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      News Release

Sept. 23, 2008



Student impact on the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's green leadership among the UW regional universities will be showcased in the upcoming daylong event, "UWSP - Purple, Gold, and Green."

Ongoing and growing sustainability initiatives, mostly student driven, will be in the spotlight on Friday, October 3, from noon - 6 p.m. throughout the Dreyfus University Center.

"Stevens Point is determined to be a leader in creating a more sustainable university and we could not put forth such an ambitious task were it not for student leadership," said UWSP Chancellor Linda Bunnell. "From our residence halls to recycling and everything in between, our superb students are keeping the entire campus on task as we make the UW System's greenest campus even greener."

According to Erica Berg, the university's student sustainability coordinator, the "Purple, Gold, and Green" event will show the preeminence of UWSP as a university where sustainability issues are incorporated throughout the decision-making process. "We're putting our best 'green' foot forward and showing the campus and the community our ongoing green initiatives, promoting future initiatives, showcasing a prototype 'green' room and our new Web site, and much more."

The UWSP Task Force, Student Government Association, the Residence Hall Association, the Public Relations Society of America, WISPIRG, Environmental Educators and Naturalists Association, and the Students for Sustainable Communities will have exhibits throughout the Dreyfus University Center's first floor corridor. There will be hands-on demonstrations, displays and information.

In addition, the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, local sustainable farmers including Sunny Sky and Peterson's, and others will share their expertise.

Los Angeles-based filmmaker and environmentalist Chris Paine will kick off the afternoon Dreyfus University Center Theatre presentations beginning at noon. Paine co-authored "Who Killed the Electric Car?" which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006 prior to its worldwide release by Sony Pictures Classics. Chris also produced "Faster" with Ewan McGregor about the world's fastest motorcycle race, and "No Maps For These Territories," a road trip with cyberpunk author, William Gibson and featuring U2 front man, Bono. Paine’s activist work includes campaigns to protect forests and to curb U.S. nuclear programs. He supports the Black Rock Arts Foundation, the Rainforest Action Network and Plug-In America.

Each theatre presentation begins at the top of the hour and includes talks by faculty members from the College of Natural Resources: Eric Olson (5 p.m.) and Jeremy Solin (2 p.m.).

Home of the largest undergraduate natural resources programs in the nation, UW-Stevens Point takes its commitment to sustainability very seriously:

• Conservation has been a tradition at UWSP since the creation of the College of Natural Resources in the 1940s.
• In the fall of 2007, Chancellor Bunnell created the Sustainability Task Force to achieve the goals of tracking, reducing, and eventually eliminating the campus' global warming emissions (see http://www.uwsp.edu/admin/chancellor/sustainability.aspx).
• Solar water heating systems have been installed for Knutzen Hall, the university’s ecologically focused residence hall, as well as Pray-Sims residence hall and the Health Enhancement Pool.
• Rain gardens were created around campus to support native landscape plantings that absorb water runoff from the roofs, decreasing water in the storm-water system and the energy needed to treat that water.
• Photovoltaic windows and low-energy lighting were added to the remodeled Noel Fine Arts Center, and elements of energy conservation have been included in current remodeling of the Dreyfus University Center.
• A "green roof" was installed on one section of the University Library. Five different drought tolerant plants provide an extra layer of insulation for the building and evaporative cooling in the summer, reducing energy usage and rain runoff as well as improving air quality by trapping and absorbing nitrous oxides, volatile organic compounds and airborne particulate matter.
• The Paper Science program uses recycled newspapers to create paper for local elementary schools.
• Courses in chemistry and natural resources emphasize sustainable practices.
• On April 4, 2006, Chancellor Linda Bunnell signed an agreement that will allow "green power" to be used as an energy source on campus. The environmentally friendly NatureWise program available through Wisconsin Public Service has UWSP purchasing blocks of methane generated power (derived from cow manure) to supplement 10 percent of our total energy consumption.