10 Los Angeles CCs Receive Green Training Scholarship Funds
The Los Angeles Times has published a blog post on the $1 million initiative launched by California community colleges to help train financially-needy students for green jobs. The funds, which were donated by Southern California Edison, a local utility company, will be segmented into $2,000 scholarships for students at 10 area colleges offering education and job training in solar panel installation, water and waste water management, transportation and alternative fuels, biofuels production and farming, green building and energy efficiency, and environmental compliance, such as air quality and pollution prevention. The 10 institutions that will provide the training include: Cerritos College, Cerro Coso Community College, El Camino College, Golden West College, Long Beach City College, Los Angeles Southwest College, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, Rio Hondo College, San Bernardino Valley College, and Ventura College.
7 Campuses Receive Funding for Master in Developmt Practice Prgms
The Energy Resources Institute University (India), James Cook University (Australia), Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin (Ireland), Tsinghua University (China), University of Cheikh Anta Diop (Senegal), University of Botswana, and the University of Ibadan (Nigeria) have been selected by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as seven of 10 universities worldwide to receive $900,000 to create a new master’s in development practice (MDP) degree program. The MDP programs are designed to provide graduate students with training beyond the classroom study of economics and management that are the typical focus of most development studies programs. The program’s core curriculum bridges the natural sciences, health sciences, social sciences, and management. It combines classroom study with field experiences in a range of disciplines, including agriculture, policy, health, engineering, management, environmental science, education, and nutrition.
Agnes Scott College Prohibits Idling
Agnes Scott College (GA) has announced a new policy that prohibits trucks and service vehicles on campus to turn off their engines while making deliveries. “No Idle Zone” signs will be placed in the three areas where service and delivery vehicles frequently operate while on campus. The new policy excludes safety and emergency vehicles, electric vehicles, and trailer engines used solely to control freight temperatures. The “No Idle” policy was created to reduce wasted fuel; improve air quality on campus and in the region; and to protect campus workers, students, and visitors from potentially harmful emissions.
Al-Fateh U Partners with Mitsubishi on Solar Power
Al Fateh University (Libya) has installed a solar power generation demonstration system on its campus donated by the Mitsubishi Corporation. The system, which consists of a solar power generation device and simulation, monitoring, and data processing equipment, will allow students and professors to carry out field analysis on the relations between power generation and climate conditions.
Assam U Plants Trees On Campus
Students, faculty, and staff at Assam University (India) have declared their mission for the year to be "Green Campus Clean Campus." To help carry out this mission, students and professors have planted many saplings around campus.
Austin College Introduces Reusable To-Go Containers
Austin College (TX) has partnered with Aramark dining services to replace disposable polystyrene to-go boxes with reusable containers. Beginning February 1, diners will be able to purchase a reusable to-go container for $3. The containers are the same size as the foam boxes they are replacing, and are dishwasher safe. The used container can be rinsed, returned to the dining hall, and exchanged for a clean container. The returned containers will be washed, sanitized, and then made available for reuse. As long as a diner brings in a used container, there is no additional cost to the diner for the next box. Disposable boxes no longer will be available.
Banaras Hindu U Establishes Sustainable Development Center
Banaras Hindu University (India) has established the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development. The role of the institute is to spread information about sustainable development and to conduct research around issues such as pollution, natural resource management, and sustainable agriculture.
Bristol CC, Gordon College Receive Grants for Wind Energy
Bristol Community College and Gordon College have received grants to study the feasibility of wind energy on their campuses. BCC received $65,000 to investigate the possibility of installing a 1.5 MW turbine generator to help offset energy costs for the College. Gordon College received $53,000 to evaluate the feasibility of installing a one MW turbine. The study will include an analysis of turbine performance at the site including wind resource assessment, financial analysis, and site feasibility analysis and a permitting plan. The funds were distributed by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.
Brookes U Wins Sustainability Award
The Wheatley campus of Brookes University (United Kingdom) has received the Gold EcoCampus Award. The accolade looks to award those universities who dedicate their campus and curriculum to innovation in the field of sustainability and eco-management. Brookes University has installed an environmental management system and has introduced several initiatives to increase the rate of recycling and decrease the amount of waste sent to landfills.
Central College Receives $250K for 25KW Solar Array
Central College (IA) has received a $250,000 State Energy Program grant to assist the College with its technology demonstration category project to install a 25 kilowatt photovoltaic array, which will be located on top of the education and psychology building. The array is expected to provide approximately four percent of the building's energy needs. Renewable energy information will be described on the building’s kiosk.
Colorado State U Dedicates 2 MW Solar Farm
Colorado State University has dedicated a two-megawatt operation that will help keep the University’s utility rates stable and affordable during the next 20 years. The solar power plant, owned and operated by Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, features more than 8,000 panels that cover 15 acres of the University’s Foothills Campus. The panels rotate to track the sun’s movement. The project received a rebate to offset construction costs.
Dartmouth College to Offer Sustainability Minor
Dartmouth College (NH) will offer a new minor focused around sustainability starting fall 2010. The minor will include classes on the social, economic, and environmental sides of sustainability. Administrators want students that pursue the minor to participate in team inquiry and problem solving projects that require them to work with people from many different disciplines. The minor will incorporate contemporary issues by challenging students with real-world cases and encouraging them to interact with experts. Students involved in the minor will potentially meet with speakers and have the opportunity to travel outside the classroom as a component of their study.
Delhi Technological U Integrates Sustainability into Master Plan
Delhi Technological University (India) has integrated several green initiatives into its Master Plan. To reduce its environmental impact, the 164-acre campus will be car free, will generate one-third of its electricity from renewable resources on campus, and will utilize green architecture in its new buildings. Bicycles and battery-run vehicles will be permitted on campus. The University currently uses solar geysers in its hostels and 120 solar lights on the campus.
Dept of Energy Announces 5 University Wind Research Grants
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory and DOE’s Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program announced the selection of five additional states to each receive approximately $60,000 in funding per year for three years for activities supporting Wind Powering America's Wind for Schools project. These awards will provide universities, state institutions, and non-governmental organizations funding and technical support that will be used to develop educational programs to improve understanding of wind technology and its implementation using the Wind for Schools model. The university leads on the selected projects are Appalachian State University (NC), James Madison University (VA), Northern Arizona University, Pennsylvania State University, and University of Alaska.
Dow Chemical Announces Student Sustainability Challenge Winners
The Dow Chemical Company has recognized the inaugural winners of its Sustainability Innovation Student Challenge, an awards competition established to encourage and promote solutions to the world’s most pressing social, economic, and environmental problems. Graduate student teams from the following international institutions were recognized: Cambridge University (United Kingdom), Peking University (China), and University of Sao Paulo (Brazil). Some of the project highlights included: building a community-based sustainable food system; energy efficient low-income homes in South Africa – an evaluation of international support mechanisms; new generation transportation fuels based on coal, natural gas and biomass; and biotechnological production of xylitol using sugarcane bagasse – an evaluation of operational parameters and economical feasibility. Graduate student teams selected for their research and innovations received $10,000 for use at the students’ discretion. In addition, The Dow Chemical Company Foundation donated $20,000 in financial support directly to each university to offset costs of managing the selection process and travel for students to the recognition event.
Edinburgh U Reduces Carbon Emissions
Edinburgh University (United Kingdom) has announced that it has reduced its carbon emissions 31 percent since 1990 during which time its enrollment tripled. The University has been able to reduce its emissions by retrofitting buildings, installing a highly efficiency combined heat and power plant, and employing energy-reduction campaigns. The most recent initiative, Transition Edinburgh University, asked students and employees to reduce their personal energy use. Next year's campaign will ask students to make their living spaces more energy efficient. The University has signed the national 10:10 climate campaign, pledging to cut energy use 10 percent by 2010.
Franklin College Switzerland Establishes Sustainability Office
Franklin College Switzerland has opened a sustainability office on campus, named the Center for Sustainable Initiatives at Franklin. The office will be in charge of making the campus more sustainable. The Center's first initiative was distributing locally-made reusable SIGG water bottles.
Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology Castlebar Named Green Campus
Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology Castlebar (Ireland) has been declared a green campus by the environmental body of An Taisce, the national trust for Ireland, in recognition of major improvements in energy conservation and recycling in the past year. GMIT switched to green cleaning supplies, increased on-campus recycling, reduced its electricity bill, prevented significant heat loss, and launched water conservation measures. GMIT also created a Green Campus notice board that contains news and information about campus sustainability initiatives to help keep students and staff up to date with recent developments.
Georgian Court U Wellness Center Awarded LEED Gold
Georgian Court University (NJ) has been awarded LEED Gold certification for its newly constructed athletics and academic building, the Wellness Center. The 66,000-square-foot, $26-million facility uses wood from forests grown specifically for harvest; incorporates a heating, venting, and air conditioning system that lowers the structure's energy use; includes radiant floor systems, natural daylighting, and a storm water management system that features a retention pond, more than 4,500 feet of underground drainage pipes to channel runoff, and a lightweight, vegetated roof system that also mitigates storm water runoff. The center was completed in 2008.
India Institute of Technology Builds Solar Plant
The India Institute of Technology, Kanpur is building a 500 kW solar plant to research how to reduce the cost of solar power. The scientists at IIT aim to make the cost of solar competitive with conventional resources. The plant is expected to be operational in four years. The plant will provide free power to six neighboring villages.
Karnataka State Women’s U Grows Biofuel
Karnataka State Women’s University (India) has begun sharing some of its unused land with local farmers to create a bio-diesel park. The land will be used to grow trees specifically for creating biofuel. The project will create both biofuel and jobs for the local communities.
King Abdullah U Receives LEED Platinum
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Saudi Arabia) has been awarded LEED Platinum certification. Green features include 100 shared electric vehicles spread across campus; four megawatts of solar power; and a long-term habitat preservation, restoration, and protection plan.
Luther College Begins Vermicomposting Program
Luther College (IA) students have started disposing of food waste in worm composting bins installed in seven residence halls by students from the Luther Sustainability program. The process, known as vermicomposting, allows students to place their fruit and vegetable food waste, as well as shredded newspapers, paper receipts, and old class notes in the compost bins where red worms will convert it to organic matter. Once the waste is converted to vermicompost, it will be used to fertilize the Luther Gardens.
Macquarie U Plans to Engage Staff in Sustainability Projects
Macquarie University (Australia) has announced a four-point plan for staff sustainability engagement in 2010. The goals of the staff engagement plan are to increase understanding and awareness of sustainability throughout the University, embed sustainability into governance, and to create a culture in which staff are proud of their environment. The plan includes interaction will all new staff about the sustainability vision, goals, and objectives; the establishment of a Sustainability Representative Network comprised of sustainability champions for all departments and faculties across campus; the creation of sustainability competitions between campus departments; and the creation of sustainability committees.
National U Singapore Campus Receives Green Award
The National University of Singapore’s University Town, an extended campus connected to the current one by pedestrian and vehicular bridges, has received the Green Mark Award for Districts from the government for a number of sustainable infrastructural features. The campus boasts green roofs, buses that run on compressed natural gas, a storm water capture system, and indigenous landscaping.
Norwalk CC to Offer Green Building & Technology Certificate
Norwalk Community College (CT) has announced plans to offer a new Building Efficiency and Sustainable Technology (BEST) Certificate program beginning with the Spring 2010 semester. The BEST Certificate Course curriculum is designed for displaced workers and job-changers, as well as those looking to expand their knowledge and skills to become employable in the green energy field. Certificate program courses will include: Building Technology, Blueprint Reading, Alternative and Renewable Energy, Composition, Introduction to Environmental Science, Building Efficiency Auditing, and Sustainable Energy for Residences, Businesses and Environmental Systems. The program is being funded by a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor that was given to Connecticut community colleges to prepare a green collar workforce. Eight sustainable operation certificates will be created as a result of the grant.
Princess Noura bint Abdulraham U Purchases Green Chillers
Princess Noura bint Abdulraham University (Saudi Arabia) has contracted with Johnson Controls and its joint-venture partner the Al Salem Group to assist in building an environmentally-friendly campus. The University is currently under construction and will be a women’s only university. The $87 million contract will provide 26 dual-compressor centrifugal chillers with a closed loop condenser cooling water circuit. Being radiator cooled, the chillers will not only save more than 2100 gallons of water per minute of chiller operation, they will also save the considerable amount of energy that would be required to treat that water. The chillers do not contribute to ozone depletion.
Princeton U Bogle Hall Features Green Roof
Princeton University (NJ) has completed a new dormitory in its Butler College. The new building, Bogle Hall, houses 20 undergraduate and four graduate students and features a green roof planted with succulent sedum to reduce stormwater runoff and improve heating and cooling efficiency.
Scotch College Taps into Solar Power
Scotch College’s (Australia) remote Kyre Campus on Kangaroo Island has been without electricity until now. The College has installed a ZEN Freedom solar power system that will provide much needed power to the campus where students go to study sustainability and marine biology. The system has been designed to match solar energy generation with energy demand at the campsite and demonstrates to students via both the internet and local network all the environmental data that impacts the amount of energy generated by the system.
St. Aloysius College Initiates Green Campaign
St. Aloysius College (India) has launched a new campus-wide campaign called "Green, Clean, and Plastic Free." The College’s goal is to spread awareness among students about the importance of cleanliness and the harmful effects of non bio-degradable plastics so that its use is minimized. As part of the campaign, paper bags were distributed to students.
Suffolk U Buys Biodegradable Cutlery, Begins Composting Program
The Suffolk University (MA) Sustainability Committee has worked with its dining company to purchase biodegradable cutlery and straws and has launched a composting program in its dining hall. Student volunteers will be available to raise awareness about how to participate. The organics will be stored in air-tight containers and regularly delivered to an area farm to be turned into compost and sold.
Team Germany Wins 2009 Solar Decathlon
For the second consecutive year, Team Germany from Darmstadt won the 2009 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Competition in Washington D.C. The team of university students was awarded for designing, building, and operating the most efficient and attractive solar–powered house, which had a surplus of energy during three days of rain. The "Cube House" earned the team 908.29 points out of a possible 1,000 to win the competition.
Tokai U Builds Solar-Powered Car
Tokai University (Australia) students built a solar powered car for the solar car race Global Green Challenge, which took place in Australia in October 2009. The students adapted 2,176 solar cells to use on their car, named the Tokai Challenger.
U Alaska Fairbanks Police ATVs Converted to Electric
At University of Alaska, Fairbanks, two ATVs used by campus police for patrolling have been converted from running on gasoline to electricity. A mechanical engineering class that teaches students how to convert cars to electric power carried out the project of transforming the two ATVs. While they may be slightly less powerful than the gasoline-powered ATVs, the new electric engine will provide campus police with what they need. They will be able to travel up to 30 miles at 20 mph.
U Arizona Tops Parking Garage with Solar Panels
The University of Arizona has topped one of its main parking structures with 1,150 solar panels. The installation of the panels, which were attached at a 10-degree slant on a recycled steel framework, will provide the University with 200 kilowatts of electricity and will also provide shade to vehicles parked under the panels. The panels cost the University nothing to install and are owned and maintained by the local utility company under the condition that the University will purchase all the electricity produced.
U Brunei Darussalam Starts Green Project to Reduce Emissions
Universiti Brunei Darussalam has begun the UBD Green Project to address the issues of climate change. The initiative maps out a plan to become more sustainable and includes planting over 100 trees, banning plastic bags from campus, and encouraging carpooling and bicycling.
U Georgia Approves Student Green Fee
University of Georgia President Michael Adams has announced the approval of a student green fee to begin next fall. The $3 fee will help to fund a campus sustainability office, support efforts to coordinate environmental programming, address energy efficiency, and interlace sustainability efforts on campus with university academics.
U Idaho Establishes Electronic Waste Guidelines
The University of Idaho has developed a process for eco-friendly electronics disposal. E-waste must now be sent to recycling centers or put back into the market for reuse. All e-waste from the university’s main campus will be sent to a vendor, who will recycle the materials and certify that they are handled in the most environmentally-friendly manner possible.
U Idaho Partners to Teach Local Students About Climate Change
The University of Idaho has announced a new program that aims to educate Idaho seventh through twelfth graders about the impacts of climate change and how it affects their everyday lives. McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) programs consist of five- to 10-day expeditionary science learning experiences that will occur in students' classrooms, in natural areas in close vicinity to their schools, and in the mountains and forests of central Idaho near the MOSS campus. Each outreach program module is divided into four sessions. Topics include watersheds, exploring local rivers, mapping and GIS, invasive species, fire ecology, and landforms. The program received a seed grant from the University of Idaho's National Science Foundation Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program a $25,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation.
U Illinois Receives Energy Efficiency Funding
The University of Illinois has received more than $848,000 from Governor Pat Quinn to increase energy efficiency on campus. The funding will be used to install energy wheels to stop warm air from leaving many new and renovated buildings; insulation on steam pipes; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning controls; exhaust controls; and geothermal systems. The University expects to save $1 million annually as a result of the energy investments. The $848,000 is a portion of the $100 million federal stimulus dollars allocated to the state of Illinois by the Department of Energy.
U King's College Student Named Rhodes Scholar
A University of King's College (NS) student, Rosanna Nicol, has been named a Rhodes Scholar. As a scholar she will spend at least two years at Oxford University in England conducting post-graduate study. Nicol has always been interested in refugee and sustainability issues and plans to focus her thesis on how socially responsible investing can create capital flow to areas in need.
-
Posted Feb 1, 2010
-
Other News
U Melbourne Creates Sustainability Website
The University of Melbourne's (Australia) Sustainable Society Institute (MSSI) has created a website that acts as a virtual hub to showcase the breadth and depth of research on climate change in the University. The website aims to communicate university research to the outside audience of policy makers and the concerned general public. The University hopes that the website will also contribute to creating more interdisciplinary research projects and cross-faculty collaboration in sustainability, with staff from different research backgrounds and with different skill sets, who are spread across the Parkville campus, finding each other via the web.
U Melbourne Forms Sustainability Projects Reference Group
The University of Melbourne (Australia) has established the Sustainability Projects Reference Group. The Group meets regularly to discuss the implementation of university-wide sustainability projects. The Group will also discuss cost-saving initiatives that will help the University reach its commitment to reduce its carbon footprint.
U Negros Occidental-Recoletos Creates Recycling Trees
The University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (Philippines) campus has created "recycling trees" to encourage students to recycle. Nets have been places around campus for students to shoot empty bottles and cans into, much like shooting a basketball into a hoop, to make recycling fun. Once the nets are full, they resemble holiday trees. The recyclables are exchanged for money to be used to fund on-campus recycling and organic farming projects.
United Kingdom Universities Urged to Significantly Cut Emissions
Universities in the United Kingdom have been urged to cut emissions 50 percent by 2020 against 1990 levels, and 100 percent by 2050. This set of targets comes from the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The council says much of the goal can be met by increasing energy efficiency on campuses.
U North Carolina Chapel Hill Opens Local Foods Dining Option
The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill has opened a new eatery in one of its dining halls that serves local food. The new dining option, 1.5.0, gets its name from its commitment to only serve food from within 150 miles. Dining services hoped the new eatery would break even in sales, but so far it has exceeded those expectations. Students have been excited to try the new option with items such as sweet potato fries with local honey. The restaurant features a chalkboard menu that will change weekly according to produce and meat availability.
U North Florida Building Receives LEED Gold Certification
The University of North Florida's newest building on campus has received LEED Gold certification. The 107,000-square-foot College of Education and Human Resources building utilizes natural light, energy efficiency, and recycled materials to make it more sustainable than traditional buildings. The $18 million project includes teaching labs, faculty offices, meeting rooms and support spaces.
U Notre Dame Publishes First Annual Sustainability Report
The University of Notre Dame (IN) has released "Sustainability at Notre Dame 2008-2009," its first annual sustainability report. The report describes initiatives undertaken in each of the seven focus areas of the Office of Sustainability: power generation, design and construction, waste reduction, transportation, procurement, food services, and water. Highlights include a 7.5 percent reduction in total carbon emissions from energy usage and a 2.5 percent reduction in total electricity usage, the $4 million Energy Conservation Measures program, construction of the first campus buildings expecting LEED certification, a campus-wide shift to recycled-content paper, and the initiation of a comprehensive Game Day Recycling program.
