-Diesel in College Shuttle BusesThe Transform Transportation campaign at Portland Community College (PCC) succeeded in passing a 20 percent bio-diesel blend for the college’s shuttle buses, which run between the 4 PCC campuses. This policy should be in place next semester. To get the President to agree to this, students met with campus administration, organized student petitions, and held several educational events. We are still working towards increasing frequency of shuttle services, which, in addition to bio-diesel, is a goal of the campaign.
University of Georgia (Southern Energy Network)
Biodiesel (B20) In Campus BusesAfter years of work with facilities and administrators, UGA students finally got a victory in their campaign to get biodiesel into the campus bus system. All 47 buses now use biodiesel and the system is one of the largest users of biodiesel in the state of Georgia.
Winona State University (Sierra Student Coalition (SSC))
Biodiesel for Campus BusWinona State approved a plan to power the campus bus with biodiesel. The students, led by Callie Runestad, began by drafting a detailed proposal, and they were assisted by an engineering student who was writing a thesis on biodiesel and by a professor who is very interested in the subject. They made the feasibility and the positive impact of the project clear. They then informed students about the proposal through tabling, met with facilities management to gain their approval, and asked the faculty senate and student government to support their proposal. The only resistance they met was in the feasibility of its implementation, and when they were able to answer those questions, their proposal was approved with support from facilities, faculty, student government, and the President.