by Maggie Ybarra
Daily Lobo
If student Kristin Casper gets her way, trees and grass won't be the only green things at UNM.
She is petitioning for clean and renewable green energy use in all University buildings, she said.
"It's about making sure that UNM stays on the cutting edge of technology, and at the same time addressing one of the biggest threats to the world today," Casper said.
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Green energy produces less air pollution and other environmental problems than conventional energy, such as the burning of fossil fuels, she said.
Casper is a first semester law student with an environmental studies degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore.
She said the petition had 300 to 350 signatures by Monday.
Casper said universities should construct "green buildings," which are built with nontoxic materials and are designed to save energy.
Such buildings take advantage of natural light by using solar panels and large windows to allow heat to come through, she said.
"They're buildings that people want to live and study and work in," Casper said. "It's not only good for the environment; it's good for the people."
Casper's petition requests that UNM perform an energy audit of every building.
After the audit, the University would implement energy-saving features in all buildings with technology such as motion-sensor switches, which turn off lights when nobody is in the room, in all classrooms, bathrooms, hallways and common areas.
The petition requests UNM to commit to buying 20 percent renewable energy by January 2007 and 90 percent renewable energy within the next five years.
UNM should install one megawatt of solar power on campus buildings by 2010, according to the petition.
The petition asks for the University to implement Gov. Bill Richardson's Executive Order 2006-001, requiring all state-funded buildings 5,000 square feet and bigger to use 50 percent less energy than the national average for a similar building.
On Friday, Casper met with Jeff Zumwalt, associate director of utilities for Physical Plant to discuss the petition.
"Physical Plant generates a lot of energy on site with a very efficient system," Casper said.
The plant generates electricity using gas turbine and steam generators, according to the department's Web site. But Casper said "the University still purchases approximately 60 percent of the campus's electricity from PNM."
The majority of that electricity comes from the burning of fossil fuels like coal, Casper said.
Zumwalt said the petition addresses a problem but doesn't provide a solution.
"The petition doesn't really provide any foundation for how to achieve their goals, only that those are the goals they want to achieve," he said.
Zumwalt said the petition will need more than signatures to be effective.
"I think it depends on a lot of factors," Zumwalt said. "Funding is always the main sticking point for these kinds of initiatives."
Casper said change would come in a few stages.
"Right now what we're trying to do is build public support and student support for this petition, and that's stage one," Casper said. "In stage two, we want to engage the state and experts in the fields and also to make sure we can get this on the agenda of the Board of Regents because without their approval, it can't go anywhere."
Casper said she wants to get the petition on the regents' agenda by the end of this year or early next year.
The third and final step would be implementing the project, she said.
"It will take a lot of work," Casper said. "But it will be well worth it."
Zumwalt said UNM is forming a sustainability committee that could be a potential vehicle for Casper and students to use to help shape the direction of the University's energy use.
"We really can't waste much time," Casper said. "Climate change is happening. The rest of the world is moving forth with renewable energy, and we need to do it, too."
