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Potential Undergraduate Research Projects
Environmental
Education Center Operations
- Hold
at least 10 office hours per week
- Recruit
volunteers to hold staffing hours in the EEC
- Keep
an updated catalog of all resource materials found in the EEC
- Maintain
the greening information on EcoLogic's Union bulletin board
- Function
as a resource person for students who are looking for information
- Solicit
new materials for the EEC
- Write
a book review for each enviRenss
- Advertise
the EEC on campus
Vegetarian
URP
- Distribute
information about the vegetarian option throughout RPI.
- Work
with Marriot and EcoLogic to promote this option through the offering
of more meatless food selections, table tents, posters, articles
in the Marriot newsletters, such as Dining News, questionnaires
and even contests.
- Research
and publicize the health and environmental benefits of eating a
vegetarian diet through the means listed above.
Recycling
Markets Research
- Research
recycling options for materials which RPI does not currently recycle
(examples might be electronic equiptment, building materials, construction
and demolition debris, white goods, hazardous materials)
- Come
up with appropriate methods for collection and transportation of
these materials
- Research
possibilities for technical assistance and/or additional funding
from various sources
Green
Purchasing Research
- Research
environmentally friendly alternatives to products currently bought
by RPI (could apply to any type of product - office products, building
materials, chemicals, furniture, carpeting, etc.)
- Develop
a list of criteria which would assist the purchasing department
in evaluating the sustainability of their product choices
Green
Office Assessing
- Find
offices on campus that would be interested in having a green office
assessment (a personalized assessment of their office practices
from an environmental standpoint)
- Visit
the offices and talk to occupants about recycling, buying and energy
use habits, etc.
- Write
reports of the findings
- Discuss
these with office occupants
Landscaping
- Assess
landscaping practices on campus through observation, interviews,
etc.
- Review
prior projects and other materials to determine more appropriate
landscaping techniques (e.g., use of perennials, native plants,
less water-intensive plants)
- Estimate
savings in water use and labor time if these changes were implemented
- Propose
changes to the administration
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