U-Wisconsin Madison Students Create Local Food Map
Four University of Wisconsin, Madison geography students have created an interactive, online map of food sources within 100 miles of Madison. Their 100-Mile Diet Map aims to educate consumers and provide a central resource for those interested in eating close to home. The map shows the locations of a variety of local-food sources, including farms, farmers' markets, food cooperatives and restaurants that serve locally produced items. The initiative is the result of class project to design a web-based map that addresses a real-world problem.
UW Madison Students Start CSA
Members of the University of Wisconsin, Madison's F.H. King Students for Sustainable Agriculture have started a small-scale community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm. Although the student organization has operated a garden for several years, this is its first year running a CSA, in which customers make a flat payment at the beginning of the season in exchange for a weekly share of produce. The students sold shares to 10 faculty and staff, and they gave another 15 shares to student volunteers who devote an average of four hours per week to the program.
Associated Press Covers Increasing Number of Green Res Halls
The Associated Press has published an article on the increasing number of green residence halls on college campuses across the U.S. The article mentions environmentally friendly residence halls at Sarah Lawrence College (NY), Wake Forest University (NC), and Emory University (GA). The article reports that there are 236 LEED certified buildings on college campuses and 1,547 campus buildings are in the process of pursing certification. Green building initiatives at Rollins College (FL), Vanderbilt University (TN), and the University of California, San Diego are also mentioned in the article.
Colorado State U to Establish School of Global Env'l Sustainability
Colorado State University has unveiled plans for the state's first School of Global Environmental Sustainability. The School of Global Environmental Sustainability will be an umbrella organization that encompasses all environmental education and research at the university. Diana Wall will serve as founding director of the school. Over the next year, Wall will form advisory committees to help create curriculum and programs for the school, which could start offering new courses as early as 2010. The curriculum will include courses from eight different colleges in areas such as atmospheric science, environmental politics, wind engineering, agricultural economics, green building, wildlife biology, ecotourism, forestry, ecology, sustainable entrepreneurship and public policy. Students will have the opportunity to complement their majors with environmental courses.
Coolio and Jarez Work to Green HBCUs
The Environmental Justice and Climate Change (EJCC) has enlisted rapper Coolio and jazz saxophonist Jarez as spokespersons to educate students at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) about global warming. The initiative, which resulted from a partnership between EJCC and former Vice President Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection's "We" campaign, aims to use unique voices to encourage black youth to get involved in greening their campuses.
Culinary School of the Rockies Launches Farm to Table Externship
The Culinary School of the Rockies (CO) has launched a Farm to Table Externship. The off-campus Externship takes students to work on farms and ranches in Colorado's North Fork Valley and in Boulder County, allowing students to learn firsthand how to source local ingredients from farmers, growers, and producers. Students also have an apprenticeship with Colorado chefs that cook with local and organic food.
Dickinson College Residence Hall Receives LEED Gold
Dickinson College's (PA) Center for Sustainable Living student residence, known as the "Treehouse," has achieved LEED Gold certification. Green features include highly efficient heating and cooling systems, dual flush toilets, low-flow fixtures, and the capture of gray water for sewage conveyance. Additionally, the house has all Energy Star appliances; was built with recycled, regional and salvaged materials; and includes provisions for alternative transportation such as a bicycle storage facility and pre
Florida State U Expands UPASS to Include Employees
Florida State University has partnered with its local city bus company to expand its UPASS initiative to include all FSU employees. Employees have been able to ride StarMetro buses for free in the past, but had to surrender their FSU parking passes to do it. Now, employees can keep their parking passes and ride StarMetro for free as well.
Glendale CC to Install 262 kW Solar Array
Glendale Community College (CA) has partnered with Glendale Water & Power and Chevron Energy Solutions to create a project on the college's campus that comprises 872 solar panels with a rated output of approximately 262 kW. The photovoltaic panels will be installed on a parking structure on campus. Glendale Water & Power will own and operate the system and sell the emission-free solar energy back to the college at the same price as conventional power.
Grand Valley State U to Offer Household Member Benefits
The Grand Valley State University (MI) Board of Trustees has approved the expansion of health benefits for employees to include Household Member benefits. The new plan will cover an adult who lives in the employee's home for at least 18 months but is not a tenant or boarder or already a dependent of the employee, without regard to marital status or gender. The new, three-year trial benefit aims to attract and retain talented faculty by addressing the increase in households that contain couples living together without being married.
Green Mountain College to Assess Green Curriculum
Green Mountain College (VT) has received a $248,000 grant from the Davis Education Foundation to fund a project that will assess sustainability skills and knowledge students acquire in the College’s Environmental Liberal Arts (ELA) program. All Green Mountain students complete the 37-credit ELA general education program and all faculty members teach in it. Over the past twelve years, the environmentally-themed curriculum has changed incrementally in response to standard survey assessment results and the faculty’s evolving understanding of sustainability. The funding will be used over a three-year period to introduce new “ePortfolio” software which will be used to track students’ progress on learning outcomes, to help students across the entire ELA curriculum identify strengths and weaknesses, and guide their choice of future coursework. GMC will also post results of the assessment on its website and disseminate its model for assessing sustainability skills.
Middlebury College Master Plan Focuses on Sustainability
The Middlebury College (VT) Board of Trustees has approved the campus' 50 year master plan, a document that was built on a foundation of sustainability principles. The plan contains many recommendations that support the college’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2016, ranging from dramatically increasing renewable energy for heating and cooling to making the campus more bike-friendly. Goals of the new master plan include promoting sustainability in all college operations and planning, enhancing Middlebury’s relationship to the ecological landscape, promoting an accessible pedestrian-friendly campus, and improving the relationship between town and college.
NCSU Establishes Office of Sustainability, Sustainability Website
North Carolina State University has hired Tracy Dixon as its first Sustainability Director and has established a University Sustainability Office. Dixon is tasked with leading, coordinating, communicating and expanding NCSU's sustainable efforts. Dixon holds a joint Masters degree in Natural Resources and Public Administration from NCSU where her research focused on measuring regional sustainability. The new Sustainability Office will serve as a go-to resource for campus sustainability information. The office will also work closely with the Campus Environmental Sustainability Team, a group of faculty, staff, and students, to create and implement a campus wide sustainability strategic plan. In related news, NCSU has launched its new sustainability website. The site is intended to be a centralized sustainability resource and a communication tool, allowing students, faculty, and staff to provide content, suggestions and feedback. The new website features a community events calendar, campus sustainability news, and sustainability initiatives taking place on campus.
Pratt Announces Green Faculty Stipend Program
The Pratt Institute (NY) has announced a Faculty Stipend Program to encourage and support Pratt's educational community in creating innovative ways to bring environmental awareness to students. The program consists of three types of stipends that support faculty in their attempts to integrate sustainability into existing courses, workshops and lectures, and academic initiatives. The program is offered through Pratt's Center for Sustainable Design Studies (CSDS), created and funded by the FIPSE grant awarded to Pratt last year, "Greener by Design".
Rhode Island College Res Hall Receives LEED Certification
Rhode Island College's new 367-bed residence hall has received LEED certification. The 127,500 square foot structure, which was completed in August 2007, features an air/vapor barrier to seal the building from drafts, a high efficiency HVAC system, a white Energy Star roof, recycling centers for students, low VOC indoor finishes. Additionally, over 56 percent of the construction trash was recycled, totaling over 750 tons, and over 27 percent of materials were supplied from within 500 miles of the project.
Richard Stockton College Breaks Ground on Green Campus Ctr
The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey has broken ground on its new 153,000 square-foot campus center, which has been designed to achieve LEED Gold certification. The building will run on the campus' existing geothermal well-field, will have a digital building management system that will monitor and control how the campus center can best operate on alternative energy sources, and its roof will collect stormwater to irrigate an onsite rain garden of native and adaptive plant species. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2011.
Rochester CC to Offer Associate's in Environmental Science
Rochester Community and Technical College (MN) has announced plans to offer an Associate's degree in Environmental Science starting Fall 2008. The program aims to provide a broad based understanding of basic sciences and important environmental and social issues. The AS program will prepare students with content-based and experiential-based knowledge in the environmental science field to continue on to a four-year degree or start a career.
Simon Fraser U Building Wins Earth Award
The Simon Fraser University Arts and Social Sciences Complex 1 has won an Earth Award from the Building Owners and Managers Association of British Columbia. The Earth Awards recognizes excellence in environmentally sound office building management and design. The structure features a cistern underneath the building’s inner courtyard that can store more than 50,000 gallons of rainwater for irrigating; variable-speed drives on pumps, fans, compressors to meet changing load requirements, reducing consumption and prolonging equipment life; and 50 percent recycled steel content in architectural columns and the substitution of as much as 50 percent fly-ash in place of cement for architectural concrete.
Simon Fraser U to Establish Faculty of the Environment
Simon Fraser University (BC) has announced plans to establish the Faculty of the Environment. The new department will bring together SFU’s Department of Geography, the School of Resource and Environmental Management, the Centre for Sustainable Community Development, the SFU Environmental Science Program, and the Graduate Certificate Program in Development Studies. The new faculty will begin accepting new students for the fall of 2009.
SUNY Cortland Residence Hall Earns LEED Certification
The State University of New York at Cortland's Glass Tower Hall has received LEED certification. Completed in 2005, Glass Tower Hall features bike racks, changing stations for renewable energy cars, and environmentally friendly outside lighting.
U Hawai'i at Manoa Installs Pervious Concrete
The University of Hawai'I at Manoa has used pervious concrete to pave some of the walkways and areas around two student housing buildings. The pervious concrete will allow water to seep through to the underlying ground, reducing storm-water runoff and recharging groundwater supplies.
U Illinois Chicago Begins Green Renovation
The University of Illinois at Chicago has begun its first green building renovation project on campus, with hopes of achieving LEED certification. The Lincoln Hall project, which is being funded through student fee revenue, will feature geothermal heating and cooling and thermally insulated windows. UIC expects the building to be complete in the summer of 2009.
U Louisville Performs Energy Audit, Creates Sustainability Council
The University of Louisville (KY) has hired Siemens Building Technologies under a 12-year contract to help the University reduce its energy use through equipment upgrades and better systems for controlling the use of electricity, water, and other resources. The University predicts that the upgrades will save them more than $33 million by 2020. Additionally, the University of Louisville has announced the creation of an internal Sustainability Council to provide oversight and direction, coordinate activity and recommend policy.
U Northern British Columbia to be Heated with Renewable Energy
The University of Northern British Columbia has received $3.5 million from the Government’s Innovative Clean Energy fund to become the first university in Canada to be heated largely with renewable energy. The proposed UNBC project is intended to focus on testing the economic, environmental, operational, and industrial viability of bioenergy and biomass fuels such as wood. The system would be added to the UNBC Power Plant and supplement the University’s existing boilers, which currently burn natural gas.
Arizona State U to Establish Solar Power Laboratory
Arizona State University has announced plans to establish the Solar Power Laboratory to advance solar energy research, education, and technology. The goal of the lab is to improve the efficiency of solar electric power systems while making them more economically feasible. The laboratory will be a collaboration between the University’s Global Institute of Sustainability and the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering. The initiative is a response to the Arizona Board of Regents’ Solar Energy Initiative.
BCSEA Launches Canadian Clean Energy Academic Program Directory
The BC Sustainable Energy Association, a non-profit organization committed to promoting sustainable energy and energy efficiency, has launched its "Clean Energy Classrooms" project. The initiative includes an online portal that features a directory to all of Canada's currently available training and education options in renewable energy. The Clean Energy Classrooms resource guide is meant to provide comprehensive information to prospective students, help schools ensure strong enrollment for their renewabl
Benedictine U to Offer 2 Concentrations in Sustainability
Benedictine University (IL) will offer two new concentrations focused on sustainability in its Master of Business Administration program - Sustainable Business and Sustainable Leadership. Both degrees will be obtained by choosing 12 or more credits from a list of sustainability-focused courses.
Christian Science Monitor Article on Green Campus Ratings
The Christian Science Monitor has published an article on campus sustainability rating systems and the importance of colleges and universities collaborating to improve their green ratings. The article mentions the Princeton Review, AASHE's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), the Sustainable Endowments Institute's College Sustainability Report Card, and Grist Magazine's ranking of the top fifteen green colleges and universities in 2007.
Fresno Pacific U Implements 4-day Work Week
Fresno Pacific University (CA) has implemented a compressed work week for the summer. The new schedule, which consists of four 10-hour days, was introduced as an initiative to help reduce the amount of money employees spend on gas each week. Approximately 200 of FPU's employees are taking advantage of the new schedule, which will last until early August when the University returns to the normal work schedule.
Grand Valley State U to Offer 4 Certificates in Sustainability
Grand Valley State University (MI) has begun an initiative to redesign the campus curriculum to incorporate sustainability. GVSU also plans to develop certificates in renewable energy, green chemistry, sustainable business, and urban sustainability; offer new sustainability-based courses; and establish a minor in environmental studies and a liberal arts major that emphasizes sustainability.
Hillsborough CC Opens Green Building
The Hillsborough Community College (FL) South Shore campus has opened its first building, a 55,000 square foot structure that was built to achieve LEED Gold. The building features an east-west footprint that limits heat absorption and maximizes light, a water reclamation system that allows for rainwater to be used for irrigation and plumbing, and indoor lighting that automatically dims in the presence of natural light.
Indiana U Students’ Energy Contest Website Wins Int'l Competition
Two Indiana University School of Informatics graduates took a first-place award at the Imagine Cup finals, an international competition sponsored by Microsoft Corp., for their residence hall energy reduction competition website. The theme of this year's Imagine Cup was the environment; specifically, participants were encouraged to "imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment." The pair’s website design won against 200,000 other entrants.
Macalester College Students Donate Graduation Gowns
Macalester College (MN) has begun a new program that allows graduates to donate their caps and gowns to a local high school. This year, students donated 109 caps and 130 graduation gowns, approximately 1/3 of the gowns worn at graduation. The program, which was initiated by a 2008 Macalester graduate, saved the local high school over $2,000.
Michigan Tech, Michigan State U to Develop Ethanol Plant
Michigan Technological University has been selected to partner with Michigan State University and the Mascoma Corporation in Michigan’s first Center of Energy Excellence. The three institutions will develop the state's first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant. Michigan Tech will contribute its knowledge of sustainable forestry management practices and access to its automotive engineering labs for analysis of the biofuels produced. MSU will provide expertise in pretreatment technology for cellulosic ethanol production and assistance with renewable energy crops that can be used by the bio-refinery. The universities will each receive an estimated $1 million to analyze issues related to the availability and cost of supplying the wood fiber and other plant materials to produce cellulosic ethanol.
Oakland U Offers 4-day Work Week
Oakland University (MI) has begun offering a four-day work week to its full-time employees. The optional program, which aims to help university employees save money on gas, is only offered in departments where the alternative week is feasible and does not hinder the University's overall goal of quality student services.
Saint Michael's College Names First Sustainability Coordinator
Saint Michael's College (VT) has hired Heather J. Ellis as the College's first Sustainability Coordinator. The new coordinator is tasked with developing and managing campus sustainability programs, and she plans to work towards a culture of sustainability on campus as well. Ellis graduated in 2007 from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Environmental Conservation.
Sault College Installs 32 kW Wind Turbine on Campus
Sault College (ON) has constructed a 32 kW wind energy turbine on its campus. The turbine features 9-meter blades, a low noise level, and an aerodynamic blade design that was optimized for the highest annual production in areas with average winds of 3 – 6 meters per second.
Smith College Hires Sustainability Director
Smith College (MA) has hired Dano Weisbord as Sustainability Director, a new position tasked with integrating sustainability principles and practices into campus operations. Weisbord's responsibilities will include directing the development and implementation of the College’s sustainability plan, goals and standards; working with college departments and programs to develop a culture of sustainability; and researching and recommending environmentally sustainable technologies and practices. Weisbord will begin in August.
St. Lawrence U Sends Green Shopping List to Freshmen
St. Lawrence University (NY) has sent a list of suggested green dorm room items to freshman, offering advice to students about what "green" shopping means and what to look for. The Green Shopping List begins by encouraging students to share items with their roommates rather than to buy new items, and suggests Energy Star products and used products as well. The list also encourages students not to bring items such as TVs and refrigerators, which are already provided in common areas.
Tufts U Joins Clean Energy Development Program
Tufts University has signed an agreement with the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) to join “Clean Energy Choice-On Campus,” a green energy development program coordinated by MTC, a Massachusetts development agency for renewable energy. For every dollar donated by individual members of the Tufts community, MTC will put aside a matching grant of $2. MTC will divide the matching funds three ways — one-third will be available to Tufts to use for future alternative energy sources on campus like solar panels and wind turbines, one-third will be put into a fund for renewable energy programs in the city, and the remaining funds will go into an account administered by MTC for green energy projects in low-income communities across the state. The original contributions from Tufts will be used to purchase renewable energy credits.
U Central Florida Students Build Biodiesel Reactor
A group of University of Central Florida Mechanical Engineering students have designed and constructed a system that converts restaurants' used vegetable oil into biodiesel fuel. The system, which can produce about 60 gallons of biodiesel every two days, is the result of a Senior Design class project. The University uses the biodiesel fuel produced to power its lawn mowers and heavy equipment. The students involved in the project have since graduated and started a company that will use the design for the biodiesel reactor that they constructed. Future UCF Mechanical Engineering students will be tasked with improving the current system.
U Kansas Installs Green Roof on Football Complex
The University of Kansas has installed a green roof on a portion of its new football complex. The weight room of the complex has been built underground, which reduces heating and cooling costs, so the green roof has been planted with grass and functions like a normal lawn. The University expects the green roof and underground building to save approximately $20,000 per year in energy costs.
U Maryland Baltimore Reduces Energy Load by 20 M kWh in 2 Years
The University of Maryland Baltimore has announced that it reduced its electricity load by more than 20 million kWh in two years as a result of its participation in Comverge, Inc's PJM (Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland) Demand Response Programs, which helped UMB to reduce its peak demand and overall consumption. Examples of the strategies that UMB and Comverge are implementing include: using an existing 20,000 ton-hour/2,000-ton output thermal storage system to shift air conditioning load from daytime on-peak operation to night-time off-peak operation; remotely controlling all public area lighting and turning off all non-essential lighting loads during periods of high demand; and putting a portion of the campus chilled water production on a "current limiting" mode for short 30-minute periods.
UNC Charlotte Receives $57 M for Clean Energy Production Training Ctr
The University of North Carolina, Charlotte has received state funding for its Energy Production Infrastructure Center (EPIC) project in the amount of $57.2 million. EPIC will address the shortage of trained engineers capable of servicing and replacing an aging fossil fuel and nuclear infrastructure and developing future infrastructures for wind, solar, and biofuels. UNCC received $19 million last year for the center's design and planning.
U North Alabama to Reduce Energy Use
The University of North Alabama has undertaken a project designed to reduce the University's environmental impact and utility costs. UNA plans to replace windows and doors in older buildings, re-insulate heating and cooling ducts, and install motion-sensitive lighting where appropriate.
U South Florida Establishes Sustainability Ctte, Website, & Newsletter
The University of South Florida has established a Campus Sustainability Steering Committee comprised of 30 faculty, staff, student, alumni, and community members. Additionally, 14 subcommittees are in the process of being created to address such topics as waste recycling, food, landscaping, water and energy. USF has also created a sustainability website and published the first issue of its Sustainability Newsletter. The website features the latest copy of USF's Sustainability Report, campus sustainability news and events, and Sustainability Steering Committee documents. The first issue of the newsletter provides information on three upcoming green buildings, an update on the University's initiatives related to the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment, and a list of green transportation options on and around campus.
Washington State U to Implement Co-mingle Recycling
Washington State University Facilities Operations will introduce single stream recycling campus wide in early August. Recyclables at the WSU campus will be collected as co-mingled, with the exceptions of corrugated cardboard, white paper and glass, which will still be collected separately. WSU officials hope that the new program will increase the volume of recycling materials collected. The implementation of single stream collection follows a pilot program that started in February 2008.
Williams College Installs 26 kW Solar Array
Williams College (MA) has installed a 26.88 kW photovoltaic array on the college's new library shelving facility. The array is part of Williams College's campaign for greener buildings. The solar modules used in the project were built in Massachusetts.
2 Virginia Tech Dining Halls Go Trayless
Two of Virginia Tech's dining halls have gone trayless after a successful pilot program. During the pilot phase of the initiative, which took place in one dining hall during Earth Week, dining services saw a 38 percent reduction in food waste.
