Mosaic

Issue date: 12/6/07 Section: News

Salve Regina's efforts to go 'green' is making great strides as their advisory group kicks off their environmental campaign by turning their handwritten plans into actions bringing closer their hopes of a more sustainable future.

Assistant professor of Biology and Biomedical Science, Dr. Jameson Chace, continues to make efforts to delve into the primitive step for this long term project, analyzing each department's daily actions and suggesting more sustainable revisions.

Chase said, "This is a slow moving project, but baby steps are being taken to move the project along. Some of the biggest efforts are coming from Sodexho so far."

Sodexho dining services has made some of the largest strides towards sustainability. Vice President of Administration and Chief Financial Officer, William Hall reports that Sodexho purchases locally grown and organic products in order to save in transportation costs, both ecological and economical.

Though buying local products may cost more financially, the benefits of supporting the local merchants and the bounty they produce outweigh the value of the dollar.

Hall stated that Sodexho is Salve Regina's biggest contractor on campus, who is responsible for providing dining services to all on-campus venues like Miley Café, Sky Ranch Grill, Global Café, Jazzman's Café and even Miley Mart, the campus convenience store.

The Director of Sodexho Dining Services, David Miller commented on some of his department's green efforts.

Miller said, "A sustainability specialist, who is part of a sustainability group, visited campus at the beginning of this academic year. They are a support system for the management team, who helps to meet the needs of each individual campus."

He explained how the specialist provides a program geared towards the level of greenness of each school. Presently, Sodexho purchases a variety of different locally-grown products, mainly produce such as potatoes and apples. Farmers must be within 200 miles in order for them to be considered local to Salve's campus.

"This year's annual Thanksgiving at Miley Hall used many locally grown products. The turkey came from a sustainable farm in Vermont and was delivered in a bio-diesel powered vehicle," Miller said. He shared how the turkey was about 50% more expensive coming from Misty Knoll, a reputable sustainable farm in Vermont.

"Though most aspects of the group's goals might ultimately cost more and be more labor-intensive, the benefits that will become of this precede a better future," Hall commented.

Continued...

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