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Sustainability in the Workforce: An Interview with Larry Haley ‘72

Three students sit on a bench
Holy Cross students enjoy each other’s company at the Cookies on the Hoval event in March 2021
Larry Haley is a member of the class of 1972 who majored in Theology (current day Religious Studies). After graduating, Larry became a teacher and then a carpenter before attending Boston Architectural College to become an architect. With an interest in sustainable architecture and building housing for the homeless, Larry has rooted himself in building greener spaces in and around Worcester. I spoke with Larry about his time at Holy Cross and how it prepared him for a career in sustainability.

Q: How do you think your particular major prepared you for working in the sustainability field?

A degree in Theology allowed me to explore my interest in religion and literature, which ties into every aspect of life. Creating a culture of teamwork and the ability to work with people that you do not necessarily like is a lesson that carries into everything I do, including professional work. We are in church at every moment, and my education has taught me that life itself is a religion that is practiced at all moments.

Q: How can students become involved in sustainable initiatives in college and in the workplace?

Don’t be afraid to speak up, it is never too early to start networking. Once you make a few connections, the people you want to speak and work with will come to you. Networking can be as simple as emailing someone in the field or starting a conversation, don’t be intimidated to reach out.

Q: What advice would you give to a student who is interested in working in sustainability but is worried about job stability, pay, etc.?

The best job opportunities come from building relationships and networking in the field that you are interested in. At the end of the day, money isn’t what will make you happy and isn’t everything. I’ve worked in carpentry which is a blue-collar job and architecture which is a white-collar occupation, and both have brought me joy and satisfaction.

Q: If a student wanted to get involved in your field, is there an organization, association, or group they could join?

You’re only disconnected if you want to be. Get involved in Worcester or at home at local organizations and nonprofits. I also recommend doing more reading on topics that interest you, one good book recommendation for learning more about sustainability is Worldchanging by Alex Steffen.

Interview paraphrased and blog post written by Anne Kiernan ’23.
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Dining Services Practices New Plant-Based Recipes

Kale, white bean warm salad closeup

Menus of Change is a set of principles that integrates nutrition and environmental science to develop recommendations that help food service and culinary professionals achieve optimal nutrition, environmental stewardship and resilience, and social responsibility within the food service industry. The vision is to guide food and food service professionals, like Holy Cross’ Dining Services, in creating meals that are not only delicious, but also nutritious and healthy, environmentally sustainable as well as socially responsible and ethical.

In June, the culinary team in Dining Services worked with Leslie Cerier, “The Organic Gourmet”, to develop new plant-based recipes for the upcoming semester. This four-day workshop, full of discussions and cooking demonstrations, explored sea vegetables, teff, and tempeh. Recipes included everything from miso based sauces and teff based croutons.

Leslie Cerier portrait
Photo from Leslie Cerier

When students return this Fall, they will likely see a few new plant-based dishes at Kimball Main Dining Room. Have specific ideas? Dining Services always welcomes feedback.

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Holy Cross Recycles Its Wooden Pallets

Stack of wooden pallets behind a dumpster
Photo taken by Brian Griffin
While most wooden pallets are reusable, there comes a time when they no longer have the structural integrity to fulfill their purpose. According to GMR, that takes about nine reuses. Once a pallet reaches this stage, there are recycling and refurbishing options. Reclaimable pallets will get fixed then resold and other pallets will get used as surplus wood. As a last stop, exhausted pallets could become mulch or a source of fuel.

Holy Cross participates in wood pallet recycling by contracting with a third party vendor to annually pickup the College’s wooden pallets and recycle them offsite. This action contributes to the College’s 35+ percent diversion rate, which helps keep recyclable and compostable materials out of the landfill and incineration. Reducing the College’s trash production also supports Holy Cross’ carbon commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Stack of large wooden pallets
Photo taken by Brian Griffin
Watch the video where Bo’s Pallets & Mulch, Inc. demonstrates how they recycling wooden pallets.
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Sustainability in the Workforce: An Interview with Rebecca Beaulieu ‘18

A few Holy Cross students planting seedlings in a garden bed
Holy Cross students participating in Working for Worcester 2021
Rebecca Beaulieu graduated in 2018 with a degree in English and a minor in Environmental Studies. After graduating, Rebecca participated in a year of Americorps where she taught at a high school in Boston. She is currently the director of communications and youth program organizer at 350 New Hampshire, a non-profit organization advocating for the expansion of reusable energy and an end to the use of fossil fuels. I spoke with Rebecca about how her Holy Cross experience prepared her for her career.

Q: What was your major at HC? How do you think your particular major prepared you for working in the sustainability field?

Majoring in english helped me become a more effective communicator, which has been great because communicating is a large aspect of my job. Minoring in environmental studies provided me with a broader understanding of climate issues and the need for change in how we approach sustainable practices.

Q: In what ways do you think a liberal arts education has benefited you in your career? In what ways has it (if any) impeded you?

Overall, I think a liberal arts education is the best way to become a well-rounded professional upon graduating. I do wish that there was more emphasis on learning about the tangible effects of climate change during my time at Holy Cross, such as the effects of climate change on farming and the economy. I think that integrating more social justice and humanities based information into the curriculum would be beneficial.

Q: How would you define the term “sustainability?” Has your understanding of what sustainability means changed throughout the course of your career?

I think that a liberal arts education has helped me to look at the bigger picture, which is important in sustainability. It is not the consumer’s responsibility to fix climate change through individual action, which is an emerging idea in sustainability that has become more accepted recently.

Q: How do you see sustainability impacting your daily life?

While individual action can only go so far, I still try to do my best to buy less from places like Amazon and watch my utility usage in my apartment. The best thing an individual can really do to positively impact sustainability is support the right policies that make you feel good and watch where your money is being invested (some banks and large corporations support fossil fuels). That’s where I see sustainability most impacting my day to day life.

Interview paraphrased and blog post written by Anne Kiernan ’23.
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Will Sampson ’24 on Achieving Carbon Neutrality through Renewable Natural Gas and Carbon Offsets

The College of the Holy Cross is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. Presently, over 60 percent of the College’s carbon footprint comes from heating, which is primarily fueled by natural gas. Renewable natural gas (RNG) and carbon offsets are potential assets in fulfilling this commitment. RNG emits significantly less carbon than traditional natural gas does. This gas is fully interchangeable with conventional natural gas and thus can be used in existing natural gas systems, such as Holy Cross’ physical plant. RNG is essentially biogas (the gaseous product of the decomposition of organic matter) that has been processed to purity standards. RNG can be extracted from landfills, livestock operations, and wastewater treatment plants.

Other colleges and universities are utilizing RNG and carbon offsets in a cost-effective manner to achieve carbon neutrality. My proposed plan of action for Holy Cross is to contract with a major in-state energy or waste management firm to access RNG at a competitive and stable rate. The University of New Hampshire has achieved carbon neutrality by utilizing RNG. UNH partnered with Waste Management to develop a landfill biomethane plant, which now fuels most of the campus. UNH sold renewable energy certificates to finance the capital costs of the project. Similarly, with its own RNG plan, Duke University is approaching carbon neutrality. Duke partnered with Google and Duke Energy to develop a livestock biogas plant.

Meanwhile, Allegheny College and American University have achieved carbon neutrality through carbon offsets, which are voluntary offsite investments made to negate emissions. For Allegheny and American, these measures included investing in responsible trucking, forestry, international energy sustainability, and further insulation on their campuses. To reduce its carbon footprint and as an alternative to converting to RNG, Holy Cross could maintain its traditional natural gas system while increasing its portfolio of carbon offsets.

heating boiler with metal pipes above
Holy Cross’ central heating plant, fueled by natural gas.
There are commercial RNG facilities within proximity of the Holy Cross campus. These locations are listed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as sellers of biomethane, a form of renewable natural gas. Some Massachusetts locations include Westminster, New Bedford, Haverhill, Hadley, and Rutland. Holy Cross can explore contracting opportunities with these locations individually, or through a major energy or waste management partner.

In accordance with the Jesuit tradition, Holy Cross is committed to active engagement with the world. The Society of Jesuits’ Universal Apostolic Preferences call us to act urgently on today’s environmental crisis, “whole nations and peoples need an ecological conversion if we are to be honest custodians of this wonderful planet.” By reducing its carbon footprint through renewable natural gas and carbon offsets, the College is dedicating itself as an honest custodian of this planet. We gain new strength to care for others and for creation when we replenish our common home.

I see three major steps in reducing the College’s carbon footprint through RNG. First, Holy Cross should continue building efficiency projects to minimize heating demand, and consequently, natural gas usage. Second, the College should contract with a major in-state energy or waste management firm to access RNG at a competitive and stable rate. Finally, Holy Cross should replace conventional natural gas purchases with RNG from a new contract. These measures will lead to significantly reduced carbon emissions, advancing the College’s mission to be carbon neutral by 2040.
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Holy Cross Celebrates Jim Long and Donna Wrenn Through a Tree Planting

Every year, the College of the Holy Cross plants commemorative trees to honor some of our community members. In 2021, a tree was planted for Jim Long and a second tree was planted for Donna Wrenn, both long-time employees of the College. These trees join the many others in the campus arboretum.
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Monica Martinez ‘21 on Alternative Transportation Appreciation Day – April 21st

On April 21, 2021, the College of the Holy Cross will host an Alternative Transportation Appreciation Day (ATAD). You may be wondering what is alternative transportation? Why is the office of sustainability spending a day celebrating it? Alternative transportation refers to the different forms of commuting other than single-occupancy vehicles (meaning when one person drives in a gasoline-powered vehicle alone). Some alternative forms include walking, biking, using public transportation, driving an electric vehicle, and carpooling. Student and employee commuting produce 30 percent of Holy Cross’ carbon emissions. The goal for Alternative Transportation Appreciation Day is to bring awareness to options like carpooling incentives, public transit, and carbon footprints in order to encourage the Holy Cross community to try transportation alternatives to single-occupancy driving. By doing so, the office of sustainability hopes to reduce the College’s carbon emissions produced through commuting.

To support alternative transportation commuters, the College maintains a number of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations, exclusive hybrid vehicle parking spaces, and bike racks. Four dual-dual port EV charging stations are located on the third and fourth floors of Holy Cross’s parking garage. Highly desirable parking spots, exclusively for hybrid vehicles, are spread throughout campus parking lots, everywhere from Hogan Campus Center to Figge Hall. Uncovered bike racks are situated on the corner of Linden Lane and Kimball road, between the Science complex and Dinand library, as well as on each side of the Hart Center. Try to keep these locations in mind as they will be useful for ATAD activities.
Map of poster route
As mentioned earlier, ATAD will take place on April 21, 2021 and encourages people to enjoy the outdoors while staying socially-distanced. Participants will find green posters with QR codes in various locations on campus (see the map). The QR codes direct students and employees to infographics about public transit, to a site where they can calculate their carbon footprint, and to the app store where they can download the Baystate commute app. Happy ATAD!