Sustainability. It’s a word that should be important to all of us and is at the core of one campus association called Ecolution.
By definition, sustainability involves using methods that do not completely deplete or destroy natural resources. According to their website, “Ecolution is a university-wide effort to reduce environmental impact, preserve resources and show sustainability.” They do this by researching and practicing environmental sustainability and incorporating sustainability practices and thinking into every aspect of campus life.
Ecolution board member Bedashrita Chattoraj , a Master’s student from India, said the group started in November 2011 as the brainchild of a TUD professor who thought something needed to be done about the environment. According to Chattoraj, there was a report that compared sustainability among Dutch universities. “TU Delft was not one of the most “green” campuses and that was a motivating factor,” she said.
The organization consists of about fifty environmentally aware students and five professors with subject expertise. Chattoraj said they bring in experts to give talks about relevant topics. “We are trying to create a mass awareness of issues that impact our world today,” she stated. Some of the issues being addressed on campus are water usage, food, and building and land management.
One initiative of Ecolution is called SMART, which stands for Sustainability Monitoring and Research Team. It’s a way for students to let the university know how they think campus sustainability should be measured, managed and improved.
Another one of Ecolution’s initiatives is organizing two “Freecycle” events a year. They collect useful items from students who are leaving. Then incoming students can get items they need, all while helping the environment and saving money. You can drop off donations at the Ecolution office at Villa Rosa (between3ME and EWI) every Thursday from 12:30 to 13:30.The next Freecycle event will be held on February 62014.
Kevin Felter, a Dutch Master’s student and Ecolution board member said they are also using their platform to link students and professors for academic projects. He said students can analyze activities on campus and use the research as part of their degree program.
“Of course there are a lot of organizations at TUD that have activities around sustainability,” stated Felter. “But Ecolution is really more specific about sustainability within our society. We want to look at it from a broader aspect and we hope to convey the importance of sustainability to students.”
For more information on events or how to get involved with Ecolution visit www.facebook.com/ecolution.delft.
www.facebook.com/tudelft.sustainability
This is part of our ongoing series Meet The Society which highlights different student groups and societies at TU Delft. If you’d like to suggest an organziation for us to cover, please email us at deltainternational@tudelft.nl.
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