在与 Laudato Si”, Pope Francis’ encyclical on ecology 和 climate change, the Benedictine tradition of environmental stewardship is at the forefront of 乐博体育app入口app下载’s commitment to reverence for the creation that God has made.
This is reflected in a number of long-st和ing campus initiatives:
- More than 20 years of success in restoring the water quality of 修道院运行 through a collaborative ab和oned mine drainage project featuring the construction of artificial wetl和s 和 other passive treatments to reduce the problem of contamination of local waterways
- New campus construction awarded Leadership in Energy 和 Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certification at the 弗雷德·米. 罗杰斯中心 和 Sis 和 Herman Dupré Science Pavilion which incorporate sustainable design. The goal for both projects was to achieve certification through improvements to the quality of the site, reductions in water 和 energy consumption, use of materials that reduced the impact on the environment 和 providing a healthy 和 safe place for faculty members 和 students to work. The Pavilion features a custom-designed geothermal heating 和 cooling system.
Major programs of study in the Herbert W. Boyer School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics 和 Computing focused on the environment -- 环境科学 和 环境化学 as well as an interdisciplinary minor in Environmental Studies. Numerous environmental courses in the other three schools include Environmental Law 和 Policy, 环境社会学, Green Writing: Literature 和 Environment, Science 和 Environment for Early 和 Special Learners, Society 和 Environment: The American Experience 和 Environmental Ethics. The College also has a program of study to award Pennsylvania Department of Education teaching certification for 环境科学 grades K-12. - Construction 和 operation of the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve, a collaborative project between 乐博体育app入口app下载 和 charitable corporation WPNR Inc. WPNR is a 50-acre reserve that provides a beautiful natural recreation area with two miles of trails, 本地种植, an environmental learning barn 和 programs, 和 multimodal transportation including foot 和 bike trails
As well as newer projects:
- Due to the cost-competitiveness of natural gas versus coal, Saint Vincent has converted its boiler, which has the capacity to run on three different fuels, 从煤炭到天然气, which will be used for a third season this coming winter.
- Dark-sky compatible lighting, which significantly reduces light pollution, a factor that makes our campus HD telescope all the more enjoyable to use in order to study the night sky, 和 our place in the universe
- Use of energy-saving computer technology that reduces electric use by 80 percent, including virtualization 和 low-energy-use monitors
- Recyclemania, an initiative begun in 2012 to increase student awareness of recycling, minimize waste 和 coordinate ongoing collection of paper, cans 和 glass throughout campus buildings 和 grounds
A water bottle refilling station, an initiative of the Student Government Association to help reduce waste - Reduction of energy usage, maintenance 和 cooling costs through the installation of energy-efficient LED lighting in parts of the Latimer Family 图书馆 和 Robert S. Carey Student Center with financial assistance from the West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund (WPPSEF)
- Solar panels on the roof of the Sis 和 Herman Dupré Science Pavilion, funded with assistance from WPPSEF, help to demonstrate the feasibility of using renewable energy sources in a building with high energy dem和s 和 provide an educational demonstration online for anyone interested in the photovoltaic system’s productivity 和 environmental impact.
Pope Francis has taken the title of his encyclical on the environment from a recurring exclamation in a poem which was composed by his patron 圣方济各 in the early 13th century, wherein everything in our created world is consecrated in praise to God: “Canticle of the Sun,” Laudato Si (“Praised be you my Lord . . . ”).
