U California Merced Building Received LEED Platinum
(U.S.): The Social Sciences and Management building is the university’s 11th LEED certified building. The building adheres to the school’s Triple Net Zero Commitment, meaning that it consumes zero net energy, produces zero landfill waste, and produces zero net greenhouse gas emissions.
UK Schools Receive Green Flag Award
(U.K.): Judged each year in areas including cleanliness, sustainability and conservation. Winners include Nottingham Trent University; University of Nottingham; Edge Hill University; Lancaster University; Heriot Watt University; Oxford Brookes University; University of Reading; University of Exeter; and The University of York.
U Nebraska-Lincoln Students Start Organic Farm
(U.S.): Located on the university’s East Campus, students from the environmental studies major created the farm using donations from the public and funds raised from an online fundraising campaign. The one-half acre parcel of land was donated by the university’s agronomy and horticulture department.
U North Carolina Chapel Hill Student Film Nominated for Emmy
(U.S.): “100 Gallons,” the documentary by students from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, is an interactive and experimental film that explores the human connection with water. The only student-produced entry in its category, the film was named one of five nominees and has been recognized with awards from Society of Professional Journalists, the National Press Photographers Association, Pictures of the Year International, the Broadcast Education Association and College Photographer of the Year.
U Nottingham Receives BREEAM Outstanding Rating
(U.K.): The campus’ Energy Technologies Building has achieved the highest rating for environmental sustainability from the international Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. This science building features low carbon emissions and the UK’s first hydrogen refueling facility.
U South Pacific Uses IT Tools to Bolster Inclusion
(Fiji): The university’s new Disability Inclusiveness Policy allows for actively engaging Information Communication Technology as a pedagogical tool for students with special needs to bolster academic success.
U Toledo Completes River Restoration Project
(U.S.): In an attempt to restore a small stretch of the Ottawa River which runs through campus, the university installed natural stones, vegetation and man-made fish habitats to make the waterway a cleaner and healthier ecosystem.
U Virginia Develops New Model to Measure Nitrogen Footprint
(U.S.): Working with students from multiple disciplines, a professor of environmental sciences recently released the results of a university nitrogen footprint analysis. Predominantly coming from energy use and food production, nitrogen can contribute to smog, acidifying water and weakening the ozone layer.
Virginia Tech Launches 2 Sustainability Programs
(U.S.): The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences now offers a minor in diversity and community engagement. Housed within the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, sustainable building performance and energy management is now a concentration in the building construction major.
Wesleyan U Admissions Goes Paperless
(U.S.): With this newly implemented paperless application system, applicants are able to submit all application materials and set up interviews online.
Western Illinois U Deploys Water Bottle Filling Stations
(U.S.): New this fall, the campus community can refill water bottles at six working stations, and by the end of the academic year, an additional 14 across campus. Since the installation of the initial stations, an estimated 77,200 16-ounce bottles have been diverted from the landfill.
Wooster College Deconstructs Coal Smokestack
(U.S.): After the college decided to stop burning coal for steam generation in March 2013, the 1939 smokestack was removed this summer. Moving to a natural gas boiler, the carbon footprint reduction is projected to be 50 percent and save the college $4 million in operating and maintenance costs over the next decade.
Auburn U Adopts Smoke Free Policy
Based on a recommendation from the Campus Health and Wellness Committee, all members of campus including visitors may only smoke at the campus’ periphery.
Benedictine U Receives $46K for Food Composting
Made possible through a Food Scrap Composting Revitalization and Advancement Program grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the new composting project is expected to divert 105,000 pounds of waste per year. Managed by student workers, the food scrap diversion program will collect organic waste from the Lisle campus cafeteria.
College of St. Joseph Athletic Center to Receive Solar Panels
Spurred by an agreement with a local utility, the college’s Athletic Center will host a photovoltaic system built with assistance from renewable energy and ecological design students from the nearby Green Mountain College. The project will feature reused materials from local area suppliers including roof-friendly rubber feet made from recycled tires.
Energy Dept. Awards $6.5M for Biofuel Research
The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced that New Mexico State University will receive $5 million toward algae yield increases while California Polytechnic State University will receive $1.5 million for the research and development of algae productivity. The new investments will help develop cost competitive algae fuels and streamline the biomass supply chain for advanced biofuels.
Lake Land College Students Perform Real-time Turbine Repair
Due to a mechanical issue with an on-campus wind turbine, renewable energy students are getting a rare opportunity to apply their wind technology curriculum in a real-world, problem-solving situation. Working alongside professionals, the students will repair portions of the rotor.
Manchester U Receives Scholarship Donation
In recognition of the university’s high quality research and students of environmental studies, the Indiana Air & Waste Management Association has gifted $1000 in scholarship funds for two biology and environmental studies students.
North Carolina State U Reveals Sustainable Living Campaign
The university’s expanded Change Your State campaign now challenges students to address human health and environmental issues that also save money and natural resources. Complete with an app and a badge participants can earn, this campaign focuses on food, energy, waste, community, travel, wellness, water and planet.
President Obama Signs Student Affordability Legislation
As students prepare for the fall semester, Obama has signed the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013, a new law governing federal loan rates for students and parents. The rates will now move with the financial markets, which means lower rates for the coming school year. Rates lock in for the lifetime of the loan.
Sierra Magazine Ranks ‘Coolest Schools’
The seventh annual ranking of America’s greenest colleges and universities measures environmental achievements and goals based upon Sierra’s value of environmental priorities. This year’s top 10 includes the University of Connecticut; Dickinson College; University of California, Irvine; University of California, Davis; Cornell University; Green Mountain College; Stanford University; Georgia Institute of Technology; American University; and University of California, Santa Barbara.
Stanford U Achieves LEED Platinum for Existing Building
The university’s Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment and Energy Building incorporates efficient water and energy performance, reduced waste and promotion of alternative transportation. This is the first LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EBOM) certification for the university.
U California, Santa Barbara Opens Ocean Conservation Center
Overfishing, climate change and ocean acidification are a few of the areas that will be researched at the university’s new Ocean Science Education Building. A collaboration between the university’s Marine Science Institute and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the new building will house researchers specializing in marine ecology and environmental management.
U Maine Farmington Student Creates Invasive Species App
As invasive aquatic plants become an escalating problem in Maine, people can now use this free app to identify and report them to the Maine Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program, which helps to protect the state’s lakes. This project is part of a National Science Foundation Grant to protect Maine’s natural resources and spur economic development.
U North Texas Creates Natural Dye Garden
Color pigments from flower petals, plant leaves, roots and other organic materials are now favored over chemical dyes at the university’s College of Visual Arts and Design. Funded by students, the organic materials will be grown in the new garden.
U Washington Students Employ GIS for Sustainability
Part of an eight-week capstone project, students work with organizational partners to offer GIS-based solutions to sustainability management problems. A structured business case, including workflow plan for design, testing and final implementation, aims to turn an existing situation into a sustainable and resilient one.
Burlington County College Renovation Awarded LEED Silver
The restoration and adaptive reuse of the college's historic Culinary Arts Center includes water-saving plumbing fixtures, recycled and regionally-produced finish materials, a reflective-coated roof, water-efficient landscaping, photovoltaic solar panels, and minimal parking capacity to encourage carpooling and public transportation.
EPA Releases Quarterly List of Top 20 Green Power Partners
The latest quarterly report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency highlights the top 20 colleges and universities using power from renewable energy. They are University of Pennsylvania, University of Oklahoma, The Ohio State University, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, Oklahoma State University, Northwestern University, University of Utah, Drexel University, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, University at Buffalo, University of Wisconsin, University of Phoenix, The City University of New York, American University, Texas A&M University System, The Catholic University of America, Quinnipiac University, University of St. Thomas.
Female Adjunct Faculty Unionize for Better Pay
Part-time faculty workers are beginning to organize for better pay and working conditions, reports a recent article in The Nation. A Coalition on the Academic Workforce analysis has found that the pay for adjunct faculty averages $21,600 while tenure-track positions average $66,000 a year. As women make up 61 percent of the adjunct faculty workforce, according to a recent Coalition on the Academic Workforce survey, the movement is largely female-led.
Harvard U Chef Recognized Nationally as Sustainability Pioneer
Food Tank, a non-profit think tank that explores environmentally sustainable ways of alleviating hunger, obesity and poverty, has named the university's Healthy and Sustainable Food Program Director Barton Seaver as one of 11 chefs pioneering the movement toward sustainable food.
Pace U Launches EarthDesk Blog
Based on the belief that higher education has a duty to advance the global conversation about the relationship between human and nature, Pace Academy for Applied Environmental Studies has published a new blog that examines environmental issues with the objective of advancing creative thought and innovative solutions.
Princeton Review Releases Green Rating Honor Roll
Twenty-two colleges and universities received the highest possible score of 99 in this year's tallies including, in alphabetical order: American University; California State University, Chico; College of the Atlantic; Columbia University; Cornell University; Dickinson College; Georgia Institute of Technology; Green Mountain College; Lewis & Clark College; Middlebury College; Pomona College; Portland State University; Stanford University; University of California, Irvine; University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, Santa Barbara; University of California, Santa Cruz; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; University of Massachusetts Amherst; University of South Florida; University of Washington and University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. Among 9,955 college applicants The Princeton Review surveyed in 2013 for its "College Hopes & Worries Survey," 62 percent said having information about a college's commitment to the environment would impact their decision to apply to or attend a school.
U Oregon Receives $1M Gift for Environmental Law Center
The university's School of Law is using the Bowerman family contribution to double the number of student fellows in its Interdisciplinary Projects and Fellows Program. The program is focused on meeting the needs of today's environmental law field.
U Virgin Islands Plans 3MW Solar Installation
A new power purchasing agreement with Illinois-based New Generation Power will allow for the university to install one photovoltaic systems on each of its two campuses. New Generation Power will build and maintain the systems for 20 years and, in exchange, will sell the university power at a cheaper rate than what is currently offered through the local utility. The university expects to save about $1 million per year.
Virginia Tech Opens Center For Natural Resources Support
In response to local natural resource stakeholders calling for improved data, models, and analytical techniques in their field, the College of Natural Resources and Environment has created a new center to provide data sets of forest resource conditions and computer modeling designed for use by industry, government, and policymakers.
Yale U Designates Urban Meadow Areas
Mowed just two to three times a year to promote the natural regeneration of grasses and wildflowers, these meadows promote increased biodiversity, improved air quality, natural aesthetics, stormwater runoff reduction, economic savings and learning opportunities.
Georgia Piedmont Technical College Signs Sustainability Agreement
The college has partnered with nonprofit Emerald Cities to create and implement a comprehensive campus-wide sustainability program designed to transform institutional operations and create a demonstration center for green technologies-related skills training and environmental education.
Harvard U Students Test Stormwater Purification Solution
Funded by an Office for Sustainability student grant, the Graduate School of Design students have transformed a concrete patio space into a modular system of vegetation and planters that can absorb and purify stormwater. The students are testing the capacity of a small-scale system to reduce the quantity of stormwater runoff from rooftops to help improve water quality.
Kennebec Valley CC Debuts Sustainable Ag Program
Debuting this fall, the new two-year program is part of a recent $150,000 grant from the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation that will help the college revitalize a defunct dairy farm and train a new generation of farmers who want to be part of Maine's growing local food economy.
Quinsigamond CC to Offer Clean Energy Job Training
Part of $924,233 in clean energy job training grants awarded by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center for low and moderate-income individuals, the year-long program will introduce out of school, unemployed or underemployed youth to clean energy concepts.
U Colorado Boulder Takes Sustainability Certificate National
The university's sustainability training and non-credit certificate program is now entirely online and available to participants across the nation. Ranging from organizational change to zero waste, the curriculum is designed to help professionals meet the growing need for “green” skills and credentials in the public and private work sectors.
UC San Diego Receives $7.2M in Energy Incentives
The $7.2 million check from San Diego Gas & Electric represents energy efficiency incentives earned through the university's implementation of energy-efficient projects from 2010 to 2012 including green building and renewable energy initiatives. During this period, the university has saved more than 21 million kilowatt hours and reduced more than 2 megawatts of demand.
