CLC’s Sustainable Future on the Lake Shore

As the world turns in a direction that requires more and more energy-efficient resources, the College of Lake County has great things in store for its campus on Genesee Street in Historic Downtown Waukegan. CLC’s Sustainability manager, David Husemoller, spoke about the Lakeshore Campus’ new additions and his thoughts about sustainability as an industry.

There were around 18 different professionals enlisted in the CLC solar panel installation project. Amongst those were lawyers, roofers, finance workers, electricians, and project managers. This opened my eyes to sustainability as an industry of opportunity for many individuals who would be interested in applying their skills to companies that are sustainability-focused.

Nobody goes carbon neutral in an instant without a mass extinction event. So, where does CLC see itself at the end of this decade? “The goal is to be carbon neutral by 2042”, Husemoller explained. Significant progress has been made as CLC ranks #1 amongst Illinois community colleges for Sustainability. Some of CLC’s focuses on this route include minimizing waste through composting, adding more sources of renewable energy, and encouraging more city transit.

As a Waukegan native, I have a special interest in how Lakeshore Campus affects the environment it’s a part of. My meeting with Husemoller has been just one part of a year filled with expanding my knowledge about environmental science. If you’ve been going to classes at Lakeshore, or perhaps passed it on your way to getting a COVID test on Water Street, you’ve probably noticed the new developments taking place. For those who haven’t seen, a platinum ranked LEED (Leadership Energy Environmental Design) building is being constructed. Efficiency was the key for this building, and from the ground up it’s emphasized throughout. This building has features such as heliostatic smartglass windows, along with a responsive HVAC system to help make sure it feels and operates how it needs to at all times. The heliostatic windows help let sunlight in or keep it out so the building can be kept at the right temperatures without triggering other systems. Effectively reducing the schools energy footprint in what was once one of the most polluted cities of the Great Lakes.

Overall, I’m excited for the initiatives taking place at Lakeshore Campus. The city of Waukegan is behind in terms of environmental health and more infrastructure like this will be a huge benefit to our city’s long term health. And with more similar infrastructure plans taking place on a state and federal scale, who knows, Waukegan could once again become an industry hotspot for employment in the sustainable energy industry as it poses a great opportunity for the improvement of a metropolitan city’s environmental health.