Did you know there’s a hallway on campus that saves 600 pounds of waste a month and fights inequality at the same time? That hallway is the MacFreeSwap. The MacFreeSwap is a Sustainability Office program which allows students to donate items they no longer need to pick up items that others have donated. It’s a…
Macalester has placed fourth in this year’s RecycleMania, the annual challenge that compares the percentage of waste diverted from landfills to composting or recycling facilities at over 150 schools across the nation. The fourth-place ranking, achieved by diverting 79 percent of the college’s waste, is the best that Macalester has ever earned during its years…
Gina McCarthy, the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under President Barack Obama, spoke last Thursday in Kagin Commons as the Lectures Coordination Board (LCB) spring speaker. During her time in charge of the EPA, McCarthy – who is now a professor at Harvard University – made significant progress on initiatives to cut…
By Molly Flerlage, Suzanne Savanick Hansen, Lydia Sulik [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Students have long formed the backbone of sustainability efforts at Macalester through student organizations, work study positions, student government, and academic projects. Their efforts lead to policy changes, projects and sustainability education. As the Sustainability Office turns 10 years old this winter, the Sustainability…
By Hannah Catlin and Rebecca Edwards [email protected] [email protected] For nearly a decade, Macalester has been actively working towards achieving six concrete sustainabilty goals: Zero Waste by 2020, 30% Real Food by 2020, Carbon Neutrality by 2025, Wellness, Education for Sustainability, and Urban Sustainability – but opinion remains divided on the college’s approach to environmental issues….
by Fossil Free Mac [email protected] As the United States shies away from the commitments outlined in the Paris Climate Accord, decisive action to combat the nation’s reliance on fossil fuels is more important than ever. Incoming students may be surprised to discover that Macalester still has significant funds invested in these destructive energy sources. Through…
By Gordy Moore On Saturday, April 5, Macalester hosted the first-ever mass gathering of sustainability-minded Minnesota college students. The freshly formed Twin Cities+ Student Sustainability Network, created this semester by Sam Zieve ’17, Shelby Witherby ’18 and Ana Diaz ’18, kicked off with a day-long summit held at Mac last Saturday. After a morning keynote,…
The Lectures Coordination Board hosted Derreck Kayongo, a prominent expert in sustainability and health, on the evening of November 2 in Kagin’s Hill Ballroom. Kayongo is the founder of the Global Soap Project, which recycles soap from American hotels and delivers it to communities in developing nations. He is also the CEO of the National…
In this year’s installment of Macalester’s International Roundtable, sustainability stood front and center. Through this event, plenary speakers, panelists and student discussion leaders explored the meaning of “sustainability” and its connotations. On Friday, September 30, students Isaac Gamoran ’18 and Hannah Mira Friedland ’17 invited Minnesota artists to discuss a type of sustainability that is…
Macalester’s long-standing goal of bringing solar power to campus is finally being realized. Facilities is currently working with local energy providers Innovative Power Systems (IPS) and Xcel Energy to install an interconnected series of solar panels on the roof of Markim Hall. Installation was scheduled to have been completed by today, Feb. 19. Markim, a…