We’d like to introduce you to our next two Sustainability Champions: Peter Beck and Mike Murphy! Every two weeks, we will be revealing two more champions, so please visit the page and keep your eyes out in Horizon for the newest pair. Help us give a big thanks to these eco-friendly folks, and let them inspire you to become more sustainable!
Peter Beck, Associate Professor of Environmental Science: As Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, you teach sustainability principles in most of your classes, including Introduction to Sustainability in which students experiment with living a “no-impact” lifestyle. At home, you have an organic garden with drip irrigation to minimize pesticide and water use, ceiling fans to cut down on the need for AC, low-flow plumbing fixtures, energy efficient appliances, CFL and LED lights, and compost your organic waste. You even extend yourself beyond those two arenas by serving on the executive committee of the Austin Sierra Club and by working with the City of Austin to adopt more sustainable practices. Keep up the great work!
Mike Murphy, Director of Development: Being sustainable is a choice you make both on and off campus. You make sure to recycle all possible items and to turn off your lights and computer when not in use. You were also the first Advancement staff member to purchase a reusable clamshell from Bon Appetit to use when bringing food from the cafeteria to your office, which inspired some of your colleagues to do the same. At home, you have two 80 gallon compost bins for use in your garden and flowers beds, as well as two 57 gallon rain water collection and irrigation bins to help ease water use in the summertime. You maintain four garden beds with drip irrigation and slow leach clay pot systems to boost your water conservation efforts. A programmable thermostat and LED lights help to keep home energy costs down. You and your wife are also members of local Wheatsville Co-op, allowing you to buy locally-sourced and grown food products as much as possible. Thanks for doing your part, Mike!