The Sierra Club has recognized Denison University for its work in sustainability as a 2017 “Cool School.”
Sierra measures items such as student sustainability programs, energy use, investment programs, organic gardens and outdoor programs. Denison received especially high marks for its co-curricular, energy and innovation programs.
Jeremy King, Denison’s sustainability coordinator, noted that the college should do even better in next year’s evaluation. “We are adding a solar array that will provide about 15% of our energy consumption,” he noted. “We eliminated coal entirely as an energy source and we are working diligently towards our goal of carbon neutrality by 2030.”
The solar array also will present an opportunity to educate students and the community about solar power. Faculty and students will be able to pull data from the array for scientific study and a small component of the array would be accessible by faculty and students for lab and coursework.
“We're thrilled with this recognition by Sierra of the good work we are doing,” said King. “Much of this work happens behind the scenes, and isn't visible to the casual viewer. Sierra evaluates a range of factors that take into account many of those 'hidden gems.' All of the work we do is important to our shared vision of a healthy future for people and the planet.”