When former vice president Al Gore wins two academy awards for a documentary on global warming, it is serious.
Add that to the countless acts and laws signed to reduce carbon emissions, a confession at the state of the union and a report on global warming.
Since the United Nations released a report announcing humans are a “very likely cause” for global warming, states, towns and universities have been taking steps to act on the phenomenon that threatens our future.
On Feb. 12, Winona State University President Judith Ramaley signed an American Colleges and Universities Presidents Climate Commitment, a non-binding agreement saying the university will act as leader in reducing its effects of global warming.
The contract suggests Winona State try to obtain a target date for achieving climate neutrality and initiate two of the following:
n 15 percent of campus energy through renewable resources within a year
n New campus construction meet U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver standard
nProvide public transportation for all faculty, staff, students and visitors
nBuy Energy Star certified energy-efficient appliances for as many areas for which rating exist
nCreate a policy for offsetting greenhouse emissions generated by university-paid air travel

These symbolic acts aren’t limited to the university.
Winona Mayor Jerry Miller plans to sign the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, which involves a range of actions to curb carbon emissions and promote sustainability by reforming land-use policies, improving energy and fuel efficiency and pursuing other initiatives.
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signed a bill into law requiring the state’s electric utilities to obtain 25 percent of their energy from renewable resources by 2020. This is one of the toughest of the 21 energy laws in the nation.
Like a trickling effect, many cities and states have started adopting new environmentally friendly policies causing some to wonder the plausibility of the initiatives.
“If the state is taking such a strong position of leadership, many other institutions will be able to follow,” said Bruno Borsari, a biology professor at Winona State. “Can we be emission free? Probably not, but we can do simple things like disconnecting your laptop from the power supply when you go to bed.”
When asked where this renewable energy would come from, Borsari answered, “Well that’s the big question! There’s a lot of emphasis on ethanol but the environmental cost of producing ethanol is not sustainable. I’m more excited to see investment in solar and wind power, which is more feasible.”
The state requirement might aid in one of most difficult optional objectives in the presidents climate commitment: to obtain 15 percent or more of the campus’s energy from renewable resources.
Winona State has already jumped on the county’s two megawatt wind turbines as a possible source of clean energy.
Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., is “the standard,” according to David Hamerski, a physics professor at Winona State.
The college built a 1.65-megawatt wind turbine, which replaces about 40 percent of the college’s total electrical load with non-polluting energy. In the long term, the turbine is expected to become profitable for the university while reducing its environmental footprint.
“But it’s a different geographic location,” Hamerski said. “We don’t really have that much wind here.”
“NIMBY” is another problem the community will need to overcome, Hamerski said, which means: “Yes a wind turbine is a good idea, but ‘not in my backyard.’”
But reducing the campus’ dependency on fossil fuels is not only environmental, but also financially beneficial to Winona State.
During mid-February’s sub-zero temperatures, Winona State burned 300 gallons of fuel oil an hour to keep the campus warm. At the rate of $1.90 a gallon, Winona State was spending close to $600 an hour, according to Scott Kluver, chief engineer of power plant.
In 2006, Winona State spent a total of $1.4 million for gas, $1.05 million for electricity, $338,000 for water and sewage costs and $28,000 for fuel oil.
Winona State owns three boilers in the utility plant—two bigger ones for winter and a smaller one for summer—that provide energy to the entire campus.
The boilers run on gas, but when temperatures get low, Winona State, a major gas consumer, switches to fuel oil to reduce pressure on Xcel Energy.
Kluver said the boilers were replaced in 2001 and are now computer-controlled.
A system called “heat recovery” is used in some of the newer buildings at Winona State. The science labs need constant air circulation but instead of wasting the 72-degree air, the heat is captured by panels, which in turn heats the incoming fresh air.
A computer graphic of the science building showed 38-degree air was heated to almost 64 degrees without generating any extra heat. “It’s free heat,” Kluver said.
This system of saving energy is also used in the newly renovated Pasteur and Stark halls, which was built in 1991.
When Memorial hall is renovated, the university plans to use hot air from the locker rooms to generate heat, Kluver said, and possibly utilizing kitchen exhaust from the kitchens in Kryzsko Commons.
One of Kluver’s new projects includes placing meters in all the main campus buildings to individually measure heating, cooling and electricity. “But that costs money too,” Kluver said. “The meter to measure the water cooling cost $7,000.”
“If I could save even 5 percent, its worth looking into. That’s like a $100,000,” he said.
Tara Hohoff, environmental club president, said the campus club is looking for alternatives to Styrofoam cups and utensils in the Smaug.
A survey conducted by Winona State student Wesley Maurer for a class showed the Smaug’s waste include 2,785 plates, 4,800 plastic utensils and 6,570 Styrofoam cups a week.
The club also plans to place information on food cards in the cafeteria detailing where the food came from and a calculation of how much carbon was emitted for the food to be brought to Winona.
While making students aware of importance of eating a banana from South America, the club also hopes to get encourage the cafeteria to buy more local food.
The Sierra student coalition, part of Winona State’s student environmental club, have plans to run the Lourdes bus on bio-diesel by next fall, said member Callie Runestad.
The bio-diesel will be produced through vegetable oil, which the group hopes to get used vegetable oil from Chartwells dining services.
The environmental club plans to participate in “Step it Up,” a national climate action campaign, on April 14, where students will rally with signs on the Wisconsin-Minnesota bridge pass down town Winona.
Hohoff said she had met with architects involved with the new wellness facility and spoken about adding more eco-friendly features in the building such as adding more windows to depend less on electric lights.
Winona State English professor Gretchen Michlitsch is currently leading an informal ad-hoc environmental committee of students, faculty and community members which meets on Monday evenings.
Michlitsch said student groups are hoping to take part in an energy saving competition against other campuses in the region. She said they would look to decrease energy usage at campus buildings and dorms while coordinating their efforts with facilities.
The most important function for the committee is to coordinated all the efforts in campus and the community, Michlitsch said.
With the recent buzz in the environment, there is a danger with the movement being single-issue oriented.
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” said Michael Bowler.
Bowler said the university should collaborate and learn from places like India and China.
“Unfortunately, I really do think the failing of globalization is that it is not a sustainable system. Sustainability is the key thing,” he said. “The feeling is the west has had sufficient time to respond to global warming, but it has failed. Now the focus shifts to India and China but I’m not sure if they’ll do anything either.”
Bowler also mentioned the ironic contradictions of the U.S.’s response to global warming, citing Pawlenty’s renewable act and Texas’s plans for more coal burning facilities.

Reach Shanthal Perera at SJPerera6454@winona.edu.