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Emory's Policies and PracticesThe first campus plan, drawn up by architect Henry Hornbostel in 1915, envisioned an Italian Renassaisance style villa sitting between two streams on what is now the quad. [Hauk 1999, p. 62-63] In his history of campus development, Dr. Woolford B. Baker, Professor Emeritus of Bíology, described mostly vain attempts from the 1920's to the 1950's to preserve natural areas in the face of building expansion. In 1970, the Advanced Ecology class of Prof. Robert Platt produced "The quality of Emory's natural environment." They documented the deterioration of Emory's natural environment over the previous 20 years and recommended that quality of the natural environment be elevated from its "subsidiary position" in Emory's master plan to prevent further deterioration. The Murdy/Carter Report in 1986 pointed out that stands of well-preserved forest remain on campus and strongly recommended protection of these areas. In 1998 another Ecology class conducted an environmental assessment of Peavine Creek, noting deterioration and making recommendations for future long-term study. Adam Wolf's Spring 2000 senior thesis, Energy conservation at Turman Residential Center, offers an overview of the state of energy conservation on campus. Although the Master Plan of 1998 expressed respect for Emory's "Sacred Spaces" in its Guiding Principles, no resources were set aside for inventorying or restoring tree canopy and streams. Emory, unlike other campuses, has not conducted an Environmental Audit. An Ecology of Emory PowerPoint presentation assembled by the Fall 2000 Ecology of Emory class shows the two possible futures of Emory's campus—completely urban (all buildings and no natural areas like Georgia Tech) or mixed urban and natural. Although individual projects, such as the Woodruff Library addition (CLAIR) in 1996 over Baker Ravine, aroused alarm which resulted in some compensatory restoration measures being taken, it was the construction of the shuttle road through Lullwater Forest in 1999 that brought environmental concerns on campus to a critical threshold. Through the initiative of the Ad Hoc Committee on Environmental Stewardship, the University Senate in March 2001 passed an Environmental Mission Statement and Implementation Motion. After a successful campus-wide workshop on "Nurturing a Green University," even more specific proposals were submitted in April 2001 to President Chace. One result was the appointment of Emory's first Campus Environmental Officer, John Wegner. On receiving further requests for development within Lullwater, the Committee on the Environment (COE) in Spring of 2001 proposed that a management plan be drafted. By December 2002, a joint committee of COE and the Lullwater Task Force appointed by President Chace produced the Lullwater Comprehensive Management Plan. Fundraising is underway under the leadership of Nancy Seideman of the Friends of Emory Forest. On the energy front, Peggy Barlett in 2002 initiated an Energy Conservation Project and John Wegner reported on plans for a campus-wide policy in a 2003 Emory Report article. As a result of coordination among the Committee of the Environment, the Campus Environmental Officer, and Campus Planning, the Campus Plan Update in process as of Fall 2004 incorporates a commitment to seek LEED ("Green Building") certification for every new building or building renovation, a new environmental guiding principle, environmental criteria for building sites, a forest map, and a land use map that demarcates a significant proportion of campus forest for preservation. Also proposed are a stormwater management plan and forest management plan. In addition, the CCTMA Transportation Study in process incorporates language developed with the Committee on the Environment to prioritize bicycle and pedestrian access and to minimize negative environmental impacts of traffic improvements. |
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