Download PDF - St. Catherine's College - University of Oxford
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Going Green<br />
in a Golden Year<br />
It was with the chance <strong>of</strong> making a ‘special<br />
contribution to the urgent national need for<br />
more scientists’ that <strong>St</strong> Catherine’s <strong>College</strong><br />
was first contemplated. Arne Jacobsen<br />
envisaged his creation as an architectural<br />
whole, with the gardens and natural<br />
environment as important to his vision as<br />
the physical buildings. Five decades on, <strong>St</strong><br />
Catherine’s is still proud <strong>of</strong> that relationship<br />
with the environment as it uses the<br />
latest technology and supports innovative<br />
recycling projects.<br />
Re-cycle is a UK charity which aims to<br />
provide cheap, sustainable transport in<br />
Africa by collecting unwanted and discarded<br />
bicycles and shipping them to the rural<br />
areas in which they prove so useful. The<br />
organisation insists that ‘simple, affordable<br />
transport generates income opportunities<br />
in developing countries, as well as saving<br />
lots <strong>of</strong> time and back-breaking work.’ Since<br />
1998, Re-cycle has been sent more than<br />
40,000 bikes to Africa, and the <strong>College</strong> is<br />
delighted to be participating for a second<br />
year.<br />
Meanwhile, a Traid (Textile Recycling for Aid<br />
and International Development) bin is now<br />
available for students to recycle unwanted<br />
items <strong>of</strong> clothing. Traid aims to divert<br />
discarded clothing away from the landfill, and<br />
into its network <strong>of</strong> charity shops. The pr<strong>of</strong>its<br />
raised from the sale <strong>of</strong> the recycled clothes<br />
are then used to ‘support projects fighting<br />
inequality and exploitation in the global<br />
textile supply chain, and projects establishing<br />
environmental sustainability in some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
world’s poorest communities’.<br />
Rebecca Elliot (2011, Biology), the JCR’s<br />
Environment and Ethics Representative, said<br />
that the schemes, and the eagerness <strong>of</strong><br />
participation in them, were a ‘real tribute<br />
to the engagement <strong>of</strong> the student body in<br />
environmental issues, and a great example <strong>of</strong><br />
a strong social conscience among the JCR’.<br />
Across <strong>College</strong>, work is being done to increase<br />
the environmental efficiency <strong>of</strong> our worldrenowned<br />
buildings. Increased insulation to<br />
the JCR and SCR ro<strong>of</strong>s has reduced heat loss by<br />
3%. New toilet facilities in the JCR have been<br />
designed using water-saving technology, saving<br />
approximately 350,000 litres <strong>of</strong> water per year.<br />
A Building Management System, and improved<br />
boiler facilities have produced a 5.9% saving<br />
on CO2 emissions across the <strong>College</strong>. The<br />
installation <strong>of</strong> a sedum blanket to the gym<br />
ro<strong>of</strong> uses green technology to secure up to<br />
10% energy saving in heat loss and reduces<br />
noise by up to 8 dB. n<br />
ST CATHERINE’S COLLEGE 2012/11