2008 Woodie Awards
Green living could help sustain UM
Staff Editorial
Issue date: 4/21/08 Section: Soap Box
With the recent release of the preliminary 25-year master plan, it's apparent that the University of Maine is interested in changing the future appearance and functionality of our campus. Among the many innovations which have recently been proposed, an unrelated, yet thoughtful, student-oriented project should raise much applause - the York Village Sustainable Living Project.
The York Village residential buildings have rotted in disrepair and reduced function for years, and the possibility of renovating those seemingly useless buildings to a positive environmental impact is an exciting one. The new community is intended to be a progressive, student-run exercise in green living, with greenhouses, gardens, geothermal and solar energy and zero trash.
The project provides a potential model for a green campus, which addresses a changing world. The resources that keep our campus running are growing more costly and fleeting with every year. At the same time, budding national and international interest in environmentally friendly design has created a growing industry in the sphere of greener innovations. The university should be generous with funding this project since the investment will pay itself off in energy and waste savings.
It's encouraging that as UMaine students and faculty look to the future and design and shape our world, we do it with the intention of finding ways to help preserve the earth. Projects such as this could empower our students to imagine and create a reality in which they would want to live.
The York Village residential buildings have rotted in disrepair and reduced function for years, and the possibility of renovating those seemingly useless buildings to a positive environmental impact is an exciting one. The new community is intended to be a progressive, student-run exercise in green living, with greenhouses, gardens, geothermal and solar energy and zero trash.
The project provides a potential model for a green campus, which addresses a changing world. The resources that keep our campus running are growing more costly and fleeting with every year. At the same time, budding national and international interest in environmentally friendly design has created a growing industry in the sphere of greener innovations. The university should be generous with funding this project since the investment will pay itself off in energy and waste savings.
It's encouraging that as UMaine students and faculty look to the future and design and shape our world, we do it with the intention of finding ways to help preserve the earth. Projects such as this could empower our students to imagine and create a reality in which they would want to live.
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