U Wisconsin Madison to Switch from Coal to Biomass
Governor Jim Doyle has announced that the University of Wisconsin, Madison's Charter Street Heating Plant will convert from burning coal to biomass by 2012. The plant, which is responsible for heating and cooling the UW campus, will run primarily on switchgrass.
Wesleyan U Installs Cogeneration System
Wesleyan University (CT) has installed a new cogeneration system that will allow the plant to produce 81 percent of the campus' yearly electricity needs. The University predicts that the system, which runs with natural gas, will save around $750,000 per year in energy costs.
Winter Shutdown Saves U Albany $280K
The State University of New York at Albany has announced that it saved $280,000 as a result of its winter Intersession and Fall Energy Savings initiatives. The University saved $266,140 by reducing room temperature and lighting throughout all buildings December 20, 2008 – January 15, 2009, and $14,000 as a result of a residence hall energy conservation challenge from September 3 – November 9, 2008. In addition, SUNY Albany received $5,000 from National Grid for the University's Change-A-Light campaign. To date, more than 1,300 energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs have been distributed in residence halls.
29 U.S. Colleges Named 'Tree Campus USA'
Twenty-nine schools from across the United States have earned Tree Campus USA status from the nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation for their dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship. The 29 schools recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation make up the initial Tree Campus USA class. Tree Campus USA is a new national program launched by the Arbor Day Foundation and aims to honor colleges and universities that engage in best tree-care and sustainability practices. To receive Tree Campus USA recognition, schools are required to meet five core standards of tree care and community engagement. Those standards are: establishing a campus tree advisory committee; evidence of a campus tree-care plan; verification of dedicated annual expenditures on the campus tree-care plan; involvement in an Arbor Day observance; and the institution of a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body.
Agnes Scott College Hires Sustainability Fellow
Agnes Scott College (GA) has hired Lies Van Bekkum as its first sustainability fellow. Van Bekkum’s role as Agnes Scott’s Sustainability Fellow is shared with the city of Decatur where she works closely with the city’s new Environmental Sustainability Board. Van Bekkum, born and raised in the Netherlands, graduated from ASG in 2008 with a degree in Psychology.
Bethel College Opens Fair-Trade Coffee Shop
Bethel College (KS) has opened a coffee shop in the lounge of one of its residence halls. The shop features fair trade coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. The shop was initiated and is run by two Bethel students in an effort to increase a sense of student community within the building.
Bunker Hill CC Building Receives Green Design Award
The 48,000-square-foot Health and Wellness Center under construction at Bunker Hill Community College (MA) has received a 2008 Green Design Concept Award from the Education Design Showcase, which will be featured in the College Planning & Management Magazine . The awards go to buildings under construction that will meet or exceed high standards of sustainability. The new structure, at an estimated cost of $22.7 million, will feature large south-facing windows, natural daylighting, a stormwater management system, a white roof, and recycled content containing materials.
Central Carolina CC Launches Biofuels Degree Program
Central Carolina Community College (NC) has launched a new Associate's in Applied Sciences Degree program in Alternative Energy Technology. The biofuels degree curriculum includes biofuels analytics, biofuels waste management, bioprocessing practices, chemistry, math, and renewable energy technology. Its interdisciplinary approach also requires students to take courses in electrical control systems, welding, pumps and piping systems, and small business development.
Connecticut College Offsets 100% of Energy Usage with Wind
Connecticut College has purchased wind renewable energy certificates to compensate for 100 percent of the College ´s annual electricity consumption. This marks the third year the College has offset energy consumption by nearly 100 percent.
CSU Monterey Bay Opens Green Library
California State University, Monterey Bay has opened a new $64 million library that was designed to achieve LEED Silver certification. The 136,151-square-foot building features natural daylighting and a rainwater collection system that irrigates nearby plants.
Drexel U Commits to Green Globes Building Rating System
Drexel University (PA) has announced that it has become the first university in the country to commit to using the Green Globes green building rating system for all new construction and existing campus buildings. The system assesses existing buildings and construction projects for energy efficiency and effects on the environment. The third-party independent assessment process is usually completed one year after occupancy, and will result in a ranking based on Green Globes metrics. The results of all assessments will be posted on the website of Drexel’s sustainability program, “Drexel Green,” and will be available to the public for inspection.
Georgia Tech Hires Institute for Sustainable Systems Director
Georgia Institute of Technology has hired John C. Crittenden, Ph.D., as a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Sustainable Systems and Director of the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems. In addition, he is also slated to fill the Hightower Chair in Sustainable Systems pending Board of Regents approval. Dr. Crittenden has received multiple awards for his research in the treatment and removal of hazardous materials from drinking and groundwater. He also has designed and received copyrights on computer software programs that analyze various pollution and absorption methods.
Humboldt State U Expands Solar Radiation Data Collection Site
Humboldt State University (CA) has purchased a third Eppley Precision Spectral Pyranometer to add to its Solar Radiation Monitoring Station project, making the site one of the primary data-collecting locations for solar radiation. HSU partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to become a data-collecting site for solar radiation in 2006.
Illinois State U Releases Sustainability Report
Illinois State University has released its first ever Sustainability Progress Report. The report covers fiscal year 2008 and highlights various campus efforts in the areas of energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, recycling, and grounds and facilities operations. Academic initiatives are also covered, including sustainability-themed courses in various academic departments, faculty research, and campus-wide efforts to promote civic engagement by students.
Indiana U Libraries Names Sustainability Officer
The Indiana University Library System has named Kathy McCarnes to the newly formed position of sustainability officer. The System also plans to form a permanent task force that would promote the use of recycled paper and aid the transformation to more efficient technologies to eliminate wasted energy. McCarnes is tasked with heading the committee and encouraging sustainable practices within the IU Libraries System.
Mars Hill College Receives Grant for Green Building
Mars Hill College (NC) has a received a $60,000 Green Building Initiative grant from the Kresge Foundation to be used toward design and planning costs for Day Hall. The College plans to seek LEED Platinum certification for the 36,000-square-foot multi-purpose building, which is currently in the planning stages.
Montana State U Long Range Plan Features Sustainability
Montana State University has released its Long Range Campus Development Plan, and sustainable practices, principles, and strategies are woven throughout the document. Specifically, sustainability is included as a Guiding Principle and is also incorporated into architecture, open space, land use, landscape, and signage principles. The Plan also describes MSU’s current sustainability initiatives, activities, and memberships, and includes a section on how sustainable practices will be included with implementation of the Plan.
NMSU Launches Green Challenge, Online Sustainability Guide
Northwest Missouri State University has begun the "Reduce Your Paw Print Challenge," an initiative that challenges students to reduce their environmental footprint on campus. As part of the initiative, students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to recycle and to reduce their energy usage on campus. NMSU has also launched an online Sustainability Guide that provides advice on how to save energy, reduce waste, reuse items, and recycle on and off campus.
North Carolina State U Names Sustainability Spring Semester Theme
North Carolina State University has announced that its spring semester theme will focus on sustainability. Called "S.E.E. NC State," the semester will feature events that focus on the three dimensions of sustainability: society, economy, and environment. Events will include e-waste recycling, an environmental movie series, an Energy Fair, a Lake Raleigh clean up, and a concert featuring local and regional bands.
Oregon State U Students Exercise to Generate Power
Oregon State University has begun converting the energy generated by exercise machines into electricity. The University has retrofitted 22 elliptical machines to generate electricity that is fed back into the power grid. The effort will produce an estimated 3,500 kilowatt hours of electricity in a year. The initiative was funded by an $8.50 per semester student green fee.
Portland State U Announces EcoWiki
Portland State University (OR) has launched "EcoWiki," a website that aims to help students, faculty, and staff form connections and share news related to sustainability on the PSU campus. Participants can ask questions, network, and brainstorm on the new site.
Saginaw Valley State U Students Build Wind & Solar Charging Station
A group of four Saginaw Valley State University (MI) students have built a wind and solar charging station for an electric golf cart on campus. The mobile station consists of a small wooden shed that features solar panels, a wind turbine, and 6-volt batteries to store the energy when it's not in use. To charge the cart, users plug it into an outlet in the shed overnight, which gives the cart sufficient energy needed to make its normal runs of two to three hours per day.
South Dakota State U Installs Wind Turbines for K-12 Schools
South Dakota State University faculty members and students have begun providing technical assistance to the Wind for Schools program which places wind turbines at K-12 schools throughout the state. The program provides K-12 schools with residential-sized wind turbines to use as working laboratories and college-level students with the opportunity to obtain hands-on engineering experience.
UBC, UCSD Partner to Reduce Emissions with Green IT
The University of British Columbia, the University of California, San Diego, and Prompt, Inc, a non-profit corporation that fosters research and development, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on their campuses while developing information technology that improves energy efficiency and reduces the impact of emissions on climate change. The MOU stipulates that signatories will explore a system whereby “carbon offsets earned through a variety of GHG reduction mechanisms” would be traded between participating institutions in exchange for access to cyber-infrastructure resources, including, for example, grid computational cycles, wide area network bandwidth, other virtual services and even research funding. The initial collaboration focuses on university emissions, but signatories believe it will set the stage for longer-term initiatives that will have an impact well beyond their campuses.
U Calgary Starts Waste Reduction Campaign & Composting Prgm
The University of Calgary (AB) has begun the Erase the Waste challenge. As part of the program, students and staff are being encouraged to reduce their waste by 200 grams per week. The University estimates that if each person on campus reduces his/her garbage by that much, six tons of waste will be prevented from going to the landfill each week. To achieve the reduction, the University has launched its first campus-wide composting program. 17 new multi-purpose collection bins have been placed throughout campus. In addition, 200 new recycling bins for beverage containers and paper have been added to the campus. Throughout the campaign, the Office of Sustainability is also offering free workshops for staff and faculty on sustainable procurement, recycling, and ways to reduce waste in the office.
U Central Florida Adds Solar-Powered Electric Vehicle to Campus Fleet
The University of Central Florida has purchased its second eco-friendly vehicle. The new electric car, which can travel up to 15 miles per day, has been retrofitted to run on solar power alone. Three solar panels were installed on the roof of the vehicle and produce the needed 72V to run it.
U Maryland Helps Fund Portable Wind Turbine Development
The University of Maryland's Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program is providing $1.4 million, with participating companies donating a total of $3.4 million, to support research in the laboratories of participating University System of Maryland faculty who work with company researches. As part of the Program, $51,000 has been allocated to help ProParts LLC of Baltimore to develop low-wind, low-cost wind turbines that can be mounted in residential or urban markets and portable turbines for military applications.
Unity U House Achieves LEED Platinum
Unity House, the home for the President of Unity College (ME), has received LEED Platinum certification. The 1,930 square foot home features a passive solar design, solar panel heating, high-efficiency appliances, and low-flow water fixtures.
U North Carolina Approves Green Fee Renewal
Students at the University of North Carolina have approved the renewal and expansion of the existing $4 per semester renewable energy student fee. 83 percent of students voting approved the fee and fee expansion, which allows funds to be used for energy efficiency projects on campus.
U Rhode Island Opens Science Building
The Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences at the University of Rhode Island has officially opened. The 140,000-square-foot facility, which is registered for LEED Silver certification, features a green roof, a rain garden, a stormwater treatment system, daylight harvesting technologies, and an energy efficient heating and cooling system.
U South Florida to Offer Ph.D.s Focused on Sustainable Communities
The University of South Florida Board of Governors has approved new doctoral programs in history, government, and sociology. The three programs are linked and will focus on sustainable healthy communities in a global context. The programs will discuss global security, population growth, land-use development, and the international financial crisis.
U Western Ontario Switches to FSC-Certified Paper
The University of Western Ontario has switched to Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper. The Purchasing Department tested the new paper last May within the Graphic Services Department and expanded the initiative to the entire campus this spring.
U Wisconsin Drops Apparel Contract Due to Poor Labor Practices
The University of Wisconsin has announced that it will not renew an apparel contract with Russell Athletic due to questions concerning labor practices at the company's Honduras factory. UW requires that its suppliers agree to a code of conduct that includes provisions for freedom of association, which is meant to protect worker rights.
UW Whitewater Goes Trayless
The University of Wisconsin, Whitewater has stopped offering trays at Esker Dining Hall, Drumlin Market, and the eateries in the James R. Conner University Center. The dining halls implemented the initiative after the successful pilot program, Trayless Tuesdays. The University estimates that it will save approximately 192,000 gallons of water.
Yale Announces First Grants for Sustainability Research
The Yale University (CT) School of Architecture has selected five projects to receive the inaugural grants from the Hines Research Fund for Advanced Sustainability in Architecture. The winning proposals fall into three thematic areas: constructional methods and materials, particularly in terms of reducing both embodied energy and the energy consumed by building systems; development of climate responsive building types; and analysis/optimization of energy behaviors in buildings. All proposals are committed to expanding academic research and educational opportunities for students.
Yale U Med School Earns LEED Gold
The Yale University (CT) Amistad Street Building has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The structure, which houses the School of Medicine, features bike racks and showers, locally produced and recycled content construction materials, a storm water collection system, ultra low-flow lavatories, dual flush water toilets, and occupancy sensors.
Yale U School Purchases Carbon Offsets
The Yale University (CT) School of Forestry and Environmental Studies has purchased carbon offsets to compensate for the air miles traveled by FES students on school-related trips in 2008. The offsets purchased will fund two carbon offset projects: a Pennsylvania family farm that captures methane gas released by manure, and uses it to generate electricity and heat and a New York landfill that traps and destroys methane gas. The two projects will compensate for 1.25 million pounds of carbon dioxide.
Ball State U to Replace Coal-Fired Boilers with Geothermal
Ball State University (IN) has announced plans to eliminate its coal-fired boilers and install 3,750 geothermal wells. The system, which will take 5-12 years to complete depending on funding availability, will include bore holes or well fields in soccer fields, band practice fields, and residence hall yards. The $66 million project has been approved by the University's board of trustees. The state Legislature appropriated more than $40 million several years ago for the University to replace the boilers with a circulating fluidized bed boiler to burn coal cleaner and more efficiently. Since then, however, no bids were received, and BSU plans to ask the legislature to re-appropriate the $40 million to the geothermal project. The University plans to start drilling the wells in early May.
Calvin College Campus Sustainability Guide
Calvin College (MI) has posted its new Campus Sustainability Guide online. The Guide contains information on how to get involved with campus sustainability issues at Calvin, what the institution has accomplished, and how members of the Calvin community can help the campus reduce its waste, energy usage, and water consumption.
CSU Chico College of Ag Receives $40K Organic Valley Award
The Research Foundation at California State University, Chico has received a $40,000 grant from Organic Valley. The money will be used by CSU, Chico's College of Agriculture to help fund a two-year study focused on improving net profit by improving pasture management. In addition to assessing and promoting more sustainable feeding systems, the project will host "grazing schools" for beginning and advanced dairy farmers to encourage and support efficient pasture use. The research will also assess organically approved soil amendments to establish profitability resulting from changes in forage quality and quantity.
Elon U Launches New Sustainability Website
Elon University (NC) has launched a new sustainability website that provides information on what the University is doing to become more sustainable. The site features a list of course offerings related to sustainability and green design and of student-run organizations focused on the environment.
Green Mountain College Hires Sustainability Coordinator
Green Mountain College (VT) has hired Amber Garrard as its new sustainability coordinator. Garrard holds an M.A. in sustainable development from SIT Graduate Institute, has started and managed a community garden, and was a research fellow for the Sustainable Endowments Institute.
McGill U Opens Office of Sustainability
McGill University (QC) has opened a new Office of Sustainability. The mission of the Office of Sustainability is to develop sustainability as a cultural norm at the University. The Office will encourage the efforts of students, faculty, staff, and administrators to incorporate principles of sustainability in the University’s operations, campus living and learning, and in its relations with the broader community. The Office will explore ways in which McGill can integrate social, environmental, and economic considerations in University decisions and develop partnerships that encourage and facilitate the cooperation of all members of the McGill University community to become more sustainable.
Middlebury College Opens Biomass Gasification Plant
Middlebury College (VT) has officially opened its biomass gasification plant. The $12 million plant is expected to cut the College’s use of heating oil in half – from 2 million gallons to one million gallons annually – and to reduce the College’s carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent, or 12,500 metric tons. The gasification system converts regionally grown wood chips into gas that burns to provide steam for heating, cooling, hot water, and cooking throughout the campus. The plant is also expected to supply about 20 percent of the campus’ electricity consumption.
Montclair State U Approves Env'l Management PhD
The New Jersey Commission on Higher Education has approved Montclair State University's proposal to convert the current doctoral program in Environmental Management to a Ph.D. degree in the College of Sciences and Mathematics. The new program emphasizes the study of interconnections between environmental systems and human systems. The aim of the program is to prepare environmental scholars who will recognize and analyze relationships among scientific, technological, societal and economic issues, and who will understand the uses of research in a data-driven decision and policy making process, firmly rooted in current scientific knowledge and methodology.
Northern Arizona U Begins Composting Program
Northern Arizona University's Students for Sustainable Living and Urban Gardening, the Center for Sustainable Environments, and Sodexho's Environmental Action Program have partnered to introduce composting in NAU dining halls. The compost is collected and transferred to the garden located on campus.
Ohio U Implements Composting Program
Ohio University has implemented a new composting initiative on campus. OU purchased a 2 ton in-vessel composting system that can handle up to 28 tons of material to compost food from its Central Foods Facility. The University plans to expand its collection to all campus eateries soon. The resulting nutrient-rich soil will be used for grounds keeping once it is available.
