Penn State Altoona gets a (green) life

Penn State Altoona is broadening its commitment to sustainable operations and development, announcing today that a local consulting firm will assist with a feasibility study. Hollidaysburg-based consulting firm Your Green Life proposed a number of initiatives as part of a comprehensive plan for increasing sustainable practices. The proposal, which Amie Myers of Your Green Life says focuses on operational waste reduction and transportation demand management, is now moving forward with the support of Penn State Altoona’s chancellor, Dr. J. Lori Bechtel-Wherry, and its Interim Director of Business Operations, Dr. Andrew Vavreck.

A major component of the sustainability plan calls for Penn State Altoona to increase its support for bicycling, carpooling, and other modes of transportation, including mass transit, which the new bus shelter will help facilitate. Although the proposed bike path connecting the Ivyside campus to downtown Altoona predates Your Green Life’s relationship with Penn State Altoona, Myers says she will complement that plan by, among other things, identifying locations for other bike paths or lanes closer to campus, and updating the campus bike racks.

The campus bicycling community has already begun to rally around the new support for biking, forming an E-mail listserv to stay connected, and attending forums held last week. Myers says students have expressed interest in forming a student bicycling group, organizing races, and even developing a student cooperative that would repair and loan bikes.

Myers will also be working with the Penn State Altoona IT department to find ways to reduce paper and printing costs. Installing new software, changing server settings, and educating staff and faculty are a few of the methods that may be employed to cut down on these operational costs.

Other facets of the sustainability plan include the formation of a campus sustainability team and the exploration of more sustainable product sourcing, specifically through Penn State Altoona’s Housing and Food Services department.


Source: aa.psu.edu