Gilson, who served on the development
authority, believes the city can learn a lot from its corporate citizens. He points out that Aflac and TSYS recycle more in a day than the whole community does. Te city is constructing a new recycling
center, but Gilson says Columbus residents only recycle about five percent, while the national average is about 28 percent. Gilson points out that the city landfill
will be full in 20 to 25 years and now is the time for discussion. To that end he believes education is crucial. “We need as individuals to be aware of the environment and doing the right things. “It’s a matter of changing personal habits.”
new generation being educated Environmental
education is already
underway at Columbus State University. CSU describes its master’s in environmen- tal science (ENVS) program as a “rigorous and diverse two-year curriculum that pre- pares graduates for successful careers in the rapidly growing industry of environmental
management and protection.” Troy Keller, associate professor in the
ENVS program, has been working with the chamber’s committee. “In addition to learning from others, we want to partici- pate. We offer a wealth of resources, the latest technology as well as highly moti- vated students who can participate with local businesses.” He says not only is there a growing
demand for employees with expertise in environmental areas, but he also has seen a growing interest on the part of students.
starts with planning and design Tim Jenson, vice president Hecht
Burdeshaw architects, says clients are
more sensitive to the environment now. His company designed the Aflac campus in East Columbus Industrial Park, and he feels their philosophy is the correct one for business. “Tey wanted to take a balanced view. To implement sustainable design in a fashion consistent with the mission of the company, to do things with real value
to employees and give a return on invest- ment,” he explains. While the issue of sustainability comes
up more now than it did when dealing with clients 20 years ago, Jenson says it still gets back to the upfront cost and the operational cost reductions and payback. His company often does a life-cycle
analysis to scrutinize the payback, and he believes that the interest of the com- pany typically shares the interest of the environment. While the chamber’s sustainability com-
mittee’s exact mission has yet to be deter- mined, Jenson and the others are already seeing the value. “(It gives) leaders in the community an opportunity to share their experiences, things they have done or are considering,” says Jenson. Torbert doesn’t believe such informa-
tion would get out if it weren’t for the chamber committee. “It has been able to bring together a variety of businesses to talk about issues across different types of companies and give the city’s perspective.” C
April 2013
Columbus and the Valley
21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88