Interview with Chuck Henry
By Larissa Austin
I sat down last month to chat with a long time Motor Pool client and avid environmentalist
Chuck Henry. Chuck started his PHD in soils program at the University of Washington in the early
80's
and has been with the University ever since. He is currently teaching at the UW Bothell
campus but still takes time to rent vehicles for field trips with the Motor Pool. His course list
demonstrates his commitment to the environment and sustainability with such classes as;
Environmental Problem-Solving, Environmental Chemistry, Recycling; Ethics, Opportunities, and
Realities and Water and Sustainability. Chuck also leads summer classes in Mexico and Costa
Rica.
In January of this year, he brought one of his recycling classes down to Motor Pool for a
little field trip. The intro recycling class focuses on recycling as a way of life in terms
of waste management. Educating students on recycling and sustainability is what Chuck
does best, so we were honored to show the class around Motor Pool. In 2004 Motor Pool received
the Governor's Award for Pollution Prevention and Sustainable Practices and
was awarded the Washington State Recycling Association "Recycler of the Year" award. Motor
Pool also has a 5 star certification from the Envirostars Certification program. We were able
to showcase our recycling program which includes recycling, tires, batteries, oil filters,
lead and the list goes on. We were also able to show the class how we use our waste oil to
heat the shop which significantly reduces our heating costs!
While Chuck has taught classes at both the Seattle and Bothell campuses he has also sat on
committees revolving around recycling and sustainable practices. He was one of the founding
members of The University of Washington Environmental Policy Task Force, who's purpose was to
create recommendations and action steps toward development of an official UW Environmental
Policy.
Environmental Stewardship at the University of Washington . Chuck is
also involved in the UW Biodiesel Alliance. I asked how he felt about the
University's view on recycling now versus what it used to be. He said he felt through dedication
of staff and faculty, the University community is more educated now in terms of what we can
do to contribute to a cleaner, more environmentally responsible campus.
Chuck has always been a pleasure to work with so it was quite sad for us to hear he will be
leaving the University after almost 20 years. While he will still focus on research, he will
no longer be an instructor which will certainly be a loss to the University. As far as plans
for the future? He said he is thinking about teaching high school or doing some consulting
work. He will also continue to travel and spread his infectious smile
wherever he goes. Good
luck to you Chuck, you will be missed!
