Due to student demand, a second Eco-Cottage will open on campus this fall.

       Furman will officially kick off the Year of the Environment on Wednesday, Sept. 13 with an opening convocation in McAlister Auditorium.  Throughout the school year, the university will sponsor a series of programs, lectures and events to emphasize environmental citizenship and develop greater environmental consciousness, both on campus and off.

       Among other things, the university will work with local farmers to provide the freshest food possible in the dining hall, undertake an experiment in residential living that will give students a more complete understanding of environmental issues, begin a restoration of the Furman Lake, and host a three-day conference on the environment that will feature former U.S. Sen. John Glenn.

       “Furman has adopted a commitment to environmental sustainability as one of its foremost strategic goals, and the Year of the Environment will help us focus even more on that commitment,” said president David E. Shi.  “The university wants to be the national leader among liberal arts colleges committed to sustainability, both educationally and operationally.”

       The opening convocation on Sept. 13, which begins at 10 a.m., will feature an address by Brad Wyche, a Greenville environmentalist and executive director of Upstate Forever, a non-profit group that promotes sensible growth in the area.  Arthur Blank, president of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons who focuses much of his philanthropic efforts on sustainability and environmental initiatives, will also receive an honorary degree.

       Here are some of the major programs and initiatives that will take place during the school year.

* On Sept. 25-27, the Richard W. Riley Institute of Government, Politics and Public Leadership will host a conference titled “The Environment:  Critical Issues in the 21st Century.”  John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, will be the keynote speaker.  A number of activists, journalists, business leaders and policy experts will be on hand to discuss issues of state, national and global importance.

* As soon as school starts, ARAMARK and the Furman Dining Hall will begin serving fresh produce collected from 26 local farms.  All the local suppliers are within a 150-mile radius of the campus, and the menus will be altered throughout the school year to accommodate what is in season locally.

* Furman will introduce a new concept in student residential living — the Environmental Community of Students (ECOS).  Twenty incoming students who have expressed an interest in the environment will live together in a residence hall.  Participants will enroll in Furman’s introductory course in environmental science and are expected to be leaders in the sustainability efforts on campus.

* The university will restore its campus lake to a more natural, healthy environment.  Major changes will include providing new vegetation for the lakeshore and shallows (to naturally filter the water and reduce algae growth), and reducing the populations of waterfowl.

* The Eco-Cottage experiment on campus has been such a success that it will double in size this year.  Due to student demand, a total of 16 students – eight men and eight women – will live in two Eco-Cottages located beside the lake.  The Eco-Cottages features a range of energy-saving devices, from solar panels to low-flow showers.  The project, which began in 1999, allows students and professors to measure the effectiveness of energy conservation and sustainable living.

* Students will continue working to produce alternative fuels for campus use.  Members of the Environmental Action Group (EAG) operate a small facility in which they convert waste vegetable oil from the dining hall into biodiesel fuel.

* The university has hired James Wilkins as its first Environmental Sustainability Intern.  Wilkins, who recently graduated from Antioch College of New England with a master’s degree in Environmental Studies, will be responsible for enhancing Furman’s conservation and recycling efforts as well as supporting its sustainability programs and projects.  One of Wilkins’ primary responsibilities will be developing and maintaining Furman’s organic garden.

* Construction at Furman continues to be cost-effective, sustainable, and energy-efficient.  The new $60 million Charles H. Townes Center for Science, scheduled for completion in 2008, will be a “living building and laboratory” and feature a solar aquatic treatment facility, solar thermal panels, rainwater collection and day-lighting systems.

       To learn more about Furman’s environmental priorities, visit the Web at www.furman.edu/sustain or contact the News and Media Relations office at 864-294-3107.

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