Paul Kelley

Credit: Gosia Sklodowska/Jon Chapman

Paul Kelley, Lab Director for Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS), was instrumental in helping to turn a grassroots effort into a formal partnership with the Office for Sustainability (OFS), thus creating the EPS Green Team. The group meets regularly to plan green events and explore opportunities in green catering, lighting improvements, wind energy, and other initiatives. A list of the Green Team's many accomplishments in conserving energy, building sustainability into the framework of operations, and recycling can be found on the EPS Green Team website.

This past year, Hoffman Labs received an eco-trophy after winning first place in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Building Energy Competition by reducing monthly energy use by 20 percent. EPS now features dual flush toilets, green cleaning and paper products, occupancy sensors, lighting replacements, the use of recycled content paper, department bicycles, a van that runs on biodiesel, and increased recycling thanks to visible, clearly marked, and well-placed bins. EPS also uses sidesaddle waste containers, which are small trash bins beside much larger recycle bins. When promoting these efforts, Paul has found that it is important to avoid being the "green police." "It can turn people off," he says. He also suggests avoiding too much communication. "You have to be judicious." In order to sustain momentum with so much staff and student turnover, information flyers are distributed to every new student and employee and kickoff events at the beginning of the semester are arranged with OFS. Paul acknowledges the role of OFS in their willingness to get involved, giving ideas, and keeping things moving. The FAS Energy Group has also played a pivotal role by providing the monetary support for retrofits and the re-commissioning of the entire building.

At home Paul grows his own food, recycles, and tries to maintain a humble footprint, "not taking for granted the position we're in." He is concerned by the degree of skepticism about the role human behavior has in impacting climate change and feels that "we should still be doing these things anyway."