Students will plant pecan trees, auction off bicycles and pledge to live more eco-friendly lives today as part of the nationwide Campus Sustainability Day.

Activities will last throughout the day, beginning with the edible plant landscaping around 9 a.m. and ending with a screening of “The Last Call at the Oasis,” a documentary about water resource management, at 6 p.m. in the rotunda of the Energy, Coast and Environment Building.

In addition, Student Government will host its annual bike auction from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tower Drive between Free Speech Plaza and Coates Hall, where they auction off abandoned bikes that were collected over the summer by the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation.

The jam-packed schedule also features a Pledge to Live Green by LSU Dining and a keynote broadcast on secondnature.org/csd about the role universities must play in increasing sustainability efforts.

Last week, LSU Campus Sustainability released its Sustainability, Tracking and Rating (STARS) report, which grades the University on its efficiency efforts in three major categories — education, operations and engagement.

LSU received a C plus overall, an improvement from last year’s C, which ranks in the bottom half of the Southeastern Conference schools.

The University of Georgia received an A minus, while every other school scored in either the B or C range, according to the report.

However, UGA did not receive a grade in the “shareholder engagement” category, for which no school received better than a D.

“To decrease energy use, LSU has constructed a cogeneration plant, implemented temperature setbacks, and installed steam trap systems, gas-fired hydronic heating systems, heat recovery systems, steam line insulation, timers for temperature control and energy management systems,” the report stated.

It also cited several other initiatives such as the creation of multiple sustainability faculty positions and courses, as well as the current Easy Streets projects working towards more eco-friendly transportation on campus.

The categories of climate change and energy, administration, student involvement, transportation and green building all received B grades, while several others received C’s. Only the shareholder engagement category received a grade of F.

“LSU is green, sustainability exists,” said Campus Sustainability Manager Denise Newell. “It’s not a trend; it’s here to stay.”

The University has reduced energy and water use by 9.7 percent per square foot since 2005, Newell said.

“Green buildings cost money up front—but they pay it back in about five years,” she said. “That’s kind of the hardship right now is coming up with that money.”

• 9 a.m. – noon: Edible Landscaping Initiative
• 11 a.m.: Pledge to Live Green with LSU Dining
• 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.: SG Bike Auction
• 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.: “Preparing Students for a Changing Climate” webcast
• 6 p.m.: “Last Call at the Oasis” screening