Midterm Election Results Could Slow Higher Ed Green Initiatives
The results of the midterm elections could mean a slowing of higher education sustainability projects, says a recent post in The Chronicle of Higher Education's Buildings & Grounds blog. President Obama's economic-stimulus bill included about $75 billion toward the higher education sector in areas like campus renovations, student loans, federal work-study programs, technology, climate research and green job training. Job training, says the post, may be the kind of project most at risk in the new political climate. With the possible halt in devising a comprehensive federal policy on energy and fossil fuels, industries and institutions may avoid planning decisions based on occasional efforts like the stimulus package.
National Wildlife Federation Launches The Greenforce Initiative
The National Wildlife Federation and Jobs for the Future have partnered for The Greenforce Initiative, a two-year program to strengthen workforce development and sustainability practices at community colleges. With support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the initiative is creating "Learning and Action Networks" in six regions across the country. The aim is to strengthen the capacity of colleges to develop, expand or refine green pathway programs that lead to postsecondary certificates or degrees and employment in family-sustaining green careers. The initiative is designed for nontraditional students who cannot currently access such programs.
NY Times Highlights Campus Efforts to Ban Bottled Water
Campus campaigns to curb bottled water consumption have been hindered by contracts with beverage suppliers, says a recent article in The New York Times that highlights student efforts to ban bottled water at higher education institutions. The University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point and Seattle University are featured for their plans for a campus-wide ban on bottled water beginning fall 2011. Washington University in St. Louis started the movement last year.
Rice U Studies Surrey Bikes as Alternative to Electric Golf Carts
As part of an environmental impact study in Rice University's (TX) "Rice into the Future" class, students are assessing the surrey-style bike as a zero-emission alternative to the electric golf carts used on campus. The four-wheeled, dual-pedaled vehicle will be on campus until Thanksgiving.
San Diego State U Children's Center Goes Solar
San Diego State University (CA) has installed three solar trees in its Children's Center parking lot. Solar trees are pole-mounted solar panels that produce energy and shelter vehicles from the rain or sun. The new installation is a component of the university's Associated Students Green Love Sustainability Advisory Board project to make the campus community more eco-conscious.
Santa Clara U Receives National Higher Ed Civic Engagement Award
Santa Clara University (CA) is one of six institutions recently honored for their commitment to civic engagement and service-learning by the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. With new core curriculum that requires students to work with marginalized communities, the university earned the 2010 Higher Education Civic Engagement Award. The university's Arrupe Partnerships Program encourages faculty members to build relationships with local organizations and match students with placements that meet course goals and benefit the community. The other 2010 Higher Education Civic Engagement Award winners include Miami Dade College (FL); Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis; The College of New Jersey; Wagner College (NY) and Western Carolina University (NC).
Stony Brook U Creates Green Map
Stony Brook University (NY) has created a web-based, interactive “Green Map” to showcase and raise awareness of campus sustainability initiatives. The map will enable users to learn more about each initiative by clicking on the sustainability markers. Created by the university's Sustainability Task Force, the map will continue to be updated as new sustainability projects are initiated.
Tufts U Creates Bike Share Program
Tufts University (MA) has announced the creation of a bike sharing program on campus. Tufts Bikes will purchase a fleet of bicycles and give members of the community the ability to check out the bicycles free of charge. The program will also create a bicycle repair space on campus to maintain the bike share’s fleet, sponsor group rides and teach bicycle maintenance and repair classes, as well as safe city-riding classes.
U California Irvine Student Housing Earns LEED Gold
The University of California, Irvine has announced that its newest student housing project has earned LEED Gold certification. The $137 million project features two student residential communities totaling 1,760 beds and a seven-level parking garage. The building’s green features include specified cool roofs to lower heat island effects and recycled construction materials. Seventy-five percent of construction waste was diverted from the landfill.
U California Riverside Creates Incentive for Alt Transportation
The University of California, Riverside has announced that it will raise the Transportation and Parking Services Gold permit fees by 10.7 percent in an effort to maintain incentive levels for taking alternative transportation. The university provides campus shuttles, a vanpool service and the U-PASS program, which allows students to ride for free.
U Connecticut Plans Bike Share Pilot Program
The University of Connecticut has announced plans to launch a bike sharing pilot program. Students, faculty and staff with current university identification will be able to check out one of 20 bicycles. The Undergraduate Student Government purchased the bikes and, if the pilot program is successful, more bicycles will be purchased.
U Hawaii Manoa Challenges Campus Hall to Save Energy
The University of Hawaii at Manoa has launched an energy challenge between the seven floors of its Saunders Hall. With Hawaiian Electric Company and the Electric Power Research Institute, the university's Sustainable Saunders Initiative constructed a website to provide real-time and historical energy use data for each floor in the building. The website debuted during the first round of the competition at the start of the school year for faculty, staff and students to monitor their energy use in relation to other floors. During the second round, energy savings rose 65 percent as departments in the building were offered financial incentives in proportion to their actual energy savings. Round three of the competition concludes on Nov. 23, 2010.
U Idaho Funds Student-Led Sustainability Projects
The University of Idaho Sustainability Center has awarded $12,578 to six student-led sustainability projects. The center's annual grant competition asks students to submit mini-grant proposals for projects that increase the sustainability of campus operations and culture. This year's funding will go toward the creation of native gardens, bioplastic degradation in compost research, water-saving measures and a conservation photography book that showcases the endangered Palouse prairie. All projects are scheduled for a May 2011 completion.
U Notre Dame Utility Workers Replace Trucks with Trikes
Utility workers at the University of Notre Dame (IN) have started using tricycles in replacement of trucks as an alternative way of getting around campus. The Trike Team is a voluntary group that makes service calls on tricycles to reduce the university’s carbon footprint. The tricycles can go up to 20 miles per hour and are equipped with disk brakes, a speedometer and a large toolbox.
U Oregon Renovates Abandoned Bikes for Student Loan
"Every day I dream of a bike-filled campus," said University of Oregon student Alexander Hongo during recent local television coverage of the university's new bike loan project. Hongo is one of the staff members at the university's Outdoor Program that rebuild abandoned bikes donated by local authorities. For $12 with a $65 deposit, students can borrow the bikes for the academic school year. The bikes are also available to students and community members for learning routine bike maintenance.
U Saskatchewan College of Law Facility Earns LEED Gold
The University of Saskatchewan College of Law’s newest facility has earned LEED Gold certification. The new expansion has reduced water use by 47 percent and overall energy use by 57 percent. The building features two green roofs, passive solar design, ventilation systems that provide outdoor air and 32 percent recycled building materials. Ninety-one percent of the construction waste was recycled.
U Wisconsin-Whitewater Creates Water Council
In an effort to create student awareness of the opportunities in water conservation and business, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has formed the Water Council in collaboration with the Milwaukee Water Council. The organization plans to host a series of lectures, conferences and films to increase the awareness of water conservation and hopes to serve as a mentor to other university institutions in promoting water conservation.
ACUPCC Elects 2010-2011 Steering Committee
The American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) has elected five new co-chairs and 17 new members to its Steering Committee. The network of 675 colleges and universities in all 50 states and D.C. - representing nearly six million students - is led by a Steering Committee comprised of 29 university and college presidents and chancellors. The five new co-chairs include the president of Winona State University (MN), the chancellor of the Houston Community College District (TX), the president of Spelman College (GA), the president of Unity College (ME) and the chancellor of the University of California, Riverside.
Antioch U Los Angeles Launches Urban Sustainability Grad Program
Antioch University Los Angeles (CA) has announced the launch of its M.A. in urban sustainability. The program, which emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of urban sustainability and focuses on the social implications of environmental and economic change, features two residency periods each semester, online learning and community engagement through fieldwork.
California Institute of Technology Unveils 1 MW Solar Array
The California Institute of Technology has unveiled a new 1.1-megawatt solar energy system. The 4,500-panel system has been installed on the rooftops of seven campus buildings. The institute entered a 20-year contract with Perpetual Energy Systems and Suntech, during which Caltech will buy the energy generated from the system at a predefined rate.
Chippewa Valley Technical College Joins Food Co-op
Chippewa Valley Technical College (WI) has joined the Producers & Buyers Food Co-op, pledging to buy 15 percent of the food needs locally for its campus dining services. The co-op is a Wisconsin-based organization of farmers, institutional buyers, processors and transporters who have joined together to help institutions source local and sustainably produced food. The college hopes its co-op membership will help provide income to local farmers and reduce the amount of energy consumed to transport food to the college.
Elon U Introduces Building Dashboard
Elon University (NC) has unveiled a building dashboard that allows users to monitor the electricity usage from any of the 53 buildings on campus. Created by Lucid Design Group, the dashboard provides real-time, online data in a variety of units including kilowatt hours, pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and dollar amounts.
Elon U Trustees Establish 56-Acre University Forest
The Board of Trustees at Elon University (NC) have voted to preserve a 56-acre undeveloped tract near the university as a dedicated natural area to be known as the Elon University Forest. The action protects the largest remaining intact forest in the area, safeguarding thousands of species of plants, animals and other organisms, according to the university. More than half of the forest area contains old-growth trees, some estimated to be 200 years old.
Emory U Creates Green Event Planning Guidelines
Emory University's (GA) Office of Sustainability Initiatives, Emory Recycles and the Office of University Events have launched a Sustainable Events Certification program. The program is designed to guide campus event planners and organizers in creating events in a sustainable way including reducing waste and departmental costs. The certification guidelines outline best practices and offer three levels of sustainability that event planners can achieve. Event planners are encouraged to use Emory's Encore! program to recycle, repurpose and reuse decor, packaged foods, supplies and rentals.
George Washington U to Install Solar Thermal Systems
The George Washington University (DC) has announced plans to install solar thermal systems to heat water for three residence halls with the goal of reducing about 70 tons of carbon annually. The installation will also further the university's goal to be a test bed for renewable technologies and generate 10 percent of energy from on-campus renewable sources by 2040 as outlined in its Climate Action Plan. The system will work by converting sunlight to thermal energy, where the heat is then sent to a hot water tank that pumps the water for use in the residence halls.
Grand Valley State U to Offer Social Justice Training Program
Grand Valley State University (MI) has announced the launch of a free social justice training program for students and community members. The vision behind the program is to help foster multi-generational and diverse partnerships between students and the West Michigan Community. The program was funded through a grant from the Arcus Foundation and will start in January.
Indiana U Receives $1.1 Million for Green Research Projects
Indiana University has received $1.1 million from the National Science Foundation for two research projects in environmental science. The first project, Spatial Interactive Optimization for Restoration of Upland Storage in Watersheds, will receive $410,000 over three years. Researchers will study water management practices for the purpose of designing more efficient upstream water management systems on agricultural lands in response to local climate variability and long-term climate change. The second project will study farmers’ interactions with local environments in Zambia and how they survive periods of drought through different types of coping strategies.
John Carroll U Revamps Recycling Program
John Carroll University (OH) has begun to revamp its recycling program. The university is working to make recycling bins more distinguishable and make recycling easier and more obvious to students in residence halls. Small blue receptacles will be distributed to each student’s room. Additionally, the university renegotiated its contract with Landmark Disposal for Waste that will include the installation of scales on the truck to measure how much waste the campus generates.
Keene State College Students Working Toward a Fair Trade Campus
Students in Keene State College's (NH) Measuring Fair Trade course are assisting the college to meet several criteria to become a certified fair trade campus. To become a certified campus under TransFair USA, an institution must carry fair trade products, have support from the administration and have at least one fair trade club or organization on campus to ensure student involvement. Currently, the college serves a variety of fair trade products and ingredients including coffee, sugar, bananas, tea and chocolate bars. Students are working to increase awareness and demand for fair trade products on campus with a campus-wide fair trade day with product demonstration and sales.
Luther College Produces Potatoes for Local Food Pantry
Students and staff at Luther College (IA) are producing potatoes for a local food pantry as part of the college's Luther College Gardens initiative. Seed potatoes donated from a campus cafeteria were planted in a Luther Gardens plot and tended to by student gardeners over the summer. The college recently harvested 70 pounds of potatoes that were donated to the food pantry.
Oil Companies Turning to Institutions for Commercial Research
Oil companies have given millions to support energy research at institutions in the past decade, according to a recent report by the Center for American Progress. The report analyzes 10 research collaboration contracts between U.S. institutions and companies with a direct commercial stake in future energy markets like Chevron Corp., Exxon Mobil Corp. and ConocoPhillips. Much of the funding is being used for research into new sources of alternative energy and renewable energy, mostly biofuels. The report looks at why highly profitable oil companies are turning to institutions to perform their commercial research and development instead of conducting the work in-house, and why institutions are choosing to partner with oil companies.
Pomona College Dining Halls Get Sustainable Makeover
Pomona College’s (CA) dining halls have implemented several changes to their food purchasing and trash disposal systems in an effort to make the college’s food services more sustainable. Initiatives include the expansion of vegetarian, gluten-free, organic and fair trade options and the incorporation of local food into the menu. The compost system has been revamped to include preproduction food scraps and recycling expanded to include all paper, glass, plastic and metal products.
San Francisco State U Implements Low-Maintenance Landscaping
San Francisco State University's (CA) Campus Grounds is altering its landscaping plan to include alternative plantings that require less water and maintenance. The university allows grasses near the gym, humanities and science buildings to grow unfettered with once-a-week watering. Ground workers have added native plants like huckleberry, lupine, yarrow and willow in an effort to attract birds and pollinators. Also, pesticides, fertilizers and mowing have been eliminated in three areas of campus. The university plans to continue to experiment with ways to further reduce its water use and coordinate with science classes to quantify differences in biodiversity after letting the lawns grow.
Santa Clara U Installs Solar Energy System
Santa Clara University (CA) has installed a 967.68-kilowatt solar energy system to compliment the university’s existing solar array. The panels have been installed on the rooftops of three campus buildings. The university entered into a power purchase agreement with Perpetual Energy Systems, enabling the university to host the solar installations without capital outlay. Under the agreement, the university will purchase the clean solar energy produced by each installation at a predetermined, fixed rate.
Santa Clara U Launches Frugal Innovation Initiative
The School of Engineering and Center for Science, Technology and Society at Santa Clara University (CA) have teamed up on a campus frugal innovation initiative. Frugal innovation focuses on providing products and services in emerging, underdeveloped countries with an emphasis on environmentally friendly practices and the spare use of low-cost raw materials. The initiative includes a collaboration with the university's Leavey School of Business to address needs for emerging markets through what is known as "lean entrepreneurship."
Santa Monica College Completes Energy Retrofits
Santa Monica College (CA) has completed a $3.6 million solar and energy efficiency project expected to produce total savings of $14 million for the campus. Installations include a 408-kilowatt solar system on top of two parking structures that generates power for the parking garages and a portion of the college's Business Building. The campus also increased its energy efficiency with a lighting retrofit, variable speed drives, new hot water boilers and emergency circuit upgrades.
Temple U Plants Trees in Northeast Philadelphia Community
Temple University's (PA) student-initiated Northeast Tree Tenders program has planted a total of 270 trees in Northeast Philadelphia since its start in 2007. Founded by an undergraduate engineering student, the program sends trained volunteers to neighborhoods to plant trees along streets and in yards at the request of homeowners. Northeast Tree Tenders is one of 225 such groups in Philadelphia managed and trained by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
Temple U to Initiate Nanotechnology Solutions to Sustainability
Temple University (PA) has received nearly $200,000 from the National Science Foundation to implement nanotechnology, the study of the controlling of matter on an atomic and molecular scale, into its undergraduate engineering curriculum. The goal is to provide students with hands-on experience through internships, design projects and lab work with the use of nanotechnologies in advancing a sustainable urban environment. Nanotechnology modules will be added to a minimum of eight courses in the College of Engineering.
U Mass Dartmouth Plans for Offshore Renewable Energy Test Site
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has announced plans to create a 300-square-mile zone offshore that will allow companies to test systems to create energy from wind, tides or waves. The National Ocean Renewable Energy Innovation Zone has received $1.5 million in federal funds and $160,000 from the office of the university's president. A related grant of $748,000 was announced for a two-year study of wind and ocean renewable energy resources based at the zone.
U North Carolina at Chapel Hill Wins EPA Building Competition
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is the winner of its first National Building Competition. The competition challenged teams from 14 buildings across the country to measure their building's energy use and reduce waste. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Morrison Residence Hall reduced its energy use by 35.7 percent in one year, saving more than $250,000 in energy bills and reducing more than 730 metric tons greenhouse gas emissions. Strategies included improvements to the building's heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, and outreach to Morrison Hall residents. A computer touch-screen helped residents keep track of their energy consumption and competitions between dorm floors encouraged students to turn off lights and computers.
U North Carolina Greensboro Students Start Campus Garden
University of North Carolina Greensboro students have begun building raised beds for an organic garden in an effort to promote sustainable local food. The campus dining hall will plant an herb garden for use in its meals. The university hopes faculty members will incorporate the gardens into their curriculum.
Voorhees College Receives $40,000 in Grants for Green Initiatives
Voorhees College (SC) has received $40,000 in grants for sustainable initiatives on campus. A $20,000 grant from the United Negro College Fund will enable the college to develop and carry out projects to reduce energy consumption. A technical assistant grant from the South Carolina Energy Office is designed to conduct energy assessments on 17 facilities and buildings on campus.
Wheaton College Science Center Earns LEED Gold
Wheaton College’s (IL) Science Center has received LEED Gold certification. The new 134,000-square-foot facility was built on a previously developed site using recycled steel, brick and acoustical tile, as well as regionally produced materials. Builders used low-emitting adhesives, sealants and paints. Additionally, 70 percent of the building’s electricity comes from a provider of renewable energy and landscaping plants are native to the region.
Alfred State College Students Build Green Home on Campus
Students at Alfred State College (NY) are receiving hands-on learning about green construction and technology by helping to build a green home on its Applied Technology campus. Utilizing the skills they have developed in architecture, building trades and electrical construction courses, the students are using an integrated approach to energy efficiency in the design of the buildings, the building envelope and the mechanical space conditioning systems.
Appalachian State U Installs Green Roof
Appalachian State University has installed a Living Roofs, Inc. vegetative green roof atop a campus hall in an effort to reduce energy costs. A joint effort between the university's Physical Plant department and Pepco Energy Services, the roof will cool and insulate the building, managing heat caused by concrete exposed to the sun, and provide a way to disperse stormwater more sustainably.
Appalachian State U Students Take Service-Learning Trips
Appalachian State University (NC) students recently conducted community service projects as part of the university's Alternative Fall Break trips program. Fall trips included a visit to a wildlife refuge on the South Carolina coast, where students helped clean and maintain sensitive ecosystems; working alongside park rangers to maintain the Appalachian Trail; and helping local community agencies through environmental cleanup. Students help offset the carbon emissions of their trips by calculating how much carbon was used to travel and do every-day activities, and planning a sustainable community service project to achieve carbon-neutrality.
Boston Architectural College Debuts Sustainable Design Master's
Boston Architectural College has announced the creation of an online Master of Design Studies in sustainable design. Debuting August 2011, the coursework includes both online study and week-long learning intensives at the college's Newbury Street campus. The curriculum will feature more than 30 graduate courses including green building design, green policy and advocacy, sustainable community planning and sustainable construction.
California State U Fresno to Build Bike Barn
After 17 bikes were reported stolen during August and September, California State University, Fresno has announced plans to construct a bike barn to provide a safe place for students to park. The bike barn will be a designated area to park a large number of bicycles in a secure location. The project will be paid for by the Alternative Transportation Fund, which is funded through campus parking violations.
Campuses Making Energy Reduction Strides Through Green IT Plans
As campuses struggle with the immensity of the carbon neutrality challenge, information technology is often the leader in small sustainability initiatives that reduce energy and galvanize the campus for larger work ahead, reports Campus Technology. The news outlet profiles Alfred University (NY), where the IT department has been instrumental in automating processes to make the campus as paperless as possible; and Scottsdale Community College (AZ), which has switched to lower-wattage computers, converted CRT monitors to LCD models and implemented programs to shut off computers in student labs that haven't been used in the last 30 minutes.
Clemson U Gifted $2 Mil for Sustainable Development Endowed Chair
Clemson University's (SC) Center of Economic Excellence in Sustainable Development has received a $2 million gift to endow a chair in the sustainable development field. Gifted by former Bechtel Corp. senior executive and 1969 Clemson mechanical engineering graduate Tom Hash, the position will help develop new sustainable technologies and encourage smart growth. Focusing on areas where the natural and built environments meet, research will aim to produce tools and products to better monitor, manage and protect the environment while allowing for continued economic growth and development.
