The ASUM Sustainability Center serves as a resource for students to help promote, develop, and implement sustainability efforts and activities at the University of Montana. The center’s main projects currently involve working to implement the university's Climate Action Plan, working with the Sustainable Campus Committee to ensure UM activities meet the American University and College President Climate Commitment, and educating students across campus about sustainability and climate change.
The ASUM Sustainability Center offers a variety of ways for students to learn about sustainability initiatives and play an active role in improving the university's sustainability efforts. We offer internships, volunteer opportunities, and educational events to increase awareness of sustainability issues on campus. Look for these upcoming events to learn more about sustainability and how to make a difference at UM.
Earth Week: help plan this year's Earth Week events
Green Griz: improve our recycling and waste reduction efforts at Grizzly athletic events
Sustainability Forum: learn about green initiatives here at UM and across the globe with your classmates and guest lecturers
More information about sustainability initiatives at UM can be found at umt.edu/greeningum.
The Kless Revolving Energy Loan Fund (KRELF) is a campaign aimed at starting a campus-wide fund to help pay for energy saving and waste reduction projects. With a loan fund like KRELF, the University sets aside money to implement projects, and then pay off the loan with the energy savings. From renewable energy generators to solar water heating systems to new lights, there are tons of ways that campuses can make money and be more sustainable at the same time.
Visit: KRELF for more information
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Do you want to green your dorm room? Check out these tips:
Green Dorm Room Tips
Download the Green Dorm Presentation (PDF 11.4 MB)
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The UM FLAT is an experiential live-in resource (house) for UM students (3-5) demonstrating the practicality of sustainable living. Currently the FLAT is renovating its garage to become a resource space for classes, students and the community. Visit the UM FLATwebsite to learn more.
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In November, 2009 students participated in a Green Cleaning Party to publicize the new Green Cleaning Policy at UM. Students, faculty and staff made their own non-toxic cleaning supplies out of baking soda, vinegar and borax. Check out with pictures below:
Take Back the Tap is a national campaign that encourages students to use refillable water bottles instead of buying bottled water. This year the ASUM Sustainability Center continues its efforts to promote tap water use while discouraging the UM Bookstore and UC Market to sell bottled water.
Here are some facts from takebackthetap.org about why choosing tap water over bottled water is a good decision:
Your Wallet: Each year consumers collectively spend hundreds or thousands of dollars more per gallon for water in a plastic bottle than they would for the water flowing from their tap. While bottled water ranges from $0.89 to $8.26 per gallon, most Americans pay about $2 per 1,000 gallons for municipal water service.
The Environment: Producing the plastic bottles uses energy and emits toxic chemicals. Transporting the bottled water across hundreds or thousands of miles spews carbon dioxide into the air, complicating our efforts to combat global climate change. And in the end, empty bottles are piling up in landfills. Manufacturing the 28.6 billion PET water bottles in the United States takes the equivalent of 17.6 million barrels of oil.
Your Health: In a study by the Natural Resources Defense Council, 47% of respondents said they drank bottled water because of what they saw as health and safety problems with tap water. But the idea that all bottled water is pure is a marketing myth. Bottled water generally is no cleaner, safer, or healthier than tap water. In fact, the federal government requires far more rigorous and frequent safety testing and monitoring of municipal drinking water
Waste: About 86 percent of empty plastic water bottles in the United States land in the garbage instead of being recycled. That amounts to about two million tons of PET plastic bottles piling up in U.S. landfills each year.
Take Action!
When you go to Take Back the Tap you can pledge not to buy bottled water and use a refillable water bottle instead. You can also sign the petition to show your support a Bottled Water Free Zone on campus.
Read the Take Back the Tap Report to learn more.
Earth Day on the Oval Trash Bash Recycled Fashion Show
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What does the number 350 stand for? Visit www.350.org to find out.
October 24th, 2009 is Global Climate Action Day and millions of people are taking action by forming the number 350 all over the world and hosting events. Join UM Climate Action Now!, ASUM Sustainability Center, and the Climate Change Studies Minor in UM's Climate Action Week
Students form the number 350 in Griz Stadium
Dr. Steve Running, Professor of Ecology, Dr. Joel Harper, Professor in Geosciences, Irma Russell, Dean of the Law School, and Dr. Dane Scott, Professor of Ethics discuss their work on climate change.
All images c. Matt Riley 2009
Day of Climate Action
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Phil Condon, Assistant Professor of EVST and member of UM’s Sustainable Campus Committee, spoke as a panelist at UM’s Focus the Nation event.
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