Utah State U Opens Solar-Powered Observatory
Utah State University has opened a new solar-powered observatory designed and built by students and faculty in the university's Department of Plants, Soils and Climate. The observatory will measure standard weather conditions, solar radiation and carbon dioxide, and features atmospheric visibility sensors. In addition to helping students study climate, the data collected will be available to the public online.
U Utah Announces New Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund Projects
The University of Utah's Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund has announced 14 new campus sustainability projects that were approved during the spring 2011 call for applications for a total amount of $171,000. This semester was the most successful round to date for the university, with 18 project applications and more than $275,000 in funding requests. The project that received the largest amount of funding, $70,000, is a first-year architecture graduate student's proposal to equip the new Honors housing with environmentally friendly features. The student will work with professionals to install equipment including energy expenditure monitoring, eco-drains that will recover heat from water being drained, and an automatic shut-off feature for heating and air conditioning as windows are opened.
Yale U Hosts 'Changing Planet' Town Hall
Yale University (CT) recently hosted the "Changing Planet" town hall in partnership with NBC Learn - the educational arm of NBC News - the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Discover magazine. The event brought together more than 100 students and panelists including the director of the Yale Climate and Energy Institute, the founder and coordinator of the Energy Action Coalition, a geosciences professor at Texas Tech University and the chief sustainability officer at DuPont. Available for viewing on the NSF, NBC Learn and Discover websites, the town hall was intended to encourage student learning and dialogue about climate change by gathering scientists, thought leaders and university students to discuss the facts of climate science, the dynamics of its impact and to brainstorm solutions. A special print adaptation of "Changing Planet" will appear in the June issue of Discover magazine.
American U to Install 2,300 Solar Panels
American University (DC) has announced plans to install 2,300 solar photovoltaic panels spread across three on-campus buildings and three off-campus buildings. The six different solar sites will begin providing electricity to the university by July 2011 and are expected to reduce carbon emissions by 557 tons each year. The project will increase the solar capacity of the university from 27 kilowatts to more than 532 kilowatts, producing about 637 megawatt hours per year. Part of the installation will include solar thermal panels to provide hot water for dorms and the dining hall.
Antioch U New England Student Video Wins Energy Video Contest
Antioch University New England (NH) environmental studies students have won the My Energy Video Challenge 2011. The nearly four-minute video explains the Antioch Commuter Transportation initiative as part of the university’s effort to reach carbon neutrality by 2020. The contest was sponsored by Clean Air-Cool Planet, a nonprofit organization working to solve climate change through civic engagement, education and policy.
Arizona State U Researchers Work to Better Harness Solar Energy
Graduate students at Arizona State University have published a research paper in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy revealing that solar panels only use a fraction of the energy they receive to generate energy while the rest of it emits heat. The researchers developed solar thermal collectors that power turbines to generate steam in order to more completely harness the energy received.
Ball State U Journalism Students Work for Water Conservation
Ball State University’s (IN) journalism students will collaborate with nonprofit Circle of Blue to report on water conservation issues in China, and how climate change is impacting the Great Lakes region. The partnership will provide students with the opportunity to delve into an internationally significant sustainability issue.
Ball State U to Offer Sustainability Minor
Ball State University (IN) announced plans for a new minor in sustainability during a recent 10th anniversary celebration of its Council on the Environment. The program, to be offered in fall 2011, will explore issues including systems theory, values and ethics, atmosphere and climate, population, energy, water, land, food (land-based and freshwater/marine-based), health (disease and nutrition), materials (resource harvesting, resource limitations and resource recycling), natural biological systems, and economies and poverty. The minor aims to prepare students to be able to describe social, environmental and economic elements of long-term human survival; understand the systems nature of the interrelationships among social, environmental and economic elements of civilization; articulate their personal values as related to this complexity; and apply concepts of sustainability in decision making.
Catholic U America Students Invent Solar-Powered Table
A solar-powered picnic table designed by students at the Catholic University of America (DC) has recently been installed on campus. The six students received scholarships from Washington Gas Power Solutions Inc. as winners of a campus contest for the table, which is capable of charging laptops and other electrical appliances.
Duke U Signs MOU with World Wildlife Fund
Duke University (NC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the World Wildlife Fund to collaborate on research, teaching and the advancement of conservation policy and science. The agreement will enhance existing collaborations and expand to form new ones in the areas of marine spatial planning, ecosystem services, climate change adaptation, evidence-based conservation, reduced emissions from forest degradation and deforestation (REDD), supply chain and other business opportunities.
Elmhurst College Holds E-Waste Recycling Event
Elmhurst College (IL) recently held a one-day event for students, staff, faculty and community members to drop off old televisions, computer monitors and other electronic waste in a trailer that was taken to a private business for recycling. The event was an effort to minimize electronic waste by making it easier to recycle electronic appliances.
EPA Announces Green Power Challenge Winners
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced the results of its fifth annual College and University Green Power Challenge. The University of Pennsylvania held on to the top individual school title, purchasing more than 200 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of green power or 47 percent of its power purchases. The Big Ten conference surpassed the Ivy League conference for the first time as the top athletic conference in the challenge with an annual green power usage of more than 256 million kWh. This year's challenge participation increased to 69 competing institutions from 59 last year, representing 31 conferences nationwide. More than 1.5 billion kWh of annual green power usage were recorded, the equivalent environmental impact of avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions from the annual electricity use of more than 132,000 homes.
Grist Profiles Green Schools Movement
Grist Magazine recently sat down with Rachel Gutter, director of the U.S. Green Building Council's Center for Green Schools, to talk about green schools legislation, creative financing and students taking the lead on greening efforts.
Harvard U Earns 35th LEED Certification
With the recent LEED Silver certification of its Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, Harvard University (MA) has earned its 35th LEED-certified campus project. Sustainable features of the center include the reuse of 60 percent of the existing furniture, thermal and ventilation controls, occupancy sensors and renewable electricity sources. Seventy-five percent of the construction waste was diverted from the landfill.
Harvard U Invigorates Green Campus Efforts with Awards System
Harvard University (MA) recently held its Green Carpet Awards ceremony, recognizing campus community members with 55 individual awards in areas including infrastructure improvements, behavior change, waste/water reduction, green buildings, green teams and renewable energy. Besides raising awareness for sustainability issues and efforts, the event aims to provide positive incentives to those working daily to advance sustainability throughout campus. The ceremony drew a crowd of 500 and included videos from Harvard professors speaking about the challenge of climate change and the student-produced music video, "Turn Off the Lights."
Kansas City Kansas CC to Offer Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Cert
Kansas City Kansas Community College's Technical Education Center will offer an Automotive Hybrid and Electric Vehicle certificate program in fall 2011. The 40-hour technician certificate level program will allow students with automotive training or experience to understand operation and service for hybrid and electrical vehicles and expand their skills in the new technology.
Lake Superior College Students Repurpose Styrofoam
Students participating in Lake Superior College’s (MN) Integrated Manufacturing Program have created a solution to help divert packaging Styrofoam from the landfill. The Styrofoam shredder, designed as a prototype, shreds large Styrofoam packaging material to be recycled as packing material, stuffing for bean bag chairs, dog beds and outdoor planters. The project recently won a gold medal in the Community Service category at the State SkillsUSA competition.
Likely End to Year-Round Pell Grants Leaves Students in Limbo
The likely elimination of the year-round Pell Grant program has left thousands of students who had hoped to receive a second grant this year in limbo, reports The Chronicle of Higher Education. Under the federal budget deal, students would no longer be able to take out a second Pell Grant to pay for classes starting July 1, saving the federal government $8 billion through the remainder of the current fiscal year and in 2012, and about $49 billion over the next decade. Advocates worry that many low-income, nontraditional students will make slower progress toward their degrees without the additional aid or be forced to drop out of college.
Mercer County CC to Debut 50-Acre Solar Farm
With funding and planning help from the Mercer County Improvement Authority, Mercer County Community College (NJ) has announced plans to build a 50-acre solar farm that will provide the campus with 70 percent of its electrical power. The college also plans to use the solar farm as a hands-on educational tool for students to learn more about renewable energy.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Debuts Green Roof
Thanks to seed money provided by the class of 2010 and the efforts of the Student Sustainability Task Force, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY) has debuted a green roof atop its Rensselaer Union bookstore. The university held a Green Roof Groundmaking Celebration on Earth day, where student volunteers planted thousands of green plant plugs. The project will include a multicolor array of sedum plants and sensors that will compare temperatures between a standard roof and a green roof. To date, 285 individuals including students, alumni, faculty, staff, parents and several organizations have donated funds to support the project, surpassing its goal of $55,000.
Rochester Community Tech Students Raise Recycling Awareness
Students at Rochester Community and Technical College (MN) recently organized two campus-wide Waste Sort events to raise awareness and provide information on the school's waste and recycling streams. Olmsted County staff and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency partnered for the event, part of a statewide commitment to significantly increase recycling rates and reduce the state's generation of waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
Syracuse U Appoints VP of Sustainability Initiatives
Syracuse University (NY) has appointed Sherburne Abbott as vice president for sustainability initiatives and university professor of sustainability science and policy. In her current position as associate director for environment in the Executive Office of the President, Abbott manages a portfolio of science and technology policy that ranges from energy and climate change to environmental quality and sustainability. Her appointment will be effective in July.
Texas A&M U Launches First Solar Energy System
Texas A&M University has begun working on a $200,000 project to install solar panels that will provide 30 kilowatts of power to its campus. For its first solar energy system, the university chose the roof of the Netum Steed Laboratory for maximum visibility. Crowds in attendance at the football stadium will be able to look down from the bleachers and see the panels. The project will test different types of panels to optimize which technology performs best at the site’s location.
U Calgary Assists with Green IT Research
Researchers from the University of Calgary's (AB) Grid Research Centre are assisting with a Cybera-led research project that aims to establish an emissions reduction protocol for international information and communication technology. Part of the GreenStar Network initiative, the project's first test case is Cybera's GeoChronos environmental monitoring web portal, which made the switch from a coal-powered computer center to a hydro-run center at the end of January 2011.
U California Merced Campus Plan Wins National Award
The Society for College and University Planning has announced that the University of California, Merced has earned an Excellence in Planning for an Established Campus honor award for its Long-Range Development Plan. The plan will be used to guide the campus’ physical growth, development and land-use priorities. Included within the plan is a “Triple Zero Commitment” that aims to produce as much energy from renewable sources as is used, eliminate landfill waste and produce zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2020.
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Posted Apr 24, 2011
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U Colorado at Boulder Named Tree Campus USA
The University of Colorado at Boulder has been recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree Campus USA for its excellence in tree management, as well as student and community involvement. Senior Grounds Specialist Alan Nelson credits the stone construction, size and positioning of many campus buildings for helping to create microclimates conducive to a variety of trees that would not typically grow in Colorado. The Arbor Day Foundation issues the Tree Campus USA designation to campuses that meet five requirements including convening a tree advisory committee, creating a tree care plan, implementing a tree program, holding an Arbor Day observance and offering a service learning project.
Udall Scholars Announced
The Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation has announced the 2011 Udall Scholars. Eighty students from 61 colleges and universities will receive up to $5000 and assemble in August to meet policymakers and community leaders in environmental fields, tribal health care and governance. An independent review committee selected this year's group, which includes Native American/Alaska Native Scholars who intend to pursue careers in tribal public policy and health care.
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Posted Apr 24, 2011
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U Houston Plans First Solar Array and Solar Energy Internship
The University of Houston (TX) has received $140,000 from Green Mountain Energy Company for the installation of its first solar array and the two will partner for the university's first solar energy internship program. The 88-panel solar array will be mounted on the roof of the university's Central Utility Plant, saving an estimated $300,000 in annual electricity costs. The university will use this savings to fund the solar energy internship program. One student intern will be paid $1,000 per academic semester starting in fall 2011. The student will keep track of the solar array's performance, update the solar array webpage and execute one on-campus educational event per semester.
U Notre Dame to Offer 2 New Sustainability Minors
The University of Notre Dame (IN) has announced plans to offer two new sustainability minors in fall 2011. The interdisciplinary minors, sustainability and energy studies, will be available to students in any major and will offer technical and non-technical course focuses to appeal to the greatest percentage of students as possible.
U of California Riverside Offers Vanpooling Option
In an effort to make commuting to campus more affordable and sustainable, the University of California, Riverside's Transportation and Parking Services has created a vanpooling program. The university hopes the program will reduce traffic congestion and provide another alternative for students, faculty and staff in their commuting options.
U South Florida Hosts First Farmers Market
Members of the Food Activists Revolutionizing Meals (FARM) at the University of South Florida held the university’s first farmers market after five years of planning. The launch received nearly 400 Facebook RSVP’s to the event and students lined up to purchase a variety of fruits and vegetables. Members of FARM include student organizations, the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement and the Office of Sustainability. Beginning this summer, the Student Community Gardens group will plant a campus garden to harvest produce to be sold at the market.
U Wisconsin-Milwaukee Embarks on Extensive Energy Upgrades
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has partnered with Honeywell International for three 20-year performance contracts to improve the energy efficiency of its campus buildings. The three 20-year performance contracts will allow the university to pay for the upgrades using the savings they generate. The university has completed the initial energy audit phase, which included individual building energy analysis and initial “low-hanging fruit” fixes such as retrofitting light fixtures, improving weatherization and installing updated, energy-efficient plumbing fixtures that conserve water. The Energy Matters program is expected to reduce energy and operating expenses by $30.8 million over the next two decades and decrease annual carbon dioxide emissions by an anticipated 31 million pounds.
U Wyoming Awarded $5 Mil Grant for Community Food Project
Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Competitive Grant program, a University of Wyoming professor will lead a $5 million, multi-state "Food Dignity: Action Research on Engaging Food Insecure Communities and Universities in Building Sustainable Community Food Systems" project. The project's extension portion includes five community food initiatives. Each will create a local steering committee to disperse small grants that invest in citizen solutions to their own food system issues. The research will focus on developing case studies of what each community has already done and during the next five years will make clear what factors influence their successes and failures as they work to create sustainable community food systems that provide ample and appropriate food for all. An education component aims to create new cross-disciplinary undergraduate minors in sustainable food systems to prepare University of Wyoming and Cornell University (NY) graduate students to engage in this work. In addition to Wyoming, participating states include California and New York.
Virginia Tech Approves Solar Array
Virginia Tech has approved a plan to install 480 solar panels atop a new parking garage on campus. The photovoltaic array will generate about 136,415 kilowatts per hour annually, accounting for 13 percent of the garage’s energy. The funding for the $1.3 million project is coming from federal stimulus money and also from Virginia state grants.
Yale U Health Center Awarded LEED Gold
Yale University's (CT) new Health Center, opened in August 2010 and serving 36,000 students, faculty, staff and retirees, has received LEED Gold certification. The 147,006-square-foot building features a large atrium, ample natural light, rooftop gardens and sustainably sourced materials.
American U Advances Composting Program
American University (DC) has expanded its composting program to include paper towels. This change is the result of an audit conducted by the student sustainability group, Green Eagles, which revealed that paper towels in the residence halls accounted for 150 pounds of daily garbage. Biodegradable green bags have been installed in all campus bathrooms to mitigate the waste.
Arizona State U Creates Employee Sustainability Literacy Program
Arizona State University has announced a new sustainability literacy program for campus employees. The Sustainability Literacy Education interactive online program educates employees about current and future sustainability initiatives happening on campus and suggestions for how to get involved. The educational component includes photo slideshows, videos and audio recordings to help arm employees with the necessary facts to fulfill the sustainability requirement of their annual work performance evaluations.
Arizona State U Engineer Earns NSF Award for Fuel Efficiency Work
An engineer from Arizona State University has earned a National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his advances in the use of liquids and gases toward fuel efficiency. Marcus Herrmann has made strides in understanding how gases and liquids behave when used together to spark various mechanical and chemical processes. Better prediction and control of such processes will help advances toward the next generations of fuel and energy-conversion technologies, including fuel-injection systems, as well as environmental protection and management methods. The award includes a grant of $400,000 over five years for the research.
Bowling Green State U Set to Unveil Green Dining Hall
Bowling Green State University (OH) is months away from the completion of a new dining hall that will seek LEED Silver certification. The materials used in the construction of the new building are harvested within 500 miles and much of the wood salvaged from old barns throughout the countryside. Rainwater run-off will be stored for flushing toilets and meals will be served without trays.
Cornell U Researcher Publishes Study on Natural Gas Impacts
A new study by an ecology and environmental biology professor at Cornell University (NY) suggests that the greenhouse gas footprint of unconventional natural gas development is worse than a traditional coal plant, says a recent New York Times Green blog post. The professor concluded in an analysis published in the peer-reviewed journal, Climatic Change Letters, that 3.6 percent to 7.9 percent of methane, the chief component of natural gas, is leaking into the atmosphere at various points along the shale gas production life cycle. This would make unconventional natural gas production associated with the practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, worse than coal for the climate. This study joins the current media scrutiny surrounding natural gas as many institutions make the switch to natural gas from coal. Environmental advocates, according to this blog post, say that the first step in getting beyond the coal vs. natural gas debate is for the industry to stop refusing to take detailed measure of its methane leakage rates, to make that information public, and to submit to rules requiring them to capture it.
Duke U Initiative Inducted into Int'l Green Industry Hall of Fame
Duke University's (NC) Home Depot Smart Home Program was recently inducted into the inaugural class of the International Green Industry Hall of Fame. The university's dorm, research and educational program that emphasizes energy-efficient and sustainable living was one of six inductees including people and organizations honored by the Fresno, Calif.-based organization. The selection criteria for inductees included analysis of environmental benefits, innovation and widespread applicability.
Duke U to Offer New Sustainable Systems Analysis Certificate
Duke University (NC) has announced a new two-year sustainable systems analysis certificate program. Beginning fall 2011, the certificate is designed to give students in-depth working knowledge of the economic, environmental, technological and social forces driving sustainability in the global marketplace today. The program will be open to students pursuing degrees in environmental management, engineering management, public policy and business administration.
Fleming College Frost Campus to Phase Out Bottled Water
Fleming College's (ON) Frost campus has announced plans to be bottled water free by this time next year. A joint initiative developed by students and supported by faculty, staff and administration, the plan to eliminate the sale of bottled water on campus includes the immediate identification of "Bottled Water Free Zones" on campus, an audit of access to public water on campus and a plan to upgrade the availability of public drinking water.
Indiana U Students Successfully Petition for Sustainability Fund
Thanks to the signatures of 11,266 students, Indiana University Bloomington's Student Sustainability Council has helped establish a sustainability fund that will finance campus sustainability projects. The council, with support from the Indiana University Student Association, pioneered the use of an online petition to collect signatures from students in favor of the $5 fee. The money collected during each registration period will be used for projects such as recycling, lighting retrofits, solar panel installations and transportation updates.
MIT Research Expands Solar Energy Potential
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have discovered a way to use the sun's energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases to be later recombined in fuel cells. This process imitates the process of plant photosynthesis. The result gives solar power the potential to provide a consistent energy source without inefficient losses during the storage process. Ernst Chain Professor of Biochemistry James Barber at Imperial College London called the breakthrough a "giant leap" toward meeting and exceeding the world’s energy requirements in a carbon neutral way.
Portland CC Raises Plastic Pollution Awareness with Art
Portland Community College (OR) has scheduled an art installation called “Washed Ashore,” to raise awareness of the pollution caused by plastic waste. The exhibit features giant sculptures of sea creatures that are made from discarded plastics that were gathered by hundreds of volunteers and grade-school children from the Oregon beaches.
RecycleMania Announces 2011 Final Results
Continuing its six-year streak, California State University, San Marcos earned Grand Champion status of the 2011 RecycleMania competition. More than 600 colleges and universities participated in RecyleMania this year, recycling or composting 91 million pounds of material during the course of the eight-week competition. Union College (NY) won both the Per Capita Classic and Cardboard awards; North Lake College (TX) retained the Waste Minimization title; Brandeis University (MA) won the top spot in the Food Waste Organics category; and Stetson University (FL) earned first place in the Paper category. Rounding out the list, Rutgers University (NJ) earned the Gorilla Prize and Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering (MA) won the Cans and Bottles category. The University of Virginia's "True Love" video won the inaugural RecycleMania video contest, selected out of eight finalists offered up to a popular vote through the RecycleMania Facebook page.
Southern Illinois U Edwardsville Installs Wind Turbine
Southern Illinois University has installed a wind turbine at the Environmental Resources Training Center on its Edwardsville campus. The turbine will be used in coordination with recently installed solar panels to produce 40 percent of the center's power. The $100,000 turbine is being funded with two state-based grants.
Southern Methodist U Students Build 'Living Village'
Engineering students at Southern Methodist University (TX) have built a “Living Village” on campus to learn lessons in engineering, humanity and sustainability. They compacted plastic recyclables on campus to make “bricks” that were then used as the insulation for a hut that was sealed with mud and grass. Twenty engineering students will live in this mock refugee camp for 20 days, and the public will be invited to tour the village.
Students Install Solar Panels at Fleming College
Students in a "Solar Installation and Maintenance" course at Fleming College (ON) recently completed the installation of 25 solar panels on the college's Alderville Band buildings. The six-month course also includes 350 hours of classroom training.
