Duke Blue may be worn by students all over campus, but some student leaders hope to make green a more important color.
The Duke University Greening Initiative, founded by sophomores Anthony Vitarelli and Justin Segall as part of an "enterprising leaders" public policy course, aspires to make the University a leader in environmental responsibility, sustainability and green building practices.
As their inaugural event to promote these ideas, DUGI brought to campus William McDonough, the internationally renowned architect recognized for his environmentally progressive designs.
"Duke has a unique opportunity in this country right now," said McDonough, offering a brief sketch of a long-term plan the University could embark on to go beyond current standards and become a leader in green initiatives.
With numerous construction projects planned at the University in the imminent future, Vitarelli and Segall plan to address the Board of Trustees in May to propose that all new construction meets green standards.
"We take our commitment to the environment here quite seriously," Executive Vice President Tallman Trask said.
The main goal of DUGI is to implement the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards into the University Master Plan. LEED was developed by a national non-profit organization that aims to move the American building industry toward sustainable development practices, or development that focuses on conserving natural resources.
Vitarelli has high hopes for the future of DUGI.
"Down the road, we want to start a center for sustainability on campus," said Vitarelli, also a Duke Student Government legislator.
DUGI members said McDonough's achievements in ecological designs made him a prominent role model for the organization.
"He's really the preeminent leader in this field right now; he's shifting the paradigm," said Vitarelli, describing the man who received the Presidential Award for Sustainable Development from President Bill Clinton in 1996 and was recognized by Time Magazine as a "Hero for the Planet" in 1999.
McDonough delivered his lecture "Environmental Stewardship: Moving Towards a Green Campus" to a nearly full Geneen Auditorium at the Fuqua School of Business.
He highlighted two main themes to address in his presentation: "What would it mean to have a mental model saying we're going to be here in 5,000 years?" and "How much can I give for all that I get?"
McDonough showcased his Cradle to Cradle Designs - principles based on a book he co-wrote which addresses how products can be designed for infinite reuse.
"Being less bad is not being good.... Let's be 100 percent good," McDonough said.
To illustrate his idea of a technical cycle, where service products are returned to the environment, McDonough gave the example of a computer that could be bought, used and taken back to be turned into a new, better computer.
McDonough has personally been involved in the design of many environmentally friendly buildings, including one at Oberlin College that purifies its own water and produces more energy than it requires to operate.
"Victory would be a world powered entirely by renewable energy," McDonough said. "As the Buddhists would say, 'If not now, when? If not here, where?'" he concluded.
McDonough's lecture, which was peppered with jokes, drew rousing applause from the audience.
"I thought it was really inspiring. I hope the ideas he presented can trickle down to all students' ways of thinking," said sophomore Michelle Mangan, who recently became a member of DUGI.
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