Sustainability is not just another fancy word, Allen Doyle says. It offers many practical benefits to people in the workplace and at home.

He should know — Doyle is UC Davis’ new sustainability manager. He is part of a three-person team led by Sid England, assistant vice chancellor for Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship.

As a UC campus, UC Davis is committed to stewarding and minimizing its impact on the environment and reducing its dependence on nonrenewable energy. But to achieve this, the campus needs some well-credentialed guidance on the topic.

Doyle, who was hired in December, offers that kind of solid scientific background. He previously managed a lab at UC Santa Barbara, working with experiments, researchers, chemicals, electronics and data. His job in soil ecology required him to travel widely to places like Alaska and the Sierra Nevada.

Now, at UC Davis, the challenge is a bit different. He will maximize the existing campus efforts focused on sustainability and at the same time introduce new concepts and practices.

“A lot of sustainability projects are going on in every department,” Doyle said. “We hope to bring them together.”

Think global, act on campus

To do this, Doyle will connect various departments and promote a “big picture-style” environmental consciousness that also emphasizes practical benefits. As he explained, “Sustainable practices support ecological, human, social and economic vitality for both our campus and the global community.”

He said he hopes to develop a green laboratory program to reduce energy, solid waste, water and equipment needs; create a communication network of sustainability ambassadors; coordinate purchasing practices in offices, labs and food service, user practices and waste minimization; and support the campus’s climate action plan.

“One of the projects I got involved in right away is looking at renovation projects and setting up a procedure so that laboratory cabinets can be reused,” Doyle said. “We hope to make this a standard procedure.”

Doyle said another success is that the Coffee House renovation project is reusing 40 percent of its kitchen equipment. In addition, Doyle connected the Coffee House surplus with a kitchen project at the Student Farm.

Dateline recently sat down with Doyle for an interview:

Where are you from originally?

I grew up in New England, graduated from Williams College, and worked five summers in New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest. I then went to grad school at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks (received my master’s degree in chemical oceanography) and lived there for 15 years. I later lived in Santa Barbara for 10 years.

What was your first impression of UC Davis?

Friendly and eager. Everybody is on board with sustainability, and they already have a lot of ideas about conservation practices that they are following or want to follow. The willingness to help goes from the top to the bottom of campus — from administration, to staff and faculty, to students.

Do you have a philosophy of sustainability?

I believe in living with the arithmetic of finite resources and with the inspiration of human resourcefulness. I think that Thomas Malthus’ arithmetic is still correct: an infinitely expanding population will eventually run out of a limiting resource. We need to choose how to limit our consumption, population and emissions intentionally and early, or it will be chosen for us decades later in unpleasant ways. (Editor’s note: An 18th-century scholar, Malthus came to prominence for drawing attention to the potential dangers of population growth.)

How do you live sustainably?

I use water, electricity and central heat or air moderately. I lived in cabins in Alaska with no running water, so I appreciate running water and automated heat. I use our attic fan instead of AC. I live close to campus so I can bike every day. I try to eat little meat, and not to consume too many things in general. I live in a house with three adults, and we only need to take our landfill can to the curb once a month. I don’t much care for stairs, so I skip every other one.

Do you have any hobbies?

I love cross country skiing and trail running. When I lived in Santa Barbara, I occasionally got wet, salty and cold on the water, but mostly ran in the canyons where I got wet, salty and hot.

I like the local running club in Davis, the Golden Valley Harriers, which has a great beginners running program. I also have participated in volunteer activities like adult support groups, youth group values clarification, sports coaching and board memberships.

Seen any good movies lately?

I saw a documentary comparing the decline of ranching in the United States and Mongolia called Out of the Past. Another powerful movie I recently watched was Milk. I am inspired by people who pioneer ideas such as gay rights that are very challenging and unaccepted at the time.

Do you have a guilty pleasure?

Probably Danishes, or baked goods.

What do you like best about your job?

The best part about it is working with so many sectors of campus: senior administration, engineers, professors, deans, students, grad students and undergrads. I’ve also worked with some of the co-ops around town and attended a sorority benefit event. Becoming familiar with all of campus and trying to connect with that is important.

And least?

Almost the same thing. It’s hard to keep track of everything that is going on when you have 15 spinning plates going at the same time. Making connections and forwarding e-mails is great, but it can take up to a half day.

Caitlin Cobb is a Dateline student writing intern.