What MORE can Wells do?
Bike Sharing
One initiative that our campus should make to benefit our students and limit the amount of cars that are used around campus would be the purchase of free use or rental bicycles. Many countries and large colleges have followed steps that have shown substantial changes in the people who use them. Multiple sources state that exercise increases overall mental and physical health, and not only would this idea create less carbon emissions but also create a healthier student body. With this, Wells may have an opportunity to limit the number of cars being used, while impacting the health of the students who attend. There could be bike trails in the woods and throughout the campus, as well as possibly throughout the town.
·The first 15 minutes of student usage was free and for every other 15 minutes the student would be charged 60 cents
·Student also had the option of being charged by the hour for $2.40 ·The bike racks collect money or card info and can be solar powered providing a cleaner and energy efficient option for the campus. The Implications: Being able to provide these bikes at Wells would potentially limit the amount of students who bring their cars or use them as much as they do. We could also potentially try and provide more options by the vans here on campus in order to limit the amount of cars that are driven to Auburn or Ithaca per week |
Solar Panels
With the introduction of the new Sustainability Minor (and hopeful Major) at Wells College and with the program being housed in, soon-to-be renovated, Zabriskie Hall, Solar Panels would be a great addition to the renovations.
· The average cost of equipping a home with solar panels can range from $18,000-$40,000. This cost includes both labor and the actual panels.
· If you figure that Zabriskie is about 4-5 times the size of a normal house, you can roughly estimate the cost of solar panels on Zabriskie around $100,000
· In order to cover some of the cost of these solar panels, the college could possibly sell the old solar panels on top of the Schwartz building.
The use of these solar panels in Zabriskie hopefully would not only bring down the cost of our electric bills on campus, but would also be a much cleaner form of energy for this building.
· The average cost of equipping a home with solar panels can range from $18,000-$40,000. This cost includes both labor and the actual panels.
· If you figure that Zabriskie is about 4-5 times the size of a normal house, you can roughly estimate the cost of solar panels on Zabriskie around $100,000
· In order to cover some of the cost of these solar panels, the college could possibly sell the old solar panels on top of the Schwartz building.
The use of these solar panels in Zabriskie hopefully would not only bring down the cost of our electric bills on campus, but would also be a much cleaner form of energy for this building.
Community Garden and Composting
A garden is a great way to support the idea of healthy food for the entire campus here at Wells College. We have an incredible resource of good growing soil here on the campus, and a great deal of green space in which to plant gardens.
With global climate change causing great big changes in the earth, and the probability that food will become more scarce, Wells students should know how to grow their own food. This would provide more fresh produce to the dining hall, and increase healthy eating habits.
Another possible addition could be greenhouses or rooftop gardens that could add produce throughout the year, and not just the peak growing season.
Not just the gardens you see everyday, but also rooftop gardens would be a great addition to Wells College. Not only will it provide a food source, but would help with the cost of heating and cooling the buildings from winter to summer.
With global climate change causing great big changes in the earth, and the probability that food will become more scarce, Wells students should know how to grow their own food. This would provide more fresh produce to the dining hall, and increase healthy eating habits.
Another possible addition could be greenhouses or rooftop gardens that could add produce throughout the year, and not just the peak growing season.
Not just the gardens you see everyday, but also rooftop gardens would be a great addition to Wells College. Not only will it provide a food source, but would help with the cost of heating and cooling the buildings from winter to summer.