Elons environmental council has authored a sustainability plan that could change the way of life at Elon.

The plan is about finding a way to manage Elon University in a different way with sustainability as a guiding principle, said Janet MacFall, coordinator of environmental studies and director of the center for environmental studies.

The 54-page plan that President Leo Lambert asked the council to create includes a list of priorities including submetering buildings individually instead of in clusters and developing a master sidewalk and bike path plan for the whole town.

The hardest thing this plan calls for is the whole community to change our behaviors, said Gerald Whittington, vice president of business, technology and finance. Our biggest challenge in going forward is getting students to pay attention and change behaviors.

The plan, if passed, will impact every aspect of life at Elon from building and grounds management to teaching.

The plan identifies key areas where we can one, make a difference, two, affect change, three, adopt new practices and procedures, Whittington said. We hear about the science but theres really an art to this too-the psychology of changing peoples behavior.

MacFall hopes that themes of environmental stability will branch out across campus from the environmental studies program.

The global trend in business and technology is toward sustainability.

This is the way global economy is going to go, MacFall said. People think its an impediment but new green buildings are being built around the world. If we teach them 1990s principles in a 2010 world were not doing right by our students, MacFall said.

According to Whittington, the biggest energy waster in the older buildings on campus is the windows, which will be replaced in Alamance by more efficient ones this summer.

The sustainability plan suggests the construction of a new sustainable green building on campus for use by environmental programs and demonstrations.

The expense of such buildings, MacFall said, is a myth.

The technology is available, the materials dont need to be custom built. [The cost] depends on the design, she said. If [the building] is designed well, the money spent is earned back fast.

There are also plans to start a sustainability learning community in the Colonnades next semester.

We want to use the university in its physical structure as a teaching laboratory, MacFall said. Her hope is for the learning community to eventually move into its own green house.

Its a big plan with so many moving parts, its going to take a lot of time to adopt these changes, Whittington said.

He emphasized the importance of student involvement in this endeavor.

MacFall said that when the plan goes to the board of trustees next month, it will only be passed if students show a real interest.

A forum for student questions and input was held Feb. 20 and another will be held March 7 at 3 p.m. in Whitley Auditorium.

News Editor: Kaitlin Ugolik -