EDGE pushes awareness
Stacie Calhoun
Issue date: 10/1/09 Section: Culture
Campus environmental group Ecological Decisions for Global Environment is on the move and trying to get students involved around campus.
This semester EDGE will be participating in the Tennessee River Rescue Oct. 3 at Harrison Bay and EDGE also participated in Race for the Cure this past Sunday.
"It's an eye opener," Brad Reynolds, biology professor and EDGE director, said. "It really forces you to kind of recognize how we use and abuse the Tennessee River."
Reynolds said that he absolutely thinks UTC has what it takes to become a green campus.
"The university's new strategic plan states that our goal is to be the most sustainable campus in the state within five years," Reynolds said. "Even if we don't make it, we're going to make tons of positive progress."
Students Caroline Dale, a sohpomore from Cleveland, Tenn., and Jessie Wright, a sophomore from Jackson, Tenn., said they do their part to help the campus and environment.
"We mostly recycle cans, bottles and newspapers," Wright said. "The college makes it easy with the blue bins."
Dale said she and her roommates also save their Wal-Mart bags to put them in the recycle dispenser at the store when they go back and both girls take shorter showers and try to use less electricity.
Elizabeth Southall, EDGE president, said that she would like to see students get passionate about recycling and the environment.
"Overall, I would like to see the students become more aware of the impact they really have on the environment," Southall said. "It would be great if we could expand the recycling program to include more items and if we could do a composting program that coincides with a campus garden."
Christina Cannon, an EDGE coordinator, said the $10 green fee each student is required to pay goes to fund the recycling projects on campus.
"Right now we're having a month-long competition between the dorm buildings," Cannon said. "Whichever building can lower their energy usage the most wins five bike rackes outside their building."
Cannon said that EDGE also sends out tips, such as taking shorter showers and turning off lights, to remind students of things they can do to help cut back on energy usage.
Cannon also said that the college buys $20,000 of green renewable energy every year.
This is energy that has been produced by solar or wind panels that does not necessarily come to your building, but it helps support the companies that produce it and help build up their infrastructure, Cannon said.
EDGE is open to anyone on campus and their meetings are Wednesdays at noon in the biology library on the second floor of Holt Hall.
EDGE is also having a bake sale, plant sale and T-shirt sale from Oct. 5-7 to help raise funds for the organization.
This semester EDGE will be participating in the Tennessee River Rescue Oct. 3 at Harrison Bay and EDGE also participated in Race for the Cure this past Sunday.
"It's an eye opener," Brad Reynolds, biology professor and EDGE director, said. "It really forces you to kind of recognize how we use and abuse the Tennessee River."
Reynolds said that he absolutely thinks UTC has what it takes to become a green campus.
"The university's new strategic plan states that our goal is to be the most sustainable campus in the state within five years," Reynolds said. "Even if we don't make it, we're going to make tons of positive progress."
Students Caroline Dale, a sohpomore from Cleveland, Tenn., and Jessie Wright, a sophomore from Jackson, Tenn., said they do their part to help the campus and environment.
"We mostly recycle cans, bottles and newspapers," Wright said. "The college makes it easy with the blue bins."
Dale said she and her roommates also save their Wal-Mart bags to put them in the recycle dispenser at the store when they go back and both girls take shorter showers and try to use less electricity.
Elizabeth Southall, EDGE president, said that she would like to see students get passionate about recycling and the environment.
"Overall, I would like to see the students become more aware of the impact they really have on the environment," Southall said. "It would be great if we could expand the recycling program to include more items and if we could do a composting program that coincides with a campus garden."
Christina Cannon, an EDGE coordinator, said the $10 green fee each student is required to pay goes to fund the recycling projects on campus.
"Right now we're having a month-long competition between the dorm buildings," Cannon said. "Whichever building can lower their energy usage the most wins five bike rackes outside their building."
Cannon said that EDGE also sends out tips, such as taking shorter showers and turning off lights, to remind students of things they can do to help cut back on energy usage.
Cannon also said that the college buys $20,000 of green renewable energy every year.
This is energy that has been produced by solar or wind panels that does not necessarily come to your building, but it helps support the companies that produce it and help build up their infrastructure, Cannon said.
EDGE is open to anyone on campus and their meetings are Wednesdays at noon in the biology library on the second floor of Holt Hall.
EDGE is also having a bake sale, plant sale and T-shirt sale from Oct. 5-7 to help raise funds for the organization.
