<inability Revolving Fund is a pool of money available for funding student-proposed sustainability initiatives. The goal is to encourage and fund student sustainability initiatives using the cost savings that implemented projects provide.
The SRF funds a project that has a payback period of six years or less and the cost savings accrued are used to repay the project. 90 percent of any additional cost savings during these six years is then put into the SRF. This grows the SRF so that more projects can be funded.
The SRF was established by contributions from the CSA and the Environmental Advisory Committee. In 2008, an alum fundraised $14,000 for the SRF by biking 800 miles from his home in Toledo, Ohio, to Carleton. The SRF currently has about $50,000.
There have been a few projects funded by the SRF so far. The main project has been the installation of low-flow shower heads in all of the dorms.
The SRF also funded the pilot project of using compact-fluorescent light bulbs on campus. The success of this project led to the current campus-wide use of CFLs and the free CFL program for students. Currently, the SRF is funding a project trying to put drying racks in of all the campus dorms.
So, if you have any ideas about how to make Carleton more sustainable, submit your idea on Carleton’s sustainability website or contact us to talk about it!
Amber Kim ‘14
Sustainability Assistant
Questions? Contact the STAs at
[email protected]