Eco-pledge - Boston College

With a B.S. in Environmental Geosciences from Boston College, Merril Putnam plans to put the skills she learned in college to work in the world beyond campus. At school, she served with four others on the board of the eco-friendly BC group Ecopledge. For growing the group from nine to several hundred members, and for promoting environmentalism through such programs as the Recyclemania Competition, Clean Energy Project, Think Outside the Bottle Campaign, organic vegetable garden, Bulb Brigade, and now annual Harvest Fest Celebration, the school newspaper honored the board as "Person of the Year." During her time at BC, Merril also contributed to the establishment of Sustain BC, a group composed of student, faculty, and staff that studies how to make the campus more sustainable and the administration more receptive of environmentalism; the creation of the Office of Sustainability; and the promotion of awareness of environmental issues to Facilities Services, BC Dining, and ResLife. This summer, she is interning for Au Bon Pain, working specifically on environmental sustainability issues. In September, she departs for Copán, Honduras, where she will study eco-tourism and water sanitation for a year. She hopes to help find a way to develop the city's resources so as to "maximize the extent of community involvement, improve health and education, and retain the region's cultural integrity." Post-Fulbright, Merril will pursue a Masters degree in Landscape Architecture with a focus on Environmental Planning. In her search for a school to attend, she is only considering those with programs that have a sustainable component in their vision statements. She hopes to focus her studies and eventual occupation on designing with the existing environment in mind; redeveloping brownfields and revitalizing cities; and curbing sprawl by designing smart neighborhoods with common green spaces, reduced pavement, and mixed-use features. Overall, Merril hopes to improve people's environmental health and safety, regardless of income, race, or age. Congratulations to Merril and the entire BC Ecopledge venture!

The leaders of one of our ventures, Eco-pledge, have been featured by Boston College as “Person of the Year.” Katherine Walsh, Peggy Fox, Jessica Young, Katie Cava, and Merril Putnam are all seniors at BC and use their group to promote student involvement in environmental concerns. With the current trend in going green, the girls particularly emphasize the importance of “environmental justice green,” versus “consumer green.”

"We want those suffering from environmental problems in poor communities to be getting help," Jessica Young said.

Eco-pledge has grown from having only about 10 members, over 600 students on the listeserv and 60 active members. Although in their senior year, the girls continue to work hard and increase efforts to get their voice heard. Since '07 they have worked together with faculty and staff in order to help Boston College become a more environmentally sustainable institution.

There is no doubt that the group’s influence will have lasting effects. The recycling and energy conservation initiatives promoted by the five will continue to have a positive impact on the environment when practiced by classmates both at BC and beyond. Visit BCHeights, the Boston College Online Independent News Source, to read the full article honoring these astounding girls.

Eco-pledge mobilizes Boston College’s student population to build awareness and vocal support for sustainability. Eco-pledge will initiate small-scale projects such as beginning an on-campus vegetable garden. This effort will allow Eco-Pledge to source local foods, educate students about the importance of buying local, and donate produce to local soup kitchens. Eco-pledge will also help students and BC’s dining services buy eco-friendly products.