Dr. Lin Jyh-horng, the Director of Lanyang, sees the Green Building

Certificate as an important milestone for his campus since its completion in 2006. The architecture of Lanyang Campus is based on the standard the MOI (Ministry of Interior) set for green buildings in Taiwan that incorporates ecology, energy conservation, waste reduction, and health into their designs. By having students learning in such a campus, there is a “learning by doing” effect regarding the importance of being responsible to the environment they live in, Lin points out. He believes that this forward-thinking campus can induce students to think more proactively and broadly about various issues.

The construction of LC, according to Lin, followed some ecological friendly principles such as minimum construction so as not to disrupt surrounding ecology; installation of energy saving devices; and greening the environment. These principles not only guided the punctual completion of the campus, but also provided some extra features such as longer shades outside most windows and extra blinds on the windows of the corridor outside the Clement Chang International Conference Hall as energy saving measures.

Even though LC did not meet all the nine benchmarks set by the MOI, among the 6 it passed, it surpassed the requirements suggested by the MOI in four indices, which are greening, energy saving, water conservation, and sewage improvement. As for the index of greening, LC planted thousands of indigenous trees, thanks to the contributions from local forestry bureau last year, and will continue to plant more in the coming months and years. Being on a hill top surrounded by woods and tea plantation, LC is greener than most campuses. This environment is an ideal habitat for diverse creatures and plants; it can help regulate air quality and absorb rainwater for soil conservation.

In terms of energy and water conservation, in the past two years, LC has used water resources efficiently by recycle wastewater for other purposes and rainwater for gardening. Censor-controlled water fixtures and drinking water machines have functioned economically, saving considerable water bills. For energy, solar energy has been used to generate hot water heaters for shower and other purposes, cutting electricity consumption significantly. Another successful recycle measure is a special disposal to process kitchen leftover. After being processed, the leftover is turned into natural fertilizer for plants.

During the evaluation process, Lin recalls, there were also some critical feedbacks, based on which, LC had to modify some of its designs and facilities to meet the requirements. Certain things still await improvement such as having students the habit of switching light and air-conditioning off when leaving classrooms or dormitories; setting air-conditioning to 26-28 Celsius in the summer; and garbage separation. For these, LC has used posters and other promotional events to heighten students’ awareness. “Saving the earth starts from ourselves and should begin with small things around us,” Lin emphasizes.

Apart from maintaining the standard of the six indices LC has passed, the campus will continue to improve on the three benchmarks it has not passed which are CO2 emission reduction, waste reduction, and biodiversity. LC will strive to achieve excellence in the fight of global warming, Lin pledges. He also believes that Tamsui and Taipei campuses can be remodeled to be greener by installing energy and water saving devices.

Finally, he urges his students, staff, and faculty members to live a cleaner and greener life through simple measures such as shutting down computers when not in use, taking public transport, not letting car or scooter engine run idly, checking tires regularly, and emptying car trunk whenever possible to save gas. ( ~Ying-hsueh Hu )