Wider Horizons

Lethbridge College initiatives running ahead of accord.kicking it with kyoto 2010

When the Lethbridge College Kodiaks take to floor or field, they do so sporting their traditional blue-and-white uniforms. It’s long been the colour scheme of College athletic endeavours.

But Lethbridge College also plays in another arena, one in which green is the colour of choice. The college has embarked on many environmentally friendly projects in recent years. In its latest business plan, released in June, the institution commits to meeting the reductions set by the Kyoto Accord by 2010, a full two years ahead of schedule.

According to Irwin Olfert, director of Physical Facilities, several waste reduction projects have contributed to the campus’s green status.

Pruned tree branches are mulched and reused in landscaping; paper towels in campus washrooms have been replaced with cloth and electric hand dryers; and sensors have been installed to automatically turn off lights when rooms are vacant. Even the salt used on icy roads is environmentally friendly. The maintenance department is also replacing any remaining incandescent bulbs with more efficient fluorescent ones.

“When you put in new lighting technology, you not only save energy, you improve the light quality,” says Irwin.

In addition, the college is taking the environment into consideration in the construction and renovation of its buildings. Prior to the major Cousins Building renovation, old chillers and walk-in freezers that ran on water were updated with equipment that runs on air, greatly reducing water consumption. When the college replaced all of its chalk boards with white boards, the old aluminum edges were salvaged and recycled. This not only prevented the metal from ending up in a landfill, but netted the college up to $1,500.

“We're trying to construct buildings that are environmentally friendly, healthy for people to work in, and very cost-effective,” says Irwin.

Discounting irrigation, Lethbridge College used about half as much water this June as it did in June two years ago, a change due in large part to the Cousins renovation. Still, Irwin is hoping to make greater cuts.

“There are many areas for potential savings,” he says.

“I know my irrigation system is antiquated and we can do a lot better.”

Rainfall collection, says Irwin, would save up to $100,000 annually.

“We’ve done some preliminary calculations: if we could collect storm after that runs off the roofs anduse it for irrigation, that would cover most of it,” he says. “Not only have you helped the environment by reducing water consumption, you're affecting the bottom line in a huge way.”

Irwin is vigilant in his hunt for environmental malfeasance. In his sights is the opportunity to reduce air-conditioning costs. He’s noted several rooms on campus sit vacant through much of the summer, and keeping them cool costs the College.

The College is committed to ensuring future construction meets the highest environmental standards, and envisions a day when it may become a centre of knowledge for an industry striving to be conscious of its environmental impact.

As a result of all the green projects sprouting up around Lethbridge College, the campus was close to meeting its Kyoto targets last year. It actually beat them in 1997, before expansion began, which increased energy usage and bumped the college back into the red. With the reopening of the Cousins Building to students this fall, energy demand will jump again, but planned boiler upgrades in the Centre Core and Technologies buildings will help offset that increase.

“We don't see achieving Kyoto as an end goal for the college,” says Irwin. “We talk about it as being an interim goal; we can go lower.

“I wouldn't be surprised if the college, long term, was twice as stringent as required by Kyoto.”

Wider Horizons
Jeff Wiebe- an alumnus of Lethbridge College (Print Journalism 2007)
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