11 Campuses Post Greenhouse Gas Inventories
10 signatory campuses of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) have submitted public greenhouse gas inventories since the last update in the AASHE Bulletin on October 19, 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: University of Vermont; University of Maine at Machias; University of South Carolina, Upstate; University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh; University of Wisconsin, Whitewater; Goucher College (MD); Harvey Mudd College (CA); School for International Training (VT); Bellevue College (WA); and Houston Community College (TX). In related news, Washington University in St. Louis (MO) has also published a greenhouse gas inventory
9 New Institutions Sign Presidents Climate Commitment
Nine new institutions have signed the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment since the last update in the September 14, 2009 issue of the AASHE Bulletin . In doing so, these campuses have committed to develop comprehensive plans for achieving climate neutrality. The new signatories are: Philip Dubois of University of North Carolina at Charlotte (NC); Robert Davies of Eastern Oregon University; Stanley Jensen of Colorado Mountain College; Penelope Kyle of Radford University (VA); Richard D. McCrary of Brookhaven College (TX); Michael Viollt of Robert Morris University (IL); Robert Martin of the Institute of American Indian Arts (NM); Debra A. Derr of North Iowa Area Community College; and Warrick Carter of Columbia College, Chicago (IL). 659 college and university presidents and chancellors have now signed the Commitment.
Arizona State U Polytechnic Complex Receives LEED Gold
The new academic complex at Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The complex consists of six buildings that feature recycled concrete, photovoltaic panels, and use of natural light.
Brandeis U Eco-reps Start Green Certified Dorm Room Program
Brandeis University (MA) dorm residents will now have the opportunity to have their dorm room green certified by campus Eco-reps, also known as peer-to-peer sustainability outreach representatives. The Green Rooms program allows students to obtain a certificate if they promote green living through a number of room adaptations, including energy-saving electrical habits like pulling out chargers as well as using cold water and recycling. The initiative was piloted earlier this year by the Brandeis eco-reps, environmental advocates, and Students for Environmental Action. In an effort to increase awareness on campus about sustainability and about the new program, the organizations set up a model “green” room in a campus atrium.
Brevard CC Recognized for Sustainability Efforts
Brevard Community College (FL) has been named a Certified Green Business by the Green Business League, an organization out of Illinois, for its work towards sustainability. The group recognizes businesses that have adapted processes and practices needed to enhance their company’s environment. The College was noted for: transitioning to a four-day work week, more efficient boilers, and tighter regulations of air-conditioning systems.
Butte College Receives Funding for New Solar Project
Butte College (CA) has acquired $16.9 million in federal stimulus money to complete the third phase of its solar project. The new installation will increase the College’s solar generation capacity by 145 percent, generating 95 percent of the College’s electrical needs. The stimulus money will pay for 70 percent of the total cost and the College will cover the rest.
California Awards $27M for Green Collar Job Training
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced the 34 recipients of $27 million in grants to jump-start the California Clean Energy Workforce Training Program (CEWTP), a state-sponsored green jobs training program. Under the this first phase of the program, anticipated to train 5,600 participants, workers will be prepared for hands-on jobs, such as installing solar panels and maintaining electric vehicles to computer programming and researching fuel cell technologies, to help develop the state’s low-carbon, clean energy economy of tomorrow. The following higher education institutions received a portion of the funding: Contra Costa Community College District, Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District, Kern County College District, Long Beach Community College District, North Orange County Community College District, College of the Desert, Hartnell College, Imperial Valley College, Los Angeles Trade Technical College, Peralta Community College District, San Bernardino Community College District, and Solano Community College.
Caltech Opens Green Ctr for Information Science and Technology
California Institute of Technology has opened its Walter and Leonore Annenberg Center for Information Science and Technology. The structure is now home to interdisciplinary research and instruction that address the growth and impact of information as it relates to all scientific and engineering practices. The new facility, which is registered for LEED Gold certification, has achieved a 30 percent reduction in water use, a 28 percent reduction in energy use, and a 2 percent use of recycled contents or local or regional materials. The Center also contains storm water control mechanisms, individual HVAC controls and operable windows, and a minimum of 75 percent of spaces with daylight access.
Clarion U Establishes Sustainability Institute
Clarion University (PA) has announced the formation of its Sustainability Institute. The Institute will be self-sufficient, have faculty support, supply information to the University and local area interest groups; bring in resident scholars to focus their research on sustainability; promote faculty, graduate, and undergraduate research; provide opportunities for internships; offer CEU credits for attendance at conferences; and provide certification on sustainable development and sustainability.
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 U.S. institutions were recognized: Northwestern University (IL), Tufts University (MA), and University of Michigan. 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.
Emory U Designated First Green Certified Campus by GFA
Emory University (GA) has been designated as the first certified college campus in the U.S. under the Green Certification Program by the Green Foodservice Alliance (GFA). Emory was noted for: recycling materials like aluminum and steel, glass, cardboard, glass, paper and plastics; repurposing used grease for the local production of biodiesel; and not using any polystyrene (Styrofoam) in its dining facilities (if Emory uses polystyrene, a recyclable or compostable alternative is made available to users). The Green Certification Program focuses on reducing waste on college campuses, in restaurants, and from other large venues like convention centers and business districts.
Fairfield U Students Earn Money for Recycling
Fairfield University (CT) has installed four new recycling machines on campus. The recycling machines are a “reverse vending” machine, so that when students deposit a glass, plastic, or aluminum beverage container, the machine adds five cents to the student’s campus account, which can be used for food, books, laundry, and other campus expenses.
Furman U Adopts Sustainability Master Plan
The Furman University (SC) Board of Trustees has adopted a sustainability master plan, part of which includes a climate action plan to make the campus carbon neutral by 2026. The creation of the "Sustainable Furman" took eighteen months and had been a university-wide effort, involving over a hundred students, professors, staff members, trustees, alumni, and community leaders. The plan is organized around eight broad goals, each of which addresses key aspects of the University’s mission and operations. Those include expanding and enhancing curricular and co-curricular opportunities related to sustainability, encouraging campus and community participation in energy conservation and energy efficiency efforts, and broadening Furman’s national leadership role in the promotion of sustainability
Guilford College Restoration Project Receives LEED Silver
Guilford College (NC) has received LEED Silver certification for its restoration of Archdale Hall. The building was constructed in 1885 and has been used as a residence hall and faculty offices. The $800,000 renovation included the addition of a rainwater collection system, waterless urinals, and blown-in insulation.
Ithaca College Dedicates New Green Building
Ithaca College (NY) has dedicated its new Peggy Ryan Williams Center. The building was designed to LEED platinum specifications and hopes to achieve certification in the future. Green features include a 6,500-square-foot green roof, a geothermal system, and a 12,000-gallon tank to collect rainwater.
Lawrence U Opens Green Student Center
Lawrence University (WI) has completed its new 107,000-square-foot Richard and Margot Warch Campus Center. LU is seeking LEED Gold certification for the $35 million Center, which features local materials, a green roof, abundant day lighting, and native landscaping.
Luther College Lab Building Receives LEED Gold
Luther College’s (IA) Sampson Hoffland Laboratories have received a LEED Gold certification. The facility houses 17 teaching labs, a number of offices, and research and study areas. Green features include a rain garden, reduction in water usage, and recycled building materials.
Massachusetts Inst of Technology Students Produce Biodiesel
A Massachusetts Institute of Technology student group has begun turning leftover kitchen oil into biodiesel for use in campus shuttles. Biodiesel@MIT, formed three years ago, believes that once production is in full swing, they will be able to produce 55 gallons of biodiesel per week.
Milwaukee Area Technical College to Install Solar Farm
Milwaukee Area Technical College (WI) has announced a $6.9 million solar education farm project. The College is partnering with Johnson Controls, an energy use optimization company, to build the 2,720 panel farm. The College estimates that the solar farm will save $70,300 in energy costs in its first year of operation.
NIIT U Builds Campus to Harvest Rainwater
NIIT University (India) has inaugurated its environmentally-conscious 100 acre, 54-building campus. The campus was built to harvest and recycle 95 percent of waste water and some buildings have been designed not to use air conditioning.
Princeton U Adds Environmentally Friendly Buses to Fleet
Princeton University (NJ) has added 10 new buses to its shuttle system fleet. The buses all run on B20 biodiesel fuel. The buses are larger than older ones in the fleet and hold 30 passengers instead of 14. The new additions will allow all of the TigerTransit buses to run on biodiesel on a regular basis.
Quinnipiac U Announces Sustainability Plan, Featured in NY Times
Quinnipiac University’s (CT) York Campus has established a new $4 million sustainability plan that includes both solar and wind installations. The plan includes a wind garden that will contain 25 vertical-axis wind turbines and 1,232 photovoltaic solar panels that will be on the roof of one of the residence halls. In related news, The New York Times has published an article on Quinnipiac's new wind garden that features wind turbines as art. The new park, called Windspires, is meant to provide serenity to visitors. Its 25 turbines are expected to produce a combined 32,000 kWh a year.
Richland CC Installs Wind Turbine
Richland Community College (IL) has installed a 125 foot tall wind turbine on its campus. The turbine will be used to power the College’s Center for Sustainability and Innovation. Officials hope that the turbine, in conjunction with the building's geothermal heating, will make the Center achieve net-zero energy usage. The turbine also serves as real life training for students studying wind energy technology.
San Francisco State U Opens Campus Bike Path
San Francisco State University (CA) has opened a new bike path on campus that provides cyclists and pedestrians with a direct, off-road route between the campus and a local shopping center. The University created the path to encourage bicycle and pedestrian commuting and to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with commuting to campus by car.
Santa Barbara City College Installs Solar Panels
Santa Barbara City College (CA) has installed a 235 kW solar array on its new car port in one of the College’s parking lots. Not only will the solar panels produce 10-percent of the College’s electrical needs, they will also provide shaded parking, outlets for future electric vehicles, and reduce the amount of heat radiating off the parking lot.
Smith College to Install Solar Panels on Campus Center
Smith College (MA) has announced plans to mount solar panels on the roof of its Campus Center. The electricity produced by the 130 solar panels will be approximately equivalent to the power needed to run the Campus Center Café. The system will be financed through a Power Purchase Agreement with renewable energy marketer and developer, Community Energy. The company will own and operate the $240,000 system, which enables the college to take advantage of the renewable power source without funding the system’s purchase up front. Community Energy will sell Smith electricity produced by the system at a locked-in rate for 20 years.
Texas Christian U Dining Services Reduces Waste
Texas Christian University’s Dining Services has announced plans to begin offering its used coffee grounds to students, faculty, and staff for use as a fertilizer. The program to reuse coffee grounds was replicated from a Starbucks initiative that has been in place since 1995. The University’s Dining Services hopes to reduce waste through the new program.
U Colorado Boulder Switches to LED Lighting
University of Colorado, Boulder has worked with Albeo Technologies Inc. to replace 200 fluorescent bulbs with an LED conversion kit in Farrand Hall. The initiative is expected to reduce Farrand's energy consumption by 36 percent.
U Idaho Announces Internal Sustainability Grants
The University of Idaho has awarded $25,000 to projects within the institution that seek to advance sustainability efforts on campus and in surrounding communities. The funding has been distributed between nine projects that are led by students, faculty, and staff and involve work in broad areas such as transportation, food systems, waste minimization, energy and education.
U Minnesota Receives $2.2 Million Grant for Biofuel Research
The University of Minnesota and BioCee, a university start-up company, have received a $2.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a bioreactor using bacteria embedded in a thin latex coating to produce hydrocarbon fuel. The funding is part of a larger $151 million pool of money being issued to institutions for renewable energy research.
U New Mexico Receives First LEED Gold Certification
University of New Mexico's Castetter Hall South Addition Phase I has received LEED Gold certification. The $4.3 million Castetter Hall adds 15,867-square-feet of space, research laboratories, and a greenhouse for the school’s biology department. The building is expected to consume 31.5 percent less energy overall than traditional buildings on campus and features low-flow laboratory fume hoods that automatically cut back the amount of exhaust air during inactive times and locally-sourced materials with recycled content wherever possible. In addition, UNM sorted and recycled waste during construction.
U Wisconsin Oshkosh Hires Interim Sustainability Director
The University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh has hired an interim sustainability director after the previous director unexpectedly resigned. Professor of Biology Michael Lizotte, director of the Aquatic Research Laboratory, will serve in the one-year position. Lizotte helped to formalize the sustainability movement on campus and served as a co-captain of the 26-person campus sustainability team officially created in the fall of 2007.
West Virginia U Opens Transportation Hub
West Virginia University has opened Mountaineer Station, a new 7,000-square-foot transportation hub. The $16 million facility, which features facilities for bike storage, bus routes, and walkways, offers commuters a multi-modal way of getting to and around campus.
Angelo State U Starts Recycling Program
The Angelo State University (TX) Campus Recycling Committee has launched a new recycling program on campus. The program will be managed by representatives from different departments.
Appalachian State U Installs Array for Solar Thermal Water Heating
Appalachian State University (NC) has installed 46 solar panels on the roof of its Student Union to provide solar thermal water heating for showers in the fitness center and hand-washing in building restaurants. The $140,000 project will save an estimated $14,000 per year.
Campuses Participate in Global Day of Climate Action
Several campuses in the U.S. and Canada participated in the International Day of Climate Action on October 24, 2009. The campaign, created by 350.org, is dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis.
Champlain College Structure Renovation Earns LEED Gold
Champlain College's (VT) Aiken Hall has received LEED Gold certification. Features that contributed to the award include energy efficient lighting, heating, and elevator installation; improved building envelope through insulation upgrades; salvaged hard-wood floors and re-use of many original building materials; and slat roof shingles and the selection of other regional building materials. Aiken was built in 1885 and renovated in 2008. The structure contains faculty offices, meeting rooms, and special event facilities.
City College of New York to Offer MS in Sustainability in the Urban Env't
The City College of New York (CCNY) has announced plans to begin offering an interdisciplinary Master of Science graduate program in Sustainability in the Urban Environment starting in the spring of 2010. The program will incorporate emerging approaches from the disciplines of architecture, engineering and science. Students in the 30-credit program will be prepared to adapt old and advance new generations of buildings, urban infrastructure, and open spaces using approaches that take into account rapid urbanization, environmental degradation, peak oil, and climate change. The program’s core curriculum lays a foundation in sustainability values, strategies, and metrics through coursework in urban and natural systems, environmental economics, and industrial ecology. It draws upon approaches such as ”˜whole systems thinking’ and life cycle analysis to understand and evaluate complex urban eco-systems
Denison U Opens Green Arts Building
Denison University has opened the Bryant Arts Center, a $14 million reconstruction of a 105-year-old building. The 45,000-square-foot building, which was designed to meet LEED Silver standards, is home to the department of art - both studio art and art history - and has studios for ceramics, painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography and digital media. There are also gallery spaces, electronic classrooms, outdoor performance areas and studio space for seniors and professors. Green features include recycled denim insulation, an HVAC system that is 21 percent more efficient than the standard, a CFC-free cooling system, occupancy sensors, and high-efficiency lighting. Green cleaning methods will be used in the newly-renovated structure.
Denison U Welcomes Sustainability Coordinator
Denison University (OH) has hired Jeremy King as its new sustainability coordinator. King's new role is to coordinate, stimulate, inform, and encourage the community as it takes on issues of sustainability. King received a Bachelor of Arts in biology and education from Denison and holds a master’s in natural resources from Ohio State University. He spent two years in the Peace Corps in Ecuador, where he was a natural resources conservation volunteer who worked with local governments and community organizations to implement sustainable projects.
Florida Gulf Coast U Receives $1 Million for Renewable Energy Chair
Florida Gulf Coast University has received a $1 million gift from John D. Backe, president of the Backe Foundation, to establish the Backe Chair in Renewable Energy Endowed Fund. The University hopes to attract a nationally renowned scholar in renewable energy to teach classes on renewable energy to graduate and undergraduate students, as well as to conduct research on the field of renewable energy. The University is also partnering with the Backe Group to develop a 1.2 million square-foot research and development area.
Frostburg State U to Establish Green Energy Research Facility
Frostburg State University (MD) has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to fund the Renewable Energy Center’s self sufficient, off-the-grid building. The $856,350 grant will assist in purchasing research equipment and computers and employ researchers at the Sustainable Energy Research Facility. The Center will conduct research on the effectiveness of sustainable energy resources in Appalachia.
Harvard U to Purchase Renewable Energy Certificates
Harvard University (MA) has announced plans to purchase renewable energy credits to supply more than 10 percent of the electricity consumed on its Cambridge and Allston campuses. Harvard will purchase half of the power generated by the planned Stetson Wind II facility near Danforth, Maine, as well as the associated renewable energy certificates. Electricity from Stetson Wind II will be generated by 17 1.5 MW turbines.
Kaua’i CC Hosts Farmers’ Market
Kaua’i Community College (HI) has partnered with the Kaua’i Country Farm Bureau to host a weekly farmers’ market on its campus. The market will offer local produce, value-added products, cooking demonstrations from the College’s culinary arts program, and an assortment of local food offerings.
LaGrange College Library Receives LEED Silver
The new Frank and Laura Lewis Library at LaGrange College (GA) has been awarded LEED Silver certification. The new 45,000-square-foot facility features recycled and energy-efficient construction materials, dual-flush toilets and waterless urinals, designated parking spaces for carpool and fuel-efficient vehicles, and natural daylighting. In addition, during site demolition last fall, asphalt and concrete were hauled away for grinding and recycling, and workers minimized daily construction waste by using separate containers to process recyclables like wood, cardboard, plastic, and scrap metal.
Los Angeles Pierce College Opens Green Building
Los Angeles Pierce College (CA) has opened its new Student Services Building, a 48,296-square-foot, three-story green building. The structure features locally made and recycled materials, an abundance of natural light, high quality insulation, and energy efficient lighting. The College is seeking LEED Silver certification for the new structure.
Luther College Hires Energy Conservation Consultant
Luther College (IA) has hired consultants from Sebesta Blomberg, a worldwide engineering firm, to lend direction to a new initiative on energy conservation. The consultants will hold a series of five stakeholder meetings with students, staff, faculty, and administrators to engage the community in discussion on developing the college’s energy conservation program.
Meredith College Student Wins Ntl Green Poetry Competition
Katie Holden, a student at Meredith College (NC), has earned first place with her mother and grandmother in the Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder 2009 poetry contest. Their entry, “Place of Peace,” won the intergenerational competition. Entries were required to be from a team of two or more persons, including a young person and an older person. The creative work expressed the "Sense of Wonder" that each team feels for nature. The contest is in honor of environmental activist Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring .
NC Campuses Embrace New State Ban on Plastic Bottles in Landfills
The State of North Carolina has implemented a law, which went into effect October 1, 2009, that bans plastic bottles from landfills in the state. The Appalachian State University (NC) Office of Sustainability has partnered with ASU Recycles to raise awareness of the new law through an on-campus educational recycling event. The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill has seen an increase in recycling since the new law was announced.
Northwestern Michigan College Offers New Renewable Energy Degrees
Northwestern Michigan College has announced plans to begin offering two new degrees on renewable energy this spring: Renewable Energy Technology – Electrical and Renewable Energy Technology – HVAC. The Electrical version will focus on harnessing wind and solar energy and the HVAC version will emphasize using solar and geo-thermal energy for heating and cooling. Both will look at residential and light commercial scale. The two degrees will be offered as Associates of Applied Science.
