When you think of sustainability, you are likely to think of the environment first. Recycling, donating used items, different farming techniques, and renewable energy are just a few things that come to mind. However, true sustainability, and the way the University of Idaho views it, is so much more.
Byron Flynn is a UI affiliate and College of Engineering alumnus involved in multiple initiatives on campus. This includes the President’s Sustainability Working Group and its production of the White Paper, or the directional template to implement sustainable measures at UI, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) advisory board, and presiding over the Academy of Engineers. Outside of direct university work, Flynn is a recent retiree from General Electric, specifically through GE Renewable Energy as an employee working with grid, wind, and hydroelectric projects.
One of the largest influences that Flynn cited as part of UI’s sustainability goals is the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) established by the United Nations. The goals, ranging from achieving zero poverty, to quality education, to affordable and clean energy and climate action act as a worldwide guide
for companies, universities, and local, state, and national governments to use to achieve a more sustainable and quality future by 2030, allowing these institutions to model their policies and practices to match the goal’s objectives.
“Sometimes, different efforts that organizations have on sustainability are criticized because they’re really just checking a box … I don’t feel it’s correct, and many companies don’t feel it’s correct that sustainability is thought of as a destination … it’s a journey,” Flynn said. “The very nature of having something that is sustainable means that it continues on.”
Another idea that Flynn applies to UI’s sustainability mission is the three pillars of sustainability, or the concept that true sustainability can only be achieved when financial, social/societal and environmental objectives work in harmony together.
“One of the things that’s important is a balance between all three of those (things), if you focus on financial, but don’t think about societal and don’t think about environmental, then your business is not going to be as strong as if you’re thinking about societal and financial and environmental,” Flynn said. “If you just think about environmental, and you don’t think about how much it costs to accomplish that environmental goal, there are things you can do that are very good for the environment that might be really expensive. That will make your business hard to sustain, or your organization hard to sustain.”
Flynn also connects the 17 Goals from the U.N. in this mindset, as they offer a focus, or a “to-do” list of sorts for all institutions to specify and achieve the goals, keeping the three pillars in mind.
When it comes to applying these ideas and mindsets to UI, one of the ways that Flynn has worked with the curriculum side of the university is through the College of Engineering’s Capstone program. Flynn has worked with senior engineering students to encourage them to select a minimum group of three Global Goals from the U.N.’s list to incorporate into their senior design project, allowing them to have a sustainable mindset when it comes to brainstorming, planning, and creating their project and the solution or goal they want to achieve through its inclusion. This also aids graduating seniors in fostering this mindset when they enter the workforce and move their company or organization towards achieving these goals as well.
“I was talking with a student years ago, and they were working on introducing a new way to produce
or get fertilizer into a field. They were figuring out ways to do that to save money and make it less expensive. They were actually from Nepal; they’re going to take that back to their home, and introduce it to some of the farmers back there,” Flynn said. “It would help with food insecurity and poverty, and they were really excited about it. That particular student had a good, clear picture of the work that they were doing on introducing fertilizer … and how that could be a benefit, and help map directly to a sustainability goal.”
Photo Courtesy of UI
Flynn has also helped UI’s Engineering Diversity team, helping to attract new, diverse, and underrepresented students from different backgrounds to enroll in the College of Engineering, enriching the student experience by allowing individuals with unique perspectives to contribute to the College’s class structure and direction.
Looking at measurable, hands-on initiatives, Flynn has also aided UI in reducing the amount of plastic waste that is produced by supporting a ban on plastic water bottles at college-sponsored events, instead providing refillable water stations for staff, faculty, students and guests, hoping to educate those involved on more cost-effective, environmentally-friendly alternatives to single-use plastic.
“It’s more sustainable that you’re actually improving the systems and you’re helping educate the people that are involved in changing the processes that they’ve created, and eliminating the water bottles,” Flynn said. “You may actually learn a new way to save more money that you didn’t think about before, so that’s why it is a good dialogue.”
Above all, Flynn hopes to encourage small, doable change among students, as a heroic effort is more likely to fall short by causing too much pressure on one individual to solve a problem.
“You just change. You start to change behaviors and start changing expectations. That’s when things start to become really sustainable,” Flynn said.
Patricia Colberg, the Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), has also had a large influence on UI’s sustainability initiatives and goals.
Like Flynn, Colberg served on the President’s Sustainability Working Group and a member of the College of Engineering’s Steering Committee for Sustainability Initiatives.
While Chair of the CEE Department from 2015 to 2021, she banned bottle water from department events and convinced the College to stop providing free bottled water at Engineering EXPO, a showcase of engineering student senior design projects that is held each spring. Shortly after she arrived at UI, she installed an Elkay water station on the first floor of the Buchanan Engineering Building. A year later, she worked with an undergraduate student on a proposal to the UI Sustainability Cooperative to install a water station in the Janssen Building. According to Colberg, most bottled water is actually tap water. She further stated that in addition to the plastic waste, bottled water is very expensive (costing about 3,000 times more than tap water) and undermines the public’s trust in UI’s excellent public water supplies.
Colberg encourages student involvement, especially among younger students who are new to the campus.
“I think sustainability is a lifestyle; it is a choice. And I think the good news is that a lot of students now coming out of high school, and hopefully younger kids as well, are much more aware of some of these issues, and I think that’s going to be our biggest strength.”
Colberg would like to see the implementation of “Sustainability Ambassadors” on campus, i.e., designated students who are knowledgeable and willing to educate others about sustainable practices.
In particular, she hopes to see student involvement in the newly-implemented recycling program launched by UI on April 3.
Colberg is confident that this time around, providing clear education on the difference between what can be recycled and what items cannot will reduce contamination and ensure that the new recycling program is a success.
When it comes to other ways for students to get involved and make a positive change, Colberg recommends reduced vehicle usage on campus, opting instead for walking or biking, reduced showering time, and reflecting on how one moves throughout the community.
“I think there’s a plethora of knowledge about how to improve these practices, not just in the College of Engineering, but I think in other places as well,” Colberg said. “I think students are really hungry to know how they can be better, if you will, environmental citizens.”
“I think students are really hungry to know how they can be better, if you will, environmental citizens.”
Overall, Colberg has hope for the success of these goals not only at UI, but in Moscow as a whole as the university and greater community continue to collaborate.
“I think if we do that, we’re going to explore all those different issues and we’re going to tackle them one by one by one and continue to create a very special community,” Colberg said. “I think we’re going to create an even more sustainable world where our community is going to continue to thrive.”
Sarah Dawson is the current sustainability director at UI, where, according to Dawson, she identifies goals and implements actions that will advance sustainability in operations, education, research, and outreach on campus, otherwise trying to make the university more operationally-efficient and minimize its environmental impact while create opportunities for students to increase environmental education opportunities.
Having held this position since Aug. of 2022, Dawson has worked in higher education as a sustainability director for nearly 15 years.
Her involvement in campus sustainability initiatives and groups is extensive, holding a role in ASUI, the Student Sustainability Cooperative, the Provost’s Office, RSSW, the colleges, Dining Services, and Creative Services.
“Creating a sustainable campus is not possible without contributions from nearly every office on campus,” Dawson stated in an email interview. “All of these groups and many more are integral to our success.”
When it comes to future-thinking goals that Dawson would like UI to achieve, she is focused on improving UI’s rating system for the current sustainability presence found on campus.
Her goal is to work towards an AASHE STARS (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education / Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System) platinum rating in their system.
“AASHE STARS is the most comprehensive sustainability standard in higher education, and focuses on sustainability in operations (including food, landscaping, waste, energy use, water use, building efficiency, etc.), academics, research, outreach, and other areas,” Dawson stated. “We’re currently rated silver, so a gold rating will be our next step.”
Reflecting on what the university has positively achieved in terms of sustainability goals, Dawson focuses on renewable energy and water filtration as top accomplishments.
“The university has made great strides in sustainability around energy use with the biomass plant to heat the campus, the steam turbines inside that are generating electricity, and the solar array on the IRIC building,” Dawson stated. “We also have a water reclamation facility that has saved billions of gallons of fresh water from being pumped from our declining aquifer. I would like to continue to focus on water conservation measures.”
For other goals, Dawson advocates for the continuation of diverting waste from landfills by reducing waste generation on campus and installing a composting program.
When asked about her thoughts on the financial, social/societal and environmental pillars of true sustainability, Dawson prioritizes the people involved in these equations, and their right to live in a quality world that can only be achieved by our collective agreement and work, ensured by the financial security to pursue these goals.
“I think the ultimate goal is to create a society where everyone has access to the benefits of green space, clean air, clean water, and healthy food, and that these things are around in perpetuity,” Dawson stated. “We can’t pursue true environmental sustainability while ignoring the people who live in the environment. Everyone has the right to enjoy environmental benefits.”
Above all, Dawson emphasizes the role that students have as an inspiration to those working in sustainability, the enthusiasm they have to achieve these initiatives and goals, and the ways that they can help adjust their lifestyles to live more sustainably.
“They (the students) are determined to make the world a better place, and that enthusiasm keeps us going. If students want to be more sustainable, they can use alternative transportation to get to campus (walk or bike), use reusable bottles, turn down plastic bags and straws, take shorter showers, eat a plant-based meal now and again, make sure to recycle properly, etc.,” Dawson stated. “Additionally, get engaged! Volunteer to work with the Student Sustainability Cooperative on all the cool projects they have going on. Join the Pollinator Committee or Tree Committee on campus (send me an email if you’re interested!). Work with ASUI on their single-use-plastic waste-reduction campaign. We can use your help!”