September 08 Issue - Employee Monthly Magazine

Spotlight

New student program brings environmental stewardship up close and personal

Valles Caldera National Preserve chief scientist Bob Parmenter, right, explains how a flume measures spring runoff and monitors water flow to students who participated in an all-day field trip to the Valles Caldera National Preserve as part of the Student Sustainability Challenge. Photo by Tatjana K. Resev

Global warming, wildlife conservation, and fossil-fuel depletion are but some of the issues that humans face as a result of choices and actions that negatively affect Earth. Awareness of environmental issues and getting involved to make a difference may be the keys to helping ensure the planet's long-term survival, or so believes Angelica Gurule and Katelyn Booth of the Risk Reduction Office (ENV-RRO).

To help get students at the Laboratory involved in environmental stewardship, ENV-RRO sponsored the Student Sustainability Challenge. The program encouraged students, through competition, to come up with a "green" concept that could be implemented across the Lab; it also introduced them to environmental issues outside the Lab. This year's challenge focused on the shark finning industry, highlighting its affect on the declining shark population and the delicate balance of the ecosystem.

"Providing a forum in which students could discuss the environmental problems we face today and inspiring them to think about how we can reduce our environmental impact at work and home were among the main reasons we created the Sustainability Challenge," said Gurule.

The program included seminars, movie screenings, and field trips "to inspire students to establish excellence in environmental stewardship in their own workplace," said Booth.

"Challenge participants developed innovative ideas about how the Laboratory could reduce its environmental impacts," said Gurule. "These ideas easily can be implemented, such as planting trees to offset carbon dioxide, providing shade for buildings, painting roof tops white to reduce heat absorption, and using solar panels to power parking lot lights."

"This challenge was extremely successful," added Booth. "It inspired students and mentors to create a more sustainable working environment."
More information on the Sustainability Challenge is at http://int.lanl.gov/environment/go_green/lanl_only/index.shtml online.

—Erika Martinez