SUNY Binghamton Brings Car-Share Program to Campus
State University of New York, Binghamton students, faculty, and staff now have two new cars available for use on campus through a new car-share program. The program, Connect by Hertz, allows members to use these vehicles for a predetermined fee. The University hopes the car-share program will help to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.
Temple U Ambler Wins Environmental Award in Flower Show
A group of Temple University, Ambler (PA) faculty and students have won the American Horticulture Society Environmental Award at the 2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show. The group won the award for an exhibit of horticultural excellence which best demonstrates the bond between horticulture and the environment, and inspires the viewers to beautify homes and community through skillful design and appropriate plant material. Their display, METROmarphosis, demonstrates ways to increase biodiversity, conserve natural resources, and promote local food production. The exhibit also includes a beehive and an “eco-wall,” an artistic representation of the urban landscape and the natural landscape working in harmony by combining industrial materials with plants, bird houses, worm farms, and a variety of “found objects.” Other honors the group took home include "Best in Show” Award in the Academic Educational category, Bulkley Medal of the Garden Club of America, and the Philadelphia Unit of the Herb Society of America Award.
U Arizona Creates Solar Park
The University of Arizona has established a new Solar Zone at its Science and Technology Park. The Solar Park will be an interdisciplinary and collaborative hub for researchers and industry to develop and promote renewable energy.
U British Columbia Wins Green Award at 2010 Olympic Games
The University of British Columbia has received the "Live Positively Award" from the Coca-Cola Company. The Live Positively Awards recognize organizations and individuals who turn their passion for improving the well-being of Canadians into actions that have a positive impact in their local communities. UBC received the award for its commitment to sustainability leadership and innovation. The award noted UBC's sustainability policy, Sustainability Office, and programs that aim to reduce energy consumption. The award was presented at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
U California Riverside Chooses Director for Solar Research Center
The University of California, Riverside has chosen a managing director for the Southern California Research Institute for Solar Energy. Alfredo A. Martinez-Morales will guide the center to advance solar energy techniques, train professionals for the industry, mentor new businesses, and assist commercial and residential energy users in responsible applications for solar energy.
U Florida Launches Energy Reduction Campaign
The University of Florida Office of Sustainability has launched its "Chomp Down on Energy" campaign to help reduce energy use throughout campus. The project includes educational resources about energy consumption and the associated cost savings that can be affected through minor behavioral changes, and encourages students, staff, and faculty to be more energy conscious. During this first phase of the campaign, department Green Teams can order light-switch stickers that serve as reminders for individuals to turn off lights to rooms when not in use. The next phases will target IT power management and labs and research areas, aiming to determine what equipment is suitable for end of day shut-down.
U Florida Receives $870K NASA Climate Change Research Grant
The University of Florida has received $870,000 from NASA to study how to better adapt to climate change. The NASA Land Use Land Cover Change Program grant will fund an interdisciplinary project that will analyze relationships among climate variability, climate change, land use and land cover change. Using remote sensing applications and socio-economic surveys, the project aims to create models that could enhance planning for sustainable resource use and help the people in these areas adapt to climate change. The grant will support graduate students and allow the project to conduct summer fieldwork in Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia.
U Michigan Team Wins Clean Energy Prize Competition
A team of three University of Michigan graduate students have won the 2009-2010 Clean Energy Prize competition with a plan to harness vibrations to power small electronics. DTE Energy and the University of Michigan sponsored the competition in which teams competed to develop business plans that promise to move a new, clean-energy technology from the laboratory to the market place. The thirty-two teams were comprised of schools from around Michigan, including the University of Michigan, Davenport University, Henry Ford Community College, Wayne State University, Michigan State University, and Oakland University.
U New Hampshire's EcoLine Wins EPA's Project of the Year
The University of New Hampshire's EcoLine has been named the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Project of the Year. The EcoLine is a 12.7 mile pipeline that goes from campus to the Turnkey Recycling and Environmental Enterprise landfill. The pipeline transports methane that the University uses to power 85 percent of its electricity and heat.
U Utah Awards 1st Round of Internal Sustainability Funds
The University of Utah Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund committee has chosen seven energy-saving proposals to receive funding from its sustainability fee. Among the projects selected were proposals to add switches to vending machines so they use less energy, modify the U’s solar panels to track the sun throughout the day to maximize their absorption, and design a way to capture storm water for the U’s plants. Approximately $35,000 has been allocated to the selected projects.
U Wisconsin Oshkosh Receives 2 Grants to Construct Biodigester
The University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh has received a $500,000 grant from the federal government and a $232,587 grant from Wisconsin Focus on Energy to build a dry fermentation anaerobic biodigester, which will convert year and food waste into fuel. The renewable energy facility will include heat and power generators, which will produce up to five percent of the campus’s electricity and heating needs. The biodigester needs 6,000 tons of organic biowaste per year to provide a 400 kilowatt output. The majority of the waste will be provided by campus and community sources with the remainder being supplied from other area partners.
Washburn U Students Create Community Bike Center
Washburn University (KS) graduate and undergraduate students have opened a new community bike center. The Topeka Community Cycle Project (TCCP) advocates for bicycling in the city and provides education on how to maintain a safe and working bicycle. TCCP hopes to promote a safe community for bikers.
Washington State U Students Make Biodiesel
Washington State University mechanical engineering students have formed the Biodiesel Club. The students involved have created a business that purchases used cooking oil from the University's dining services, converts it to biodiesel, and sells it to the school's motor pull to be used by the Facilities Management's front end loader. The same students also created Engineers for a Sustainable World, a student club that works to promote biodiesel.
2 Vanderbilt U Buildings Receive LEED Silver
Two Vanderbilt University (TN) buildings, Benson Hall and the Library Archival Storage Facility, have received LEED Silver certifications. Benson Hall, dating back to 1859, was renovated with sustainability in mind and was awarded LEED Silver for Commercial Interiors. Within the Benson Hall renovation project, 77 percent of renovation waste was diverted from the landfill, renovation materials were sourced locally, energy-efficient lighting fixtures and water-conserving plumbing fixtures were installed, and a green cleaning program was implemented. The building that is now the Library Archival Storage Facility, which was originally built in 1910, was recently shelled out and rebuilt, receiving LEED Silver certification for new construction. Green elements of the Library Archival Storage Facility include: reuse of 98.6 percent of the existing walls, floors and roof; diversion of 77 percent of construction waste from the landfill; bicycle storage and preferred parking for fuel-efficient/low-emitting vehicles; reflective roofing materials; and storage and collection of recyclables.
43 New Campuses Complete Greenhouse Gas Inventories
42 signatory campuses of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) have submitted public greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories since the last update in the AASHE Bulletin on December 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: Bainbridge Graduate Institute (WA): Bard College (NY); Bemidji State University (MN); Cascadia Community College (WA); Century College (MN); Colby-Sawyer College (NH); Colgate University (NH); Concordia University, Nebraska; Edmonds Community College (WA); Everett Community College (WA); George Mason University (VA); Grand Valley State University (MI); Hiram College (OH); Hocking Technical College (OH); Howard Community College (MD); Huston-Tillotson University (TX); Jackson Community College (MI); Jamestown Community College (NY); Labette Community College (KS); Lakeshore Technical College (WI); Mercyhurst College (PA); Minnesota State Community and Technical College; Missouri University of Science & Technology; Mount Mercy College (IA); Mount Wachusett Community College (MA); Northeastern University (MA); Ohio University; Santa Clara University (CA); Southern Oregon University; State University of New York at New Paltz; Stetson University (FL); The University of Memphis (TN); University of Arizona; University of Central Florida; University of Maine at Presque Isle; University of Missouri - Columbia; University of Missouri - Saint Louis; University of New England (ME); University of Rhode Island; University of Southern Maine; Washington State University, Pullman; and Western Connecticut State University. In related news, Elon University (CT) has also completed its greenhouse gas inventory.
Acadia U Awarded $120K for Community Climate Change Program
The Arthur Irving Academy for the Environment at Acadia University (NS) has been awarded a $120,000 grant from the Nova Scotia Department of the Environment, EcoNova Scotia Fund for Clean Air and Climate Change. The funding is to support the development of a two-year Community Emissions Challenge program, which is intended to help individuals and communities across Nova Scotia reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The program features an online personal emissions calculator, website, and community awareness program involving local education and engagement activities. Program development is already underway and the calculator, website, and community awareness campaign launch is planned for September 2010.
Beloit College Science Center Awarded LEED Platinum
The Beloit College (WI) Center for the Sciences has received LEED Platinum certification. The 117,000-square-foot building, which opened for classes in the fall of 2008, houses 10 academic departments and programs. The Center contains a green roof, high-recycled content in building materials and furnishings, significant reduction in energy and water use, and a storm-water cistern for watering plants in the greenhouse. Furthermore, as Chamberlin Hall—Beloit’s former science building—was deconstructed, 98 percent of those construction materials were recycled or repurposed, contributing to the new Center for the Science’s platinum rating.
Central College Academic Building Receives LEED Platinum
Central College (IA) has received LEED Platinum Certification for its newly constructed education, psychology, and communication studies building, which opened this past fall. Green features include a vegetative roof that occupants can enjoy via a rooftop patio, natural ventilation, daylight harvesting systems, and radiant floors which serve to heat and cool the facility. Rain water is captured and re-used for flushing low-flow toilets and urinals, and building materials contain high recycled content. Drought tolerant native plantings, rain gardens, and pervious pavers were incorporated into the landscape design. In addition, materials were recycled from the college’s University Apartments and several houses which were razed to make room for the project.
Columbia U Geochemistry Building Awarded LEED Silver
Columbia University's (NY) Gary C. Comer Geochemistry Building has received LEED Silver certification. The 70,000 square-foot structure houses extensive lab space directly supporting research and development to advance the understanding of climate science. The facility was completed in late 2007 to consolidate Columbia University's geochemistry department, which was previously scattered across the campus under one roof. The building's site was conscientiously selected to conserve trees and open spaces. It has an air conditioning system that uses high efficiency chillers with non-depleting refrigerants, natural ventilation for offices, occupancy sensors to control lighting and temperatures, energy recovery from the ventilation system, daylight harvesting, and high efficiency light fixtures. 90 percent of occupied spaces have daylight and views. The building is also close to public transportation, offers bike racks and showers, and provides parking spaces for fuel-efficient vehicles and car pools. In addition to its LEED Silver certification, the Comer Building was named the 2009 "Lab of the Year" by Research and Development magazine and has been featured in USA Today and the Chronicle of Higher Education for its unique design and energy efficiency. The building also won sustainable design and excellence in architecture awards from the Environmental Protection Agency and the American Institute of Architects.
Duke U Announces Green Computer Purchasing Program
Duke University (NC) has unveiled a Computer Purchasing Program to take advantage of volume purchasing to negotiate better pricing and extended warranties through preferred vendors. The University, in partnership with its vendors, worked to reconfigure some of the standards to include products with a higher level of energy efficiency that will save Duke money in the long run, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption over the life of the computer.
Duke U School of Business Installs Green Video Conferencing Room
The Duke University (NC) Fuqua School of Business has installed a new, custom-built virtual lecture hall which provides students with access to professors, business leaders, and guest lecturers located around the globe. Duke is striving to make use of teleconferencing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to travel.
Emory U Plants Donated Oak Trees on Campus
Emory University (GA) has received a donation of 10 oak trees from the Select Sustainable Tree Trust. The oaks, identified as 'sustainable shade trees' by the Trust, are currently eight to 10 years old, and chosen for their long life capacities in urban settings. This planting is consistent with Emory's ongoing efforts to increase foliage on the campus under its "No Net Loss of Forest Canopy" policy, which replaces trees that have been previously removed.
Furman U, Kent State U Recognized as Tree Campus USA Universities
Furman University (SC) and Kent State University (OH) have each been recognized as a 2009 Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for the second year in a row for their dedication to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship. Each campus met five required core standards of tree care and community engagement in 2009. Those requirements included 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.
Iowa State U Education Addition Earns LEED Platinum
Iowa State University's King Pavilion addition to its College of Design has been awarded LEED Platinum certification. The $6.6 million, 23,735-square-foot addition features a central, two-story "forum" surrounded by instructional studios. The structure is expected to save more than $22,000 per year in energy and reduce water usage by 20 to 30 percent over that of a similar structure. In addition, the King Pavilion contains 32 percent recycled content, including recycled steel, recycled blue-jean insulation, recycled plastics, and restroom countertops made out of 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper.
Ivy League Institutions Come Together for Local Food Summit
Student representatives from all eight Ivy League institutions recently came together for the first All-Ivy Real Food Summit, organized by the Yale Sustainable Food Project and the Just Food Challenge. The goal of the Summit was for the schools to share what they are doing to incorporate local or organic foods on campus, build a networking group, and ultimately begin to create a more sustainable food system for the Ivy League.
Kern CCD Awarded Grant to Train Alternative Energy Technicians
Kern Community College District (CA) has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The $2.7 million grant will be used to fund new alternative energy technician training programs. Students will be trained as technicians in wind and two types of solar energy.
Keystone College Receives Lighting Grant
Keystone College has a received a $200,000 grant from the State of Pennsylvania as part of the PA Conservation Works program. The grant money will be used to replace lighting throughout the campus with energy-efficient systems and to install motion sensors and energy-efficient emergency exit signs throughout campus. The upgrades are expected to create at least a 25 percent increase in energy efficiency on campus.
Luther College Turns Off Lights in Vending Machines
Luther College (IA), in collaboration with Pepsi, has removed the lights from 32 beverage vending machines on campus in an effort to conserve energy as part of Luther’s sustainability initiative. The once energy-consuming lights have been replaced by signs that explain why the lights are out, educating students about the energy saved by de-lamping the vending machines. The College expects to save approximately 1,219 kilowatt hours per year.
New York U Funds On-Campus Sustainable Projects
New York University has selected 14 projects out of over 50 submissions to be the recipients of its Sustainability Fund grant money. The Sustainability Task Force gave out $75,000 to projects that will reduce environmental impacts, engage the community, and advance applied research and educational goals on campus.
North Carolina State U Opens Expanded Farmers Market
North Carolina State University's new expanded farmer's market has opened for the season with five new vendors. The market, which includes vendors that utilize sustainable farming practices, is different than other local markets in that its goal is education. A student booth at the market promotes the importance of buying local.
North Carolina State U Starts Bike-Share Program
North Carolina State University has announced plans to begin a bike-share program on campus. The WolfWheels bike-share program, which will have a fleet of 20-25 bicycles, will allow students to rent a bike, helmet, and lock for the day or weekend for $2 to $3. Depending on the success of the program, NCSU may offer a semester-long rental option in the future. The program is expected to launch in late March.
Rice U Establishes Committee on Investor Responsibility Policy
A group of students from Rice University's (TX) Rice for Peace and Justice group have created the Committee on Investor Responsibility Policy. The Committee, which will focus on the social and environmental impact of the institutions' investments, will consist of three faculty members chosen by the Faculty Senate, two graduate students chosen by the Graduate Student Association, three undergraduate students chosen by the Student Association and one administrator chosen by President David Leebron. All offices will need to be confirmed by the president and will be up for renewal on a yearly basis.
Rochester Inst of Tech Builds Green Habitat for Humanity House
Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) has completed its first green Habitat for Humanity house. RIT’s Engineers for a Sustainable World worked with the city and RIT Habitat organizations and a local architect to make the home more energy efficient. Green elements of the home include an efficient ventilation delivery system to prevent heat loss; an air-lock entry redesign system; tankless hot water heater; 95 percent energy-efficient furnace; soy-based foam insulation; new pipe insulation; use of natural lighting and a roof designed to provide adequate summer shade; and solar panels. The house is located in the southwest part of Rochester. In the surrounding neighborhood, 99 percent of properties were built before 1950 and 20 percent of children under 6 tested at or above the highest levels of lead-paint poisoning.
U Buffalo Converts Food Waste to Compost
The University at Buffalo (NY) has purchased a food waste decomposer to reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill. About 350 - 400 buckets of food waste are processed through the decomposer each week and turned into compost that is used by local farmers.
U California Berkeley Awarded $16M for Campus Diversity
The University of California, Berkeley has received a $16 million donation to support diversity initiatives, including five endowed chairs, one of which will be devoted to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equity, and a new $1.6 million scholarship fund for students who transfer from community colleges and who are more racially and economically diverse than those who enroll as freshman. The gift is intended to support both research and teaching on diversity and to cultivate a campus built on fairness and acceptance.
U California Berkeley Awarded $24.5M to Reduce Electricity Usage
The University of California, Berkeley has been awarded $24.5 million to fund a multi-institutional research center that would aim to reduce power consumption by electronics. The five-year grant by the National Science Foundation will be used to establish the Center for Energy Efficient Electronics Science, or E3S, one of only five multi-institutional Science and Technology Centers to be established this year. UC Berkeley researchers will team up with colleagues at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University (CA), Contra Costa College (CA), Los Angeles Trade Technical College (CA), and the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama to dramatically dampen electronics' appetite for power.
U Central Florida Installs Solar Carport
The University of Central Florida has added a new solar-electric carport to its campus. The new installation, which is large enough to provide energy to four cars at once, cost $380,000 and was paid for with a grant from the Florida Energy Systems Consortium. When cars are not using it, the power is fed back into the University's energy system.
U Central Florida Starts Sustainability Campaign
At the University of Central Florida, a new campaign to educate students about sustainability was launched by the Student Union. The campaign, “Awareness, Availability and Action,” seeks to educate all members of the UCF community about how easy it is to go green; verify that green alternatives are available to the UCF community, from recycling bins to alternative lighting sources and low-flow water fixtures; and bring new initiatives to the University. To set an example, the Student Union has set up a number of recycling bins and installed a green roof and LED lights that will result in an estimated $10,000 in energy and maintenance savings.
U Louisville Building Awarded LEED Gold
The University of Louisville's (KY) Clinical and Translational Research Building has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The 288,000-square-foot structure cost $143 million and includes a reflective roof, significant natural light, and a system that turns off the buildings lights when not in use. In addition, condensed water from the air conditioner is used to irrigate the building’s landscaping, and built-in showers and bicycle racks make it easier for employees to avoid driving to work.
U Michigan School of Business Certified LEED Silver
The University of Michigan Ross School of Business has received LEED Silver certification. The structure features an air quality management plan, use of low chemical-emitting materials, stormwater management, access to alternative transportation, Energy Star-rated roofing materials, green roofs, use of a non-ozone-depleting refrigeration system to cool the building, and use of recycled construction materials. In addition, UM will purchase renewable energy certificates to power 100 percent of the building's total annual electric energy usage.
U Minnesota Duluth Saves $$, Emissions With Winter Break Shutdown
The University of Minnesota, Duluth has announced that energy conservation efforts during its 11-day winter break reduced greenhouse gas emissions and saved the institution money. UMD reduced heating and ventilation of campus buildings during the break, resulting in reductions of 13 percent in natural gas usage and 6.3 percent in electricity. The measures saved UMD $18,399 in energy costs and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 196 tons.
U Texas Austin Introduces Reusable To-Go Containers
The University of Texas at Austin has introduced reusable to-go containers in campus dining facilities. The initiative, called "eco2go," allows customers to join the program by paying a one-time membership fee of $5. The customer receives a wooden token at one of the eco2go stations. Members then show that token to the line server who will know to serve their meal into the eco‐to‐go container, they then return the rinsed container, to be commercially cleaned and sanitized, at their earliest convenience. When members return the container, they will obtain a token to start the process again. Each time eco2go members use their container, they will receive a five percent discount on their meal.
Vermont Technical College to Use Biomass to Heat Building
Vermont Technical College has announced plans to install a wood pellet boiler on its campus. The boiler will serve as a heating source for a campus building and as a hands-on learning tool for students interested in the field of renewable energy. VTC received $185,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy to help fund the project.
Virginia Tech Announces Executive Master of Natural Resources
Virginia Tech has announced a new Executive Master of Natural Resources (XMNR) program that focuses on leadership for sustainability. The XMNR program is designed to meet the needs of working professionals interested in career advancement. The accelerated 18-month program includes a series of core and special topics courses that meet one weekend per month culminating in a 10-day international residency. The curriculum emphasizes the development of advanced management and administration skills, typical of M.B.A. and M.P.A. programs, but with a focus on leadership for sustainability. Pre-assessment forms are now being accepted for the first cohort of 15-25 students who will begin the program in September 2010.
Washington U St. Louis Student Competition Provides Parking Plan
Washington University in St. Louis (MO) hosted its first ever Olin Sustainability Case Competition with the goal to raise awareness of and engagement in sustainability among the student body. Students developed plans to address campus parking issues and the winning group suggested providing grad students with more alternative transportation options.
Wesleyan U Brings Farmers Market to Campus
Wesleyan University (CT) students now have the option of purchasing products from local vendors every other Wednesday. The new farmer's market will offer items such as goat cheese, yarns, and pesto. Organizers of the market hope that it will educate students on the importance of buying local.
Yale U Installs Energy Consumption Monitors in 2 Dorms
Yale University (CT) has installed monitors that provide students with real-time information about energy consumed in two campus residential colleges. Accompanied by an educational campaign about residential energy consumption at Yale and nationwide, the monitors aim to provide students with direct and immediate awareness of the effects of their consumption decisions. Designed by Lucid Design Group, the system displays real-time data on energy used for electricity, heating, and cooling. Large, interactive touch-screen monitors that have been installed near campus dining halls allow viewers to see energy consumption patterns over time, compare between colleges, and display in unit equivalencies such as gallons of gasoline, hours of use for hairdryers, microwaves, and laptops as well as the monetary. Funding for the monitors comes from a grant received through the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Accelerating Campus Climate Initiatives program.
Aquinas College Announces Sustainable Business Certificate
Aquinas College (MI) has announced a new certificate in sustainable business. The certificate will teach students about energy conservation, corporate social responsibility, cap and trade, and the triple bottom line. Those that qualify can take the courses for free through the state's no worker left behind program.
College of Marin Receives Award for Organic Farm
The College of Marin (CA) Organic Farm and Garden has been named Project of the Year in the category of "Pathways to Achievement – Post- Secondary, Training, and Credentialing Partnerships" by the Corps Network, a Washington D.C. based group. The farm is recognized as a place where at risk youth have been able to come and develop new skills and knowledge in organic and sustainable agriculture that puts them on a career path.
Drexel U Opens Green Recreation Center
Drexel University (PA) has opened its new Recreation Center. The 84,000-square-foot-facility wraps around Drexel’s existing 156,000-square-foot Daskalakis Athletic Center (DAC) and connects to it. The eco-friendly, three-story structure features a system that maintains storm-water flows by collecting rain water into a 36,000-gallon underground cistern, a white roof, and power-generating elliptical machines.
