Environmental Club

The Environmental Club conducts an annual Environmental Conference, hosts Houston Earth Day, initiates campus environmental activities, and educates students about environmental issues. For more information, email enviclub@rice.edu.

Recycling Council

The Student Recycling Council organizes efforts to improve the availability of recycling, awareness of the recycling program, and student participation in the recycling program. For more information, contact Andrew Sinclair (asinclai@rice.edu).

Student Association

The Student Association Committee on the Environment acts as the primary liaison between student environmental leaders on campus and the administration, and meets two to four times monthly. For more information on the committee, email Guyton Durnin (gwdurnin@rice.edu), Katie Caldwell (azurwolf@rice.edu) or Tatum Clinton-Selin (tatumcs@rice.edu).

Rice Student Volunteer Program: Environmental Committee

The Rice Student Volunteer Program (RSVP) Environmental Committee coordinates environmental volunteering opportunities, such as beach clean-ups and trips to a permaculture farm. It also sponsors the RSVP Community Garden. For more information, contact Brandi Ma (bma@rice.edu) or Niki Von Hedemann (nvonh@rice.edu).

RSVP Organic Community Garden

The Rice Community Garden is an organically-maintained donation garden cared for by volunteers from the greater Rice community. The Garden donates its produce to local charities. For more information, contact Heather Johnston (heatherj@rice.edu).

Rice Student Green Building Initiative (RSGBI)

The aim of the Rice Green Building Initiative is to increase student awareness in sustainability issues and become more involved with design decisions made about the buildings on campus. The group will also organize site visits and tours of LEED certified buildings, lectures from local architecture and engineering firms, resources for learning about the LEED certification process, and projects with Housing and Dining and Rice administrators to aid in the sustainable design implementation of the two new residential colleges. Contact Alex Tseng at tsengtification@rice.edu for more information.

Engineers Without Borders (EWB)

Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is a student-run organization which works to bridge the gap between skilled engineers and the poors' need for basic amenities such as clean water, renewable energy, and working wastewater, sanitation systems. Students, professionals, and professors from all disciplines are welcome and needed. Current projects: Mali, Mexico, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. For more information, contact Alex Gordon (agordon@rice.edu) or Sarah Burkhart (sarahbur@rice.edu), or see their website at http://ewb.rice.edu/.

Rice Outdoors Club

The Rice Outdoors Club sponsors hiking, kayaking, climbing, caving, biking, and inner city activities. They also rent out gear for outdoor activities.

Residential College Committees

In Spring 2003, the ENST 302/UNIV 303 class approached the residential college presidents to discuss the formation of environmental committees within the colleges. The goal of creating these committees was to establish a formal structure within the college system that would increase environmental activity in the colleges and give students access to college budgets to fund environmental projects in the colleges. Contact the college president of your college to find out more.

Environmental Course Activities

ENST 302 / UNIV 303

A continuing course that focuses on environmental problems with respect to the Rice community. For more information, contact Dr. Harcombe (harcomb@rice.edu) or Dr. Ostdiek (dho@rice.edu).

• The Impact of CO2 - Part I (Spring 1999)
• The Impact of CO2 - Part II (Spring 2000)
• Environmental Issues: Rice into the Future (Spring 2002, Spring 2003)

LOVE/BAKE 201 (Understanding Environmental Issues and Systems)

Fall 1997 - A course created to teach the interdisciplinary aspects of environmental issues and problems.

LOVE/BAKE 302 (Understanding Environmental Systems: An interdisciplinary perspective)

Spring 1998 - A continuation of Love/Bake 201 that studied Rice University as an environmental system and considered design options for the proposed ninth college.

Environmental Evaluations of the Rice Campus

ENVI 490

Campus Audit Research Group, Spring 1998 - Environmental Audit of Rice by an undergraduate research team.

Building a Sustainable Future Here and Now (pdf)

Spring 2003 - Aaron Redman's Janus Award project. Proposes ways to reduce the environmental impact of Jones College.

ENST 302/UNIV 303

The spring 2004 ENST 302/UNIV 303 class conducted several audits and other projects evaluating the environment at Rice. To see the final reports, go to http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~enst302/documents.html.

Leadership Rice

Leadership Rice promotes leadership among Rice undergraduates. Programs include:

• Janus Award - Gives one student each year $2,500 to use in examining an environmental or science issue from multiple perspectives.
• Envision Grants - A fund available to Rice students for special projects.

For more information, contact leading@rice.edu.