On May 25, 2013 Amari Roskelly, the
Sustainability Coordinator for Jacobs Engineering, presented our class with
information about how she interacts with Sustainability on a daily basis. Ms. Roskelly started out with a degree in Architecture
but decided to go down the path of sustainability instead. Having recently passed the certification exams,
she is one of the newest LEED AP BD+C certified individuals in Texas.
With an expertise in both architecture and
sustainability, Amari is in the unique position to influence building projects
as they are being developed. This
opportunity allows for her input in the design phase saving countless dollars
by them not having to come back and retro fit a project with sustainability initiatives.
Amari discussed some of the current
projects that she is working on at Jacobs.
Jacobs is heavily involved with buildings on military bases such as in
Fort Carson, CO. There were several sustainability
ideas implemented at Fort Carson. Some
of these are energy and water use reduction, reduce automobile dependency, and
several others.
The base is experimenting with a “micro-grid”
of solar panels to provide a cost effective and sustainable source of energy. In simplistic terms, this is a field of solar
panels that collects solar energy and channels it to the base in the form of
renewable electricity.
Another initiative is reducing dependency on
traditional gas automobiles. They have
instituted a share-a-ride program on their base. Also, they are pushing towards a transition
to “clean vehicles”.
I see the careful planning of companies
like Jacobs Engineering becoming the wave of the future instead of being the anomaly. These
ideas and other initiatives being implemented save countless dollars as well as
display excellent stewardship of our environmental resources.
Link to Amari Roskelly's blog posts:
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