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Ambassador Jerry Lanier

U.S. Mission Uganda Celebrates Earth Day

At the U.S. Mission Uganda, environmentally-friendly initiatives are a year-round priority. One year after joining the League of Green Embassies, the Kampala Green Task Force is pleased to mark Earth Day 2012 and reflect on its progress in the past year.

The Mission's recycling center was launched on Earth Day 2011 and continues to thrive. The center currently collects plastic water bottles and glass containers. The Mission gives all glass to Bajjo Glass Company, which melts and transforms the glass into beautiful wares sold at local businesses. The Mission also donates its shredded paper to the Makapads project, which uses the paper pulp to make affordable sanitary napkins for girls in refugee camps. The Green Task Force is working to expand the recycling center to include newspaper and cardboard, which would be given to the organization Naturaleaf and used to create artisan goods.

Since November 2011, the Mission has hosted a weekly farmers' market to support local food growers and supply Mission employees with fresh produce, breads and cheeses. In February 2012, the Green Task Force broke ground on a Mission's garden, which features six types of fruits and vegetables, and a compost pile for cafeteria scraps.

On March 22, World Water Day, the Mission hosted 30 students from Kampala International University to watch a screening of "Flow: For the Love of Water" and participate in a lively discussion with experts from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

While continuing these and similar projects, the Green Task Force is now focused on reducing the U.S. Mission's use of non-renewable resources. Key projects include installing ten solar panels on the roof of the Chancery, installing "oil spinners" on Chancery generators to reduce consumption of fossil fuels, and replacing fluorescent and incandescent lighting with LED lights.

The ten solar panels have significantly eased the burden on Mission water boilers, which heat water for the cafeteria and locker room showers. The “oil spinners” attached to Mission generators will reduce our consumption of fossil fuels by extending the life of both the oil and the filters by a factor of three. The Mission has launched a one-year pilot study of the oil spinners, making it the first Embassy in the world to install spinners.

On April 19, local vendors and U.S. Peace Corps volunteers presented their green products and programs at the Chancery to celebrate Earth Day 2012. Ambassador Jerry P. Lanier commended the vendors' work and reiterated the Mission's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and helping make Uganda just a little bit greener.