Vanderbilt U Creates $75K Green Fund
After receiving student surveys and letters of support, Vanderbilt University (TN) has established a Green Fund with $75,000 in administration funds. The fund will be available to finance student projects that aim to reduce the university’s energy consumption and/or carbon emissions. It will serve a three-year trial period in which it will be non-revolving, meaning that savings from the projects funded will not be directed back into the fund. After three years, the university will determine whether the fund was successful enough to finance a revolving fund. Projects that incentivize a switch to sustainable energy during peak hours will be especially competitive, according to fund managers.
American U Sharjah Students Raise Funds for Community Food Aid
American University of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates) students held a campus-wide fundraising drive to generate support for the "Feed the Needy" campaign, launched by the university's Community Services Division. The students' efforts resulted in a truck load of food items that were distributed to 470 families in the community. In related news, student volunteers at the university were honored with the Sharjah Voluntary Award 2010 in the educational institutions category of the Eighth Local and Fourth Arab Voluntary Awards in December 2010. The university's Community Services Division was recognized for its exemplary volunteer work in the social sector.
Earth Education International Releases Sustainability Inventory
Earth Education International (Costa Rica) has released its first Sustainability Assessment Inventory, detailing its sustainability efforts to date and the social, economic and/or environmental benefits of each. Sustainability highlights for the interdisciplinary study abroad organization include a pedestrian-friendly program design with locally based activities, field sites and volunteer work; the support of environmentally friendly lodging and food vendors; tree planting to offset the carbon emissions of participant travel; and the use of natural ventilation and renewable energy whenever possible in its office buildings.
EARTH U Receives $200K for Student Scholarships
Panasonic Corporation of North America has awarded $200,000 to EARTH University (Costa Rica) to provide full, four-year scholarships for three students from the U.S., Mexico and Brazil. EARTH University's educational model emphasizes scientific and technical innovation, values, ethics, entrepreneurship and environmental and social commitment.
Gambia Technical Training Inst Partners for Solar Energy Training
Power Up Gambia, an organization that works to provide reliable electricity and water in Gambia through solar energy, has reported a partnership with Gambia Technical Training Institute, one of the largest skills training centers in the country. The organization will work with the institute's Department of Electrical Engineering in an effort to help Gambian companies in the solar field by supporting the development of skilled and well-trained energy technicians who have a strong and common knowledge base in electricity and renewable energy.
Ghana Plans for Renewable Energy University
Ghana's Brong Ahafo region has broken ground for the public University of Renewable Energy, the first of its kind in the region. The university will offer electric, petro-chemical and mechanical engineering programs with courses in energy and natural resources. A national task force will oversee the initiation of this new university.
HEFCE Embarks on Higher Ed Carbon Measurement Project
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has recently commissioned a project to measure scope 3 carbon emissions at a higher education institutional level. The project will work to establish a sector baseline of emissions from procurement, produce definitions for measuring scope 3 carbon emissions and provide guidance to higher education institutions to help with the associated data collection. Set for an August 2011 completion, project teams with representatives from the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE), the Association of Heads of University Administration (AHUA), the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) and the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) will engage with a wide range of institutions, sector bodies and stakeholders to collect data in areas of procurement, water, waste, commuting and business travel.
India and U.S. Institutions Partner for Food Security Efforts
A consortium of Indian and U.S. institutions and agribusinesses have announced a $9.6 million project to boost agricultural production and food security in northern India. Launched by India and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under "Feed the Future," the new Agricultural Innovation Partnership will focus on rural populations in the Indo-Gangetic Plain who typically live on less than $1.25 a day. The consortium is led by Banaras Hindu University (India) and Cornell University (NY).
Macquarie U Names First Sustainability Engagement Officer
Macquarie University (Australia) has appointed its first sustainability engagement officer as part of a sustainability agenda that calls for ecologically sound, socially just and economically viable university activities. Cindy Cunningham, who previously worked as a sustainability officer for more than 10 years in local councils, will lead two initiatives for staff engagement. The first, the Sustainability Representative Network, is comprised of sustainability champions from all departments and faculties across campus and acts as a liaison between the sustainability team and university staff and faculty. The second initiative is the Department Sustainability Challenge, where departments compete for prizes by completing sustainable actions.
Manipal U, Ashoka Trust Debut Ph.D. Program
The Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment is accepting applications for its interdisciplinary doctoral program in conservation science and sustainability studies. The program is recognized by Manipal University (India) and will provide a fellowship for two years. Applicants must have a master's degree in environmental sciences and will be expected to pursue environmental research for a multi-disciplinary dissertation committee.
Masdar, U.S. Dept of Energy Partner for Solar PV Coating Research
The Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (Abu Dhabi) has announced a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy to test the performance of specially coated solar photovoltaic modules designed to avoid the moisture and cementation problems currently faced by PV module producers. Developed by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the coatings will be tested at a solar field in Masdar City following exchanges of scientific and technical information with the Masdar Institute.
Newcastle U Hosts Carbon Speed Dating Event for 'Go Green Week'
The People & Planet student group at Newcastle University (UK) recently hosted "Go Green Week 2011," to raise sustainability awareness on campus. Events included a night of Carbon Speed Dating, free smoothies for students made out of fruit and vegetables from the local farmers market that were destined for the trash, and a showing of the movie, "Food, Inc."
Persian Gulf Universities Study Alternative Energy
Governments across the Arabian Peninsula are establishing programs and institutes dedicated to research into alternative energy and environmental sustainability, reports The Chronicle of Higher Education in a January article. The carbon-based wealth that fueled the growth of countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar has created a dependence on oil-powered desalination plants for water to a degree that salinity levels in the Persian Gulf have risen noticeably in the past few decades. More efficient desalination processes is just one environmental problem being tackled in new research centers around the Persian Gulf. Scientists and graduate students from around the world are also working on green technologies including more-affordable solar cells and new biofuels for aviation. Governments hope that new green technologies will spur commercial innovation and bring diversity to these oil-dependent economies.
Queen's U Belfast Library Earns Sustainability Award
The McClay Library at Queen's University Belfast (Ireland) has received the 2010 Sustainability Award from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. The new library features sustainable strategies based on natural ventilation and low energy use including a thermal mass that acts as a heat sink, regulating the temperature profile of the internal environment by absorbing heat during the day and releasing it to the space at night. A rainwater harvesting system uses recycled rainwater for toilets and internal environmental conditions from lighting to temperature and fresh air levels are monitored.
Saint Paul U Dumaguete Implements 'Nature-Friendly' Technology
Saint Paul University of Dumaguete (Phillipines) has opened a "nature-friendly" campus facility for mushroom, fruit and vegetable drying. The facility includes a waterless toilet, recycled indigenous materials and the use of solar power and green roof technology.
Shanghai Normal U Installs Solar Powered Street Lights
Shanghai Normal University (China) has installed eight solar energy street lights on its Fengxian campus that can be complemented with wind power. With an average daily use of 10 hours, the solar street lights are expected to save 7,304 kilowatt hours per year.
Texas A&M U at Qatar Students to Compete in Shell Eco-Marathon
College of Engineering students at Texas A&M University at Qatar are set to compete in this year's Shell Eco-Marathon. Since 1985, the global competition has challenged student teams to design and build fuel-efficient cars. The 2011 European edition will be held at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz track in Germany from May 26-28, 2011. Vehicles can use various fuels and energy sources including gas-to-liquids, petrol, biofuels, hydrogen and solar. Two teams at the university will compete in the Urban Concept category, one team with gas-to-liquids fuel and the other with a vehicle powered by petrol.
The Hong Kong U Science & Tech Holds Carbon Neutral Commencement
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology recently achieved carbon neutrality with its 2010 university commencement, held for more than 10,000 students and parents. Carbon reduction measures included additional recycling bins, used cups and plates composting, a carbon-friendly menu and recycled paper and environmentally friendly ink for the commencement program printing. The post-event carbon audit revealed the achievement of carbon neutrality based on British Standards Institution's PAS 2060 protocol.
U Adelaide Provides Bike Commuting Support to Staff, Students
The University of Adelaide (Australia) recently implemented the Ecorider program, an 11-week behavior change effort to increase cycling trips to campus, improve fitness, save money, and reduce traffic congestion and campus emissions. The program provided 20 student and staff members with support in becoming regular commuting cyclists to campus with individual email communication and feedback, group training sessions and a communal blog. Improvement was measured through reported cycling trip data and monthly fitness testing. The Ecoriders completed 803 trips to the university in total and saved 25,890 minutes and $4,000 in transportation time and money.
U Belize Receives Government Funding for Solar Project
The University of Belize’s Central Campus has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the nation’s government for a photovoltaic solar project. The funding for this project comes from the government of Belize and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The government of Belize will own and manage the PV system for the first decade and then transfer its ownership to the university at no charge.
U Canberra Bans Bottled Water Sales on Campus
The University of Canberra (Australia) has banned the sale of bottled water on campus. Bottled water will be replaced in campus cafes and shops by water vending machines that refill reusable water bottles at a cheaper price than bottled water. The university has also installed six water bottle refill stations on campus. The ban is estimated to reduce water bottle sales by 140,000 bottles per year.
U Exeter Receives Recycle Zones Donation
Part of Coca-Cola's nationwide "Keep It Going" campaign to increase recycling on college campuses, airports and hospitals, the University of Exeter (UK) is the latest campus to implement on-campus Recycle Zones. The company has provided the university with 200 specialized bins for card, paper, cans and bottles in popular areas on campus.
U Gloucestershire Wins Green Gown Award
In recognition of its Sustainability Team's work to facilitate change in teaching and learning for sustainability across departments, the University of Gloucestershire (UK) earned a 2010 Green Gown Award for Continuous Improvement. The first time that an educational initiative in sustainability has won in the Continuous Improvement Category, the award recognized new strategies and institutional support mechanisms instituted by the university that seek to transform student sustainability learning. The awards are administered by the United Kingdom's Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges. Applications for 2011 Green Gown Awards will open in April 2011.
UN Secretary Recognizes Renewable Energy Efforts of Masdar Inst
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recently recognized the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology's (Abu Dhabi) commitment to advancing and commercializing innovations in renewable energy and clean technology. "The future is showcased in Masdar," the Secretary-General said following a tour of the campus. "The technology on renewable and future energy will help economic growth, achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) targets, and bring healthcare, while benefiting the entire planet." The graduate school dedicated to clean energy research and education, developed with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, began classes in fall 2009. The campus is designed as a living energy efficiency laboratory with rooftop solar electric and thermal panels; building automation software and meters to monitor and control air conditioning and other energy use; and a fleet of driverless pods powered by onboard batteries for traveling around campus.
U Southern Queensland Offers Global Reporting Initiative Degree
The University of Southern Queensland (Australia) has partnered with City University of Seattle to offer an undergraduate accounting degree designed around the Global Reporting Initiative, the international standard for businesses to report against a range of protocol categories including economic, strategy and profile, product responsibility, society, labor practices and decent work, human rights and the environment. The new courses are offered through the University of Southern Queensland's existing accounting and sustainable business bachelor's degree program.
U Western Sydney Converts Food Waste to Energy with 'Pulpmaster'
The University of Western Sydney (Australia) has installed a food waste to energy recycling system dubbed the "Pulpmaster." The seed fund for the pilot project came from the university's green revolving fund, which provides upfront financing to staff and students for sustainability projects. The Australia-patented Pulpmaster system converts food waste into pulp that is transformed into green energy and/or fertilizer.
U Western Sydney Highlights Research for World Wetlands Day
The University of Western Sydney (Australia), which is home to three forested wetlands that form part of a critically endangered ecological community on its Hawkesbury campus, recently celebrated 2011 World Wetlands Day by highlighting wetland research activities. The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, known as the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Australia has been a member country since 1975, with 65 wetland sites.
American U Urges Congress to Cut Bottled Water Spending
American University's (DC) Office of Sustainability administered a "Tap Water Challenge" to attendees at a recent news conference at the Capitol. The conference was held to announce a Corporate Accountability International Report that revealed that the U.S. House of Representatives spends nearly $1 million on bottled water per year. The university challenged attendees including Takoma Park Mayor Bruce Williams to correctly identify tap water among popular brands of bottled water while blindfolded. The university reports that no one succeeded. In addition to urging Congress to renew investments in public water systems and cut spending on bottled water, the university will also ramp up on-campus efforts to discourage bottled water purchases including the addition of more than a hundred water bottle filling spigots on water fountains throughout campus.
Cal Poly Pomona Students Design Homes to Replace Wildfire Losses
Students at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona are working to design and build sustainable prototype homes for structures that were lost to southern California wildfires in 2007. Owned by the City of San Diego and leased to ranchers who maintain the land, the destroyed homes qualified for emergency assistance funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Known as the Pamo Valley Project, the City of San Diego has teamed with the university's Department of Architecture to engage students to design two low-cost structures for the site. The homes will feature water, energy and waste conservation strategies that will augment passive and active system performance. The Pamo Valley Project was recently awarded the 2010 National Council of Architectural Registration Boards Grant, which is designed to help architecture schools implement new programs that merge the practice of architecture and education in a studio or classroom setting.
Campus Sustainability Planning: A February Update
The University of California System reports that University of California campuses increased their number of LEED certified building projects during 2010 from 33 to 49. These projects contributed to the system's energy cost savings, which increased from $15 million to $21 million last year due to efficiency initiatives on all campuses. Also reported to AASHE in the recent past, Johns Hopkins University (MD) has released its first sustainability report. Though campus water consumption rose by 9 percent in fiscal year 2010, the university made progress with green building efforts including collecting, conserving and treating stormwater; the expanded use of green materials and cleaning products; and an increase of locally sourced and organic campus dining options. In related news, College of the Holy Cross (MA) has announced that it has reduced campus carbon emissions by 23.5 percent, four years ahead of its scheduled goal of 20 percent by 2015. A few of its strategies include the purchase of a long-term contract for electrical power from renewable energy provider TransCanada, a fuel switch from oil to natural gas in its boilers, and the intent to meet LEED certification for all new major construction and buildings. In more related news, Bowdoin College (ME) has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2020, removing from the atmosphere as much of the gases associated with climate change including greenhouse gases as it puts in. In addition to an expanded solar hot water system, plans to buy $35,000 this year in renewable energy credits and the launch of a building dashboard that provides real-time measurements of energy use of campus facilities, the college has plans to add a $3 million steam turbine generator to its central steam plant, saving $230,000 per year and trimming greenhouse emissions by 18 percent.
Cornell U Greek System Implements Sustainability Rating System
Cornell University's (NY) Greeks Go Green has launched LEAF, a new rating system that grades Greek chapters on their sustainability efforts. Through LEAF, chapters can receive up to 100 points for their sustainability practices. LEAF awards points in categories such as water conservation, energy conservation and green purchasing. Every 20 points represents a leaf, making the highest achievement earning five leaves. The system also recognizes environmental awareness education and sustainability-related service events, so chapters that do not have physical houses can still gain points.
Cornell U Power Plant Wins EPA Energy Efficiency Award
Cornell University's (NY) combined heat and power plant has received a 2011 ENERGY STAR CHP award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The award recognizes highly efficient CHP (combined heat and power) systems that reduce emissions and use at least 5 percent less fuel than comparable, state-of-the-art, separate heat and power generation. Operating since December 2009, the university's system requires about 29 percent less fuel than the separate production of thermal energy and electricity and prevents an estimated 89,300 tons per year of carbon dioxide emissions.
Cornell U Students Improve Water Treatment in Honduras
The student engineering team AguaClara at Cornell University (NY) is working on adding three more water treatment plants to the five they have already built in Honduras. The six-year-old team researches and designs gravity-powered, non-electric water treatment plants for Honduran communities and works with the Honduran nonprofit Agua Para el Pueblo to help bring their designs to life. Based on home stays with Honduran families to learn how the existing plants were serving their communities, the team is now working on a stacked rapid sand filtration system, which would be a final cleaning step before the water is chlorinated and sent to taps. The new system does not require electricity.
Delta College Printing Certified by Forest Stewardship Council
After conducting an internal assessment to determine how they could make their operations more sustainable including detailing processes related to purchasing, Delta College's (MI) Printing Services Department has received a Chain-of-Custody certification from the Forest Stewardship Council. This certification ensures that the paper used for printing is guaranteed to have been harvested, manufactured and distributed only by organizations that also have Chain-of Custody certification.
Denison U, St. Charles CC Named Tree Campus USA Institutions
Denison University (OH) and St. Charles Community College (MO) have each been recognized as a 2010 Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for their dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship. Both campuses are earning the status for the first time, having met five required core standards of tree care and community engagement. Those requirements include the establishment of a campus tree advisory committee; evidence of a campus tree-care plan; verification of dedicated annual expenditures on the campus tree-care plan; involvement in an Arbor Day observance; and the institution of a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body. Denison University's 900-acre campus features a 550-acre Biological Reserve and St. Charles Community College is now home to more than 2,000 trees, 30 of which were planted last fall in a tree planting ceremony hosted by the college's Tree Advisory Committee.
Elon U Expands Composting Efforts
Elon University (NC) has added another campus cafe to its list of campus composting locations. The Office of Sustainability has organized volunteers to stand near the composting bins during high traffic hours in an effort to educate students about the benefits of composting. During the 2009-2010 school year, the university diverted more than 100,000 pounds of waste from the landfill through food composting initiatives.
Emory U Sets World Record to Raise Sustainable Seafood Awareness
Emory University (GA) set a world record for the longest taco line in an effort to raise awareness for sustainable seafood. Dining Services set out a line of 260 tacos filled with over 80 pounds of fish, including wild Alaskan cod, which is sustainably harvested. In related news, Emory University's student-run Rollins Environmental Health Action Committee has coordinated with Moore Farms and Friends to offer a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) option of local produce, meat and cheese to the campus community.
Northern Arizona U Green Fund to Support Sustainable Landscaping
With the help of a $26,952 student Green Fund award, students at Northern Arizona University will conduct a pilot project to study sustainable landscape methods for campus lawns based on organic principles without the use of chemical herbicides. The grant will cover material, labor and student internships for the project and is expected to start this spring. Students at the university overwhelmingly voted to create the Green Fund last month, a $5 per semester fee.
Northwestern U Ranks Fifth Among Green Power Buying Institutions
Northwestern University (IL) has announced that it ranks fifth among colleges and universities represented in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recent list of the largest green power purchasers. The university supports green power by matching 30 percent of its total annual electricity use with Green-e Certified Renewable Energy Certificates. The EPA's Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program encouraging organizations nationwide to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with purchased electricity use. Green power refers to renewable sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and low-impact hydropower. The University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University (PA), Drexel University (PA) and Pennsylvania State University round out the top five.
Rice U Students Initiate Campus Composting
Rice University's (TX) Baker College servery has expanded its locally sourced food efforts to include composting, thanks to student efforts. During the fall 2010 semester course, "Environmental Issues: Rice into the Future," that looked at the food waste created by the campus' serveries, a student proposed asking the farmers involved in the Rice University Farmers Market if they could use campus food scraps for compost. In what the university calls its "farm-to-fork-to-farm" program, the university now delivers its food scraps back to the farmers who grow the food.
San Diego Miramar College to Seek LEED Gold with 2 New Buildings
San Diego Miramar College (CA) has opened the doors of two new buildings that will seek LEED Gold certification. Funded as part of the San Diego Community College District’s $1.55 billion Propositions S and N construction bond program, its $34.4 million dual-classroom building project was the first to be fully integrated in Building Information Modeling (BIM), allowing for the creation of the building in digital space before building it in real space. Sustainable features include recycled materials, high-efficiency lighting and efficient thermal "massing," which delays the transfer of heat throughout the course of a day and minimizes the impact of a heating or cooling load on a building. The college also debuted the Compass Center, the new central gathering point on campus.
San Diego State U Students Save $2.5 Mil in Textbook Costs
As a result of a $1.1 million grant from the Department of Education Fund for Innovation in Post Secondary Education (FIPSE), the campus bookstore at San Diego State University (CA) is enjoying the benefits of an expanded textbook rental program. Nearly all titles priced at $10 or more are now available for rent, encouraging the reuse of textbooks in an effort to decrease the demand for new books. Sixty percent of students chose to rent instead of buy this spring and students have saved about $2.5 million in textbook costs during the 2010-2011 school year.
Students Help Dickinson College Farm Become USDA Organic
On the heels of the announcement of its plans to raise cattle, the Dickinson College Farm (PA) has been certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Students were instrumental during the three-year process, which concluded recently in collaboration with the college's assistant professor of international business and management, who integrated the certification inspection into her first-year seminar course, "The Business of Organic Food." Managed through Pennsylvania Certified Organic, the certification is recognition that the college farm adheres to a USDA-approved approach of agricultural food production that involves building and enhancing the soil naturally, environmental protection and the avoidance of toxic or synthetic substances such as pesticides.
U Calgary Switches to Compostable Food Packaging
Based on a recent Students' Union poll that revealed overwhelming support for a switch to compostable packaging, the University of Calgary's (AB) MacEwan Conference and Events, along with Chartwells and Good Earth vendors, will eliminate plastic foam packaging for take-out foods on campus. Seventy-seven percent of the more than 2,500 respondents to the survey were willing to pay 25 cents more for a meal if served in compostable packaging, the upper end of what the campus community will likely pay for the switch.
U Colorado Boulder Green Loan Fund Earns 38% Return
Three years after University of Colorado at Boulder student leaders invested $500,000 in an endowment for energy efficiency projects, the university is receiving, on average, a 37.8 percent return on investment. Compared to first-year efficiency savings of $24,000, the university is expecting third-year savings of $143,500. The fund has financed 80 micro-projects aimed at increasing efficiency in the campus' student, recreation and health center.
U Florida Hosts Green REthink Campaign
The University of Florida has launched its REthink campaign, an effort to engage, educate and empower students to reduce, reuse and recycle with a campus-wide cleanup. The Office of Sustainability recruited nearly 300 volunteers to collect nearly 3,000 pounds of garbage. Numerous events to engage students will be ongoing until the campaign's completion on April 22, 2011.
U Idaho Awarded $20 Mil USDA Grant for Climate Change Research
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture has announced an award of $20 million to the University of Idaho to fund research to better understand and plan for a changing climate in the Pacific Northwest. A research team led by the university that includes researchers from Washington State University, Oregon State University and the USDA Agricultural Research Service will study impacts of climate change on Northwest wheat and barley production with a focus on cereal production systems and their management under projected climate change scenarios for the region.
U Texas at Austin Receives $1.6 Mil for Solar Project
The University of Texas at Austin has received a $1.6 million grant from the State Energy Conservation Office. The grant money was made available by federal stimulus funds and will be used to finance 80 percent of the cost of two solar systems on campus. The systems have the potential to create 434,000 kilowatt hours each year. The total cost of the project amounts to $2 million and the university will pay for the remainder of the project. Work on the project has already begun and is projected to be completed this April.
Yale U Awards 16 Workplace Green Certifications
The Green Workplace Certification Program, administered by Yale University's (CT) Office of Sustainability, has recognized 16 university offices and departments for sustainable practices. Participating offices earn certificates by accumulating points for action items ranging from recycling printer and toner cartridges to participation in the university's departmental bike share program.
