Virginia Tech Encouraging Green Commuters
By 2015, Virginia Tech hopes to have half of its workplace committed to green commuting. The institution's alternative commuting program focuses on incentives for biking to campus including ample bike parking, and works with local transit companies to provide free passes at certain times of the day.
Western Washington U to Encourage More Female Science Students
The National Science Foundation has awarded two Western Washington University professors with a five-year grant worth $590,000 to help encourage more female students to major in computer science and mathematics. Most of the grant money will be used to provide need-based scholarships of as much as $10,000 per student, per year. Only about 10 percent of computer science majors and 35 percent of math majors at the university are women.
Yale U Works to Decrease Dorm Waste
Yale University's (CT) College Council has announced that it will direct $10,000 toward projects aimed at decreasing wasteful student habits. The primary projects include a Summer Storage program that allows students to store their items at the school before leaving for the summer break; the Spring Salvage and Trash to Treasure programs that promote reusable items through second-hand sales; and rentable Hydration Stations that will replace bottled water during outdoor events.
2 Harvard U Buildings Awarded LEED Certification
Harvard University (MA) has earn a LEED EBOM (Existing Buildings Operations and Management) certification for its 1959 Class Memorial Chapel. Since 2008, the university has reduced the Chapel’s energy consumption by 49 percent through lighting updates, water conservation measures, heating and cooling monitors and water pipe insulation. The university has also received LEED Gold certification for its SEAS Computing and Information Technology Office. Renovations include new furnishings, lighting fixtures and windows, and more sustainable materials for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.
3 Universities Awarded Tree Campus USA Recognition
For their dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship, Emory University (GA) and Kent State University (OH) have received a 2010 Tree Campus USA designation by the Arbor Day Foundation for the second and third year, respectively. Middlebury University (VT) has also received the recognition for the first time, meeting the five core standards of tree care and community engagement.
Alabama A&M U Tests Biodiesel for Campus Transportation
Alabama A&M University’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences is experimenting with turning cooking oil into biodiesel. The Toyota engine plant in Huntsville, Ala. is donating the oil to the university. The university plans to run campus buses and agriculture equipment with biodiesel fuel in the future.
Arkansas State U Grows Electric Vehicle Campus Fleet
Arkansas State University first implemented its electric golf carts on campus 11 years ago. Now the campus has 16 more electric vehicles including cars, Segways and cargo trucks. The vehicles are predominantly used by Facilities Management personnel, but they lease the vehicles out to different departments as requested.
Clackamas CC Energy Renovations Save $1.7 Mil
Since 2005, Clackamas Community College (OR) has saved $1.7 million in energy costs. The college accomplished this by upgrading natural gas boilers and facilities lighting, implementing a digital control system for energy management, and through close monitoring of its heating and cooling systems.
Colorado State U Solar Panels Observed as Model for the Military
Former U.S. Army Brigadier Gen. Steven Anderson recently visited Colorado State University for a tour of its solar-panel installations. Anderson is currently the senior vice president of battlefield services company Relyant. His tour was organized by the nonprofit organization, VetVoice, which provides a platform for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The former general said that $3 of diesel fuel can end up costing $300 to deliver to the battlefield. Anderson is interested in touring the university’s facility to see how the military could implement similar solar arrays.
Cornell U Starts Bike Share Program
Cornell University (NY) is gearing up for its Big Red Bikes program, a bike share program that will begin with 20 bikes based at one station. It was made possible by the efforts of the Big Red Bikes student group that began in 2008 in the Cornell Sustainability Hub. After spearheading a petition signed by 1,000 students, the Undergraduate Student Assembly granted the group funding for the initial two years of the project, amounting to $1 from every student’s activities fee.
Durham Technical CC Expands Sustainability Technologies Program
Durham Technical Community College (NC) began a sustainability technologies program last fall for trained electricians, but due to an "outpouring of interest," the school will be opening a new program available to students without previous electrical training. The program focuses on solar panel installation, energy auditing, energy savings techniques, insulation and solar heated water. The college received a $250,000 grant from Duke Energy to help purchase the technology necessary for instructing students.
Eastern Michigan U Completes First Phase of $90 Mil Renovation
Eastern Michigan University's Mark Jefferson Science Building has completed the first phase of a $90 million renovation. The campus is in pursuit of a LEED Silver certification with features such as metal sunshades, a green roof and a rain garden. The building also utilizes a Design of Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems (DOAS) to help reduce its energy use. Phase two should be completed in 2012.
Furman U to Help Small Businesses Become Sustainable
The Center for Corporate and Professional Development at Furman University (SC) has received a $50,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to support a new program that will educate and transform small businesses in the area of sustainability practices. The center will develop and implement the "Small Business Boot Camp," a hands-on program that will detail sustainable business practices that can decrease operating costs, increase revenues and build social responsibility. Program topics will include how to develop and maintain green facilities, and analyze and reduce energy usage, water consumption and waste creation.
Harvard U Library System Meets Green Office Challenge
All workspaces in buildings managed by Harvard College Library Operations at Harvard University (MA) have achieved at least Green Leaf Level One as part of the Office of Sustainability's Green Office Program. Staff in campus libraries were challenged to “go green” in February 2010 with the goal being 100 percent at level one by January 2011. Several offices surpassed this by achieving the highest Green Leaf Level Four.
Indiana U Students Grant $12K Toward Solar Installation
The Indiana University Student Foundation will award a $12,000 grant to install a two-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array panel on the Indiana Memorial Union. The funds come from the foundation's "Hoosier Legacy Fund," established with contributions from last year's Senior Challenge. The annual Senior Challenge gives each graduating class the opportunity to build its own campus philanthropic legacy with donations. This year's seniors will donate $20.11, in recognition of their year of graduation.
Kansas State U Students Design Green Campus Building
Students in the architecture program at Kansas State University are working on all phases of the design, permitting and construction process for a new design studio on campus, Studio 804. The studio will implement a host of green features including wind turbines, a green roof, a vented wall that improves circulation, a smart grid energy meter, energy-efficient appliances and electric vehicle charging stations. The students are raising money to finance the studio, which will seek LEED Platinum certification.
Maharishi U Mgmt Students Study Campus Sustainability Benefits
Students in a "Managing for Sustainability" course at Maharishi University of Management (IA) will perform sustainability inventories and cost/benefit analyses in campus system areas like waste, lighting, heating/air conditioning, composting and recycling. Based on their findings, the students will make recommendations to the university on which sustainability initiatives to tackle, and which ones might not be worth it. The students will start with small things that can make a difference like the university's recent switch to single-stream recycling.
New CUNY Community College Slated for 2012; First in 43 Years
With plans for degree programs including energy services management, environmental science and urban studies, a new community college has been approved by the City University of New York Board of Trustees. The system's first new community college in 43 years, the institution will open in Manhattan in the fall of 2012 with an initial 500 students.
Ohio Wesleyan U Hires First Sustainability Coordinator
Ohio Wesleyan University has named Sean Kinghorn as its first energy conservation and sustainability coordinator. With more than 15 years of experience in sustainability planning, sustainable development, renewable energy, green building consulting and environmental planning, Kinghorn will help the campus community reduce its energy consumption and carbon footprint and seek cost savings. The two-year position is funded through a State of Ohio Energy and Conservation Block Grant awarded to the university in June 2010. This grant also funded a campus-wide energy audit, the results of which will be available this spring.
Rockingham CC Installs Solar Array
Rockingham Community College (VA) students enrolled in the electronics program have installed 40 solar panels that are capable of producing 5.2 kilowatts of electricity. This latest solar addition compliments the 3.2-megawatt array installed by students in 2009. The power generated by the entire system is plugged directly into the campus power system.
Roosevelt U Greens Schaumburg Campus Grounds
This spring, Roosevelt University (IL) will redesign the landscape of its Schaumburg campus. The university’s Green Campus Environmental Sustainability Initiative plans to convert 70 percent of the campus turf into native grasses and plants. They are also planning to resurface parking areas with a more permeable pavement.
Seattle Central College Plans Energy Systems Upgrade
Seattle Central College (WA) has entered into a partnership with Ameresco Quantum for campus energy-efficiency upgrades requiring no capital investment. A grant from Washington's Department of Commerce will fund $2 million of the $4.7 million project. The initiative will replace HVAC equipment, upgrade lighting and install energy management systems throughout buildings on campus. The improvements are expected to generate $200,000 in energy, water and maintenance savings each year, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 650 tons annually.
St. Lawrence U Implements Building Energy Dashboard
St. Lawrence University (NY) has partnered with Lucid Design Group to develop a building energy dashboard to allow the public to view real-time electricity usage in any of its 72 buildings. The data is available to anyone with Internet access, and it is user-friendly by making electricity-saving suggestions and allowing users to view the data in a variety of charts and graphs. The intent is to raise awareness about energy use and to encourage people to make decisions based on energy conservation.
U British Columbia Receives $11.2 Mil for Clean Energy Project
The University of British Columbia received $11.2 million in government funding to help finance its clean energy demonstration project. The project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4,500 tons a year, roughly the equivalent of removing 1,100 cars from the road. It will accomplish this with a biomass-fueled heat and power generation system.
U Calgary Expands Recycling Efforts
The University of Calgary (AB) has announced the addition of hundreds of new recycling bins across campus. The multi-phase upgrade to the university's waste and recycling infrastructure kicked off 800 new blue bins for recycling paper/cardboard and beverage containers. The bins will include new signage that clearly indicates what can or cannot go inside.
U California San Diego Sustainability Center Earns LEED Gold
The University of California, San Diego has earned its fifth LEED-certified building project with the recent LEED Gold certification of its new Sustainability Center. Many of the sustainable features are student ideas, including reclaimed wood, metal building materials and a recycled cardboard table that looks like a hardwood table. The building's ceiling lights are directly powered by solar panels. In related news, the university has unveiled new environmentally friendly campus apartments for transfer students starting in fall 2011. Aligned to capitalize on wind and solar rays, the building's plaster, paving, carpet and metal studs are made with recycled materials and the residents will bathe with solar-heated water.
U Chicago Debuts Recycling Directory
In an effort to assist the campus community to recycle as many everyday items as possible, the University of Chicago (IL) has launched a new Recycling Directory that compiles campus and other local recycling resources. The items included range from cosmetics and eyeglasses to appliances and batteries. Each item in the directory contains a brief description about the importance of recycling the item, followed by options for recycling on campus (if available) as well as in the City of Chicago.
U Iowa Partners with City Dump for Methane Gas Project
The University of Iowa plans to buy methane gas from Iowa City’s landfill and pipe it over to heat facilities on its campus. The university will pay the city for this service, and Iowa City plans to spend $2 million for the gas conditioning and compression equipment, while the university will spend $500,000 updating engines to burn the landfill gas. The project is not touted as less expensive, but as an opportunity to operate facilities on fuel that would otherwise be garbage.
U Kentucky Debuts Sustainability Studies Degree
The University of Kentucky is set to offer an environmental and sustainability studies degree. The undergraduate major will incorporate a broad range of subjects including humanities, natural sciences, writing, communications and environmental ethics. The program will begin in fall 2011.
U Maryland Exceeds Recycling Goals
With a recycling rate of 63 percent, the University of Maryland has surpassed its 2010 recycling goal. The university's single-stream recycling efforts, Can the Can program and the addition of grass and leaves composting contributed to a rate of 3 percent higher than its Climate Action Plan called for. This waste diversion rate is up from 17 percent in 2003.
U Maryland Installs Electric Car Charging Stations
The University of Maryland’s Department of Transportation Services has installed five electric car charging stations, with five more planned on the university’s campus. Each station can recharge two cars simultaneously for four to eight hours. The university hopes that the stations will encourage people to move toward electric cars. The electric charging stations cost $31,500 total.
U North Carolina Wilmington Energy Renovations to Save $8.9 Mil
The University of North Carolina Wilmington has implemented a host of energy-efficient upgrades that are expected to save the university $8.9 million. The upgrades include energy-efficient boilers, solar tubes and day lighting. The estimated savings are expected to occur during the 20-year contract with Trane Comfort Solutions. According to the contract, the university can use future energy savings to finance the initial capital investment.
Utah State U Students Approve Sustainability Fee
Students at Utah State University have approved a student-proposed $3 per-semester fee that will create an office of sustainability on its Logan campus and fund student projects geared toward conserving resources. The Blue Goes Green fee was modeled on a small fee approved by University of Utah students two years ago and has since funded a variety of projects including the resurrection of an old fruit orchard and research into low-water irrigation for campus landscaping.
U Washington Seattle Practices Certified Salmon-Safe
The University of Washington’s Seattle campus has been certified salmon-safe by the Network for Business Innovation and Sustainability. The certification is the first of its kind for an organization of the university’s size. The certification is an in-depth process that inspects the grounds, water usage and energy sources to ensure that the university’s practices do not harm salmon habitat.
Vanderbilt U Creates $75K Green Fund
After receiving student surveys and letters of support, Vanderbilt University (TN) has established a Green Fund with $75,000 in administration funds. The fund will be available to finance student projects that aim to reduce the university’s energy consumption and/or carbon emissions. It will serve a three-year trial period in which it will be non-revolving, meaning that savings from the projects funded will not be directed back into the fund. After three years, the university will determine whether the fund was successful enough to finance a revolving fund. Projects that incentivize a switch to sustainable energy during peak hours will be especially competitive, according to fund managers.
American U Sharjah Students Raise Funds for Community Food Aid
American University of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) students held a campus-wide fundraising drive to generate support for the "Feed the Needy" campaign, launched by the university's Community Services Division. The students' efforts resulted in a truck load of food items that were distributed to 470 families in the community. In related news, student volunteers at the university were honored with the Sharjah Voluntary Award 2010 in the educational institutions category of the Eighth Local and Fourth Arab Voluntary Awards in December 2010. The university's Community Services Division was recognized for its exemplary volunteer work in the social sector.
Earth Education International Releases Sustainability Inventory
Earth Education International (Costa Rica) has released its first Sustainability Assessment Inventory, detailing its sustainability efforts to date and the social, economic and/or environmental benefits of each. Sustainability highlights for the interdisciplinary study abroad organization include a pedestrian-friendly program design with locally based activities, field sites and volunteer work; the support of environmentally friendly lodging and food vendors; tree planting to offset the carbon emissions of participant travel; and the use of natural ventilation and renewable energy whenever possible in its office buildings.
EARTH U Receives $200K for Student Scholarships
Panasonic Corporation of North America has awarded $200,000 to EARTH University (Costa Rica) to provide full, four-year scholarships for three students from the U.S., Mexico and Brazil. EARTH University's educational model emphasizes scientific and technical innovation, values, ethics, entrepreneurship and environmental and social commitment.
Gambia Technical Training Inst Partners for Solar Energy Training
Power Up Gambia, an organization that works to provide reliable electricity and water in Gambia through solar energy, has reported a partnership with Gambia Technical Training Institute, one of the largest skills training centers in the country. The organization will work with the institute's Department of Electrical Engineering in an effort to help Gambian companies in the solar field by supporting the development of skilled and well-trained energy technicians who have a strong and common knowledge base in electricity and renewable energy.
Ghana Plans for Renewable Energy University
Ghana's Brong Ahafo region has broken ground for the public University of Renewable Energy, the first of its kind in the region. The university will offer electric, petro-chemical and mechanical engineering programs with courses in energy and natural resources. A national task force will oversee the initiation of this new university.
HEFCE Embarks on Higher Ed Carbon Measurement Project
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has recently commissioned a project to measure scope 3 carbon emissions at a higher education institutional level. The project will work to establish a sector baseline of emissions from procurement, produce definitions for measuring scope 3 carbon emissions and provide guidance to higher education institutions to help with the associated data collection. Set for an August 2011 completion, project teams with representatives from the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE), the Association of Heads of University Administration (AHUA), the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) and the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) will engage with a wide range of institutions, sector bodies and stakeholders to collect data in areas of procurement, water, waste, commuting and business travel.
India and U.S. Institutions Partner for Food Security Efforts
A consortium of Indian and U.S. institutions and agribusinesses have announced a $9.6 million project to boost agricultural production and food security in northern India. Launched by India and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under "Feed the Future," the new Agricultural Innovation Partnership will focus on rural populations in the Indo-Gangetic Plain who typically live on less than $1.25 a day. The consortium is led by Banaras Hindu University (India) and Cornell University (NY).
Macquarie U Names First Sustainability Engagement Officer
Macquarie University (Australia) has appointed its first sustainability engagement officer as part of a sustainability agenda that calls for ecologically sound, socially just and economically viable university activities. Cindy Cunningham, who previously worked as a sustainability officer for more than 10 years in local councils, will lead two initiatives for staff engagement. The first, the Sustainability Representative Network, is comprised of sustainability champions from all departments and faculties across campus and acts as a liaison between the sustainability team and university staff and faculty. The second initiative is the Department Sustainability Challenge, where departments compete for prizes by completing sustainable actions.
Manipal U, Ashoka Trust Debut Ph.D. Program
The Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment is accepting applications for its interdisciplinary doctoral program in conservation science and sustainability studies. The program is recognized by Manipal University (India) and will provide a fellowship for two years. Applicants must have a master's degree in environmental sciences and will be expected to pursue environmental research for a multi-disciplinary dissertation committee.
Masdar, U.S. Dept of Energy Partner for Solar PV Coating Research
The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (Abu Dhabi) has announced a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy to test the performance of specially coated solar photovoltaic modules designed to avoid the moisture and cementation problems currently faced by PV module producers. Developed by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the coatings will be tested at a solar field in Masdar City following exchanges of scientific and technical information with the Masdar Institute.
Newcastle U Hosts Carbon Speed Dating Event for 'Go Green Week'
The People & Planet student group at Newcastle University (UK) recently hosted "Go Green Week 2011," to raise sustainability awareness on campus. Events included a night of Carbon Speed Dating, free smoothies for students made out of fruit and vegetables from the local farmers market that were destined for the trash, and a showing of the movie, "Food, Inc."
Persian Gulf Universities Study Alternative Energy
Governments across the Arabian Peninsula are establishing programs and institutes dedicated to research into alternative energy and environmental sustainability, reports The Chronicle of Higher Education in a January article. The carbon-based wealth that fueled the growth of countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar has created a dependence on oil-powered desalination plants for water to a degree that salinity levels in the Persian Gulf have risen noticeably in the past few decades. More efficient desalination processes is just one environmental problem being tackled in new research centers around the Persian Gulf. Scientists and graduate students from around the world are also working on green technologies including more-affordable solar cells and new biofuels for aviation. Governments hope that new green technologies will spur commercial innovation and bring diversity to these oil-dependent economies.
Queen's U Belfast Library Earns Sustainability Award
The McClay Library at Queen's University Belfast (Ireland) has received the 2010 Sustainability Award from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. The new library features sustainable strategies based on natural ventilation and low energy use including a thermal mass that acts as a heat sink, regulating the temperature profile of the internal environment by absorbing heat during the day and releasing it to the space at night. A rainwater harvesting system uses recycled rainwater for toilets and internal environmental conditions from lighting to temperature and fresh air levels are monitored.
Saint Paul U Dumaguete Implements 'Nature-Friendly' Technology
Saint Paul University of Dumaguete (Phillipines) has opened a "nature-friendly" campus facility for mushroom, fruit and vegetable drying. The facility includes a waterless toilet, recycled indigenous materials and the use of solar power and green roof technology.
