COVID-19 Protocols & Updates MENU FIND IT FAST Misericordia University VISIT APPLY ACADEMIC PROGRAMS HOME > ABOUT > MISSION AND HISTORY > ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY Environmental Sustainability Fast Facts Mission and History Office of the President Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Directions (opens in new window/tab) Accessibility Student Consumer Information Directory (opens in new window/tab) The Strategic Plan Print At Misericordia University, students receive a quality education through both powerful, career-focused academic programs as well as opportunities to participate in our Charisms of Mercy, Service, Justice, and Hospitality. It is our aim to help mold students into compassionate, ethical human beings who will create a better future and a better world. Through both an Environmental Sustainability Committee comprised of faculty and staff, and a Student Environmental Sustainability Committee, the University has made significant progress with raising awareness on issues surrounding environmental sustainability and creating change across campus. Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Mission The spirit of our Mercy heritage, and the Sisters of Mercy Critical Concern of “Care for Earth”, the Committee strives to ensure that the University continues on the path to being good stewards of planet earth. The Committee is committed to raising awareness of the interconnectedness of all earth’s life through education of the Misericordia community and advocacy to adopt behaviors that reflect those consistent with sustainability and the reduction of our carbon footprint. Sustainable Development Goals The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. UGI Presents $100,000 Rebate Check to Misericordia for Energy Efficiency Representatives from UGI presented a rebate check for $100,000 thanks to energy efficiency outside the newly expanded Frank M. & Dorothea Henry Science Center at Misericordia University. From left: UGI Program Manager Mark Binder, UGI Regional Sales Manager Bruce Davis, UGI Major Accounts Relationship Manager Joe Bauman, Misericordia University Corporate Relations Manager Meredith Vincelli, and Misericordia Finance and Administrative Vice President Mark Van Etten. The center overall will meet LEED (Leaderships in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver efficiency standards. Click here to read article in the Times Leader Recent Initiatives and Achievement Tobacco/Smoke-Free Campus (July 1, 2020) Lights Out - Energy Conservation campaign (Feb. 2020) - Click here to view a pdf of the Lights Out Tips for Reducing Energy Use poster Misericordia President, Thomas J. Botzman, Ph.D., signed the U.S. Catholic Climate Declaration (2018) Creation of Pollinator Garden (2019); Pollinator Garden registered as a Mercy Monarch Milkweed Garden (2019) Campus Sustainability Assessment Initiative (utilizing a template from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System) - (2018-2019) Placement of Recycling Bins at Mangelsdorf Field for football games (2017) Environmental Sustainability placed in University's Strategic Plan for the first time (2018) University became registered member of the Association of the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (2018) Cougars Print Services announce efforts in environmental sustainability (2018) Yearly Celebration of Earth Week (more departments are participating by offering events/activities) Environmentally conscious caps & gowns for commencement The construction phases of the forthcoming Henry Science Center approach Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards by limiting the demolition of the existing building, creating and implementing a construction waste management plan, and the architects choice of new building materials and energy saving materials. Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Science Center artist rendering Did You Know? The consumption of the average U.S. Citizen requires 18 tons of natural resources, per person, per year, and generates an even higher volume of waste Less than 1% of the world's water is available for human use A New York to Los Angeles plane trip generates 1.8 tons of carbon dioxide per person Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour Rainforests are being cut down at the rate of 100 acres a minute Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television for three hours, or the equivalent of half a gallon of gasoline Recycling a single run of the Sunday NY Times would save 75,000 trees The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can run a 100-watt light bulb for four hours, or a compact florescent bulb for 20 hours. It also uses 20% less air pollution and 50% less water pollution than when a new bottle is made from raw materials How Big Oil and Big Soda Kept a Global Environmental Calamity a Secret for Decades Every human on Earth is ingesting nearly 2,000 particles of plastic a week. These tiny pieces enter our unwitting bodies from tap water, food, and even the air, according to an alarming academic study sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, dosing us with five grams of plastics, many cut with chemicals linked to cancers, hormone disruption, and developmental delays. Since the paper’s publication last year, Sen. Tom Udall, a plain-spoken New Mexico Democrat with a fondness for white cowboy hats and turquoise bolo ties, has been trumpeting the risk: “We are consuming a credit card’s worth of plastic each week”Udall says. At events with constituents, he will brandish a Visa from his wallet and declare, “You’re eating this, folks!” Read more at Rolling Stone Earth Week 2019 Recycling at Misericordia Prior Initiatives and Achievements Student Environmental Sustainability Committee Achievements Environmental Sustainability and Metz Dining Services Environmental Sustainability Committee Members Misericordia University 301 Lake Street Dallas, PA 18612 (570) 674-6400 Founded by the Sisters of Mercy Facebook (opens in new window/tab) Twitter (opens in new window/tab) Instagram (opens in new window/tab) Snapchat (opens in new window/tab) YouTube (opens in new window/tab) Flickr (opens in new window/tab) Pinterest (opens in new window/tab) Vimeo (opens in new window/tab) HELPFUL LINKS Full-Time Undergraduate Online Programs Accelerated Degrees Part-Time Graduate Open Houses Privacy Policy Site Map Accessibility Back to top Powered by Finalsite