U Tennessee Knoxville Reduces Annual Energy Use by 5%
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville has reduced is annual energy use by 5 percent through its Switch Your Thinking energy-saving campaign and a new campus energy conservation policy. Across campus, students, faculty, and staff have been encouraged to turn off unneeded lights and unused computers, and be more conscientious about the use of natural light and energy-efficient appliance purchases. The reduction resulted in a savings of $559,000.
U Utah Opens LEED Certified Geology Building
The University of Utah has opened its new LEED certified geology facility, the $25 million Frederick Albert Sutton Building. The four-level, 91,000-square-foot building features a roof-top garden, on-site storm water capture, xeriscaping, skylights, and a system to display energy and water use.
U Wisconsin, Eau Claire Expands Trayless Program
The University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire has announced plans to expand its current Trayless Tuesdays program to every day of the week starting in the fall of 2009. The University made the decision after seeing how well students adapted to the pilot.
Virginia Commonwealth U Building Receives LEED Platinum
Virginia Commonwealth University’s Walter L. Rice Education Building is the first building in Virginia to be awarded LEED Platinum certification. The $2.6 million, 4,900-square-foot structure opened last October and features rain gardens, geothermal heating and cooling, high efficiency lighting, high insulation levels, dual flush and power assist toilets, and renewable construction materials.
Warren Wilson College Launches Sustainability Website
Warren Wilson College (NC) has launched a new sustainability website. The website contains information on campus initiatives and a list of sustainability-related awards and recognitions, sustainability-related committees, and upcoming events.
Waubonsee CC Earns Environmental Award
Waubonsee Community College (IL) has received an Outstanding Project Award from Trees Forever, a nonprofit organization dedicated to tree planting, prairie restoration, and watershed management. As part of the 20th anniversary celebration of Trees Forever, the organization chose 20 outstanding environmental projects to honor. Waubonsee was honored for the wetland restoration efforts it has undertaken at its Sugar Grove Campus.
Western Kentucky U Announces Sustainability Grants
Western Kentucky University has announced the winners of its student contest for the best ideas for greening WKU. Winning proposals include a project to replace diesel shuttle buses with electric buses and to recharge them at solar power stations; to create a 5-acre algae farm for biodiesel production; to install a dormitory electricity usage monitoring system; and to save energy through temperature settings in dormitory water heaters. The Innovation in Sustainability fund, which sponsored the contest, is an endowment designed to fund WKU student projects that improve sustainability, reduce energy consumption, create renewable sources of energy, foster environmental stewardship, increase recycling, or further the education of students in one of these areas.
Western Kentucky U Approves Sustainability Minor
The Western Kentucky University Board of Regents has approved a new minor in sustainability studies. Offered through the Department of Geography and Geology, the new minor will be available to students starting in the fall of 2009 and will require 21 semester hours with at least 12 semester hours at the 300 and 400 level. Students in the program will study how both individual and society decision making impacts the environment and how to mitigate the negative ramifications.
British Columbia Campuses Receive Funding for Green Infrastructure
Several campuses in British Columbia have received funding from the federal and provincial governments for green building upgrades. University of Northern British Columbia will receive a $21.7 million investment to build a plant that will use waste wood as biofuel and upgrade the campus's heating and cooling equipment and machinery. College of New Caledonia's Prince George campus will receive $19.75 million to renovate some spaces within the John A Brink Centre, and to replace an existing 48-year-old trades training building with a new technical education centre building with sustainable systems that lowers energy consumption and creates more room for trades trainees. Another $9.9 million will build Phase 2 of CNC's North Cariboo Community Campus in Quesnel, which opened in 2006. The University of British Columbia will receive $65 million to renovate research facilities and classrooms originally built more than 50 years ago with sustainable features. The Geoexchange System at UBC Okanagan, which uses groundwater from under the campus to heat and cool buildings, will receive an additional $2.9 million to make the campus emissions-free by 2010. Additionally, the British Columbia Institute of Technology has received $39.1 million to renovate a building on its Burnaby campus. The Campus Gateway Building project will include energy efficiency upgrades such as a micro-electricity grid that harnesses alternative energy sources.
British Columbia Gov't Passes GHG Reduction Targets Act
British Columbia's provincial government has passed the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets Act, Bill 44, establishing a target for all public-sector organizations, including public colleges and universities, to be net carbon-neutral by 2010. Campuses and others must also achieve specific emission-reduction targets, including reducing total emissions by 33 percent from 2007 levels by 2020 and by 80 percent by 2050. To meet this goal, Simon Frasier University plans to reduce its emissions as much as possible and then purchase carbon offsets for all remaining emissions.
Bronx CC Plants 94 Trees
Bronx Community College (NY) has planted 94 trees on its campus as part of a larger New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) program known as Greening the Bronx. NYSERDA, on behalf of New York City, is administering the $10 million Urban Reforestation project over ten years as part of a large-scale tree planting program and evaluation.
Central College Announces Ctr for Global Sustainability Education
Central College (IA) has announced the creation of a Center for Global Sustainability Education to be housed in the College’s new green education/psychology building scheduled to open in the fall. The center will house SUSTAIN, the Central College campus sustainability working group that provides resources and support for students and volunteers working on sustainability projects and community-based service-learning. The Prairie Project, the main ongoing initiative of the new center, will provide professional training and sustainability curriculum development support for area teachers and community partners.
Centre College Dorm Receives LEED Gold
Centre College's (KY) Pearl Hall has received LEED Gold certification. The residence hall features a variable irrigation system, which eliminates the need for permanent and constant use of water for irrigation; low-flow shower heads, lavatories, and sinks and dual-flush toilets; controllability of lighting, heating and cooling; recycling containers throughout the building; front-loading washing machines; high recycled content and regional materials within the structure of the building; and a geothermal heating and cooling system. The building opened in August 2008 and is the first building in Kentucky to receive Gold certification.
Chill Out Winners Announced
The National Wildlife Federation has announced the eight winners of its annual competition, Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming . The Chill Out competition seeks to honor and promote U.S campuses that are advancing creative solutions to global warming. The Massachusetts Maritime Academy was the Grand Prize Winner. Other winners include the Chancellor's Office of the California State University system, California State University, Northridge, Humboldt State University (CA), Middlebury College (VT), Oberlin College (OH), Longwood University (VA), and the University of California, San Diego. The winners were announced during a live webcast
Davidson College Begins Large-Scale Composting
Davidson College (NC) has begun composting campus dining hall food and yard wastes. Batches of the accumulated waste will be composted in approximately 6 days using a newly purchased commercial-grade rotating drum built specifically for composting. The compost produced by the drum will then be added to campus gardens and flowerbeds after it matures for three to six months. The College hopes to reduce food waste by up to 50 percent once the project is fully operational.
Medical U of South Carolina Switches to E-Faxes
The Medical University of South Carolina has switched from paper to electronic faxes in an effort to conserve energy and paper consumption. The new effort has reduced the University's monthly paper usage by 60,000 sheets.
Portland State U Receives $200 K for Bike Cooperative
Portland State University (OR) has received donations of $150,000 and $50,000 toward its bicycle cooperative. The $150,000 donation is intended to help fund the construction of bicycle parking facilities on campus, and the $50,000 donation will be used to upgrade the program's current facilities. The new space will create between 1,500 and 2,000 square feet of indoor bicycle parking.
RecycleMania Winners Announced; 510 Compete
RecycleMania has announced the winners of its 2009 competition in which 510 institutions in the United States and Canada competed to reduce, reuse, and recycle the most campus waste. California State University, San Marcos is the 2009 Grand Champion. In addition, North Lake College (TX) won the Waste Minimization contest, McNeese State University (LA) won the Stephen K Gaski Per Capita Classic and for Corrugated Cardboard, Rutgers University (NJ) won the Gorilla Prize, Stephens College (MO) won for Paper, Kalamazoo College (MI) won for Bottles & Cans, and Bard College (NY) won for Food Service Organics. In all, 4.7 million students and 1.1 million faculty and staff collectively recycled or composted just over 69.4 million pounds of waste over ten weeks.
Seattle U Seeks to Reduce Food Waste
Seattle University (WA) has begun using a new scale and touch-screen monitor to keep track of the amount and types of food waste in its dining halls. The system allows dining hall staff to monitor their food waste, and provides incentives to encourage the employees to reduce the amount of waste they produce when preparing food.
Terra CC to Offer Wind Power Certificate
Terra Community College (OH) has announced plans to offer a new Wind Power Technology Certificate starting in the fall of 2009. The new program will require 21 credits, and classes will include DC Circuits, Electronics, Electricity, Power Electronics, AC/DC Machines, Electrical Codes and Prints, Safety, Hydraulics, Fundamentals of Wind Energy, and OSHA Standards: Wind Energy.
U at Albany Receives Grant to Study Campus Commute Patterns
The University at Albany has received a $97,290 grant from New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to identify commuter vehicle patterns of students, faculty, and staff and research alternative modes of transportation. The University will evaluate transportation flow to and from campus in an effort to reduce vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as develop new transit recommendations. The University's Office of Environmental Sustainability along with Associate Professor Kate Lawson, Geography and Planning Department, will examine surveys to find out how people get to work. Researchers will study campus community awareness of alternative transportation, as well as identify clusters of commuters for potential car pooling opportunities. The 18-month study is expected to be completed in fall 2010.
U California Los Angeles Prof to Build Hydrogen Fueling Station
Vasilios Manousiouthakis, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, has received $2.1 million in grant funding to build a hydrogen fueling station on campus. The fueling station will have the capacity to produce 140 kilograms of hydrogen per day for use in hydrogen-powered vehicles. The station, which will be available for use by the public, will be run by UCLA Engineering's Hydrogen Engineering Research Consortium.
UMACS Launches Website for Midwest Campus Sustainability Profiles
The Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability (UMACS) has launched a new website with the intention of facilitating greater sharing of information between Midwest colleges and universities. The new site allows users to create a campus sustainability profile for their school, upload information on sustainability projects on their campus, and add events to the UMACS calendar.
U Maryland Signs Energy Performance Contract
The University of Maryland has signed a $20 million energy performance contract with Johnson Controls to save nearly $30 million in energy costs and 4,100 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the course of 15 years. Through the performance contract, Johnson Controls will implement a variety of energy conservation and facility improvement measures including lighting upgrades, building envelope improvements, and HVAC and water upgrades. The project also proposes to deliver energy education, awareness, and green communications through programs focused on educating the university’s employees on energy efficiency at work and home as well as the environmental impact of their actions.
Virginia Tech to Bring Car Share Program to Campus
Virginia Tech has announced plans to bring U Car Share, a car sharing program, to campus this summer. The program will allow students, staff, and faculty access to cars 24/7. U Car Share will provide six EPA SmartWay certified vehicles, a Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Focus, Toyota Yaris, Mini Cooper, and a Ford F-150. The vehicles will be parked at four different locations near classes, residence halls, and the Squires Student Center. Membership will be free to the campus community for a limited time, and participants of VT's Commuter Alternative Program will be able to join for free all year round.
William Penn U Receives $340K Rebate for Energy Conservation
William Penn University (IA) has received $340,700 in energy conservation incentives from MidAmerican Energy. The University received the rebates for installing geothermal heating and cooling systems and energy efficient lighting packages with control system in two recent construction projects on campus.
Worchester Polytechnic Institute Building Receives Green Award
Worcester Polytechnic Institute's (MA) newest residence hall, East Hall, has been named a Green Building of America Award winner and will be featured in the upcoming Northeast 2009-10 edition of Real Estate & Construction Review: Green Success Stories , published by Construction Communications. East Hall features a green roof, white roofing, natural daylighting, bike storage, and 12 dedicated parking spaces for hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles. The award's goal is to publicize and showcase team members that contribute to helping the environment.
Yale Opens Green Academic Building
Yale University (CT) has opened Kroon Hall, an academic building designed to use 50 percent less energy than a comparably sized building. The $33.5 million building, which will house the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, is expected to achieve LEED Platinum certification. The 56,467-square-foot structure features red oak from the University's own sustainably harvest forests, and east-west orientation, natural daylighting, light and occupancy sensors, a 100 kW rooftop solar array, geothermal heating and cooling, and a rainwater-harvesting system.
66% of High Schoolers Value Info on Colleges' Env'l Commitment
The Princeton Review 2009 "College Hopes and Worries Survey" has found that 66 percent, up 3 percent from 2008, of respondents would value the ability to compare college and universities based on their commitment to environmental issues. Nearly a quarter said this information would very much or strongly affect their college decision. The survey interviewed 12,715 high school students applying to college and 3,007 parents of college applicants.
Furman U Golf Club Goes Green
The Furman University (SC) Golf Club has begun the Sanctuary Initiative, which aims to green the Club's operations and landscaping. The Club has installed a new irrigation system that uses less water and has allowed 15 acres of previously maintained areas on the course to become natural in an effort to cut down on fertilizer and chemical applications. Integrated Pest Management practices are being employed to reduce or eliminate pesticide use and simultaneously keep pest populations at an acceptable level.
Kansas State U Completes Greek Sustainability Competition
Kansas State University has completed its first Ecolympics competition to see which Greek house could save the most water and energy, increase its recycling the most, and bring in the most guest speakers about sustainability. The average Greek house saved 7 percent of its energy in the month of March. One house reduced its energy usage by 24 percent.
Lynchburg College to Install Energy Upgrades
Lynchburg College (VA) has hired Ameresco, an energy services company to do a comprehensive energy audit of the campus and to install energy upgrades to campus buildings. Among the possible upgrades are high efficiency lighting and lighting controls, a campus-wide energy management system, new boilers, new air conditioning systems, a water conservation program, upgrade of radiator controls in dormitories, windows with solar control, computer network power management, and field house improvements.
Maharishi U Mgmt Restores Native Prairie on Campus
Maharishi University of Management (IA) has begun a prairie restoration project on campus. Site preparation has already begun on the 15 acre prairie, and planting will begin in the fall of 2010. Once the prairie is complete, it will absorb rainwater, decreasing the threat of flooding during storms, and the only care it will require will be an annual controlled burn.
Mass College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences Opens Green Building
The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has opened its Richard E. Griffin Academic Center, a new six-story academic building. Construction of the facility began in September 2007 and was completed in January 2009. Green features include white roof, a rainwater collection system, low VOC carpeting and paint, and natural lighting. The College says the structure is consistent with LEED certification standards.
Ohio State U Expands Recycling Program to Greek Houses
The Ohio state University Student Government has distributed 150 recycling bins to more than 30 off-campus Greek houses. The Greek associations have agreed to pay for weekly pick-up at 24 locations near campus. The bins were provided by the Department of Facilities Operations and Development and the Office of Student Life.
U Central Oklahoma Launches Green Initiative
The University of Central Oklahoma has launched Bronze+Blue=Green: UCO Lean and Green, a campaign to reduce energy use and waste on campus. As part of the month-long awareness campaign, the University has installed a power management system on all campus computers that puts monitors and computers to sleep after 15 minutes and 30 minutes of inactivity respectively. The University is also performing an analysis of all all printers, copiers, fax machines, and print machines throughout the campus to search for ways to reduce waste and energy use.
U Colorado Begins Green Pledge Program
The University of Colorado Environmental Center, and the CU administration have partnered to promote sustainability on campus through the Live Green program. Live Green supports environmentally friendly habits through the Live Green Pledge, which members of CU community can sign to indicate an area where they will change their lifestyle to become more sustainable. Live Green is designed to encourage and educate members of the community about changes they can make to their life. After signing the pledge, and indicating three areas where they can live more sustainably, participants receive a monthly newsletter with tips and idea about what they can do in their everyday life. For every person who pledges to live green before Earth Day, the University will donate $5 towards sustainability programs on campus.
U Georgia Students Approve Sustainability Fee
University of Georgia students have approved a referendum to charge students a mandatory $3 fee for the Office of Sustainability. The referendum passed with 4,698 out of 5,833 votes (81%). If the fee is approved by the Mandatory Fees Committee, the President, and the Board of Regents, it could go into effect as early as the fall of 2010.
U Idaho Adopts Natural Landscaping Approach
The University of Idaho Facilities Services department has classified 84 acres of campus as naturalized or semi-naturalized. 57.9 acres of turf and trees have been classified as naturalized, meaning they receive no irrigation and no landscape maintenance except seasonal fringe mowing, some required noxious weed control, and removal of dead plant materials as needed. An additional 26.1 acres have been classified as semi-naturalized turf and tree areas, meaning they require no irrigation or only automatic irrigation, seasonal mowing once or twice each year to assist in controlling noxious and pest weeds, and the removal of dead plant materials as needed. The classification will help the University save water, gasoline, and oil that was previously needed for maintenance upkeep.
U Idaho Awards $80K for Sustainability & Climate Change Research
The University of Idaho has awarded $80,000 worth of grants to faculty research teams for projects in the areas of environment, sustainability, global change, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and related concerns. The Funds for Interdisciplinary Teams program awarded 5 grants to projects to research biodiversity conservation and sustainable community development; enhance communication in public health; study the eco-social system of an urbanizing environment; develop a comprehensive organic waste-to-commodities process; and develop programs for biofuels and bioproducts industries that are ecologically sustainable and socioeconomically beneficial to rural communities.
U Minnesota Opens Green Cafe
The University of Minnesota has opened the CityKid Java Café. The Café serves fair trade coffee, and all profits from the Café fund athletic programming and learning labs for at-risk youth and their families.
Unity College to Hold Green Commencement
Unity College (ME) has announced plans to hold a green commencement ceremony. Officials believe that the ceremony will be the greenest commencement in the US. Diplomas and programs will be printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper, plates and silverware will be cleaned with environmentally friendly products, and energy efficiency lighting will be generated from 100 percent renewable sources. In addition, graduates will receive a sapling tree as a symbol of their lifelong commitment to the environment and will take a pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and champion sustainability efforts. The College will serve local foods and compost waste at the graduate banquet.
Universities at Shady Grove to Host Maryland Clean Energy Ctr
The Universities at Shady Grove had announced that it will be the new home for the Maryland Clean Energy Center. The MCEC headquarters will be located at the LEED-Gold Camille Kendall Academic Center at USG. The purpose of the MCEC is to promote clean energy, economic development, and jobs in the state; encourage deployment of clean energy technologies across Maryland; assist newly developed technologies with pilot projects; collect, analyze, and disseminate industry data; and provide outreach and technical support to further the clean energy industry in Maryland.
U Rhode Island Begins Carpooling Challenge
The University of Rhode Island has begun a carpool challenge on campus. The two week program includes free $3 coupons for carpooling participants, a free one-day parking pass, and the chance to win one of four mp3 players.
U Rhode Island Completes Conservation Campaign
The University of Rhode Island has completed the first semester of its behavior-based energy reduction campaign in the residence halls. The campaign focused on helping students remember to turn of their computers when not in use, turn the heat and/or air conditioning off when leaving a room, and take shorter showers. As a result of the initiative, the number of students who turn off their computers when not in use increased from 18 to 35 percent, the number of students who turn off their heat or air conditioning increased from 45 to 65 percent, and the number of showers students take per week decreased from 8 to 6.8. URI plans to re-run the campaign in the fall of 2009.
U Victoria Adopts Sustainability Policy
The University of Victoria (BC) Board of Governors has approved a campus sustainability policy. The policy is an overarching framework that provides a common understanding of UVic’s commitment to sustainability in teaching, research, operations, and community partnerships. A comprehensive five-year sustainability action plan for campus operations has also been developed as a first step in implementing the policy. It provides goals and direction for a wide range of actions within eight inter-related topic areas: energy and climate; transportation; purchasing; governance, decision-making, and sustainability resources; buildings and renovations; grounds, food and urban agriculture; waste management; and water management.
