Debut Issue of Sustainability Accounting, Mgmt and Policy Journal
The inaugural issue of the Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal explores whether social accounting might become a multidisciplinary field, whether market participants see value in the publication of sustainability reports and how human rights' values influence the development of social responsibility practice. New from Emerald Group Publishing Limited, the journal features articles geared toward practitioners, policymakers and researchers.
New Issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., has published Vol. 3, No. 6 of Sustainability: The Journal of Record. The December issue includes a look at the sociotechnological challenges faced in "The Future of Urban Sustainability"; an editorial by SCA Tissue Sustainability Marketing Manager Mike Kapalko that examines how businesses currently marketing a green image can avoid falling into the greenwashing trap; and a book review of Michael Russo’s "Companies on a Mission: Entrepreneurial Strategies for Growing Sustainably, Responsibly, and Profitably."
A Review of the Treatment of Climate Change in Economic Textbooks
The Sightline Institute, a resource for best practices for public policy in the Northwest, has released a review of the bestselling economic textbooks for their treatment of climate change. "Grading Economics Textbooks on Climate Change" reveals that of 16 textbooks, more than half are using information on climate change that is several years old. Five books fell into the "not recommended" category for factual inaccuracies, omissions and misinformation in the face of widespread scientific consensus.
BioCycle Upgrades Online Composting Facilities Directory
BioCycle Magazine has released a new, more user-friendly version of FindAComposter.com, a publicly searchable directory of composting facilities in the U.S. and Canada. The magazine created the online directory and resource guide in partnership with the Biodegradable Products Institute in an effort to make it easier to divert organic waste streams and buy compost. Visitors to the site may now enter a ZIP code to identify composting facilities within a 50-mile radius or may search for facilities by name. The new site offers the ability to integrate with social media platforms and an upcoming "Feedstock" blog will include site profiles and links to current events and stories in the world of organics recycling.
U.S. Dept of Energy's 'Guide to Financing EnergySmart Schools'
The U.S. Department of Energy has released the new "Guide to Financing EnergySmart Schools." Written for school administrators and board members, the document provides information on the process of financing energy-efficient school renovations, retrofits or new construction and outlines the advantages and disadvantages of a variety of financing mechanisms.
AASHE Debuts Searchable Forum Database
AASHE has unveiled a new search interface that allows forum visitors to search through all entries posted on AASHE's Campus Sustainability Discussion Forum. Posts are searchable by forum topic or terms, with the option to limit searches to STARS and the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) posts.
AASHE Open Space Conf Call: Ed for Sustainability Info Exchange
Kankakee Community College (IL) Dean of Sustainability and Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium (HEASC) Sustainability Fellow Bert Jacobson addressed topics related to educating for a sustainable future through collaboration and institutional transformation during this November AASHE Open Space Conference Call. Available free online to AASHE members, Jacobson discusses the Sustainability Task Force of the South Metropolitan Higher Education Consortium's Sustainability Planning Workshop and the current status and lessons learned from the Illinois Green Economy Network’s statewide effort to create a standardized Greening Your Curriculum for faculty.
USGBC 'Hands-On LEED: Guiding College Student Engagement'
The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council has released "Hands-On LEED: Guiding College Student Engagement." Intended for campus staff and faculty, the document discusses how to involve students in green building projects and facilitate their contributions to the LEED certification process. The guide outlines three options for engaging students including course work, internships and volunteer opportunities, and provides implementation options for each.
AASHE List of Campus Telecommuting Policies
AASHE has released a new list of campus telecommuting policies. Offering a telecommute program for employees helps to cut down transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. Telecommuting programs are also recognized in AASHE's STARS program as a tier-two credit. This resource is available to AASHE members only.
AASHE, USGBC, Kyoto Publishing: 'Climate Neutral Campus Report'
In collaboration with AASHE and the U.S. Green Building Council, Kyoto Publishing, USA has released the second edition of the "Climate Neutral Campus Report." The report features white papers, case studies and interviews with practitioners to deliver a fresh perspective on how sustainability is impacting and being driven by faculty, administrators, facilities managers and students. This project aims to accelerate the adoption of green building and sustainability initiatives on campuses by educating the major stakeholders about the successful initiatives and rapid return on investment that colleges and universities are achieving.
New Issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., has published Vol. 3, No. 5 of Sustainability: The Journal of Record. The October issue features a salary survey of sustainability professionals, conducted by the University of California, San Diego Extension in collaboration with the journal; a look at the policies, programs and results of sustainable travel; and a roundtable discussion of sustainability as an academic discipline with educators from Ithaca College (NY), Philadelphia University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Slippery Rock University (PA), Baldwin-Wallace College (OH), Drew University (NJ) and Dalhousie University (NS).
USGBC Guide to Multiple-Building, On-Campus Building Projects
The U.S. Green Building Council has released the "2010 LEED Application Guide for Multiple Buildings and On-Campus Building Projects." The free document was created to provide guidance when applying the LEED rating systems to multiple-building and on-campus projects that are on a shared site under the control of a single entity including educational campus installations.
AASHE 2010 Conference Coverage
For a look at panels, keynote speakers and meeting discussions during the AASHE 2010 conference, held Oct. 10-12 in Denver, visit the AASHE Campus Sustainability Blog. Blog posts include recaps of the largest Student Summit in AASHE conference history, the Curriculum Call to Action and Working with Athletics discussions, STARS Town Hall Meeting and keynote speaker presentations.
USGBC 'Roadmap to a Green Campus'
The U.S. Green Building Council has released "Roadmap to a Green Campus," which provides strategies for using the LEED green building certification program as a framework for developing and evolving campus-wide sustainability plans. The document references more than 100 tools and resources to support campus greening efforts including profiles of institutional success stories.
New Issue of Int'l Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
The latest issue of Emerald Group Publishing Limited's International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education features a research paper from Arizona State University titled, "Real-World Learning Opportunities in Sustainability: From Classroom into the Real World." The study analyzes the aim of academic sustainability programs to develop key competencies in sustainability including problem-solving skills and the ability to collaborate successfully with experts and stakeholders. The new issue also includes a conceptual paper from the University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji, that highlights the importance of values and beliefs rooted in "non-Western" cultures in implementing global education initiatives like sustainable development at the regional and local levels.
Northwest Earth Institute's Human and Enviro Health Course Book
The Northwest Earth Institute has released a new discussion course book titled, "A World of Health: Connecting People, Place and Planet." The six-session resource explores the interaction between human and environmental health with readings by leading authors in the field, links to relevant educational video clips, short homework assignments with accompanying discussion questions and weekly What You Can Do lists.
SEED: American Association of Community Colleges Green Job Center
The American Association of Community Colleges, together with ecoAmerica, has launched a leadership initiative and resource center to provide guidance and resources for community colleges to reduce campus pollution and prepare students for careers in the emerging green economy. The SEED Center (Sustainability Education & Economic Development) is an online collection of free resources including curricula material and promising practices, as well as a place to for colleges to share information and interact with peers.
AASHE Debuts 'AASHE Bulletin' Database
AASHE has made available every published Bulletin story, event, opportunity and job listing in one searchable interface with the launch of the AASHE Bulletin database. The interface can be used to search for specific Bulletin items or to browse the database of published Bulletin items from 2008 to present. Users can search by issue date, story topic or date range. This resource is available to AASHE members only.
AASHE Interview Series: Ventex President Harrison Murphy
AASHE recently interviewed Ventex President Harrison Murphy, kicking off a new series of interviews with AASHE Business Leader Members and other selected businesses. Murphy talked about his company's commitment to sustainability and how he sees Ventex, which provides fire barrier and other highly engineered fabrics, contributing to campus sustainability efforts.
Food and Energy Systems Course Module
Creative Change Educational Solutions has developed a Food and Energy Systems course module for higher education institutions. Available through the organization's Curriculum and Resource Center, the unit provides enough instruction for six to nine weeks. Sample lessons include "Community Food Systems Map," "Energy Transfer in Food Chains" and "Life Before Ketchup," which explores the geographic origins of common foods to learn how trade has shaped food systems over time.
Second Nature Report: Teaching Concepts of Sustainable Building
Second Nature, with the U.S. Green Building Council, has released "Advancing Education for Sustainability: Teaching the Concepts of Sustainable Building to All Students." The strategy paper explores the role of the built environment in educating students about sustainability and provides guidance for higher education to integrate and practice strategies to teach students about sustainable building principles. Included in the paper is a set of core sustainable building concepts, examples of institutions that are successfully teaching their students about sustainability and an appendix of resources.
AASHE Campus Sustainability Case Studies
AASHE has released a campus sustainability case study database which features more than 60 case studies from across the U.S. and Canada. The case studies span all sectors of campus sustainability including campus operations, education and research, and planning, engagement and administration. The case study database was built in response to AASHE member demand and is intended to foster information sharing between campuses and serve as a useful resource for accelerating campus sustainability. The database also serves as a repository for case studies submitted as part of AASHE's campus sustainability case study awards program. This resource is available to AASHE members only.
AASHE List of Campus Supported Agriculture and Farms
AASHE has published a collection of campus farms and campus supported agriculture programs that are sources of sustainable food for the campus community. These CSA farms and programs supply locally grown food to campus eateries and members of the campus community. This resource is available to AASHE members only.
AASHE List of Campus Energy Dashboards
AASHE has published a new resource that lists building energy dashboards in use at colleges and universities. Energy dashboards monitor the energy consumption of a facility and can present the data to users in an interactive way. They may be physically available as touchscreens installed at kiosks in or near the facility being monitored, or made available online at a website. This resource is available to AASHE members only.
Second Nature, USGBC: Advancing Ed for Sustainability
Second Nature and the U.S. Green Building Council have released "Advancing Education for Sustainability: Teaching the Concepts of Sustainable Building to All Students." The paper explores the role of the built environment in educating students about sustainability. In addition to providing an appendix of action-oriented resources, the paper provides a core set of sustainable building concepts, examples of institutions that are successfully teaching their students about sustainability, and recommendations of steps that higher education institutions can take to provide students with the knowledge and skills to create a sustainable future.
New Issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. has published Vol. 3, No. 4 of Sustainability: The Journal of Record. The August issue features an editorial about real-world sustainability education by Steven Cohen, executive director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Also included in the new issue is a look at the rewards of eco-friendly measures for professional sports teams, and a paper from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University that seeks to lay out a strategy to achieve more widespread adoption of sustainability measurement.
AASHE Releases 'A Call to Action' for Higher Ed Sustainability
AASHE has released Sustainability Curriculum in Higher Education: A Call to Action, a culmination of the ideas presented during AASHE’s Summit on Sustainability in the Curriculum , held February 25-27, 2010 in San Diego, Calif. The meeting brought together faculty from public and private four-year colleges and universities, two-year community colleges, and representatives from higher education organizations to address how higher education institutions can further infuse sustainability topics into college and university curricula. The 13-page report is available free from the AASHE website.
AASHE List of Campus Stormwater Policies
AASHE has published a new resource that lists campus stormwater policies and procedures. This new resource exists independently of water conservation policies, which can be found within general Campus Water Conservation Policies. This resource is available to AASHE members only.
BioCycle Collects Composting Curriculum Stories
BioCycle's July issue features case studies of campuses that have tied composting into academic programs. Projects featured in the composting and organics recycling magazine include Allegheny College's (PA) in-vessel composting operation for food scraps; Appalachian State University's (NC) pilot aerated static pile project; Clark University's (MA) student-initiated composting lectures and labs opportunities; Guilford College's (NC) in-vessel composting program to manage food and other compostable waste from the dining hall; Murray State University's (KY) compost and gardening program; and the University of Georgia's composting research initiatives.
AASHE List of Campus Community Gardens
AASHE has published a new resource that lists institutions that have campus community gardens that use organic gardening techniques. Nearly 100 institutions in the U.S. and Canada are currently represented. This resource is available to AASHE members only.
New Issue of Int'l Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
The latest issue of Emerald Group Publishing Limited's International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education features a case study from Univeristi Sains Malaysia about the creation of an MBA program in sustainable development. The study includes examples and ideas for promoting sustainable development for the business community. The new issue also includes sustainability stories from Japan and New Delhi universities.
New Issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. has published Vol. 3, No. 3 of Sustainability: The Journal of Record. David B. Goldstein presents an energy-efficient alternative to a future of continued oil use in the editorial, "Save More, Spill Less," and the University of Maryland, College Park is profiled for its sustainability efforts. Also included in the new issue is an interview with Wildlife Conservation Society's J. Carter Ingram and a book review of Joan Fitzgerald's "Emerald Cities: Urban Sustainability and Economic Development."
AASHE List of Sustainability Study Abroad Programs
AASHE has published a new resource that lists institutions with active sustainability study abroad programs (general and discipline-specific). Also included are sustainability-centered study abroad programs offered by study abroad organizations. The resource is available to AASHE members and non-members.
Pennsylvania State U Water Conservation Booklet
Water resource educators with Pennsylvania State University's Cooperative Extension outline how water is wasted, why it is important to stop the waste cycle, and what communities and individuals can do to save water in a new water conservation booklet titled “Water Conservation for Communities.” The publication targets officials and residents served by community water systems, and features a chart that outlines the correlation between saving water and lowering electricity costs.
AASHE Interview Series: UCSD Sustainability Coord Maggie Souder
AASHE recently interviewed University of California, San Diego's Sustainability Coordinator, who talked about her work promoting sustainability at the university, the different ways that she incorporates the social dimensions of sustainability into her work, and gave advice to others in her position who are just starting out.
AASHE Releases 2009 Annual Report
AASHE has released the AASHE 2009 Annual Report , an annual summary of highlights from the association's national efforts to make higher education institutions more sustainable. Of note in 2009 is AASHE's launch of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) and the Business Alliance Program. The 16-page report is available free from the AASHE website.
Sustainability a Major Theme in IBM College Student Survey
In a new multi-national study conducted by IBM's Institute for Business Value, globalization and sustainability were persistent themes among college students. The research compared the views of 3,600 college and graduate students in 40 countries with 1,541 CEOs in 60 countries. When asked for a ranking of factors that would impact organizations over the next five years, 55 percent of students chose globalization while only 23 percent of CEOs did. Students were also more than twice as likely as CEOs to expect major consequences from scarcity of resources such as energy and water. That divergence of opinion was most evident among North American students, who were three times as likely as CEOs to state that they expected a significant impact. That same geographic group was also 54 percent more likely to say that customer expectations for social responsibility would increase significantly.
Global Warming a Serious Problem, Says 71% of College Students
A 2010 survey of American college students initiated by the Panetta Institute for Public Policy found that 71 percent of students consider global warming a very to somewhat serious problem. Since 2001, the Panetta Institute has sponsored a yearly survey of U.S. college students that explores a range of issues, from sustainability to interest in public service.
NCAA Environmental Sustainability Practices Survey
Eighty percent of key decision makers in NCAA athletic departments have a positive perspective toward developing environmental initiatives, according to a survey conducted by Falmouth, Massachusetts-based ProGreenSports. The second annual survey of green practices within NCAA departments revealed that almost 40 percent of the departments have formed internal "green teams," almost twice the number in 2009. More than 35 percent have developed or are actively considering the development of short term and long term sustainability goals. Decision makers in more than 70 NCAA athletic departments participated in the May 2010 survey.
AASHE Releases Annual Review of Sustainability in Higher Ed
AASHE has released AASHE Digest 200 9, an annual review of sustainability in higher education. The 380-page report, available free from the AASHE website, includes over 1,250 stories that appeared in the weekly AASHE Bulletin last year. Initiatives from nearly 600 higher education institutions are organized into 24 chapters, spanning education and research, campus operations, and administration and finance. In addition, the publication contains over 110 new campus sustainability resources that were released in 2009.
New Report on Green Building Trends in Higher Education
American campuses now host more than 3,000 LEED-registered projects, according to a new white paper released by Yudelson Associates titled "Green Building Trends in Higher Education." These efforts represent 15 percent of the total of all LEED projects. The four campuses with the most LEED project registrations include the University of Florida; Harvard University (MA); the University of California, Santa Barbara; and the University of Washington.
Recording of Engaging Students in STARS
AASHE's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) has posted a recording of its most recent webinar, "Engaging Students in STARS: A Student and Staff Perspective." The recording gives a detailed overview of how to engage students in STARS, including first-hand experiences from a student perspective, lessons learned and best practices, connecting students with stakeholders, and having fun while getting valuable work done.
STARS How-To Videos for Reporting Tool
AASHE's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) has launched a series of how-to videos to help guide participants through using the STARS Reporting Tools. The videos are approximately three minutes in length and provide detailed information about specific features of the Tool. Current videos include: Logging into the STARS Reporting Tool and Adding Users to a STARS Report. Additional videos will be posted as they become available.
STARS Template PowerPoint
AASHE's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) has published a template PowerPoint presentation to help spread the word about STARS on campus and learn more about the program. The STARS Overview Presentation is available to STARS participants and non-participants.
U Montana Study on 4-Day Work Week
The University of Montana has released a study on the financial benefits, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions savings, and consequences of a 4-day work week. As part of the study, 17 higher education institutions that have studied or implemented a 4-day week responded to a set of common questions on the topic. Identified benefits included increase in staff morale and productivity, less use of sick leave, and monetary energy consumption savings. No academic issues or consequences were reported. Obstacles listed included accommodation of childcare issues, class scheduling, getting buy-in from Boards of Trustees and the state legislature, and clarification of holiday pay issues.
Report on College Env'l Management Systems
The Campus Consortium for Environmental Excellence (C2E2) has released its 2010 Survey of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) at Colleges and Universities . The report found that EMS implementation at U.S. colleges and universities has increased over 300 percent since 2006 when a similar survey was conducted. Other findings include: the overwhelming EMS priority continues to be compliant with applicable environmental regulations, such as hazardous waste requirements; accountability and management review – based on the establishment of formal objectives and targets – was seen as the single most important factor leading to positive changes; and more than 40 percent of respondents reported that sustainability is being addressed within the scope of their EMS. More than 150 individuals from 133 colleges and universities responded to the 2010 survey.
Webinar Recording: Enhancing Energy Conservation
Pulse Energy has posted a recording of its recent webinar, "Enhancing Energy Conservation and Efficiency with Occupant Engagement." The webinar gives an overview of approaches to enabling occupancy engagement on energy conservation in commercial and institutional buildings, discusses the role energy information systems can play to support your employee and student engagement, and offers tips and practical suggestions for supporting your constituents in changing their energy consumption.
AASHE Resource on Example Sustainability Officer Job Descriptions
AASHE has added and updated a significant number of example sustainability officer job descriptions to its Campus Sustainable Officers Example Job Descriptions resource. Positions listed in the resource have been broadened to include those related to communications, green building, and recycling. These updates were provided by the results of AASHE's 2010 Campus Sustainability Staffing Survey (official results of the Survey will be released soon).
College Planning & Management - Green Issue
The April issue of College Planning & Management is focused on sustainability this year and provides information and examples on green building and sustainable campus planning. Topics covered include education for sustainability at the University of California, San Diego (“Learning Green” by Rex Graham); repurposed materials for buildings at Johnson State College (VT) (“A New Use for Old Wood Bleachers” by Tonya West); and green IT at campuses across the country (“IT Is Easy Being Green” by Rhonda Morin). The issue also features an article on the importance of leadership from senior administrators in embedding a sustainability perspective into the culture of the institution ("The Commitment to Change" by Tony Cortese and Georges Dyer).
New Issue of Sustainability: Journal of Record
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. has published Volume 3, Number 2 of Sustainability: The Journal of Record. The new issue features a roundtable on sustainability in graduate schools, an article on campus sustainability through civic engagement at the University of Wyoming, and a book review of Boldly Sustainable: Hope and Opportunity for Higher Education in the Age of Climate Change .
