Kansas State U Students Research Ways to Increase Recycling Rates
Students at Kansas State University have conducted research on ways to improve campus recycling rates. The group collected data and compiled statistics for the university’s recycling committee. The research, coupled with surveys of students, faculty and staff, suggested that single-stream recycling could be more effective.
Lewis U Offers Renewable Energy Training to Teachers
With a $160,000 grant from the state, Lewis University (IL) recently held a two-week workshop on green and renewable energy for teachers. The workshop combines lectures, videos, field trips, computer exercises, hands-on experiments and ongoing self-guided action research projects. The goal is for the first-year participants to serve as mentors regarding renewable energy education to others in their schools.
Middlebury College Diverts Used Astroturf from Landfill
Middlebury College (VT) has begun replacing 95,000 square feet of Astroturf that covered the field hockey course. To avoid sending the Astroturf to the landfill, a large portion of the turf will be donated to the community’s recreation center to be used for miniature golf courses. The rest of the carpet will be sent to Georgia to be used in various recreational facilities.
Molloy College Offers Green Building Design Training
Molloy College (NY) has announced that it will offer green building and design training programs. The college has teamed up with Forever Green Training and Sustainable Design to offer courses that will prepare students for LEED accreditation. The new offerings include two LEED Green Associate Plus certificate programs and a Principles of Sustainable Design.
North Dakota State College of Science Earns LEED Certification
The renovation to the 75-year-old North Dakota State College of Science’s Horton Hall has earned LEED certification. The building’s certification was based on a number of sustainable design and construction features including passive solar design, high performance glazing, improved insulation, solar thermal hot water, low-flow plumbing fixtures and energy-efficient lighting. The university system has also adopted an integrated green building education program.
Pomona College Announces Plans for Pedestrian Friendly Campus
With the recent opening of its new South Campus Athletic Field and Parking Structure, Pomona College (CA) has announced steps toward a more pedestrian friendly campus by allowing the closure of several parking areas scattered throughout the campus. The new two-story building, topped by a soccer and lacrosse field, will provide parking for more than 600 vehicles and free up more green space on campus. The parking structure also features sustainable elements including LimeLight, a wireless lighting control system that senses motion; solar PV arrays on the athletic field that will provide shade for spectators and should provide much of the electricity needed for the structure; high-efficiency restroom plumbing fixtures and irrigation equipment; drought-resistant native landscaping; six electric vehicle charging stations; bike racks; and priority parking for carpools.
Rock Valley College Science Center Pursues LEED Gold
Rock Valley College (IL) is preparing to open its newest green building, the 106,000-square-foot Center for Science and Math. Designed to meet LEED Gold standards, the college has implemented numerous strategies to reduce the energy consumption of its new facility. Sustainable features include passive solar design, a closed loop geothermal system, chill beam cooling system and solar panels.
Southern Connecticut State U 'Plants it Forward'
Southern Connecticut State University has announced its Sustainable Southern-Plant it Forward Initiative. The urban farm project will expand its existing campus organic garden to include orchards and a vineyard, along with a new greenhouse, outdoor classroom and apiary. The orchard portion of the project will focus on growing more fruits in less space as the percentage of people living in urban environments is expected to grow locally and globally. Students from various courses and programs will have access to the orchard trees, garden and eventually the greenhouse for hands-on experience. The initiative will also include reaching out to the local community to teach, support and encourage local residents to grow their own food in their backyards.
Southwestern College Installs Wind Turbine
Southwestern College (KS) has begun installing a wind turbine on its campus. The college plans to use the turbine to teach students and the community about wind energy and sustainability. The turbine is expected to produce 400 kilowatts of energy per month.
U British Columbia Researches How to Make Green Roofs Greener
A student and professor at the University of British Columbia have partnered to research ways to make green roofs even more environmentally friendly by using construction waste. The team is researching how to recycle waste building materials to form the base layers of a green roof. Currently, materials for the base layers are made out of plastic and it takes 25 years to compensate for the environmental damage caused from making the plastics contained in the roof laying material. The team is monitoring several green roof plant beds on campus that were donated and comparing the results of the manufactured material against a green roof constructed using discarded, crushed concrete as drainage material. The progress and results of the experiment will be monitored for a full year.
U Guelph to Debut Produce Processing Room
The University of Guelph (ON) is finalizing plans to build a produce processing room on campus, which will allow for the preparation of more vegetables procured from local farmers and suppliers. Since 2009, the university has doubled its purchases from a local produce auction and as a result about 45 percent of produce is local. The university aims to grow this percent as the on-campus processing capacity increases.
U Minnesota Building Earns EPA Energy Star Rating
The University of Minnesota's Donhowe Building on the Twin Cities campus is the first University of Minnesota campus building to receive an Energy Star Building rating by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The building earned a rating of 90, putting it in the top 10 percent of buildings around the country. The building's high energy efficiency is the result of a 2009 recommissioning project by the university's Energy Management group.
U Minnesota Partners with Neighborhood to Reduce Waste
The University of Minnesota's ReUse Center partnered with the Southeast Como Neighborhood Improvement Association for the recent Move In/Move Out (MIMO) Free Store. This year's effort attracted more than 800 shoppers and diverted more than 6,000 pounds of goods from the landfill this year. The store, which runs at the end of spring semester and the beginning of fall semester, encourages students and the community to donate household goods like tables, chairs and bookcases instead of throwing them away.
U Mississippi Launches Car Sharing Option on Campus
The University of Mississippi has announced that it will offer the Zipcar car-sharing service on campus. Registration will be available in mid-August for all students, faculty and staff ages 18 and older, as well as to members of the local community ages 21 and older. The university has also partnered with Zimride, a private online social networking site devoted to establishing rides. Free to the university community, the site allows users to connect with others who are looking to carpool in the area. In addition to Zipcar and Zimride, students can take the Oxford-University Transit system free of charge and rent bikes from the university's Rebel Pedals program.
Villanova U Announces Pedestrian Friendly Campus Renovations
Villanova University (PA) has announced a $15 million renovation to its campus that will reduce vehicle access and increase pedestrian friendliness. The transformation will be implemented this summer and the following two summers with a majority of the renovations affecting the inner campus. The first phase, currently underway, will change the roadways on campus and limit vehicle traffic to be more friendly to pedestrians. Students and staff participated in focus groups to direct the "Transformation of the Campus Landscape" initiative.
Wilfrid Laurier U, Ghana Partner for Curriculum Exchange
In an effort to strengthen its academic program in the areas of global citizenship and social justice, Wilfrid Laurier University (ON) has announced a teleconferencing curriculum initiative with Ghana. Part of the university's Global Studies and Human Rights and Human Diversity departments, the initiative will deliver courses jointly to students from the university and Ghana's Ashesi University via video conferencing. Twenty-three Wilfrid Laurier students will also receive funding for internships in Ghana, and four graduate students from Ghana's University of Cape Coast will receive internships to study at Wilfrid Laurier. The program is funded by a $264,000 four-year grant through the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada through its Students for Development program.
Alfred State College Announces Sustainable Agriculture Center
Alfred State College (NY) has converted 225 acres of farmland adjacent to the campus to certified organic hay and pasture production for its Center for Organic and Sustainable Agriculture. An effort to introduce organic farming to the agriculture program, the center acquired 300 acres of land to be used for crops, promoting sustainable and innovative agricultural techniques. The project received a $4.9 million grant from New York State and additional funding from local companies and college alumni.
Bucknell U Partners with Local Farm for Composting Operation
Bucknell University’s (PA) Dining Services has partnered with Rowse Howse Farms to launch a composting operation. The local farm has agreed to collect the ground-up remains of vegetables, fruit, meat, pizza crusts, unbleached napkins and other biodegradable waste at no cost to the university. Nearly 850 pounds a day of compost material will be collected and taken to a composting operation at the 10-acre farm.
Chatham U Hires 4 New Sustainability Faculty
Chatham University (PA) has announced four new faculty appointments to its School of Sustainability and the Environment (SSE). Founded in 2009, the SSE is a transdisciplinary academic institution that provides sustainable answers to today's regional, national and global social, economic and environmental concerns. The faculty will take the lead in developing SSE's new sustainability master's program and online certificate in sustainable management, both of which launch in 2012.
Gwinnett Technical College Offers New Green Programs
Gwinnett Technical College (GA) has begun offering a variety of courses, seminars and workshops on energy conservation, sustainability and green building practices for business professionals in construction and related fields. The college will also offer the nationally recognized Building Operator Certification course that promotes the use of energy management resources to improve a facility’s energy efficiency. The institution was also recently honored with the Green Reach Award for its efforts to provide a sustainability-focused curriculum.
Lakeland College Student Club Launches Green Roof Project
The Lakeland College (WI) Environmental Club has initiated a green roof project. The club is looking for answers concerning native grasses and plants and how they cope with the climate. Several varieties of grasses and perennials were planted with different levels of soil. With the help from the carpentry department, the club cut and assembled four structures with sloping roofs to help with irrigation. The club plans to water the plants at first and then see if the gardens can maintain themselves and survive until next year.
Miami Dade College Launches Seed-to-Table Organic Garden
Miami Dade College’s (FL) Miami Culinary Institute and Natural Greenscape have launched a Seed-to-Table organic garden. The garden was designed to inspire a relationship between the culinary students and the source of the ingredients, while creating a fresh backyard pantry for the institute’s instructional kitchens and on-site restaurant. The institution is also committed to recycling waste and appropriate refuse into compost that will be returned to the garden.
Oregon State U Breaks 2010 Donation Drive Record
Oregon State University’s residence hall donation drive successfully collected 17,558 pounds of clothes, furniture and other items, exceeding the 2010 record of 11,651 pounds. The university’s Campus Recycling, Surplus Property and University Housing and Dining worked together to collect the discarded material. Seventeen local volunteers worked 70 hours to collect, receive, sort and donate the usable goods. Surplus Property sold a few of the items to recoup the costs of the donation drive, but most other donated materials went to local organizations.
Paul Quinn College Fights for Food Access in Local Neighborhood
Paul Quinn College (TX) President Michael Sorrell recently hosted a conversation on campus to challenge the city of Dallas to open a grocery store near campus. After grocers told the Sorrell that they didn't want to invest in the underserved Dallas neighborhood where the college is located, the college recently turned its football stadium into a farm. Now, Sorrell is looking toward the next step. More than 250 people, including a large number of Paul Quinn students, attended the meeting.
Penn State U Harrisburg Creates Sustainable Garden
Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg’s Conservation Committee has developed and planted a garden that incorporates recycled materials into its design. Shipping pallets and scrap lumber were used to construct compost bins and benches, extra slate floor tiles were used as stepping stones, and tree branches were used to create a trellis. The garden is maintained by volunteers and is open to all students, faculty and staff.
Penn State U Hazelton Offers Alternative Energy Degree
Pennsylvania State University, Hazelton has announced that it will offer a bachelor's degree in general engineering with an alternative energy and power generation track. The program will prepare students to design wind turbines, make buildings and businesses more efficient energy consumers, and perfect systems to receive power from nature. The curriculum will focus on design, research, manufacturing and technical sales for new energy industries.
Roosevelt U Begins Sustainable Landscape Project
Roosevelt University (IL) has launched a sustainable landscape project to remove invasive plant species. The university conducted a controlled burn as a way of removing invasive plants while retaining nutrients in the soil. Native flowerbeds have been planted and nearly 14 acres of turf grass also has been removed and composted in order to install slit seeding native grass species. The project will serve to supplement education and lower landscape maintenance costs.
U California Creates $157 Mil with 'Working Smarter' Initiative
The University of California has created $157 million in system-wide administrative efficiencies over the past year through its Working Smarter initiative, which is on track to achieve $500 million in positive fiscal impact over five years. The initiative was launched last July as part of a strategy for coping with ongoing declines in state financial support. It aims to improve and streamline UC's administrative operations, while also producing $500 million in savings, revenue generation and other positive fiscal impacts. The $157 million figure reflects cost savings and new revenue produced during the 2010-2011 fiscal year. Some highlights include its risk management program, which saved more than $82 million, and the university's Statewide Energy Partnership program, which resulted in $25 million in savings last year.
U Illinois Urbana-Champaign Recycles 6,300 Pounds of Batteries
The University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has recycled more than 6,300 pounds of battery waste since 2003, when it partnered with nonprofit organization Call2Recycle in an effort to streamline the recycling of rechargeable batteries. By providing 13 collection locations on campus, the program has saved the university waste disposal fees and prevented battery waste from entering landfills. Waiting on quote about how much in waste disposal fees
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Posted Jul 19, 2011
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Other News
U Kansas Students Create Solar-Powered Autoclave
University of Kansas engineering students have designed and built a five-foot, funnel shaped metal autoclave to sterilize medical instruments using solar energy. The project was specifically created for a doctor who is working in Zimbabwe. Another group of students will continue testing and fine-tuning the autoclave. The project cost $1,500 and is expected to be ready by next May.
U Michigan Announces Planet Blue Ambassador Program
The University of Michigan has announced the creation of a new seminar-based program that will provide the necessary skills and training for Planet Blue Ambassadors. The ambassadors will model and teach sustainability practices and serve as Eco Reps to the university community. The program hopes to create a culture of sustainability across all university units. The two-credit seminar is open to all students living in university housing and will meet every two weeks during the fall 2011 and winter 2012 semesters for classroom education and training. Students will also dedicate an additional three hours per week to working on various projects. The Planet Blue Ambassadors pilot program will accept a total of 25 students, with 10 staff members participating.
U North Texas Dallas Building Earns LEED Gold
A new building at the University of North Texas at Dallas has achieved LEED Gold certification. The $43 million, 102,000-square-foot building features high-efficiency mechanical controls, a vegetative roof equipped with drains to collect rainwater for irrigation, and solar panels. The building also maximizes the use of natural light through large windows and skylights.
U Pacific Technology Center Awarded LEED Gold
The University of the Pacific’s (CA) John T. Chambers Technology Center has achieved LEED Gold certification. The 24,500-square-foot building is the first LEED certification for the university. Sustainable features include 100 percent non-potable water in surrounding irrigation, bicycle racks, low-flow water fixtures, native plants in the surrounding landscape, reflective glass to reduce the need for cooling and low-reflective materials on the roof. The building is also the university’s first structure to have solar panels.
U Utah Student Initiates Solar Ivy Installation
An environmental studies major at the University of Utah has initiated the installation of a new product called Solar Ivy, a composition of small photovoltaic panels shaped so that they can be installed in an attractive arrangement, much like ivy growing over a building’s surface. The panels generate electricity that is consumed by the building, offsetting the amount of power the building purchases from the utility company. The majority of the project’s funding was provided by the university’s student-led Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund. The Solar Ivy project was awarded a grant for approximately two-thirds of the $42,000 cost.
Wayne State U Offers Free Shuttle Service to Detroit Surroundings
Wayne State University (MI) has partnered with Henry Ford Hospital and the Detroit Medical Center to provide free shuttle transportation for workers, students and the community to help eliminate car commuting. The shuttle service will allow students to travel between the university and the Detroit institutions. The university is also striving toward obtaining a Bike-Friendly certification from the League of American Bicyclists by working to implement car and bike sharing systems for students and staff.
West Valley College to Install 1MW Solar Array System
West Valley College (CA) has started the installation of a $6.7 million solar array system. The solar panels will be installed on structures located in parking lots and will be connected to the college’s electrical system in October. The solar array system is expected to generate one-megawatt of power and cover 33 percent of the electricity needs of the campus. The project was funded through a combination of clean, renewable energy bonds and Measure H bond interest.
Yale U Launches Carbon Fund Calculator
Yale University (CT) has launched the Yale Community Carbon Fund Calculator. Developed by the Office of Sustainability and the Center for Business and Environment, the project is intended to help members of the Yale community calculate emissions associated with university related events, commuting and travel. The program allows a participant to make an online donation to the fund based on the recommended price per ton of carbon an activity produced. The donations will be used for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in the community.
Arizona State U Engineers Work to Advance Solar Power
From predicting the performance of various kinds of photovoltaic cells to testing ideas for a solar thermal collector, engineers at Arizona State University are conducting material, electrical and mechanical engineering research to develop prototypes for the next generations of high-efficiency photovoltaic technologies. The university is also delving into the economic, regulatory, manufacturing, public policy and public utility aspects of solar power including educating students to become the future entrepreneurs, business leaders and policy experts of alternative energy systems.
Blackburn College Purchases Biodiesel Processor
Blackburn College (IL) has purchased a biodiesel processor that will convert fats and oils into biodiesel fuel. The processor will be used to introduce students to “good” chemistry and to create fuel for college vehicles and machinery. Students will also use cooking oil from the college’s cafeteria to make methyl biodiesel. The processor was purchased with money leftover from a U.S. Department of Energy grant.
Calhoun CC Renewable Energy Center to Seek LEED Gold
Calhoun Community College (AL) has opened the doors of its new Alabama Center of Excellence in Clean Energy Technology. The center will train energy conservation practitioners in energy assessment techniques and energy-efficient installation. Training will be focused toward dislocated and unemployed workers for jobs in the growing renewable energy sector. Design elements of the building include energy-efficient windows, canopies and a heat pump system designed to reduce energy consumption by 50 percent. Funding for the center was made possible by a $3.47 million grant from the Department of Labor.
Campus Sustainability Planning: A July Update
Ball State University (IN) has published its first sustainability report, which is featured on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) website. Prepared by an interdisciplinary team of six students and a faculty mentor, the report combines the frameworks of the GRI and AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) in a single report. Among the sustainability practices and achievements underway are the current installation of a geothermal based district heating and cooling system; the continuing series of biennial Greening of the Campus Conferences; many academic programs in sustainability; and the construction of LEED-certified buildings throughout campus. In related news, Ohio University President Roderick J. McDavis has approved the university’s first Sustainability Plan. The plan will guide and support the university’s leadership in campus and community sustainability through a commitment to ecological citizenship, stewardship and justice. The approved Sustainability Plan includes 18 objectives, 35 benchmarks and approximately 100 strategies in the areas of transportation, procurement, energy infrastructure, building and grounds, academics and research, fundraising and endowment, dining, and low- and no-cost energy conservation. In more related news, Medical College of Wisconsin President and CEO John R. Raymond, Sr., MD has signed an Environmental Sustainability Statement of Support that highlights the specific ways in which it will support environmental sustainability. The college’s Campus Operations has also developed a report, "Environmental Sustainability @ MCW," which highlights the college’s sustainability accomplishments to date including reduced energy use per square foot by 19 percent since 2008 and 35 tons of paper recycled in 2010.
Harvard U Freshman Pilot Vermiculture Project
Harvard University (MA) freshman group Green 14' recently debuted a vermiculture project in the Thayer Hall dorm. The students placed vermiculture bins, which use the natural composting abilities of earthworms, on each floor. To raise awareness, the group brought food like strawberries, grapes, bananas, celery, peanuts in the shell, bread and peanut butter to study breaks to show which foods could be composted.
Harvard U Generates Energy with Spinning Competition
Harvard Business School (MA) hosted its first ever "Green Living Spinning Competition" recently. The event was organized by the HBS Student Association Cup, an athletics contest between the sections at HBS, with support from the Green Living Program and HBS Operations. Sixty-three competitors raced on spin bikes supplied by the Green Revolution, an organization dedicated to connecting health and fitness with the creation of clean renewable energy. An average person's workout on these machines will produce enough to power four compact fluorescent bulbs for an hour. The fastest-pedaling participant generated enough to power his laptop for almost three hours.
Iowa State U Designated EPA Green Power Partner
Iowa State University has been recognized as a Green Power Partner by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its "significant purchase" of wind energy and support of sustainable technologies. For an organization to qualify as a partner, it must purchase at least 3 percent of its annual electricity use through green power. Eligible resources include solar photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, eligible biomass, fuel cells, biodiesel-fueled generators and certain types of hydropower. The university is now buying enough wind power to supply more than 7 percent of its electricity needs and is striving for a goal of 10 percent.
Louisiana State U Installs Electric Vehicle Chargers
Louisiana State University has partnered with Entergy Corp. to install two new electric vehicle chargers on campus. The chargers will provide free power to students, faculty and staff who use electric vehicles. In exchange, Entergy Corp. will collect usage data for their research. The free electrical charges will be available beginning in the fall.
Macomb CC, Dept. of Energy Partner for Electric Vehicle Training
As a complement to the Obama Administration's recent launch of the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership, Macomb Community College (MI) has partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy as part of a series of new manufacturing job training partnerships. The college will use the National Training and Education Resource, an open-source integration platform that brings together information technologies to support education, training and workforce development, to enhance several of its electric vehicle oriented courses.
Mercyhurst College Launches New Sustainability Programs
Mercyhurst College (PA) has announced the launch of a new Bachelor of Arts degree and post-baccalaureate certificate in sustainability studies. Since 2006, the college has offered a sustainability studies minor and a concentration in sustainability studies within the chemistry and biology departments. Interest among students prompted the college’s decision to convert it to a new major with its own requirements.
NSF Solicits CC Feedback about Grant Application Challenges
To broaden its impact among two-year colleges, the National Science Foundation (NSF) recently asked community college educators to explain the challenges they face when applying for grants and to suggest emerging issues that NSF should consider funding. NSF convened a meeting in June of about 300 community college educators in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges. Connecting community college technician education programs with university transfer programs and improving students' college readiness were among the key science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) issues that participants suggested for additional NSF support.
Raritan Valley CC Designated 'River-Friendly'
Raritan Valley Community College (NJ) has been awarded the River-Friendly certification by New Jersey Water Supply Authority for its efforts to improve local water resource quality through water quality management, water conservation, protection of wildlife habitat and outreach. The college committed to pursuing River-Friendly certification as part of its environmental stewardship agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The college has made numerous environmental improvements on campus to achieve River-Friendly certification including the installation of rain gardens, implementing an integrated pest management policy, reducing the campus’ mowed lawn area by 24 percent, training students to conduct assessments on the campus streams, and creating inventories of the campus' 289 species of flora and fauna.
Solar Decathlon Home Preserved as Affordable Housing
A solar-powered house that students are currently assembling for the 2011 Solar Decathlon on the Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ) campus will be placed permanently in northeast Washington to serve as affordable housing. The institute partnered with Parsons the New School for Design (NY); Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy at the New School (NY); and Washington's Habitat for Humanity affiliate to break ground in the middle- to low-income neighborhood of Deanwood. Traditionally, the affordable solar-powered homes designed and constructed by college teams for the competition return to their respective institutions, where many are dismantled. In addition to the house drafted and built by "Empowerhouse," Habitat for Humanity will build a second passive house at the same site. The 2011 Solar Decathlon, an international green technology contest staged every two years by the U.S. Department of Energy, will hold its opening ceremony on Sept. 22, 2011.
