The Wayne State University Law School in Midtown Detroit has proved to be a leader in green initiatives in Michigan. The students, faculty and staff members have recently enrolled in the American Bar Association-U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Law Office Climate Challenge that will change the way the school operates on a daily basis, according to a recent press release from the university.
The Climate Challenge, according to the ABA, was initiated in 2007 in order to “encourage law offices to take specific steps to conserve energy and resources, as well as reduce emissions of greenhouse gases – which cause global climate change – and other pollutants.”
The ABA said law offices can meet the Climate Challenge by “undertaking best practices for office paper management.” They can also meet the challenge by participating in at least one of the three EPA partnership programs.
Some of the things law offices can do to implement best practices include reducing paper usage, increasing recycled content in paper that is purchased and increasing recycling. They can also participate in the EPA’s WasteWise program, which encourages saving energy by reducing waste. In addition, they can take part in the EPA’s Green Power Partnership program by purchasing energy from renewable sources. Lastly, the offices can participate in the EPA’s Energy Star program, which ultimately encourages them to reduce energy by at least 10 percent.
In order to qualify for the paper management program, Wayne Law increased its recycling efforts, purchased paper stock with recycled content, and switched to double-sided copying and printing. In addition, the school adopted an energy management plan and set a goal in order to qualify for the Energy Star program.
For more information about Wayne Law, visit www.law.wayne.edu. For more information on the Climate Challenge, visit http://www.abanet.org/environ/climatechallenge/overview.shtml.
Jennifer Griffin, Contributing Writer and Public Relations, GreeningDetroit.com
Jennifer is pursuing a degree in Journalism and English from Wayne State University, and she is also a Contributing Writer for The South End.
