U North Carolina Chapel Hill Builds Green Ed Ctr at Botanical Garden
The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill has completed its new Education Center for the North Carolina Botanical Garden. The 29,656-square-foot building is built to LEED Platinum standards and features photovoltaic panels, above- and below-ground rainwater cisterns, storm water retention ponds, geothermal heating and air-conditioning, natural day-lighting and low-flow plumbing. Construction materials were obtained from within a 500-mile radius, including lumber milled from the site. There are also many recycled components, such as steel beams made out of scrap metal from automobiles. The building hosts many educational events and promotes native plant species.
U of Iowa Builds Green Boathouse
The University of Iowa has opened its new, LEED-registered boathouse. The 20,000-square-foot Beckwith Boathouse is expected to be the first new green building on Iowa’s campus and features a geothermal heating and cooling system, daylight harvesting, and the use of local and recycled building materials. In addition, the facility's orientation takes advantage of the sun for heating and cooling.
U San Diego Opens Campus Garden
The University of San Diego (CA) has created a student garden on campus. The goal of the 50-by-10-foot plot is to help connect students to nature and promote sustainability. The garden will also have an academic component, with classes and professors taking responsibility for plots in the garden.
Western New England College Opens Green Dormitory
Western New England College (MA) has completed Southwood Hall, a new residence hall that features geothermal heating and cooling, a solar hot water system, and a storm water recovery system to save rainwater for irrigation. The $11.5 million, 148-bed structure also contains Energy Star-rated appliances, low-flow toilets, and bamboo cabinets.
13 Campuses Pilot Food Carbon Calculator
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale has launched a Green Scholarship Program funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Seven $9,000 undergraduate scholarships will be awarded to low income community college transfer students pursuing a major in science and/or engineering related to the environment. The program will target economically disadvantaged students who are finishing up their general studies at community colleges but cannot afford a four-year education. The funding is part of NSF’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education program.
Central Michigan U Students Plant Three Organic Gardens
Central Michigan University’s Campus Grows student organization has planted three organic vegetable gardens on campus. Campus Grows consists of four students that have led the initiative and spent the summer tending to the gardens. The crops are sold at farmers markets and a coffee house. Some of the food is donated to soup kitchens and food banks as well. Extra plots are sold to students interested in having a personal garden and proceeds go to purchase seed, fencing, and other needs.
Emory U Veterinary Medicine Building Receives LEED Gold
The Clinical Veterinary Medicine Administration Research Building (CVMAR) at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center Field Station at Emory University (GA) has received LEED Gold certification. The 18,000-square-foot facility has achieved a 56 percent water use reduction, 23 percent energy cost savings, and 98.6 percent construction waste diversion. In addition, the structure was built with 27.9 percent recycled content and 50 percent regional materials.
Harvard U Installs 2 Wind Turbines
Harvard University (MA) has installed two 10 kW wind turbines on the top deck of a campus parking garage. The Bergey Excel turbines, which are each perched on 40 foot towers, provide a portion of the energy needed to power the parking center.
Luther College Receives $500K for 1.65 MW Wind Turbine
Luther College (IA) has received a $500,000 grant and a $1,302,385 loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to install a 1.65 MW wind turbine that is expected to generate approximately one-third of the electrical energy consumed by the College each year. Delivery of the turbine is tentatively scheduled for December 2009 with installation to be completed by June 2010. The REAP funds awarded to the Luther wind turbine project are part of the program’s $62.5 million in loans and grants for 705 renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in 45 states and Puerto Rico.
Maharishi U of Management Receives $18K for Prairie Restoration
Maharishi University of Management (IA) has received an $18,000 grant from the Iowa Living Roadway Trust Fund to reconstruct native prairie on 14 acres located on the center of campus. The three-year project will create native prairie parkland with a wide diversity of species, mown paths and borders, park benches, educational kiosks, and plant identification signs. Once established, the environmentally friendly landscaping will be maintained by annual controlled burns.
Mississippi State U Launches Game Day Recycling Program
Mississippi State University's Environmental Collaborative Office (ECO) has joined with the athletic department to promote game day recycling. MSU ECO has set up cardboard recycling boxes to collect aluminum, glass, and plastic at all home football games. The group will also provide tailgating bags on removable poles.
NY Times Covers Harvard U's Transition to Organic Fertilizers
The New York Times has published an article on Harvard University's (MA) transition to using organic fertilizers on campus. The institution, which aims to be fully organic on the 80 acres that it maintains within the next two years, has begun using compost to fertilize its grass, landscaping, and orchard in test plots across campus. Harvard found that the test plots are able to absorb and hold water, which has resulted in a 30 percent irrigation reduction. In addition, the campus is able to compost grass clippings, pruned branches, leaves, and other materials that were previously trucked off campus for $35,000 per year. Furthermore, Harvard is saving $10,000 per year by not having to buy fertilizers. The NYT article also gives basic instructions on how to begin using organic fertilizers.
Purdue U Provides Desk-Side Recycling, Eliminates Desk-Side Trash
Purdue University (IN) has announced plans to expand its pilot desk-side recycling program to the entire campus to help boost recycling rates. The program, launched in one office building in July 2009, provides recycling bins at workers' desks, but requires them to walk to a central location to deposit trash. Within four weeks worker participation reached 99.5 percent and recycling volume doubled. The program is being expanded to six more buildings this semester.
San Diego CCD Partners to Install 2.4 MW Solar System
The San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) has approved a 20-year agreement with Borrego Solar to construct and maintain a photovoltaic system that will provide about 2.4 megawatts of green energy across the district. The system will be financed through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) which will enable the District to access and use solar-generated energy, without the upfront capital costs or operational expenses. Under the agreement, Borrego Solar would build, operate, and maintain the solar system, and sell the generated solar energy back to the District at rates approximately 18 percent below those of San Diego Gas & Electric; a savings of more than $110,000 annually. The solar energy generated by the District system would be enough to meet 26 percent of current peak electrical demand. The photovoltaic program calls for the solar panels to be installed on building rooftops, parking structures, and atop new solar panel shade structures on parking lots throughout the District.
St. Michael's College Institutes Faculty & Staff Recycling Program
St. Michael's College (VT) has begun a new program that aims to encourage faculty and staff to recycle. The night-time custodial crew now audits the contents of staff and faculty trash bins to make sure that they are not throwing away recyclable items. The custodial staff then reports their findings to the Sustainability Coordinator Heather Ellis, who sends the staff or faculty members in question an e-mail to determine the nature of the problem. If employees have repeat offenses, Ellis instructs the custodial staff to stop picking up their trash until they comply with the recycling program.
SUNY Geneseo Launches Car-Share Program
The State University of New York at Geneseo has launched a new car-share program on campus. Students are now able to rent Zipcars for approximately $10 per hour or $70 per day. Gas and insurance are included.
SUNY Geneseo Re-Opens Green Science Hall
The State University of New York at Geneseo has re-opened Greene Hall, a 51,000-square-foot science facility. The renovation includes a new, more efficient air handling system; a constant air volume control that allows the Hall to reduce air qualities significantly when areas are vacant; and an energy measurement system.
Texas State U Begins Composting in Dining Halls
Texas State University has begun the "Bobcat Blend" program, an initiative that offers closed-loop composting in campus cafeterias. Once the waste has decomposed, it is brought back to help fertilize campus flower beds and green space. The program was developed by a graduate horticulture student.
U Albany Announces 2 Transportation Initiatives
University at Albany has announced an initiative to research minimizing harmful automobile emissions and several new alternative transportation options. School of Business Associate Professor Sanjay Goel has been awarded the $25,000 AT&T Industrial Ecology Faculty Fellowship for research into the coordination and optimization of traffic signals as a means to minimize wait-times at intersections, thereby reducing automobile engine idling time and greenhouse gas emissions. The new alternative transportation options include hybrid buses, Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), public bus systems, and bike and ride sharing programs. The new 30-36-seat passenger hybrid buses will be integrated into the University’s mass transit fleet and used for student, faculty, and staff transportation between the University’s various campuses. The University’s GEMs — which now total 13 – are two and four-passenger, low-speed vehicles used for facilities services and repairs, athletics events and services, parking lot management, and transportation of campus mail and small equipment.
U New Hampshire Publishes Book on its Sustainability Program
The University of New Hampshire has published, "The Sustainable Learning Community: One University's Journey to the Future." The new book details how the University of New Hampshire, home to one of the oldest endowed offices of sustainability in the nation, has been integrating sustainability across its curriculum, operations, research, and engagement in the last 10-plus years. The book shares the perspectives of more than 60 authors from UNH and beyond on subjects ranging from curriculum to climate change to compost.
U North Carolina Chapel Hill Launches 'Carolina Green' Campaign
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has launched a new inter-departmental “Carolina Green” campaign to identify and promote university programs that support a healthy and responsible approach to the “green” issues of environmental integrity, economic prosperity, and social equity. Carolina Green offers an online directory of university resources, a range of committees working to improve campus practices, and resources to help individuals and departments have a greener impact on their world.
Utah State U Students Build Three Campus Gardens
Utah State University College of Agriculture and College of Natural Resources students have presented three new campus gardens and companion interpretive panels. The gardens were completely designed and created by USU horticulture students in the Low Water Use Landscaping classes. Students from Natural Resources Interpretation classes teamed up to create interpretive wayside panels for each plot. The panels illustrate three thematic gardens, including the pollinator garden, ideas for gardening with native plants, and historical uses of Utah plants garden.
Virginia Commonwealth U Building Wins Green Award
The Walter L. Rice Education Building at the Virginia Commonwealth University Rice Center has been named the region’s Overall Project of the Year and Green Project of the Year in the Mid-Atlantic Construction magazine’s Best of 2009 awards program. The LEED Platinum certified building was noted for the sustainable aspects of the structure and serves as an education tool for students.
Washington U St. Louis Installs Green Roof
Washington University in St. Louis (MO) has installed a 10,150-square-foot green roof on top of a campus residence hall. The roof contains grass, native plants, and 110,000 pounds of soil. The University expects that 90 percent of rainwater that falls on a green roof will be absorbed by the soil and vegetation, reducing the amount of runoff that flows to sewers and increasing the amount of rainfall naturally recycled through the atmosphere. The green roof also acts as insulation, keeping the building underneath cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, which reduces energy usage.
Wayne State U Offers Grad Certificate in Sustainable Engineering
The Wayne State University (MI) College of Engineering has begun offering a graduate certificate program in sustainable engineering. The program is intended for both current graduate students as well as the technical and scientific workforce of the metro Detroit region. The new certificate requires 13 credit hours of sustainable engineering education in chosen courses from all of the engineering departments. Students can choose from such courses as "Water Supply and Wastewater Engineering," "Ethics in Engineering and Construction" and "Alternative Energy Technology System and Design.
Wilfrid Laurier U Introduces Reusable Plastic Food Container
Wilfrid Laurier University's (ON) Food Services has introduced a new, reusable plastic food container to reduce the amount of waste produced from cardboard takeout containers. The reusable “eco-takeout” containers cost $5. Regular, disposable takeout containers will still be available for a cost of 25 ¢, an “eco-tax” that will fully recover the cost of the disposable container. To ensure the reusable containers remain hygienic, students are able to drop off their eco-takeout container at any Food Services outlet on campus to be washed. In exchange they will receive a properly washed eco-takeout container or a card that will allow them to take an eco-takeout container the next time they need one.
ACUPCC Signatories Submit Public Climate Action Plans
Several U.S. campuses have submitted Climate Action Plans (CAP) as part of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment. The plans illustrate the specific steps schools are taking to reach climate neutrality. The CAP is the second major reporting requirement of the Commitment and is due within two years of signing. September 15, 2009 was the first deadline for the Commitment's original members. The submitted plans can be viewed through the ACUPCC Reporting System.
Arizona State U Retrofits Lighting
Arizona State University has begun a project to retrofit over 10,000 lighting fixtures in and around 13 buildings. The project, which is schedule for completion in December 2009, is expected to save $100,000 annually on utility bills.
Butte College Builds New Energy Efficient Arts Center
Butte College (CA) has completed its new 77,000-square-foot Arts Center. The facility's energy use is 35 percent above the California Energy Code requirements and its water consumption is 48.5 percent less than traditional buildings of the same type. Green features include low-flow toilets, waterless urinals, a solar array, and an electric vehicle refueling station.
Campuses Add, Expand Car-Share Programs
Carleton College (MN); Winona State University (MN); California State University, Chico; and Vermont Law School have established new car-share programs on their campuses. The institutions implemented the new programs to help reduce parking congestion and to offer alternative transportation to students, faculty, and staff. The University of Florida has expanded its current car-share program to include students and staff and has increased its car-sharing fleet to include 3 new vehicles.
Clemson U, Montana State U Open Farmers' Markets on Campus
Clemson University (SC) and Montana State University have launched fall farmers' markets on campus. At Clemson, students have established a monthly fall market that will offer food from Clemson's organic farm and from local growers. The market, which was pioneered by sophomore Angela Nixon, received a one-time $10,000 grant from the state Agricultural Department. At MSU, students have begun a fall market at which they sell vegetables that were grown on the University’s horticulture farm to faculty, staff, students, and the community.
Colorado State U Professor Receives Village Earth Award
Professor Bryan Wilson of Colorado State University has received the Maurice L. Albertson Medal in Sustainable Development from Village Earth, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable community-based development around the world. Professor Wilson has been a part of CSU’s Engines and Energy Conservation Lab for the past 18 years where he has helped to develop two-stroke engine retrofit technology. This technology is used to retrofit dirty engines mostly located in Asia. In 2006, Wilson co-founded Solix Biofuels to commercialize technology to produce oil from algae and turn it into biodiesel. He is now the director of CSU’s Clean Energy Super Cluster, which works to maximize the impact of energy solutions developed in laboratories across campus.
Concordia U Builds New Green Business Building
Concordia University (QC) has opened a new building that houses its John Molson School of Business. Green features include low-flow plumbing, use of grey water, and a roof top garden. The facility also contains a solar wall that can generate up to 25 kW of electricity and 75 kilowatts of heat. The school is registered for LEED Silver certification.
Elon U Establishes Ride-Share Prgm for Faculty, Staff, & Students
Elon University (NC) has established a new ride-share program to encourage faculty, staff, and students to car-pool. The program allows those interested in car-pooling to register through an online database. The database consists of two sections – one for normal commuting and one for special destinations.
Five Institutions Receive $2.6 M Grant for Minority Education
The University of Washington, Boise State University, Oregon State University, Portland State University, and Washington State University have received the Pacific Northwest Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, a $2.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation that aims to increase the number of bachelor's degrees awarded to minorities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Currently, the four-year partners award about 350 degrees to underrepresented minorities in the STEM fields; the five-year goal is to increase this number to 700. Students will be provided with financial, academic, social and professional support in a coordinated effort to help them succeed.
Grist Releases Campus Sustainability Video
Grist, an online environmental news network, has posted a video on campus sustainability. The video discusses green campus initiatives at the College of the Atlantic (ME).
Kansas State U’s Ctr for Sustainable Energy Hires 14 Grad Assistants
Fourteen Kansas State University graduate students representing six departments and three colleges have been awarded assistantships to conduct research in sustainable energy for the 2009-10 academic year. K-State's Center for Sustainable Energy requests proposals annually from eligible K-State faculty in support of the assistantships for projects related to enhancing research on renewable energy topics. The assistantships are intended to expand the current research base at K-State and encourage new research clusters addressing issues related to renewable energy. Proposals included bioenergy research topics in plant genetics, biomass production, conversion processes and utilization, as well as wind, solar, and economic issues related to renewable energy.
Macalester College Building Receives LEED Platinum Certification
Macalester College (MN) has received LEED Platinum certification for Markim Hall. The $7.5 million, 17,000-square-foot facility houses the Institute for Global Citizenship, civic engagement, study abroad and international programs, faculty and staff offices, meeting rooms, and an open atrium for campus events. Green features include native landscaping, storm water management, and triple-glazed and low-e glass in windows which have been treated to prevent transmission of heat. Energy simulation models predict that Markim Hall will use about 80 percent less energy than a standard building in Macalester’s climate. The Platinum level certification is the first LEED certification received by the College.
Northern Arizona U Establishes New Sustainability-Focused School
Northern Arizona University has combined the Department of Geology with the Center for Sustainable Environments to create the new School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability. The new department combines educational programs and outreach in environmental sciences, environmental studies and geology, and graduate programs in environmental sciences and policy and geology. The University hopes that by bringing these two departments together students will have more opportunities for hands on experience with federal agencies such as the National Parks Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
Portland State U Opens Green Building Research Lab
Portland State University (OR) has opened its new Green Building Research Laboratory. The lab, which will also serve as a teaching tool for students, provides a place for university researchers to work in close collaboration with industry partners to help solve the fundamental and applied research needs of the green building industry.
Portland State U Receives Sustainability Leadership Award
Portland State University (OR) has received the Cecil D. Andrus Leadership Award for Sustainability and Conservation from Sustainable Northwest, a nonprofit that works to promote solutions to land management challenges. PSU received the award for its partnership with the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation. The Cecil D. Andrus Leadership Awards for Sustainability and Conservation are bestowed annually to individuals, nonprofit organizations, or collaborative community-based efforts that demonstrate a commitment to conservation of the environment, outreach and service to community, adaptability and innovation, and leadership of others to pursue similar sustainable paths.
Santa Clara U Doubles Renewable Energy Purchases
Santa Clara University (CA) has committed to doubling its annual use of renewable energy to 22,512 MW. Seventy-five percent of the University’s electricity is now purchased through renewable energy certificates which guarantee clean energy is being used.
Smith College Replaces Lighting in Indoor Sports Facility
Smith College (MA) has completed a full light replacement in its Indoor Track and Tennis facility. The project replaced 120 metal halide light fixtures, each of which used 1,000 watts, with 144 fixtures that use 600 watts per unit. Smith expects the lighting project to save $38,000 per year. The College plans to install motion sensors to automatically shut off the lights when not use.
Temple U Receives EPA's Env'l Achievement Award
The Temple University (PA) Computer Recycling Center has received one of the 2009 Environmental Achievement Awards from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mid-Atlantic Region. The Center has recycled and rehabbed more than 27,000 computers, monitors, printers, and scanners since its inception in 2003. The Center is funded through income from a Temple policy that requires all Temple faculty and staff to pay a $50 recycling fee every time they purchase a computer through the University.
Texas State Technical College Installs Solar Array
Texas State Technical College has received an $88,000 grant from Green Mountain Energy Company to install a 60-panel solar array that will produce 13,000 kilowatt hours per year. The installation is expected to save the College approximately $300,000 in electric bills over the next 30 years.
The King's U College Launches Sustainability Committee
The King's University College (AB) has launched a new sustainability committee. The Campus Sustainability Coalition, which seeks to advance sustainability throughout the campus, is made up of twelve members that include students, staff, faculty, and the president. Coalition members have divided into three task forces that focus on researching the most effective methods to conduct annual environmental audits, integrating campus sustainability into all aspects of the University’s strategic plan, and seeking out external funding opportunities.
U California Berkeley Assigns Green Summer Reading
The University of California, Berkeley College of Letters and Science has completed its summer reading project, the On the Same Page program, in which first-year students were asked to read The Omnivore's Dilemma , written by UC Berkeley Professor Michael Pollan. Each year, the program selects a work or works by a leading thinker or artist for incoming students to read and reflect on, and for L&S faculty to teach to in seminars as well as their regular courses.
U Minnesota Football Stadium Receives LEED Silver
The University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium has been awarded LEED Silver certification. Green design features of the 50,805-seat football facility include a storm water management system that allows rain water to be captured into an underground filtering system outside the stadium where it is harvested, filtered, and drained into the Mississippi River; 90 percent recycled steel; a reflective roof to reduce heat island effect; and low VOC paint, carpet, sealants, and adhesives. Construction of the stadium began in July 2007 and was completed July 2009.
U Mississippi to Post Real-Time Energy Use on Facebook, Twitter
The University of Mississippi is partnering with SmartSynch Inc., a smart grid infrastructure company, to set up smart meters in campus buildings that will track power usage in real time. The University plans to publish the real-time results for the general public on Facebook, Twitter, and RSS feeds. UM to identify a detailed pattern of electricity usage at its buildings and, using the smart meter data, determine methods to reduce electricity consumption and carbon emissions. The program is part of the University's "Red, Blue and Green" campaign.
U Oregon Completes Green Orientation Program
The University of Oregon has completed its first green orientation program, Project Tomato. The program enabled ten first-year students to embark on a four-day trip exploring UO dining services and its connections to local agriculture. The students biked to and camped at local farms, worked with farm staff to harvest about 1,000 pounds of tomatoes, and made pizza sauce to use in the dining hall. Participants also learned about permaculture, agriculture that relies on renewable resources and a self-sustaining eco-system. Project Tomato is managed by the OU Office of Sustainability.
