San Diego State University
ER-2: Student Sustainability Outreach Campaign

The Associated Students Green Love Campaign began in 2005 and is a comprehensive outreach campaign that seeks to create a culture around sustainability at SDSU. Green Love initiatives address key aspects of the student experience including: personal choices, campus policy, public advocacy, career development, and community service. Current outreach initiatives: the "Greening Your Life Campaign" aimed at promoting sustainable choices for students; CASE sustainability themed cultural outreach events; alternative transportation promotion programs; scholarships for international experiential learning, and bike policy advocacy. Green Love also seeks to raise awareness about University policies that impact students and representatives student interests on the University Senate and Senate Sustainability committee. 2011-12 Green Love Education and Outreach Events: monthly Green Lunch Speaker Series, a weekly educational booth at the farmer’s market, annual Sustainability Pledge drive, and a week-long Sustainability themed festival Green Fest. More than 4,000 students attended Green Fest 2012 events such as a sustainable business and job fair, a green fashion show, a film screening, presentations, competitions and keynote address by a high profile environmental or social justice advocate. Keynote speakers have included Colin Bevan (2012), Daryl Hanna, and Julia Butterfly-Hill (2011) Jerome Ringo (2010). Select student organization outreach efforts: The E3 the Enviro Business Society and the Sustainability Program major educational outreach at the weekly Farmer's Market at SDSU and outreach to local businesses on green practice certification. The Power Save Green Campus Interns conduct annual energy saving competitions and present on energy efficiency in classes as a part of their Academic Infusion program. Residential Competitions: Student organizations coordinate several residence hall and Greek house competitions around saving energy, recycling, and reducing water usage. One example is the Power Save Green Campus Program's annual the residence hall competition, which combines educational outreach to students with a hall-based one month energy saving competition. Green Campus supports a campaign to promote energy efficiency and sustainable life style choices for on-campus residents and works with facilities staff to measure and track savings and report these savings to compete in the 'Campus Conservation Nationals'. SDSU also participates in the annual Recyclemania competition. Lab Energy Saving Campaign and Fume Hood Competition: The Green Campus interns support an annual Energy Awareness and Fume Hood Competition called Shut the Sash in the chemistry department’s student labs. This competition focuses on energy conservation and safety within labs in the Chemical Science Laboratories buildings. The lab users and interns track and report energy saving to the Alliance to Save Energy. The goal of the competition is to encourage long-term behavior and policy changes that will reduce the environmental impact of energy used to run lab fume hoods. The competition launched in 2009 and has helped reduce energy use in the labs by 20%. Association of Information Technology Professionals organizes a biannual e-waste diversion and recycling campaign as a part of their sustainability initiative.

The Associated Students 2005-2011 Student Led Sustainability Report is a comprehensive review of AS sustainability outreach efforts. Examples of tangible impacts include: a marked increase in student participation in green competitions and events, the development of a campus bike plan and bike lanes in 2011, and new recycling and composting programs that have helped increase SDSU's diversion rate from 52% in 2009 to an estimated 72% in 2012. Energy Savings: The 2010 Green Campus Residence Hall energy competition logged a total of 3,000 kWh saved. In 2010 the SDSU Green Campus program recorded 114,231 KWH saved as a result of their “Shut the Sash” Fume hood competition. 56 students and faculty participated in the Annual Fume Hood Competition educational outreach program, up from a few dozen in 2009. The competition launched in 2009 and has helped reduce energy use in the labs by 20%. In 2010 Interns with the Green Campus program audited the Undergraduate Studies Office and Honor Lounge in the Administration Building and identified savings of 3,984 KWH per year or 38% reduction energy use and implemented measures to help achieve a substantial energy efficiencies. The 2011 E-Waste recycling day diverted 8,560 pounds of materials including items containing hazardous materials and heavy metals from landfill. SDSU's recycling partner for the event All Green Electronics Recycling has a zero landfill policy that ensures all items are recycled in compliance with EPA standards in North America and not dumped in unregulated markets. The 2009 GreenFest and SaveMyOceans Tour teamed up to recruit 4,330 students to sign sustainable living pledges. Nearly 18,000 students attended the three events, an art installation and educational talk, OCEANS film advanced screening, and Save My Oceans concert. http://www.savemyoceans.com/pledge.php Power Save/ Green Campus outreach campaign and academic engagement initiative information: http://www.sdsugreencampus.org/