Skidmore College Concludes First Garden Growing Season
Skidmore College (NY) has concluded the growing season of its first-ever student garden. The garden, which was initiated by a student, was created to offer an experiential learning opportunity surrounding the ecology of food. A total of 1,138 pounds of vegetables–including an array of summer and winter squash, lettuce, peas, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, leeks, carrots, beets, and radishes–were picked and prepared over the summer and early fall. To foster production, the student gardeners employed organic practices such as composting, weeding by hand, and not using pesticides.
Smith College Dedicates Green Engineering and Sciences Center
Smith College (MA) has dedicated Ford Hall, a facility for engineering and molecular sciences. The $73 million, 140,000-square-foot structure includes LED lighting fixtures and computer monitored sensors for light, air, and moisture control; passive energy options such as maximum daylight exposure through optimum window and glass placement, heat recovery, and innovative insulation and construction materials; and the use of recycled and recyclable materials whenever possible for laboratory instruction and interior enhancement in the building.
Smith College Installs Water-Saving Showerheads, Replaces Old Power Strips
Smith College (MA) has replaced nearly every showerhead in every house on campus with a new low-flow model, and has replaced old power strips with new, more efficient ones. The 500 new showerhead installations will save the College three million gallons of water per year, and because shower users will use less hot water, the College will also save on heating bills and energy. In only one year, Smith will have redeemed the initial cost of the project through savings. As a result of the power strip replacement project, Smith will conserve approximately 125,000 kWh per year. Payback will take six months to one year.
Southern Illinois U, Edwardsville Opens Green Student Center
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville has opened a new green building. The Student Success Center features a 24-hour study lounge, computer lab, and coffee bar. Its green features include select walls made of sunflower seeds or recycled milk jugs, a green roof, and energy saving devices. The structure was paid for through a student fee enacted by students.
St. John’s U Opens New Green Academic Center
St. John’s University (NY) has opened the D’Angelo Center, a five-story 127,000-square-foot building that will serve a variety of needs. The structure, which has been constructed in accordance with LEED certification, houses 14 classrooms, six seminar rooms, a full cafeteria, banquet space, and student recreation and entertainment space among other amenities. This new center features energy-saving mechanical/electrical systems.
SUNY College of Env'l Science and Forestry Opens Biofuel Station
The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry has installed a new biofuel station with two 3,000 gallon storage tanks, each with its own dispensing system, to supply the College’s growing fleet of alternative fuel vehicles. ESF students make much of the E-85 biofuel for biodiesel from used cooking oil from nearby college dining halls. SUNY ESF has also purchased two biodiesel-powered 25-passenger buses.
Swarthmore College Students Create Fund for Sustainability Ctte
Swarthmore College’s (PA) Sustainability Committee will receive $43,500 from the student council to invest in environmental sustainability and awareness on campus. The fund will be used to implement sustainability projects such as changing all the lights in a building to LEDs. The Committee plans to focus on low-cost projects that generate large savings. These savings will be reinvested into a revolving green fund.
U California, Irvine Rec Center Expansion Receives LEED-NC Gold
The University of California, Irvine's Anteater Recreation Center expansion has earned LEED-NC Gold certification. Expansion of the sports and fitness complex was completed in September 2008, increasing the facility’s size from 89,000 square-feet to 115,000 square-feet. More than 70 percent of the Center's electricity is obtained from renewable sources, the structure uses 43 percent less water than a conventional facility, and 75 percent of the construction waste was diverted from landfills.
U Central Florida Offers Alternative to Buying Bottled Water
The University of Central Florida has equipped its water fountains with water bottle refilling stations in the Student Union. The Student Government Association provided the funding for the initiative which aims to reduce waste and help students save money by not having to purchase water. The water refill stations have built in filters to guarantee purified water.
U Illinois to Offer Grad Option in Energy & Sustainability Engineering
The University of Illinois, Urbana Champagne College of Engineering has announced plans to begin offering a Graduate Option Program in Energy and Sustainability Engineering (EASE) starting in spring 2010. The new program seeks to promote interdisciplinary research that joins the fields of science, engineering, environment, and policy; provide education and training for the global workforce; engage industrial partners in the research and educational missions of the University; and link efforts within the College to complementary programs on campus.
U Maryland, Rio Salado College Win Greenest Campus Contest
The University of Maryland and Rio Salado College (AZ) have won the America’s Greenest Campus Contest, sponsored by SmartPower and Climate Culture. The Contest challenges colleges across the country to spread awareness about energy use and reduce their carbon footprint. Anyone with a .edu email address can sign up and respond to a sustainable lifestyle survey. The contest ranks institutions on how participants respond. Maryland had the highest number of participants with 2,257 and Rio Salado College (AZ) had the highest carbon reduction of 4.4 percent. Both schools won $5,000. Nearly 500 campuses competed.
U Missouri, Columbia Begins Peer-to-Peer Sustainability Outreach
The University of Missouri, Columbia’s Sustainability Office has announced plans to begin sustainaReps, a new peer-to-peer sustainability outreach program on campus. The sustainaReps will work directly with students to improve communication and environmental efforts toward sustainability within various campus groups. A sustainability fee generates $52,000 annually and is used to fund sustainability projects and initiatives, as well as the sustainaReps program.
U North Carolina, Chapel Hill Partners to Develop Off-Shore Wind Power
The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and Duke Energy have signed a contract to work together to harness wind energy off the coast of North Carolina. Duke Energy will pay for the turbines and their installation off the coast of the Pamlico Sound. UNC will conduct ongoing research in areas such as ecological impact, optimization of measuring and predicting the wind resource, and demonstrating turbine performance in tropical storm conditions. The project will help to examine the potential for off-shore wind energy in North Carolina.
U Saskatchewan Hires Director of Env't & Sustainability School
The University of Saskatchewan Board of Governors has approved the appointment of Karsten Liber as executive director of the School of Environment and Sustainability (SENS). In 2007-08, Liber was involved in developing the initial proposal for the creation of the SENS and served on the school’s advisory committee. Since July 1, 2008 he has served as the school’s acting director.
US Dept of Energy Announces 2009 Solar Decathlon Winners
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced the winners of its 2009 Solar Competition which takes place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Team Germany, the student team from Darmstadt, Germany, won top honors by designing, building, and operating the most attractive and efficient solar-powered home. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign took second place followed by Team California, a group of students from Santa Clara University and the California College of the Arts, in third place. The 2009 Solar Decathlon challenged 20 university-led teams from the United States and as far away as Spain, Germany, and Canada to compete in 10 contests, ranging from subjective elements such as architecture, market viability, communications, lighting design, and engineering, to technical measurements of how well the homes provided energy for space heating and cooling, hot water, home entertainment, appliances, and net metering.
US Dept of Energy Invests in University-Led Wind Research Facilities
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu has announced new investments in three university-led wind energy research facilities. The Illinois Institute of Technology, the University of Maine, and the University of Minnesota will each receive up to $8 million. The three universities will use the funding to install a 1.5 MW turbine, two 10 kW and one 100 kW floating offshore turbine prototypes, and a 2.3 MW turbine research facility respectively. The three university-led consortia have been selected to improve land-based and offshore wind turbine performance and reliability, as well as provide career educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students in wind energy technologies. The three competitively selected, university-led projects will include partners from private industry, state and local governments, and other universities.
U Texas System Publishes Sustainability Practices Policy
The University of Texas System has published a formal policy on Sustainability Practices. The policy, which has been approved by the System’s Board of Regents, mentions its commitment to energy saving, reduction in carbon emissions, and sustainable design principles. The policy directs each institution within the System to develop a policy on sustainability in its master plan and includes a definition of sustainability and sections on curricular integration, endowment transparency, community outreach, environmentally preferable purchasing practices, and sustainable transportation practices.
U Western Ontario Changes Recycling Prgm to Increase Participation
The University of Western Ontario has signed a new contract with BFI Canada Ltd. that allows recycling bins to receive a wider range of materials. University officials hope the initiative will encourage students, faculty, and staff to recycle more since there will be less confusion around what can and cannot be recycled. There will also be new signage on bins to encourage recycling.
Virginia Tech Hires Sustainability Coord for Housing & Dining Services
Virginia Tech has hired Rachael Budowle to be the new Housing and Dining Services sustainability coordinator. Her main focus will be to make the dining services program more sustainable. Budowle has experience in waste reduction as well as local and organic food production. She hopes to bring these two areas of experience together in her efforts to make dining services more sustainable.
Western Ontario U Opens New Green Building
The University of Western Ontario has opened its Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Pavilion, the University's first green building on campus. The 45,000-square-foot structure, which is registered for LEED certification, will house research on green technologies, processes, and materials. The building’s green roof has seven species of drought-resistant sedum; solar panels and a wind turbine are located on the roof to generate electricity; and rainwater will be collected in a 10,000-litre cistern to be used for toilets and a 150-gallon fish tank.
Winona State U Opens Bike Station
Winona State University (MN) has opened a new bike station on campus supported by the WSU Environmental Sustainability Committee, the Environmental Club, the WSU Foundation, Parking Services, and Student Life and Development. The bicycle station provides a place for students to come and perform maintenance on their bikes and offers a home for Purple Bikes, a program that lets students borrow free bicycles for a day.
21 New Campuses Complete Greenhouse Gas Inventories
21 signatory campuses of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) have submitted public greenhouse gas inventories since the last update in the AASHE Bulletin on September 21, 2009. The GHG inventory is the first major reporting requirement of the Commitment and is due within a year of signing. New inventories were submitted by: Tulane University (LA); North Carolina State University; Illinois State University; University of Mississippi; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; University of South Carolina, Salkehatchie; University of South Carolina, Beaufort; University of South Carolina, Aiken; New Mexico State University, Grants Branch; Seattle Pacific University (WA); Northland College (WI); Agnes Scott College (GA); Gainesville State College (GA); Framingham State College (MA); Kent State University, Stark Campus (OH); Norfolk State University (VA); Confederation College (ON); Naropa University (CO); Inver Hills Community College (MN); Rochester Community and Technical College (MN); and The National Graduate School of Quality Management (MA).
ACUPCC Partners to Promote University Climate Neutrality Worldwide
The American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) has joined the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net), an outreach initiative led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to promote a global transition to low carbon economies and societies. In joining CN Net, the ACUPCC has pledged to promote efforts by colleges and universities around the world to move towards climate neutrality and contribute to international knowledge-sharing of academic expertise, including "twinning" projects between universities in developed and developing countries. Other UNEP CN Net partner institutions include Allegheny College (PA); College of the Atlantic (ME); Evergreen State College (WA); Middlebury College (VT); the University of California, Berkeley; and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Appalachian State U Opens New Office of Sustainability
Appalachian State University (NC) has formed an Office of Sustainability. The Office hopes to engage and educate the community, increase efficiency and effectiveness of resource use, and promote a healthy, balanced community. Other plans include developing an annual sustainability report for the University, updating the campus greenhouse gas inventory, and making sustainable transportation a top priority.
Arkansas State U Goes Trayless
Arkansas State University’s dining services has decided to stop using trays in an effort to reduce food waste and the use of water, electricity, and chemicals. The University reduced food waste by approximately 400 pounds in one of three trial runs last semester.
Dalhousie U Launches Bike Center
Dalhousie University (NS) has celebrated the grand opening of its new Campus Bike Center. The Center will offer drop-in bike sessions and classes in bicycle repair/maintenance and cycling safety education for the Dalhousie community.
EPA Awards Green Building Challenge Winners
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named the winners of its Lifecycle Building Challenge, a competition that honors innovative green building design ideas that reduce environmental and energy impacts of buildings. The awards recognize student and professional designs for buildings and building projects that support cost-effective disassembly and anticipate future use of building materials, as well as special categories, including the creation of green jobs. This year, the competition was extended to include international participants who hailed from Singapore, Taiwan, Argentina, Columbia, France, Egypt, and the United Kingdom. Haley Stewart from California State University, Pomona received the Outstanding Achievement Award for Best Green Job Creation and Jason Griffiths from Arizona State University was awarded the Student Building Honorable Mention.
Frostburg State U Renewable Energy Ctr Receives Federal Grant
Frostburg State University’s (MD) Renewable Energy Center has been awarded an $856,350 appropriation from the U.S. Department of Energy to fund the final steps in the establishment of its Sustainable Energy Research Facility (SERF), a green, self-sufficient, off-the-grid building designed for educational research on renewable energy in the Appalachian region. The funding will make it possible to purchase research equipment and computer hardware and software, as well as to employ researchers and student assistants. The research planned at SERF will study the effectiveness of sustainable energy resources in Appalachia. Using sensors to record wind and solar energy data at numerous locations, the data will be collected at SERF for processing and analysis, used to model, design and control integrated renewable energy supply systems. The ultimate goal will be to develop a knowledge-base for renewable and clean energy resources available in the region.
Green Chemistry Center at Queen’s U Receives $13.6 Million
Green Centre Canada, to be located at Queen's University (ON) in early 2010, has received $13.6 million in funding from the Ontario government. The Center hopes to transform Green Chemistry discoveries into real-world products and industrial technologies for reducing harm to the environment. Over the next five years Green Centre Canada aims to manage the commercialization of 50 Green Chemistry technologies, leading to at least 10 license agreements, and to establish at least six start-up companies.
Indiana U Receives Grant to Green Student Union
Indiana University has received a $50,000 grant from Duke Energy to conduct a study on how to make the Indiana Memorial Union more sustainable. The “Greening of the IMU” initiative consists of students, officials, and firms that will work together to make the building a more sustainable place. Possible changes include bringing in more local and organic foods, revamping the ventilation and water systems, and increasing natural lighting. The group will use the findings in this study to help green other campus buildings.
Kent State U Names Sustainability Manager
Kent State University (OH) has hired Melanie Knowles as the University's first sustainability manager. Knowles will guide Kent State in becoming more cognizant of environmental consequences in its operations and community interactions. She will also work closely with the Sustainability Task Force to serve and help educate the entire university community. Knowles holds a dual Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and economics from Miami University and a Master of environmental science from the Institute of Environmental Sciences at Miami University. She has worked in Northeast Ohio for several years, most notably for the Cleveland Green Building Coalition.
Pennsylvania Colleges Receive Funds for Renewable Energy Projects
West Chester University and Bucks County Community College have received loans from the State of Pennsylvania for renewable energy projects. WCU was granted two loans of $192,294 and $195,00 to install a geothermal system for two academic buildings. BCCC received an $85,500 Renewable Energy Program loan to install a geothermal system in the Upper County Campus. The money became available after Pennsylvania’s governor made $18.4 million available for 31 statewide projects related to renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Builds Green Sports Complex
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has built a new, green athletic facility with a multipurpose lighted stadium, a basketball arena, a strength and conditioning center, and athletic offices. The building is registered for LEED Silver certification. Green components include natural light, a solar shading screen to control glare and heat from the western sun exposure inspired by a DNA genetic bar code, and landscaping that will reduce water consumption by 50 percent. The arena roof is also suited to have solar panels installed in the future and the stadium is equipped with the ability to host 20 micro wind turbines.
Saint John's U Begins 400kW Photovoltaic Project
Saint John's University (MN) and Saint John's Abbey have begun installing 1,800 solar modules that will produce an anticipated 400 kW. The power generated by the panels will be connected to the electrical grid serving Saint John's and the central Minnesota area. The facility will offset about 20 percent of Saint John’s peak energy needs during the summer months and approximately four percent of the campus’s overall energy needs on an annual basis. The expected completion date is late November 2009.
Stanford U Hospital Offers Local, Organic Food to Patients
The Stanford University (CA) Hospital is now bringing in local produce through its new Farm Fresh project. The program offers organic and locally grown food to patients. Doctors believe the initiative will also help with nutrition education, which is a focus of every meal served at the Hospital. Some doctors believe the program could even help speed up patient recovery.
Stimulus Money Helps New York Schools with Green Infrastructure
The State University of New York (SUNY), Newburgh; SUNY Purchase; and Bard College have received stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through New York’s Green Innovation Grant Program. The program supports cost-cutting solutions for progressive water conservation, energy efficiency technologies for drinking water systems, and clean water infrastructure. SUNY Newburgh and SUNY Purchase will use the money for building green roofs. Bard College plans to install a new microfiltration system and a finished water storage tank.
U California, Irvine Launches Automated Bike-Share Program
The University of California, Irvine has launched ZotWheels, a new bike-sharing system that enables faculty, staff, and students to borrow a bicycle by swiping a membership card. Membership can be purchased for $40 per year, and the first 250 subscribers will receive a helmet, safety light, lock, and water bottle. Ports to accommodate 40 bikes are located across campus. The University expects ZotWheels to save between 20 and 40 metric tons of CO2 per year, depending on the program participation.
UC Irvine Acquires $2 Million for Renewable Energy Research
The University of California, Irvine’s Advanced Power & Energy Program (APEP) at The Henry Samueli School of Engineering has obtained $2 million of state and private funds to develop safer, cleaner, and more affordable electricity generation and transportation. APEP will use the funding to create a framework for a cost-effective and reliable energy infrastructure that relies on renewable resources – solar photovoltaics, wind and biomass fuels – and will also improve transportation, waste management, and the energy efficiency of buildings.
U Colorado Student Union Commits to Zero-Waste Student Gov't
As part of its ”˜Green Office Certification’, the University of Colorado Student Union (UCSU) has committed to becoming a zero-waste student government. UCSU has partnered with the CU Environmental Center, who has also gone zero-waste, in an effort to pilot a program that has the potential to be spread campus wide and reduce significant amounts of waste. The Student Union also plans to work with independent vendors in the facility to help them achieve the zero-waste standard UCSU will be putting in place for all of its buildings.
UConn Begins Recycling Program at Football Stadium
The University of Connecticut has partnered with Sodexo, which operates concessions at the University's football stadium, to implement a recycling program this season. There will be recycling bins in every suite and throughout the concourses for bottles and cans, food waste will be recycled, and cooking oil from fryers will be turned into biodiesel fuel.
UConn Installs Porous Parking Lots
The University of Connecticut has installed a porous concrete parking lot and a porous asphalt parking lot to learn the advantages and disadvantages of each. The permeable paving allows the water to sink into the ground rather than become runoff which can create erosion problems and pick up contaminants.
UC San Diego Partners to Transform Region to Smart Grid
The University of California, San Diego (CA) and CleanTECH San Diego have created a coalition of 25 local, national, and international organizations to transform the San Diego region’s electrical grid into a digital smart grid. The coalition will, in part, create a community-scale utility system within the region that can interconnect greater percentages of renewable generation at both the distribution- and transmission-system levels, store electricity, and use automated sensors and communication technologies to help manage these intermittent energy resources. The smart grid will utilize the latest technology in the energy field including renewable energy generation, advanced electric transmission, and distribution technologies, smart metering, and energy storage.
UC Santa Barbara Opens New Academic Building Complex
The University of California, Santa Barbara has completed a new 209,750-square-foot complex of three buildings for its Education, Social Sciences, and Media Studies departments. The buildings incorporate many environmentally friendly designs including special vertical shutters designed to work in tandem with ceiling fans to reduce the need for air conditioning. The building is registered for LEED certification and hopes to be awarded a Silver rating.
U Kansas Fuels Game Zone with Biodiesel
The University of Kansas Biodiesel Initiative and Kansas Athletics have partnered to sponsor the Family Fun Zone at home football games. The Zone features inflatable games that will be powered by generators fueled by biodiesel from used cooking oil in campus dining areas.
U Missouri Brings Local Food to Students
The University of Missouri has begun purchasing produce from farmers in a 100 mile radius of campus. The University is buying from 12 farmers, including one beef farmer that sells Dining Services 400 to 500 pounds of beef per week.
U Richmond Launches Bike-Share
The University of Richmond (VA) has launched a bike-share program that will provide 35 bikes around campus for students to use. The program was implemented by a small group of students and will be maintained by volunteers.
U San Diego Opens Green Student Center
The University of San Diego (CA) has completed a 55,000-square-foot green Student Center. The Spanish Mediterranean themed building is seeking LEED Gold certification and features a roof top garden where vegetables and herbs will be grown, a BioHitech system that breaks down excess food scraps into water, and natural ventilation with windows that open and an inner courtyard to promote air flow. The facility will also offer more sustainable dining options and the outside pavilion will host a weekly farmers' market.
U Washington Implements Compostable Lid
The University of Washington, in partnership with International Paper and Coca-Cola, has become the first university to begin use of a compostable fountain-drink lid for the compostable Coca-Cola ecotainer cup. The new plant-based 100 percent-compostable lid augments the compostable cups and straws already in use on UW's Seattle campus. In March 2010, the UW expects to introduce a compostable lid for hot foods—such as soups—to campus. Once in place, campus dining facilities believes it will be almost entirely solid-waste free.
Warren Wilson College featured in NY Times for Sustainability
Warren Wilson College (NC) was recently featured in The New York Times for sustainability efforts at the EcoDorm, its LEED Platinum residence hall. Students living in the dormitory, which uses two-thirds the amount of energy of a comparable building, pledge to embrace sustainability by using composting toilets, harvesting fruits and vegetables from the gardens, and reducing their energy consumption.
Wayne State U Creates Sustainable Eng Grad Certificate Prgm
Wayne State University (MI) has created a graduate-level sustainable engineering certificate. The program will require 13 credit hours of sustainable engineering and will offer classes such as "Water Supply and Wastewater Engineering," "Ethics in Engineering and Construction," and "Alternative Energy Technology System and Design.
