Mother Jones Posts Top 10 Inexpensive and Eco-Friendly Schools
Mother Jones magazine has published its list of the top 10 affordable higher education institutions, many of which focus on sustainability, environmental studies, service learning, and/or alternative energy. Schools in the "MoJo Mini College Guide" include: Berea College (KY); New College of Florida; Hope College (MI); Fisk University (TN); the University of Minnesota, Morris; Kettering University (MI), the College of New Jersey; California State University, Monterey Bay; Warren Wilson College (NC); and the University of Kansas.
NY Times Blogs on Green Campus Rankings and Ratings
The New York Times has published a blog post on emerging campus sustainability ranking and rating systems. The post mentions the Princeton Review, the Sustainable Endowments Institute's Green Report Card, AASHE's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), the Sierra Club's "Eco-Enlightened" Colleges, and the Aspen Institute's Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey of green MBA programs. Campuses mentioned include Harvard University (MA); Yale University (CT); the University of California, Berkeley; the University of New Hampshire; Dickinson College (PA); Middlebury College (VT); and the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Presidents’ Climate Commitment Signatories Attend Leadership Summit
Over 250 higher education leaders attended the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment Leadership Summit in Chicago, IL. Speakers included former President Bill Clinton; Martha J. Kanter, US Undersecretary of Education; S. Richard Fedrizzi, President, CEO, and Founding Chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council; Peter M. Senge, author of The Fifth Discipline and founding chair of the Society for Organizational Learning; and Janine Benyus, biologist and author of six books including Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature .
Rice U Opens 2 Green Dormitories
Rice University (TX) has opened McMurtry College and Duncan College, two green residence halls on campus. The 125,700-square-foot dormitories, with 324 beds each, feature smart air conditioning systems that learn the students' comfort level, open-window and infrared sensors that put the air conditioning unit in setback mode, and green roofs. Duncan College is expected to achieve LEED Gold certification, and McMurtry College is expected to receive LEED Silver.
Several Campuses Switch to Reusable To-Go Containers
Several campus dining halls throughout North America will begin using the "Green Thread," a reusable, to-go food container introduced by ARAMARK Higher Education. The containers, which are dishwasher-safe and go through the same cleaning process as the dinnerware used in campus dining halls, will be offered to students at participating campuses starting this year. The eco-friendly option is expected to divert more than 2 million disposables from landfills during the 2009-2010 school year. The new program is a result of successful pilots at Baylor University (TX), University of Florida, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Peace College (NC), and Salem College (NC).
Treehugger Posts Top 10 Green U.S. Colleges
Treehugger has posted a slideshow of its list of "10 Greenest Colleges in the U.S." Campuses featured include: Tufts University (MA); Warren Wilson College (NC); University of New Hampshire; Middlebury College (VT); University of Colorado at Boulder; Stanford University (CA); University of Washington; University of Oregon; Yale University (CT); and College of the Atlantic (ME).
U Akron Wayne College Opens Green Mixed-Use Building
The University of Akron Wayne College (OH) has opened its Student Life Building, a renovated campus structure that houses classrooms, offices, conference rooms, computer labs, and testing centers. The facility features daylighting, motion activated lights, and glass that clouds over when rooms are unoccupied.
U Colorado Students Plant 20-Acre Organic Farm
Student volunteers at the University of Colorado at Boulder have planted a 20-acre organic farm with more than 30 varieties of vegetables including four types of squash, green beans, pumpkins, Swiss chard, radishes, 10 varieties of tomatoes, seven acres of pinto beans, onions, and cucumbers. The project received a Community Supported Agriculture grant and has grown enough produce to sell extra vegetables at the Boulder Farmers' Market and to a few local restaurants. The 'Beyond Organic Farm' was developed and is run entirely by students.
UC San Diego to Install 2.8 MW Fuel Cell and Storage System
The University of California, San Diego has received $11 million from the California Public Utilities Commission to install a fuel cell energy generation and storage system. The 2.8-megawatt fuel cell coupled with the 2.8-megawatt advanced energy-storage system will allow the University to store off-peak power and discharge the energy during peak-demand hours. In addition, UCSD will capture the waste heat generated by the fuel cell as a continuous power source for 320 tons of chilling capacity to cool campus buildings. The two units are scheduled for completion in 2010.
U Illinois Chicago Prof to Develop Climate Change Diagnostic Toolbox
A University of Illinois at Chicago mathematician has received a $473,000 National Science Foundation Career Award to create a "diagnostic toolbox" - a new set of algorithms that will provide a computational framework to aid climatologists in their predictions about climate change. Rafail Abramov hopes the math tool will help climate scientists narrow down parameters to ones that will make a difference.
U South Carolina Opens Green Residence Hall
The University of South Carolina has opened a new, $47.6 million environmentally-friendly dormitory. The 537-bed facility, which is expected to receive LEED Gold certification, contains construction materials that were purchased from within a 500-mile radius. The 191,000-square-foot residence hall is expected to use 38 percent less water and 30 percent less energy than similarly sized structures. In addition, wood construction scraps were converted into mulch and approximately 85 percent of the demolition materials were recycled.
U Texas El Paso, Cleveland State U Install Green Roofs
The University of Texas at El Paso and Cleveland State University (OH) have each installed a green roof on their campuses. The UT El Paso installation, which is located on top of the Biology Building, is 9,156 square feet and features such plants as regal mist, white evening primrose, and sun gold gazania. The 7,000 square-foot CSU green roof was installed by 20 volunteers and contains 15,000 plants. The installation, which cost $250,000, was a gift donated by the classes of 2009 and 2010.
U Wisconsin, Green Bay Plants Organic Campus Garden
The University of Wisconsin, Green Bay has planted an organic garden next to the campus's Student Union. The 1,200-square-foot garden contains tomatoes, onions, peppers, potatoes, lettuce, and edible flowers. The project, which was spearheaded by an environmental science and policy graduate student, is funded through the student government and will eventually include workshops on composting, seed germination and saving, and preparing food from the garden.
Vanderbilt U, Coastal Carolina U Hold Green Move-Ins
Vanderbilt University (TN) and Coastal Carolina University (SC) have introduced several new initiatives to make their first-year student move-ins more sustainable. Vanderbilt provided 12 water cooler filling stations, distributed reusable water bottles to first-year students, offered Styrofoam recycling, and printed its housing assignment information on paper with recycled content. CCU launched a recycling drive for cardboard boxes and other recyclable materials.
3 Campuses to Launch Programs in Sustainable Development
Columbia University (NY), Emory University (GA), and the University of Florida have been selected by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as three 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.
Arizona State U Art Museum Features Sustainability Theme
Arizona State University's Art Museum has announced plans to showcase a series of projects this fall gathered under the title, "Defining Sustainability." All exhibitions or projects range in materials and format, and are installed throughout the Museum to tell stories of environmental, social, and cultural sustainability.
Babson College, Oregon Inst of Technology Partner for Green Curriculum
Babson College's (MA) Fast Track MBA Program and Oregon Institute of Technology's Renewable Energy Engineering Program have announced a partnership to explore business application for renewable energy technologies. In the pilot program, Babson MBA students in the Northwest region will be matched with students at OIT's Portland campus who are enrolled in the Renewable Energy Engineering program to address business challenges of projects focused on renewable energy products, services, or systems. The goal is to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation that could result in commercializing new green technologies.
Cal State U San Bernardino to Offer 3 New Green Certificates
California State University, San Bernardino has announced plans to add three new green certificate programs to its fall 2009 course offerings. The new certificates, which are offered through the CSUSB extension program, include: Green Building Construction, Green Energy Management, and Sustainable Practices. Each program consists of five courses that can be taken individually or together to earn a certificate.
Christian Chronicle Covers Growth in Green Initiatives at Christian Colleges
The Christian Chronicle has published an article on the increase in sustainability initiatives on Christian college campuses. The story mentions projects at Lubbock Christian University (TX), Lipscomb University (TN), Pepperdine University (CA), Oklahoma Christian University, and Faulkner University (AL).
Christian Science Monitor Covers Ball State U's Geothermal Installation
The Christian Science Monitor has published an article on Ball State University's (IN) geothermal project. BSU is digging 3,750 to 4,000 wells to supply heating and cooling to most buildings on campus. Each well will be five inches in diameter and 400 feet deep. The project will save the University an estimated $2 million annually in fuel costs and will halve the campus' yearly carbon dioxide emissions.
Coastal Carolina U Expands Recycling Program
Coastal Carolina University (SC) has begun an initiative to expand its recycling efforts. Starting this fall, more recycling will be available in dorm rooms, at football games, and during move-in. Each dorm room will receive a yellow recycling bin and fliers and stickers will be available to inform students what can be recycled. Students will be responsible for collecting recyclable materials from each room.
Goucher College Launches MA in Cultural Sustainability
Goucher College (MD) has begun accepting applicants to its new Master of Arts in Cultural Sustainability program. The 38-credit program brings together tools from anthropology, history, communications, business and management, linguistics, and activism. The program aims to teach students how to sustain cultural traditions in an era of increasing homogeneity and globalization. Coursework is conducted as a limited residency, distance-education program, meaning classes are primarily held online and are complemented with two one-week residencies on campus.
Jacksonville State U Unveils New Transit System
Jacksonville State University (AL) has unveiled the Gamecock Express, a new campus bus service that will run continuously from 7am to 10pm Monday through Friday, with limited schedules on the weekends. The routes have been designed to help students travel to and from class, and a city route will allow campus and community members to go shopping. The fleet of 10 buses will be free of charge and will not require a JSU identification card. The University has also implemented restricted parking zones.
James Madison U Opens Green Dining Hall
James Madison University (VA) has opened its new 700-seat East Campus Dining Hall. Green features of the new structure include its location close to bus stops and bike racks, a white membrane that covers 97 percent of the roof and reflects sunlight, water-efficient plumbing, daylighting, and the use of recycled and regionally manufactured building materials. The Dining Hall is registered for LEED certification.
Johnson County CC to Offer 2 New Energy Programs
Johnson County Community College (KS) has announced plans to offer a new Residential Energy Auditing Certificate and an associate's degree in Energy Performance and Resource Management (EPRM) beginning in the fall of 2009. The 25-hour “fast track” certificate program can be completed in 12 weeks. The new program was developed in response to a need for professionals who are able to perform certified energy audits for homeowners in search of stimulus funds for weatherization. The 64-hour EPRM associate's degree program aims to prepare students for the alternative energy technology field. Upon completion of the EPRM coursework, students should be able to understand the science behind active and passive energy systems, analyze energy systems designs, and offer professional advice to consumers to improve energy systems.
Middlebury College Launches 'No-Mow' Project
The Chronicle of Higher Education has posted a video on its Buildings & Grounds blog about a recent initiative at Middlebury College (VT) to reduce the number of times the College mows its lawn per year. The "No-Mow" project has lessened the amount of lawn Middlebury staff mow by 20 acres and has saved approximately 670 gallons of fuel. The post also mentions Cape Cod Community College (MA) which has begun a similar program.
Mid-State Technical College to Start Wind Energy Training Prgm
Mid-State Technical College (WI) has received $160,000 to start a customized training program in wind energy. The program will be an intensive, 12-week, 12-credit course. The 35 people who will receive training as a result of the grant are mostly displaced workers from other industries.
New Mexico State U Receives Solar Funding
New Mexico State University's Southwest Technology Development Institute, a part of the Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE), has received $1.75 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for leadership and operation of the Solar America Board for Codes and Standards (Solar ABCs). Led by the Technology Development Institute, the Solar ABCs is a 10-member consortium of public and private entities that develops national and international codes and standards.
NY Times Publishes Article on Growing Interest in Sustainability Courses
The New York Times has published an article on the growing interest in sustainability in continuing education and extension program curriculum. The story mentions green coursework at University of California, Berkeley; Stanford University (CA); Harvard University (MA); University of Oregon; Duquesne University (PA); City University of Seattle (WA); California State University, Long Beach; and University of Colorado at Boulder.
Rice U Children's Campus Receives LEED Silver
Rice University's (TX) Children's Campus, the institution's early learning facility for children of Rice faculty, staff, and students, has received LEED Silver certification. The 9,750-square-foot building includes light sensors, programmable thermostats, a self-monitoring mechanical system, double-paned windows, dual-flush toilets, and faucet aerators. In addition, more than 90 percent of occupied spaces in the building have access to natural daylight and views to the outdoors.
Roger Williams U Receives Grant for Sustainability Study Abroad
Roger Williams University (RI) has secured a federal grant to create an Interdisciplinary Sustainability Study Abroad Program in the Republic of Turkey. The U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs awarded $96,798 to support the RWU initiative which includes a partnership with Turkish educational institutions to collaborate on issues related to urbanization, pollution remediation, green building design and construction, renewable energy, and public policy.
Sierra Magazine Names Top 20 Coolest Schools
Sierra , the official magazine of the Sierra Club, has released its third annual ranking of planet-preserving colleges and universities. The list of "20 Coolest Schools" is based on a survey e-mailed to "sustainability experts" at institutions in the US and covered the following topics: efficiency, energy, food, academics, purchasing, transportation, waste management, and administration. They top 20 schools in order are: University of Colorado at Boulder; University of Washington; Middlebury College (VT); University of Vermont; College of the Atlantic (ME); The Evergreen State College (WA); University of California, Santa Cruz ; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Los Angeles; Oberlin College (OH); Harvard University (MA); University of New Hampshire; Arizona State University; Yale University (CT); University of Florida; Bates College (ME); Willamette University (OR); Warren Wilson College (NC); Dickinson College (PA); and New York University.
Syracuse U, SUNY ESF Announce Joint Certif in Sustainable Enterprises
Syracuse University (NY) and the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) have announced a joint graduate Certificate of Advanced Study in Sustainable Enterprise (CASSE). The certificate was developed to engage graduate students from a wide range of academic backgrounds in a trans-disciplinary program focused on sustainability strategies for organizations. The CASSE curriculum integrates business, science, engineering, and policy instruction with practical knowledge in sustainability. CASSE candidates will be required to complete three core courses and two electives. The core courses — “Managing Sustainability: Purpose, Principles and Practice,” “Strategic Management and the Natural Environment” and “Sustainability-Driven Enterprise” — are designed to be relevant and accessible to a wide range of disciplines.
Texas Christian U Renovation Receives LEED Gold
Texas Christian University's renovation of Sherley Hall has received LEED Gold certification. The 76,403-square-foot structure, which features 162 double-occupancy sleeping rooms, is the first building on campus to achieve LEED certification. The renovation reduced energy consumption from interior lighting by 41 percent, from exterior lighting by 53 percent, and from cooling by an estimated 40 percent. Water usage decreased by 37 percent.
U Arkansas Partners with PepsiCo to Research Product Sustainability
The University of Arkansas has announced a partnership with PepsiCo to support research on how to create more sustainable products. Under the agreement, PepsiCo will provide a $300,000 grant over three years to UA's Applied Sustainability Center to focus on product sustainability, including life-cycle assessment and a sustainable food index.
U California, Merced to Lead Multi-Campus Solar Energy Research
The University of California, Merced has received a $2.25 million five-year grant to fund a new UC-wide solar energy research program. California Advanced Solar Technologies Institute (CAST) researchers will cover the development of novel photovoltaic devices, which convert sunlight into electricity, and thermal energy for cooling of buildings, industry, and other applications. Other participating institutions include the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Santa Barbara.
U California, San Diego Installs Sun-Tracking Solar Panels
The University of California, San Diego has installed solar panels that automatically track the sun as it crosses the daytime sky and concentrate sunlight onto hundreds of electricity-producing solar cells, each smaller than a shirt button. The 220-square-foot, 5.75 kW concentrating photovoltaic panel is mounted on a movable platform atop a metal pole and has an average efficiency of nearly twice that of conventional photovoltaic technology.
U New Hampshire Football Game Goes Green
University of New Hampshire Athletics has announced a partnership with the UNH University Office of Sustainability to focus on eco-friendly products and choices at the first football game of the season. The 'Go GREEN with the Wildcats'” event will feature volunteers encouraging attendees to recycle and tables offering Wildcat Corporate Partners' green products and services.
Unity College Donates White House Solar Panels to Smithsonian
Unity College (ME) has donated a solar panel that was once installed on the White House to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The panels were originally installed on the roof of the White House above the Oval Office by President Jimmy Carter's administration to heat water in the staff kitchen. The panels were removed in 1986 during the Reagan Presidency and obtained by Unity College in 1991. Sixteen panels were refurbished and installed atop the College's cafeteria. They heated water until 2005 when they reached the end of their lifespan. One of those panels was donated to the museum’s collection in the division of politics and reform. Another panel was donated to the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta.
U North Alabama Receives Green Campus Initiative Funding
The University of North Alabama has received $951,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy for phase two of the University’s Green Campus Initiative, an effort to make UNA facilities as energy-efficient and environmentally friendly as possible. UNA’s Green Campus Initiative projects are designed to promote greater efficiencies of energy usage, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and recycling of appropriate items. Phase one of the initiative includes the current renovation of Keller Hall. The Keller renovation features solar panels, new windows, and a new heating and air system.
U North Carolina Implements Energy Policy
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has implemented a new campus-wide energy policy that aims to decrease energy use by reducing the amount of air conditioning and heating used in buildings. The temperature set points will be between 76 and 78 degrees during the summer and between 69 and 71 degrees during the winter. Most buildings will be programmed to relax these settings (to between 64 and 83 degrees) when buildings typically are unoccupied or have low occupancy. The University expects a savings of between $4 and $5 million per year in energy costs.
U North Carolina Launches U.S. Energy Use Website
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has launched “Powering a Nation,” an experimental multimedia news website that explores U.S. energy use and its relationship to the country’s demographics. Ten Carolina journalism students selected as News21 fellows have been working since January with faculty – joined by two students from Harvard University (MA) and the University of Missouri – to produce stories about wind farms, the electrical grid, mountaintop removal, coal activists, biofuels, religious response to environmental issues, and other topics. The stories are presented as feature articles, multimedia documentaries, motion graphics, blog posts, and games.
Walsh College Receives Green Building of America Award
Walsh College's (MI) Jeffery W. Barry Center has received a Green Building of America Award. The Center will be featured in the Real Estate & Construction Review-Midwest Green Success Stories special edition. The 37,000-square-foot Barry Center incorporates recycled and eco-friendly materials and captures and recycles rain water.
Western Kentucky U to Add Service Learning to State Env'l Ed Prgms
Western Kentucky University’s Center for Environmental Education and Sustainability has announced plans to lead a two-year, $1.5 million project to integrate service learning into environmental education programs in Kentucky. WKU and three other yet-to-be-determined Kentucky universities will incorporate service learning into their teacher education programs. Students in those courses will use service-learning to assess energy use in public buildings near campus and develop a project to decrease energy usage in their target buildings. The project is expected to engage about 360 college students and 4,000 elementary and secondary school students.
3 Campuses Launch Car Sharing Programs
The University of South Florida, Saint Mary's College of California, and West Virginia University have each launched a car-sharing program on campus in partnership with Enterprise Rent-A-Car's WeCar. USF's program will allow drivers to rent one of four hybrid vehicles for a few hours at a time. The WeCar vehicles will be parked in designated spots in two locations on campus, allowing USF students, employees, and others who are at least 18 years old and who have preregistered as WeCar members to access them. Saint Mary's College of California has two cars parked on campus available for student use. In order to be a part of the program, students pay an enrollment fee and can rent a car by the day or by the hour. The College waived the enrollment fee for students who applied before June 1, 2009 and agreed not to bring a car to campus. WVU offers four hybrid rental cars to students who live on campus and to employees in academic departments seeking to cut back on travel expenses.
3 US Universities Join New, UN-Led Climate Initiative
Six universities from the US, UK, Spain, and China have become the first academic institutions to join the Climate Neutral Network (CN Net), an initiative led by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to promote global action to de-carbonize our economies and societies. CN Net participants have agreed to take leadership on the issue of climate change at the local, national, and international levels. The US charter members include College of the Atlantic (ME), The Evergreen State College (WA), and Middlebury College (VT).
Aberdeen U Receives Funding for New Green Energy Center
Aberdeen University (United Kingdom) has opened the Scottish European Green Energy Center. The Center has received £2.6 million to help coordinate the development and distribution of renewable energy technologies. Located in Scotland, the Center will work to develop carbon capture and offshore wind and tidal power systems.
Aims CC to Offer Certificate in Sustainable Building
Aims Community College (CO) has announced plans to launch a two-class certificate in Green/Sustainable Building. The courses will include Renewable Energy Construction and Green and Sustainable Buildings and will cover such topics as zero net (energy) building, passive thermal architecture, LEED criteria, and solar construction techniques.
