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CHAPTER

Other Organizations

oing green” means different things to different organizations. Although the crux of
this book is on Green IT, we don’t want to forget other utilizations of technology to
Gpropel you toward your green goals. Green IT is, of course, very important, but it’s
helpful to see how other initiatives can help you.
In the preceding chapter, we looked at technology companies Dell and Hewlett-Packard.
Let’s now change gears a bit and look at organizations that aren’t specifically technology
based and see what sorts of unique things they are doing to reduce their carbon footprint.
We’ll start off with an examination of the University of Wisconsin–River Falls. The
university not only offers programs geared toward environmental responsibility, but is also
practicing it, as well as reaching out to its community.
The second half of the chapter is an examination of the world’s largest retailer—Wal-Mart.
You might do a double-take to hear Wal-Mart being mentioned, but it’s true: Wal-Mart is
making great strides in going green. The company’s ultimate goal is to have a zero impact
on the Earth. Will Wal-Mart do this? Who knows, but you can’t fault it for a lack of effort.
Although the measures taken by these organizations aren’t directly related to IT, you
should consider these case studies from the standpoint of what is possible for you to do.
Although you may not pursue the sorts measures the University of Wisconsin–River Falls
did, you can look at your own issues with innovation in mind. That’s what both these
organizations did.

University of Wisconsin–River Falls
The University of Wisconsin–River Falls (UWRF) is located in River Falls, Wisconsin on
the trout fishing Kinnickinnic River. UWRF is a 226-acre campus that consists of 32 major
buildings. The university also has two laboratory farms containing a total of 440 acres of land.
University staff and students have made a commitment to environmental efforts, not the
least of which is the recent opening of a sustainable student center and its involvement with
the community. The school’s St. Croix Institute for Sustainable Community Development
website contains information about the program and activities underscoring this commitment.
It can be found at Link 10-1.

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