Vanderbilt U Students Complete Sustainable Living Guide
A group of 16 Vanderbilt University (TN) students have completed "Future Trends: How to Live Sustainably," a 64-page guide that explains what living sustainably means and how to overcome the challenges it presents. After searching for a sustainable living guide without success, Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor John Ayers decided to have his class write the book. The students picked their own topics and wrote 6-8 page papers that served as their first term papers as well as the chapters of the book.
College of Marin Starts Organic Farm
The College of Marin (CA) Indian Valley campus has started an organic farm on its land. The 5.8 acre demonstration farm and garden is part of a new program launched in a collaboration involving the college, Marin Conservation Corps and University of California Cooperative Extension-Marin Master Gardeners.
McMaster U Launches Sustainability Website
McMaster University's (ON) Office of Sustainability has launched a new website. The website features information on environmental issues such as energy, waste, and water, as well as social issues such as health and well-being. Users can also find detailed information on campus buildings and Hospitality Services' sustainability initiatives, alternative transit, and campus green space. The website aims to engage web savvy students on a number of levels, with information on sustainable living both on and off campus and links to resources to help students reduce their ecological footprint. It will also serve to connect students with opportunities to further study sustainability issues and promote events.
12,000 Youth Attend Power Shift
12,000 young leaders, a large portion of which were college students, converged on Washington, D.C. last week to participate in Power Shift 09 to demand that the President and Congress pass bold, just climate and energy policy in 2009 that dramatically reduces emissions, creates millions of green job and powers America with 100 percent clean energy. Despite a snow storm that paralyzed much of the city, the event concluded with a day full of hundreds of lobby visits and a rally with more than 3,000 youth on Capitol Hill. The four-day summit included seminars, panels, and workshops; a green career fair; legislative briefings and activist trainings; and a day of action on Monday where hundreds of youth entered the halls of Congress to lobby their representatives in more than 360 scheduled meetings. Three AASHE staff were present at the event and blogged about their experiences
College of William & Mary Announces Sustainability Website & Grants
The College of William & Mary (VA) Committee on Sustainability has launched a new website that includes up-to-date information for new project proposal and student research grants that will be supported by the College's Green Fee. The site also includes background on current campus projects, information on how members of the William & Mary community can volunteer, and deadlines for upcoming proposals. The grants available through the website include 4 summer research grants in amounts up to $5,000.
NMSU Launches Green Challenge, Online Sustainability Guide
Northwest Missouri State University has begun the "Reduce Your Paw Print Challenge," an initiative that challenges students to reduce their environmental footprint on campus. As part of the initiative, students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to recycle and to reduce their energy usage on campus. NMSU has also launched an online Sustainability Guide that provides advice on how to save energy, reduce waste, reuse items, and recycle on and off campus.
North Carolina State U Names Sustainability Spring Semester Theme
North Carolina State University has announced that its spring semester theme will focus on sustainability. Called "S.E.E. NC State," the semester will feature events that focus on the three dimensions of sustainability: society, economy, and environment. Events will include e-waste recycling, an environmental movie series, an Energy Fair, a Lake Raleigh clean up, and a concert featuring local and regional bands.
Portland State U Announces EcoWiki
Portland State University (OR) has launched "EcoWiki," a website that aims to help students, faculty, and staff form connections and share news related to sustainability on the PSU campus. Participants can ask questions, network, and brainstorm on the new site.
Calvin College Campus Sustainability Guide
Calvin College (MI) has posted its new Campus Sustainability Guide online. The Guide contains information on how to get involved with campus sustainability issues at Calvin, what the institution has accomplished, and how members of the Calvin community can help the campus reduce its waste, energy usage, and water consumption.
Elon U Launches New Sustainability Website
Elon University (NC) has launched a new sustainability website that provides information on what the University is doing to become more sustainable. The site features a list of course offerings related to sustainability and green design and of student-run organizations focused on the environment.
Dalhousie U Competes with Acadia U & Trent U in Green Challenge
Acadia University (NS) and Dalhousie University (NS) issued a challenge to each other to perform the same number of acts of green as the number of students enrolled at each institution through the One Million Acts of Green program, an initiative that aims to mobilize Canadians to perform one million acts of green collectively. An "act of green" is described as an opportunity to help the environment. This include tasks such as doing laundry in cold water, using a refillable coffee mug, walking to school, recycling electronics, buying a hybrid vehicle, or installing a solar panel. The Acadia and Dalhousie challenge began in January and was supposed to last until April 15, but both Universities reached their goal on the first day of the competition. As a result, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and The Hour , the two entities that created the program, proposed a new challenge between Dalhousie and Trent University (ON), two of the most active groups on the One Million Acts of Green website. Dalhousie is aiming for 55,000 acts and Trent, at about half the size of the Dalhousie, is aiming for 30,000. The first school to reach its goal will be declared the winner.
UC Santa Barbara Starts CSA Program
The University of California, Santa Barbara has begun a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program on campus. Through the program, UCSB faculty, staff, and students are able to pick up a box of fresh organic produce once a week, delivered directly from a nearby organic farm to the campus that morning.
U Michigan, UW La Crosse Launch Sustainability Websites
The University of Michigan has launched a campus sustainability website. Links on the site provide information about on-campus recycling, energy-conservation, green student groups, and sustainability-related research projects and academic offerings. The Graham Institute and the Department of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health co-sponsored the project, which took about a year to complete and involved more than 20 people. The University of Wisconsin, La Crosse has also launched a new sustainability website, which will serve as a clearinghouse for news, events, campus projects, resources, and information relating to sustainability and environmental literacy both on and off campus. The new site features a blog, podcasts, and information on UW-L's Joint Committee on Environmental Sustainability.
Humboldt State Launches Sustainability Website
Humboldt State University (CA) has launched a new sustainability website that details initiatives and policies the University has launched to reduce its ecological footprint. The site also gives users information on sustainability-focused clubs and organizations, profiles members of the HSU and Humboldt County communities, and offers advice for greening your daily life. The website also features regularly updated articles concerning campus news related to sustainability, a calendar of eco-friendly events, and a guide for undergraduates wishing to focus their studies on environmental issues.
74 Campuses Participate in Bon Appetit's Eat Local Challenge
74 campuses recently participated in the Eat Local Challenge, an event when all Bon Appétit customers across the country offer a meal, cooked by Bon Appétit chefs, made with ingredients from within 150 miles of their café. Bon Appétit, a food services company, started the event in 2005 and continues to hold the event annually.
U Arkansas Holds Student Contest for Campus Sustainability Plan
The University of Arkansas has announced a sustainability contest for its campus. The Students First Sustainability Competition offers student teams the opportunity to win up to $15,000 in prizes for submitting the winning plan to make UA more sustainable. Students will form teams to develop practical innovations that will provide the UA campus with financial and energy savings, reduce the negative environmental impacts of campus activities, and develop policies and business plans that will improve UA's energy and environmental performance. The competition will be judged based on students' ability to prescribe energy savings, water savings, recycling improvements, policy improvements and business strategies that will make the campus more sustainable.
UC Boulder, Skidmore Launch Energy Conservation Competitions
The University of Colorado at Boulder's Baker and Libby residence halls have begun a competition to reduce electricity use. The Power Showdown, which began in October and will last three weeks, features a website that shows electricity usage in the two halls in real time, in historical time, and by a per person average. The website also contains a list of ways students can reduce their electricity use in their dorm room. Twenty prizes will be awarded to students in the winning hall that registered for the competition. Similarly, Skidmore College (NY) has launched Skidmore Unplugged, a 3 week energy conservation competition between its eight residence halls. In preparation for the competition, a Communications Design class designed a logo, brochures, a "Skidmore Unplugged" page on Facebook, a ‘Captain Kill-a-Watt’ costume, and a website that reports in real time each residence hall’s consumption of electricity.
Northern Maine CC to Launch Go! Green! Contest
Northern Maine Community College has announced plans to launch "Go! Green!," a contest in which student teams work to develop campus energy efficiency proposals. The winning students will receive full-time student tuition waivers for a semester. Proposals will be judged on cost effectiveness, creativity and originality, sustainability, written presentation, and visual presentation.
Pomona, San Francisco State U Launch Sustainability Websites
Pomona College (CA) has launched a Sustainability Website. The site was created by the Sustainability Coordinator's Office and it is intended to provide information about current sustainability efforts, opportunities to get involved, and how the campus community can reduce its environmental impact. The Pomona Sustainability website also features an "input page," where students, faculty, and staff can provide input or ask questions about the College's sustainability efforts. San Francisco State University
Syracuse U Launches Energy Conservation Competition
Syracuse University's (NY) Office of Residence Life, Residence Hall Association, and Sustainability Division in the Office of Energy and Computing Management have launched the second annual Saving Juice in the 'Cuse contest. The competition between campus residence hall communities runs through the month of November and is designed to increase the sustainable behavior of the on-campus student population through energy reduction and by increasing recycling tonnage in the residences halls.
Maharishi U of Mgmt Holds Energy Conservation Competition
Maharishi University of Management (IA) has inaugurated a campus-wide energy conservation competition, The M.U.M. Energy Challenge. During most of October, MUM students and faculty will complete daily spreadsheets to add up personal energy use, calculate the amount of carbon dioxide produced, and estimate how many pounds of greenhouse gas emissions they can prevent through simple conservation methods. Winning participants will be those with the largest percentage decrease in energy use over the month. The competition and spreadsheets were designed by a MUM student.
UW Madison Creates Video on Being a Sustainable Public Institution
The University of Wisconsin, Madison has created a video entitled, "Being a Responsible and Sustainable Public Institution." The video is the third installment in a weekly video report showcasing major ideas for the UW Madison 2009 Reaccreditation Project. Each video features interviews with leaders of the six reaccreditation “theme teams,” which were built around the top priorities for UW-Madison’s future, as identified through input from faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the public.
Washington State U, U Washington Compete in 'One Thing' Challenge
Washington State University and University of Washington residence hall students have begun the "One Thing" Challenge, a competition in which students make a personal commitment to doing one thing to help the environment. The campus with the most participants will receive bragging rights and a ceremonial awarding of the One Thing Cup, a trophy made of recycled material. The competition ends November 22, 2008, the day of the annual rival football game between WSU and UW.
U Florida Launches 'Erase the Waste' Campaign
The University of Florida has launched "Erase the Waste," a new campaign designed to help the University with its goal of producing zero waste by 2015. The main component of the “Erase the Waste” campaign is getting students, faculty, and staff to sign a pledge online and at campus dining halls that commits them to taking only what they know they will eat and going back for seconds, properly planning trips to the grocery store to avoid over-buying, composting food scraps at home, growing their own produce
Dominican U of CA Announces Sustainable Practices Certificate
Dominican University of California has created a new certificate program in Sustainable Practices. The new certificate is designed for professionals who want to differentiate and enhance their practice; people seeking a career change to make a positive difference on the environment; high school graduates looking for new vocational opportunities; and policy makers, community leaders, activists, and advocates. The certificate includes two Dominican courses, elective courses, and a capstone project or internship.
U North Texas to Launch Campaign to Promote Sustainability
The University of North Texas will soon launch "We Mean Green," a university-wide public awareness campaign to discuss and promote sustainability events and opportunities and generate a sense of responsibility and excitement about reducing, reusing, and recycling. The campaign will also promote UNT's new eco-friendly filtered water system. Free reusable water bottles will be provided across campus to replace disposable, plastic ones.
Utah State U, U Illinois Chicago Launch Sustainability Websites
The Utah State University Sustainability Council has launched a website and wiki page on sustainability. The site enables faculty, staff, and students to share sustainability ideas and information. The site features upcoming events, a sustainability forum, and current sustainability initiatives at USU. The University of Illinois at Chicago has also launched a sustainability website. Some of the website is still under development, but once it is complete, the site will feature a list of sustainability related courses, departments, research units, and funding opportunities; a list of campus and community sustainability initiatives; and sustainability-related campus news and events.
U Chicago Launches New Sustainability Website
The University of Chicago (IL) has launched a new sustainability website that aims to provide an overview of sustainable practices on campus and help raise environmental awareness. The new website serves as a portal to the University of Chicago's sustainability activities, initiatives, and programs, and lists resources to help students, faculty, and staff develop new ideas and enhance green initiatives on campus.
New Cornell U Announces Sustainability Website
Cornell University (NY) has launched a new sustainability website. The goal of the website is to help the public explore Cornell's efforts in sustainability. The site provides both an overview and links to many specific programs and initiatives. The website features sustainability-related news, events, and activities in research, education, operations, and outreach.
Indiana U Holds Web-enabled Energy & Water Conservation Competition
Indiana University recently began its first ever "IU Energy Challenge," a dormitory energy and water conservation competition. The four-week competition will encourage students living in 10 IU Bloomington dormitories to compete to reduce their energy and water consumption against a baseline of their dorm's average per capita electricity and water consumption over the past three years. The competition features a website where students can view their current energy and water usage and standings. The dormit
Green Mountain College Announces Sustainability Website
Green Mountain College (VT) recently published a sustainability website that is linked to the GMC homepage. The website features the college's environmentally focused curriculum, a list of environmental leaders, and the campus's green mission, projects and partnerships, campus initiatives, and awards.
U Chicago Holds Energy Reduction Competition
University of Chicago (IL) recently completed a Battle of the Bulbs Competition. Green Campus Initiatives, a student environmental awareness organization, created the February competition to encourage student housing residents to reduce their energy consumption. Breckinridge Residence Hall, the winner of the month-long competition, reduced their overall energy consumption by 24 percent. The entire residence hall system reduced their energy consumption by an average of 2.8 percent per person.
Macalester C Holds Green Light Bulb Contest
Macalester College (MN) recently held "The Light Bulb Switchout," a competition between freshman and upperclassmen to see who could replace the most four-foot florescent bulbs with higher efficiency bulbs. The 2,200 newly installed light bulbs are estimated to save the College up to $30,000 per year. The first-year students won the competition, switching 1,300 bulbs in one building. The old light bulbs were recycled by a local recycling company.
U Texas Arlington Launches Sustainability Website
The University of Texas at Arlington recently launched a new sustainability website. The site has been designed to provide readers with information on the most recent sustainability projects and environmental events on and off campus and features a list of sustainability resources related to the UTA campus.
U Central Florida Energy Competition Offers Scholarships
A University of Central Florida energy saving competition will offer free food, gift certificates, and scholarships to the winners of the second-annual Energy Conservation Competition. The competition is a month-long campaign that challenges each residence hall to reduce its energy consumption by the greatest percentage compared to the average of the previous three years. During the first year of the program, residence hall students reduced their energy use by 8% overall, which amounted to $12,000 in electric bills. A $6,000 Student Government Association scholarships will be divided by UCF officials for the winners. The competition lasts until the end of February 2008.
Furman U Students Win Award for Campus Green Living Film
A film made by a group of Furman University (SC) students has been selected as a finalist in the Conservation in Action Multimedia Contest. Their film, "The Lifestyle Project," documented the transformation and experiences of Furman freshmen as they sought to reduce their impact on the environment by changing the way they lived their daily lives. The film followed the students as they followed a vegetarian diet, reduced their water and electricity usage, generated less trash, and quit driving their cars o
