Iowa Community Colleges to Offer Biodiesel Fuel Training
In partnership with the Iowa Biodiesel Board, Iowa's 15 community colleges are offering a free biodiesel fuel training class. The course will highlight biodiesel’s clean-burning, renewable attributes and the practical aspects to apply this alternative fuel in private and commercial vehicles. The three-hour workshop designed for automotive technicians and mechanics shares background information and practical applications of biodiesel for consumer, commercial and agricultural applications.
Kansas State U Implements Weekly Sustainable Lunches
Kansas State University’s Campus Ministry has launched a “Real Food Lunch” once a week. The ministry works with the Student Farm Club to provide students with healthy and sustainable food with an emphasis on social justice and the environment. All of the food used for the Real Food lunches is locally grown and the waste is composted. Another goal of the lunches is to create an overlap with other student groups including Students for Environmental Action, Amnesty International and fair trade advocates.
Monroe CC Receives Grant for Solar Field
Monroe Community College (MI) has received a $3 million grant for a solar field. As part of a 20-year agreement between the college and DTE Energy to provide renewable energy from the sun, a 500-kilowatt photovoltaic system will be placed on the east side of the campus. The college is the first institution to take part in DTE Energy's pilot program, SolarCurrents, which provides rebates for solar energy installations.
National Science Foundation Awards Water Sustainability Grants
The National Science Foundation has awarded higher education grants through its Water Sustainability and Climate solicitation with the goal of understanding and predicting the interactions of Earth’s water system with climate change, land use, the built environment and ecosystem functions. Institutions who received grants include: Florida International University; Utah State University; University of Texas at El Paso; Michigan State University; University of Minnesota, Duluth; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; University of Idaho; Northern Arizona University; Michigan Technological University; University of North Texas; University of Michigan Ann Arbor; University of Maryland; University of Wisconsin-Madison; University of Arizona; and University of New Hampshire.
Ohio Wesleyan U Opens Green Recreation Center
Ohio Wesleyan University has opened an environmentally friendly recreation center designed to meet LEED certification. Sustainable features include a geothermal energy system that heats and cools the building, and a heat recovery system that heats water for the pool. The building also features a reflective clay-tile roof, as well as recycled, regional and low-VOC building materials.
Portland Community College Debuts Rocket Composter
As a result of student-driven research, Portland Community College (OR) has unveiled its new rocket composter. The self-contained, continuous-cycle composting unit allows the daily feeding of service ware and the harvest of compost. To speed up the process, it regulates water, temperature and humidity to facilitate four stages of the breakdown of compost. Last year, students were given the opportunity to determine where money from the college’s increased enrollment income could be used to improve the college’s infrastructure. As a result, the pilot project, if successful, will lead to the purchase of additional rocket composters.
Purdue U Turns Off Lights in Vending Machines
Purdue University (IN) has launched the Lights Out Campaign to save money by turning off vending machine lights in nearly 300 vending machines on campus. The university will save more than $7,000 in energy costs each year and the campaign will prevent 87,000 pounds of carbon from being emitted into the air.
Southern Illinois U Carbondale Students Install Green Roof
Southern Illinois University Carbondale students have installed a green roof with wildflowers and grasses on the College of Agricultural Sciences building. The project is both educational and economical, reducing energy costs by providing extra insulation and featuring an unplanted section for research purposes. The research will seek to establish tolerance thresholds for stress and to identify plant species suitable for green roof propagation. The project is funded by a $20,000 grant fed by the university’s current $10 per semester green student fee, as well as $10,000 contributions from the College of Agricultural Sciences dean and the Physical Plant budget.
U California Davis Launches Sustainable Winery and Brewery
The University of California, Davis has opened a winery, brewery and food-processing facility expected to meet LEED Platinum certification. The $20 million, 34,000-square-foot research complex was designed to serve as a test bed for production processes and techniques that conserve water, energy and other resources. Environmentally friendly features include on-site solar power generation and a large capacity system for capturing rainwater and conserving processing water. The stored rainwater will be used for landscaping and toilets. The winery has been designed to capture carbon dioxide, a natural byproduct of fermentation, from a port in each of the new fermentors. Additional green features include maximum use of natural light, rooftop photovoltaic cells to provide all of the facility's power at peak load, new food-processing equipment that minimizes energy and water requirements, the use of recycled glass in the flooring, interior paneling recycled from a 1928 wooden aqueduct, and certified sustainably harvested lumber.
U Denver Celebrates Bike and Walk to School Day
The University of Denver (CO) celebrated Bike and Walk to School Day with a free lunch for the first 150 students, faculty and staff who rode to campus and showed the key to their U-Lock. Additional riders received a lunch coupon good at local establishments. The university’s transportation center used the event to celebrate cyclists who help decrease the campus’s carbon footprint. Cyclists were offered many free services from participating community members and businesses.
U Minnesota Duluth Students Revive Neighboring Orchard
Students in the Students for Sustainable Agriculture group at the University of Minnesota, Duluth are helping the university revive a neighboring orchard and farm to provide produce for the campus. Students and faculty worked during the summer to clean up the orchard and ready the soil for vegetables. Raised bed gardens will be planted on a one-acre plot in the spring. A second acre of gardens will be planted in 2012 with plans for a well and fencing. Late last month, the students brought community members together to press the apples, forgotten since the 1970s, into cider. The university hopes to create a social enterprise garden where the produce sold will fund student internships. Some interns will grow food and others will work to market the food to local grocery stores.
Western Michigan U Dining Services Introduces Fair Trade Coffee
Western Michigan University's Dining Services has introduced Western Grounds, a certified fair trade and USDA-certified organic coffee from an employee-owned company in Michigan. The coffee brand is served in every dining hall and campus cafe as the result of feedback from a spring 2010 student-conducted survey about implementing fair trade coffee on campus.
West Virginia U Institute of Tech Students Study 'Micro-Grid'
West Virginia University Institute of Technology students are using a miniature power grid to study sustainable and renewable energy. The grid is located on the roof of the engineering building, alongside a small wind turbine and two solar panels. Generators pump power through extension cords into the renewable energy lab. Students are working to design controllers to manage power from those energy sources. Once the technology is perfected, the university believes schools, hospitals and businesses could install “micro-grids” to generate their own power through wind, solar or fuel cell technology.
Agnes Scott College Diverts 64% of Campus Waste from Landfills
Agnes Scott College (GA) has diverted 64 percent of its overall campus waste from landfills due to several recent sustainability initiatives. The college’s goal is to divert 80 percent of its waste from the landfill waste by June 2011, and achieve close to zero percent waste by the following year. Sustainable initiatives include a single-stream recycling program, compost program and the college has partnered with Terracycle to recycle chip and candy wrappers. Terracycle transforms the waste into a variety of products including tote bags and toys. The college also began offering reusable, plastic take-out containers to further minimize waste and in campus dining areas.
Cal State Polytechnic U Pomona Center Achieves Carbon Neutrality
With the installation of concentrated photovoltaic solar energy systems, California State Polytechnic University at Pomona's John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies has become carbon neutral. The center will use two photovoltaic solar systems to generate 100 percent of its own clean and renewable energy, displacing 85 metric tons of greenhouses gases. The university will save $30,000 a year in reduced energy purchases.
Cal State U Long Beach Hosts Campus Green Competition
California State University at Long Beach will host the campus competition, "Do it in the Dark," to compare electricity and water consumption rates for each residence hall. The buildings will be divided into three competing groups. The group that reduces its consumption the most per week will win a pizza party. The university hopes that the competition, sponsored by the Alliance to Save Energy's Green Campus Program, will be a successful outreach and educational tool.
Central Carolina CC Launches Sustainability Technologies Degree
Central Carolina Community College (NC) is preparing students for positions like sustainability consultant, green building supervisor and renewable energy technician with the launch of its applied science associate degree in sustainability technologies. The college will offer two areas of study: energy and green building. The alternative energy track emphasizes education in energy analysis, renewable energy modeling and system design. The green building track will train students in sustainable design materials, methods for constructing energy-efficient homes, weatherization and water management.
College of William and Mary Expands Sustainable Dining
The College of William and Mary (VA) has expanded its sustainable dining initiatives. Three sustainability interns have been hired to focus on recycling, composting and forming a connection with local food producers. In partnership with ARAMARK, the college's sustainability team is offering a 10-cent incentive for every reusable to-go box used. The sustainability team is also working on improving local food procurement including a partnership with the Williamsburg Winery, who will plant produce at their facility that will be used in the dining halls. The program has space for 400 more volunteers with 100 students signed up so far.
Duke U Turns Hog Waste into Energy
Duke University (NC) and Duke Energy have launched a pilot system to manage hog waste that can control greenhouse gas emissions, reduce pollutants and generate renewable energy. The $1.8 million prototype system is intended to serve as a model for other hog farms seeking to manage waste and develop on-farm renewable power. Methane gas collected from an anaerobic digester will be used to generate clean energy. Grant funding came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources Lagoon Conversion Program.
Eastern New Mexico U Roswell Opens Community Solar Demonstration
Eastern New Mexico University at Roswell has opened a new community solar energy demonstration site. The 35-kilowatt solar installation demonstrates six photovoltaic technologies that can be installed on homes or businesses, including a rooftop, lollipop, single axis and dual axis arrays. The project covers 22,000-square-feet and includes a walking path with information markers describing the types of technology demonstrated.
Grand Valley State U Awards Green Campus Practices
Grand Valley State University (MI) has launched a Sustainable Office Award program to recognize sustainability efforts across campus. Faculty and staff can visit the university's Sustainable Community Development Initiative website to answer a survey that investigates sustainability aspects of office practices including environment, economics and social impact. Based on their responses, faculty and staff are awarded a bronze to platinum rating. The university hopes to raise awareness of sustainability efforts and create an atmosphere where the campus will be excited about achieving the next level of sustainability.
Lakehead U Campus Building Earns LEED Platinum
Lakehead University’s (ON) Orillia-based campus has earned LEED Platinum certification for its new academic building. The $43 million facility was funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Knowledge Infrastructure Program and the City of Orillia. Sustainable features include a green roof, geothermal heating system and a rainwater retention pond that collects water for use in the building’s non-potable water functions like toilet flushing.
Medical U South Carolina Encourages Enviro Component of Medicine
The Medical University of South Carolina has named Dr. Louis Guillette as the new Center of Economic Excellence Endowed Chair in Marine Genomics. With a joint appointment in the university's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Marine Biomedicine and Environmental Sciences Center, the focus of Guillette's research will be to develop an environmental reproductive biology group. His goal is to emphasize how important the environmental component is to the practice of medicine, stating that the next 15 to 20 years will reveal huge numbers of diseases caused by environmental factors.
Michigan State U Partners with Fuji for Affordable Bikes
Michigan State University has partnered with Fuji Bicycles to introduce a program that allows students, faculty and staff to purchase new Fuji bikes on campus at reduced prices. Fuji sells colleges new bikes at reduced prices and in turn, bike shops extend lower prices to customers to make cycling more appealing. The university has sold more than 60 Fuji bikes since the program launched.
New York U Green Grant Increases Recycling by 178%
New York University's student-led Stern Centralized Recycling Pilot Project increased the average weight of recycled material in the Stern School of Business by 178 percent. Funded by a New York University Sustainability Task Force Green Grant, the project removed all trash cans from classrooms and placed them in public areas, pairing them with single-stream recycling receptacles.
NY Times Features U Oregon Sustainable Cities Project
Roughly 600 University of Oregon students will devote 80,000 hours this school year to making Salem, Ore. more economically, socially and environmentally sustainable, reports The New York Times. Part of the university's Sustainable Cities Initiative, the project will enlist students in the architecture, planning, law, journalism and business classes to explore how Salem can nurture green business clusters, reuse industrial byproducts, connect parks with bicycle paths and design energy-efficient municipal buildings. The city of Salem will contribute about $345,000 for the university collaboration, dubbed the Sustainable City Year.
Pennsylvania Institutions Receive Energy Research Grants
The Energy Commercialization Institute has awarded a total of $510,000 to university-based research projects in Pennsylvania. Researchers at Temple University’s College of Engineering will collaborate with researchers from Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania and Villanova University. The grant will support the development of new technologies that will build Southeastern Pennsylvania’s alternative energy infrastructure. Temple University and Drexel University will collaborate to develop methods for the efficient and large-scale production of hydrogen. Temple will also work with researchers from the other universities on the large-scale fabrication of printable hybrid solar cells.
Pepperdine U Students Start Community Garden
Pepperdine University’s (CA) Green Team, a student organization, has constructed a campus community garden. Twelve elevated, large box planters were filled with organic compost from a local distributor of bio-dynamic soil. Forty-eight separate plots within the planters will be rented out to individuals or organizations that want to support the Green Team while growing their own produce. Any funds raised from renting plots will go to upkeep and perpetuation of the garden.
Richland College Garland Campus Receives LEED Gold Certification
Richland College's Garland Campus has received LEED Gold certification. The building was designed to operate with minimal impact to the environment. The college hopes the building will teach students and the community how buildings can function in ways that are friendly, carbon neutral and environmentally sustainable.
Saginaw Valley State U Dedicates Native Planting Site
Saginaw Valley State University (MI) has dedicated a 40-acre native planting site on campus. The Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, which provided a $40,000 grant to support the new site, is composed of 10 area foundations that work to protect and preserve the region’s natural resources. The plants are low-maintenance and thrive without the use of fertilizers and pesticides. The native habitat will also reduce erosion, water pollution and provide a natural habitat for wildlife.
State U of New York Canton Students Install Solar Heat Collectors
Alternative and renewable energy systems students at the State University of New York at Canton have installed two rooftop heat collectors at a college alumni house as part the university's solar thermal systems curriculum. The roof-mounted collectors utilize solar energy to warm antifreeze, which in turn warms water for showers, cooking and laundry. Students will continue to maintain the system and use it as a learning tool.
Swarthmore College Students Convert Cooking Oil to Biodiesel Fuel
Swarthmore College (PA) students have launched a project to convert used cooking oil from the college's dining hall into biodiesel fuel that will be used in college facilities or vehicles. The first stage of the project consists of converting small batches of unused cooking oil into biodiesel in order to receive estimates on how much biodiesel fuel will be produced from the used cooking oil. The goal of the second stage is to find the exact measurements of how much biodiesel is produced and the amount of emissions created by the combustion of biodiesel.
U California Santa Barbara Installs Sustainable Water System
The University of California, Santa Barbara has installed a portable sustainable water system. The system converts humidity into fresh water. The portable machine captures moisture from the air, then condenses, filters and stores the byproduct. Campus sustainability coordinators anticipate that the machine can significantly reduce the university’s carbon footprint over time.
U Missouri Serves Local Prawns
The University of Missouri's dining services department has begun serving locally harvested prawns at campus dining halls. The shellfish are grown and raised at the Bradford Research and Extension Center, part of the university-owned Agriculture Experiment Stations. The initiative is part of department's goal to increase the amount of local food served on campus which is currently at 11 percent including dairy and meat.
U New England Receives Grants for Energy Improvements
The University of New England (ME) has received three grants totaling more than $238,000 in funding for energy improvements. The grants include $154,160 for building automation and energy management upgrades for greenhouse gas reductions, $50,000 for a solar hot water system and performance monitoring display, and $37,347 for parking lot LED lights to reduce energy consumption. The university’s sustainability office applied for the grants, which will be administered by the Maine Public Utilities Commissions Energy Programs Division.
Universities Compete in Campus Conservation Nationals 2010
The Alliance to Save Energy, in partnership with Lucid Design Group and the National Wildlife Federation, has announced the debut of Campus Conservation Nationals 2010, a nationwide electricity and water use reduction competition. Forty colleges and universities will compete to achieve the greatest reductions in their residence halls over a three-week period beginning Nov. 1, 2010. Participating schools have installed Lucid's energy dashboard system, allowing them to compare energy performance and track standings. Winning campuses and residence halls will receive a prize package from the U.S. Green Building Council and Study Like a Champion.
U North Texas Launches Campus Energy Savings Project
The University of North Texas started a three-year campus-wide energy savings project this fall. Aimed at improving energy efficiency, operations, reliability and comfort across campus, the university has partnered with Schneider Electric to improve its current energy and water systems. A previous partnership with the energy management company yielded a savings of $1.2 million a year in energy costs. The university hopes that this project, which will include the replacement of existing chilled water distribution systems and the implementation of a real-time, online energy tracking system, will increase savings to $3.2 million a year.
Wright State U Installs Solar Array
Wright State University (OH) has installed a new solar array atop the student union to heat an indoor swimming pool. The solar array could reduce the natural gas heating costs by 20 percent. The university expects to pay off the $140,000 installation in energy savings within a decade. The array will also function as a teaching tool for students within the newly launched master’s degree in renewable and clean energy.
Lehigh U Opens Environmentally Friendly Facility
Lehigh University (PA) has opened a 135,000-square-foot building with teaching and research areas designed to facilitate collaborative learning and eliminate boundaries between the classroom and the lab. The $62.1 million facility will seek LEED Gold certification with features including bike storage, shade gardens, passive solar design, occupancy sensors, low-flow plumbing fixtures, Energy Star roof membrane, a green roof, air quality monitoring system and the preservation of a large portion of the site's original green lawn space. A large percentage of construction materials was recycled and diverted from the landfills.
Arizona State U Market Offers Local and Fair Trade Options
To meet the demand of students looking for fresh, healthy and quick dining options, Arizona State University's Sun Devil Dining has announced the opening of its convenience store concept, Provisions on Demand Market. Designed to engage students with the foods they eat, the market offers information about the food's place of origin and nutritional value. Product cues clearly identify food items as vegan, organic, kosher, locally-grown, gluten-free and fair trade.
Brevard CC Launches New Alternative Energies Program
Brevard Community College (FL) has introduced a new alternative energies program to prepare its students for the green workforce. Brevard County officials, in conjunction with the University of Central Florida, is pursuing a $50 million federal grant with the goal of making the county a major center for solar research in the U.S.
Case Western Reserve U Plans Wind Energy Research Center
Case Western Reserve University (OH) is set to complete the installation of one of three planned wind turbines on campus. The first turbine is expected to be operational during the fall 2010 semester, providing 18.5 percent of the annual electricity for the university's Veale Athletic Center. The university was awarded $3 million from the Ohio Third Frontier Commission Wright Projects Program in support of an Ohio Wind Energy Research and Commercialization Center dedicated to wind turbine innovation and education. In addition to research, the planned turbines will offer opportunities for local companies to create, test and commercialize wind energy related technologies.
Chatham U Revives Campus Root Cellar
In addition to providing Chatham University (PA) students with a place to hold their apple orchard and organic garden bounty, the recent restoration of the Eden Hall Root Cellar is part of an ongoing research project that will include the concept in a sustainable, affordable model kitchen design. Chatham professors in the interior architecture department believe that as energy costs rise, root cellars should make a comeback as a low-cost way to keep produce through the winter. Apples, potatoes, beets, celeriac root, horseradish, Belgian endive, cabbage, carrots and winter squash will keep for up to six months in a root cellar. The research is looking at ways to incorporate old and new technologies like an insulated root vegetable storage drawer that is vented to maintain the outside room temperature. Students will help document temperature and humidity levels in the cellar and feed the results into a software program that will determine an optimum environment.
Chronicle of Higher Ed Releases '2010 Diversity in Academe'
Admissions officers are devoting more attention to increasing the numbers of low-income students, says The Chronicle of Higher Education's new report, "2010 Diversity in Academe." According to the report, there is also heightened interest in making the professoriate more socioeconomically diverse and interest in diversity abroad is on the rise.
Colorado State U to Install 3.3 MW Solar Expansion
Colorado State University is set to install a 3.3 megawatt expansion of a photovoltaic power system at the university’s Foothills Campus. The new panels will increase the solar power system to a total of 5.3 megawatts on 30 acres. The expanded system will provide enough energy to meet more than one-third of the electricity demand at the campus. The university expects to save $6 million in electricity costs over 20 years.
Dalhousie U Debuts New Green Building
Dalhousie University (NS) has debuted the Mona Campbell Building, the new home for its College of Sustainability. Designed to meet LEED Gold standards, sustainable features include bike racks, a cistern to collect non potable water, organic food selections, 85 heat pumps to re-circulate heat, low-flow plumbing, energy-efficient lighting, a green roof and a solar wall to preheat ventilation air.
Green Information Technology on the Rise at Canadian Institutions
The desire for more eco-friendly technology has inspired university IT departments and researchers, reports a recent story in Canada's University Affairs magazine. As e-mail, teleconferencing and electronic thermostats replace driving, flying and air conditioners, Canadian institutions are paying attention to how much energy the energy-saving devices use themselves. On-campus groups like the University of Alberta's Green Computing Initiative, for example, runs a Web page with stats on campus IT energy use and a list of energy-reduction tips. York University's (ON) sustainability organization promotes Unplug, a program that encourages university faculty and staff to turn off their computers at night and posts for the campus community how much energy the campus has saved through improved computer habits. IT departments are also investing in energy-efficient hardware like LCD monitors and amalgamating energy-sucking server rooms.
John Carroll U Partners with Coke for Campus Recycling Efforts
John Carroll University (OH) has signed a beverage agreement with Coca-Cola. New campus vending machines conserve energy by turning off at night and Coca-Cola pledged to give the university $10,000 worth of new recycling containers in support of its recycling and sustainability initiatives.
John Carroll U Revamps Dining Options with Fair Trade
John Carroll University (OH) has revamped its Dining Services with more environmentally friendly options. In addition to providing local produce options to students, the Student Center Barista now offers fair trade products. The college hopes to expand fair trade products to the other dining areas around campus.
National Wildlife Federation Rolls Out Greenforce Initiative
The National Wildlife Federation, in partnership with Jobs for the Future, is promoting community college green job education and training through the Greenforce Initiative: Advancing Greener Careers and Campuses. Funded by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, the two-year project aims to strengthen the capacity of community colleges in the U.S. to implement green career programs in response to the rapidly growing clean energy job sector.
