Greening Program

The Greening Our Science Centers Initiative is a solutions-based program designed to track, quantify and improve energy use and emissions output.  The program allows participating institutions to operate more efficiently, "walk their talk" and gain a unique educational opportunity to share their efforts with constituents.

 

Step 1: Making a Commitment

Engage Leadership
Developing a greening initiative involves staff time and expenses and it reflects your organization’s mission. The use of resources and its implications on the science center’s image requires input from the top and institution-wide decision-making in order to succeed. Start building a green program by developing the idea with some of your colleagues.Write a concept paper which explains the rationale for joining the Greening Our Science Centers Initiative – we want our science center to “walk the talk,” to save money, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - and describe possible projects.

Then request a meeting with your administrative team and board members. Outline your rationale (the concept paper) and ask them to commit to participating in the Greening Our Science Centers Initiative. That means creating an internal Green Team, hosting a visiting committee, measuring energy use and quantifying greenhouse gas emissions, pursuing efficiencies, and integrating efforts and results into education & outreach programs. In return, your science center will receive technical support, peer mentoring, and assistance with outreach and education programs.

Develop Program Oversight
A greening program doesn’t work without advocates, shepherds and a workforce.With assistance from your organization’s leadership establish a Green Team. The team's assignment is to move your science center through subsequent steps of the program. Decide how many people are on the team, what departments are represented, who chairs the team, and the frequency of meetings. Consider Green Team participant roles - include a point person, a facilities person, a Board member and PR person.  Schedule regular (e.g., monthly) meetings.

 

Once you've got your leadership on board and a Green Team in place, the next step involves some basic research and preparation.

  • Step 1: Establish Commitment
  • Step 2: Research and Preparation
  • Step 3: Site Visit
  • Step 4: Adopt a Plan
  • Step 5: Implement Plan
  • Step 6: Institutionalizing "Green"

Greening home

Greening case studies