University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
ER-T2-1: Student Group

The Active Energy Club is devoted to bringing together students of different disciplines with interests in energy in order to promote awareness about alternative/conservation technology and to provide an information and research base for furthering more energy efficient processes. Campus Beyond Coal, through the Sierra Student Coalition and Sierra Club, are working to get the University of Minnesota to make a public commitment to move beyond coal as soon as feasibly possible. Beyond Coal is looking to take the University to that next step in being a sustainability leader by moving away from burning coal. EcoWatch is a student organization at the University of Minnesota that works to expand the environmental dialogue and engage students on campus environmental issues. It is a non-partisan group that focuses on campus outreach events and represents students on campus sustainability issues. Members also work with local, state, and national environmental and clean energy campaigns. Engineers Without Borders' mission is to partner with disadvantaged communities around the world and to improve their quality of life through implementation of engineered projects that prove environmentally and economically sustainable. Goals are achieved through cooperation with group members, fellow institutions, and mentors on the basis of commitment, persistence and concern for the recipients of the group’s efforts. Environment Alliance is dedicated to environmental activism and communicating ethical and environmental perspectives with local and federal government agencies. They hope to provide a networking tool for those interested in a career in environmental law and policy development as well as assist members in internship placement. Based in the College of Design, Greenlight works to inspire future design leaders to shape physical environments in an ecologically innovative, healthy and sustainable way. The mission of the group is to: reduce personal and community ecological footprints; raise awareness of ecological and social sustainability issues within the college and the broader community; serve as a resource for innovative, sustainable design solutions; and inspire future design leaders to address ecological issues through their work. Innovative Engineers strives to extend the reach of renewable energy to the developing world by providing communities with the technology and know-how necessary to create and maintain a sustainable energy infrastructure using locally available materials. They are currently working on several wind turbine projects, a solar tracker, an electric car, and a hydro project. Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG) is a grassroots, student-directed, non-partisan organization that empowers and trains students, and engages the community to take collective action statewide. Their Sustainability Task Force in the Twin Cities is making changes on and off campus, teaming up with other student groups to make buildings across campus more energy efficient. MPIRG organizes Campus Wars, a competition between campus dorms to reduce energy consumption. The task force is also working on Moving Forward Minnesota to increase the availability of mass transit and bike lanes for commuters. Finally, the students are working with the city of Minneapolis to create a business recycling program. Recreation Resource Management Club is a student group that convenes on themes relating to recreation, sustainable tourism, natural resources, and the environment. Their goals are to facilitate and promote opportunities to participate in recreational activities, social and professional networking, travel, natural resource management, environmental education, and campus and community involvement. The Soil and Water Resources Student Association is an interdisciplinary group centered on the topics of soil and water resources science, dealing with engineering, restoration and preservation of these natural resources. Activities include seminars with topical guest speakers and presentations, water-related environmental stewardship projects, internships, scholarships, cooperative work experiences, and educational outreach activities opportunities. South Asian Engineers goal is to work with South Asian countries and help the remote and economically dis-advantaged regions in these countries to have access to basic amenities, with the first objective being accessible electricity. Being mindful of the burning urge to work towards a sustainable future, all efforts will be focused on provision of sustainable electricity by tapping renewable resources. Projects are developed on campus with the plan of using a proper prototype when visiting a country in order to implement and set up the project in the chosen region. Southeast Como Improvement Association works to maintain and enhance the physical, social, and economic environment of the southeast Como neighborhood through programs that serve the community's present and future needs. Through communication, stewardship, and citizen involvement, they strive to foster a sense of community and to promote the neighborhood as a vibrant place to live and work. The Student Neighborhood Liaison program’s mission is to improve the livability of neighborhoods near the U of M campus. They seek to benefit both the University and surrounding communities through relationship building and connecting students to housing and livability resources. Partnering with University Student Legal Services, they encourage students to know their rights as tenants and their legal responsibilities within their neighborhood. They also provide free events and resources to students who live in SE Como, Marcy Holmes and Prospect Park in order for them to become engaged in those neighborhoods. The Green Group is dedicated to bringing students together to appreciate and preserve the environment by cleaning up the environment, spreading the message to support environmental policies, and spreading an interest in the outdoors. U Students Like Good Food is a group with a goal of working together and within the community to bring light to the effect that food choices have on resources, jobs, land and communities in the Minneapolis/Metro Area and how to make good food choices accessible and affordable for students. They acknowledge that food and food systems not only affect personal health, but also affect the environment, society and local economy. The U.S. Green Building Council Students chapter promotes public understanding and appreciation of the challenges and solutions posed by improved sustainable building practices, specifically those established by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines. The University YMCA Y Immersion Program sends out student groups on service learning trips over winter and spring break to domestic and international locations to engage in social justice and environmental issues and receive leadership skills, cultural/social awareness, and further education on their designated trip themes. Water Resources Students In Action supports Water Resources Science students by providing opportunities for participation in the community, professional development activities, and social gatherings. They provide community outreach and education to the greater urban area regarding water resources and water-related issues as well as participating in park cleanups and other volunteer events in the area. Students for Design Activism is a group dedicated to brainstorming ideas, developing concepts, and supporting community events relating to the use of the landscape, art, and human interaction. They work together for the practical application of studio knowledge with the intent of gaining a better understanding of how their ideas can serve the public.

In December 2011, Campus Beyond Coal helped organize a drop off over 1,000 postcards asking Xcel Energy to use more renewable energy. The postcards were made as a response to Xcel Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan, which explains where Xcel will source its energy needs for the next 15 years and is reviewed by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The students’ goal was to petition Xcel to transition from the Sherco Coal plant to more wind, solar, and energy efficiency. EcoWatch and Environmental Alliance worked together with Great River Greening, a local non-profit organization, to help restore Indian Mounds Regional Park. The native landscape restoration consisted in clearing and hauling Buckthorn, an invasive species, out of the park area as well as planting native species. Students for Design Activism is working on a proposal to construct small-scale vegetated roofs on the passenger shelters located at the Light Rail Transit stations currently under construction in the Twin Cities. These greenroofs would also help to beautify the LRT stations and enhance the branding of the Central Corridor as a “Green” line. The visible nature of these improvements would also help competitively place the Twin Cities on the forefront of embracing sustainable urban development. By bringing greenroofs down to a pedestrian level and scale, there will have an opportunity to attract and educate the public on the benefits of sustainable infrastructure. The benefits of greenroofs include providing an opportunity to collect stormwater that would normally enter into the city’s stormwater collection system, reducing the surface area that absorbs heat to decrease in the urban heat island effect, mitigating air pollution, as well as many indirect social benefits such as job creation, aesthetics and well-being, social cohesion and food security. In April 2012 U Students Like Good Food hosted an Urban Agriculture Panel and free dinner on campus. The panel featured local experts from on urban agriculture to discuss pressing issues in the area. The event engaged the student community to learn more about local food systems and the effects their food choices have.