2008-2009 Green Campus Internship at UI:

Northwest SEED is assisting a University of Idaho student write a guide for students interested in participating in solar development on campus.  The guide will be complete and distributed in May 2009.

Check back for more details!

The University of Idaho began the path toward sustainability 20 years ago. In 1979, it was discovered that the aquifer supplying the city of Moscow and the University of Idaho with water was declining at an alarming rate.  The University of Idaho decided to use wastewater effluent or "gray water" for landscaping purposes, instead of further drawing down the aquifer's water.  Today, the university uses gray water for 90% of its irrigation needs, saving up to 120 million gallons of aquifer water per year. 

Today, the University of Idaho maintains its commitment to sustainability through actions being taken by students and administrators.  In 2006, the student-run and funded University of Idaho Sustainability Center (UISC) was formed in order to “create an active culture of student responsibility for sustainability on campus and in the community through environmental stewardship, collaboration across disciplines, entrepreneurial innovation, and community service that enhances understanding and utilization of sustainable design and lifestyle.”  The UISC has become a leading research and financial resource for students and faculty, spearheading creative sustainable projects including feasibility studies to power electric cars with wind, assessing the campus’s energy consumption and designing a green roof for rainwater harvesting.  To learn more about the projects and initiatives being undertaken by the UISC, visit www.uisc.uidaho.edu. 

Student activity is supported with administrative leadership in the area of sustainability.  In March 2007, President Tim White signed the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment, which works towards the goal of climate neutrality for the campus.  In addition, the University hired a full-time sustainability coordinator in the summer of 2007.  This position has led to the creation of a variety of committees on campus working toward different sustainability initiatives. 

Explore some of UI’s sustainable student projects, past and present:

http://www.uisc.uidaho.edu/Projects.html

http://www.uidaho.edu/ecodorm/

National Institute for Sustainable Transportation: Student-led projects supporting advancement in sustainable transportation technologies 

The Sustainable Idaho Initiative: Through the Department of Environmental Science Sustainable Idaho is an effort to bring together students, administration and faculty to encourage research and development of sustainable projects.

In addition to these projects, Northwest Green Campus is currently working with a student intern at who is undertaking a feasibility study for the construction of renewable energy sources at the University of Idaho.