Morehouse College – Martin Hill – 2011

Goals

Martin Hill spent his summer as an EDF Climate Corps fellow at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, with the goal of addressing Morehouse’s concerns about ever-increasing energy consumption and operating costs.

Solutions

Over the course of ten weeks, Hill focused most of his efforts on short- to medium-term projects that were low cost or no cost. These projects included student/faculty/staff initiatives, empowerment seminars, lighting retrofits and PC power management software. As a way to spur campus sustainability, Hill recommended that Morehouse host the Campus Consciousness Tour, a national campaign that blends music with environmental and social awareness. The program offers an eco-village, carbon offset program, eco-concert program and greening website that sends students positive messages about environmental sustainability. Another creative way to boost student engagement and awareness of energy efficiency could be through the creation of an Energy Star dorm.

Potential Impact

If Hill’s identified projects are implemented at Morehouse, the college could save $150,000 in annual energy costs, reduce electricity usage by 1.6 million kWh per year, and keep 550 tons of carbon emissions out of the atmosphere annually.