New plans for going green

By Frances Parrish

Chris Johnson stands beside the plaque that recognizes the West Center’s LEED Silver certification. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Photo by Catherine Zende • zendec@mytjnow.comEven though Winthrop’s colors are garnet and gold, the campus is in the process of getting a green makeover.  Christopher Johnson, a Winthrop Alum, is the new sustainability coordinator for Winthrop. 

By accepting the Sustainability Coordinator position, which is privately funded by Harry and Becca Dalton, he is back at Winthrop once again.  “[The] Dalton’s are environmental champions,” Johnson said. The Dalton’s also founded the Harry and Becca Endowed Chair in Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies.   

“The decision to come back to Winthrop was simple; the Winthrop experience is very unique, and the Winthrop family is extremely welcoming,” Johnson said.   

As the Sustainability Coordinator, Johnson is in charge of making the existing programs better and coordinating new programs to make the university more sustainable. 

Out of all the buildings on Campus, the West Center is the only one that is LEED Silver Certified by the US Green Building Council.  LEED is internationally recognized as the third party green building certification program.  

A certified building is able to reduce energy and water consumption, reduce carbon emissions, improve indoor environmental quality and is a good steward of resources and its impact on the environment.  

The West Center includes special features like carbon dioxide censors, light sensors that conserve energy by turning lights on or off depending on the amount of daylight filtering in through the windows, waterless urinals and automatic faucets to reduce water consumption, and recycled interior  features, including  original flooring  from Peabody.  

 “The older buildings [Margaret Nance, Tillman and Bancroft] pose interesting challenges,” Johnson said.  

His plan is to create strategies that will help reduce water and energy consumption. Some of the strategies include: providing different forms of transportation, like bicycles; using renewable energy sources; decreasing the heat island effect; installing water efficient faucets; using collected storm water for irrigation; using native drought tolerant species in landscaping projects; and using locally harvested or manufactured building materials.  

With all these projects, classes should not be affected. “It is important though to understand that not all sustainable strategies are relevant to all projects,” Johnson said.  

Currently, Johnson has not implemented any new projects, since he just arrived in early September, and is still learning what programs Winthrop already has for sustainability.  

He is working on how to re-energize the recycling program and will integrate sustainability among the classrooms, so everyone, faculty, staff and students can get in on the go green movement.  

“Sustainability is about evaluating our individual behaviors,” Johnson said.  

In our changing society, it is important for Winthrop to have sustainability.  At one point it was considered a fad that would not last long, but now it is back and stronger than ever. 

“Universities and colleges across the country are committed to becoming sustainable institutions; sustainability is becoming the norm,” Johnson said.   

In the long run, a sustainable Winthrop will reduce its heating and cooling costs, and other operating costs.  

“The longterm goal of sustainability is to reduce humans’ impact on the planet,” Johnson said.