Berkeley Lab, UC Berkeley Partner with India to Reduce GHGs
The U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California, Berkeley have announced a joint research and development program in which researchers will work with the government and private sector of India to develop paths toward reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases while maintaining sustained economic growth. Scientists of the initiative, named the Berkeley-India Joint Leadership on Energy and the Environment, will conduct research on basic science and engineering, new technology development, and policies to promote market transformation to further energy efficiency, clean energy sources, and smart growth.
Boston U Expands Local Scholarship to Include Full Tuition Grants
Boston University (MA) President Robert A. Brown and Mayor Thomas M. Menino have announced that Boston University is expanding its program for providing scholarships to graduates of Boston Public Schools. Under the expansion, BU will award 20–25 full-tuition academic scholarships each year to qualified Boston residents graduating from Boston Public Schools. The initiative is a continuation of the merit-based Boston Scholars Program, through which 1,719 graduates of the Boston Public Schools have received nearly $126 million in scholarships from Boston University. BU has also expanded its need-based awards for Boston Public School graduates who are admitted to the University. BU plans to meet these students’ eligibility for assistance in its entirety without reliance on loans.
Cornell Receives $10 M for Computational Sustainability Institute
Cornell University (NY) has received a $10 million grant from the National Science Foundation to establish the Computational Sustainability Institute, a center that will focus on computational methods for a sustainable environment, economy, and society. The Institute will work on such projects as optimizing the design of land corridors for grizzlies that now live in three separate areas in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana to find a viable route while reducing the cost of land acquisition; developing models to transition to an ethanol economy; and preserving bird habitats and designing bird corridors by analyzing hemispheric-scale bird migrations involving billions of birds. The Institute will involve 14 Cornell faculty members along with scientists at Oregon State University, Howard University (DC), Bowdoin College (ME), the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the Conservation Fund.
Florida Golf Coast U Begins Reef Construction, Restoration
Florida Gulf Coast University scientists and local volunteers have begun oyster reef construction and restoration in Estero Bay. The project will improve water quality, habitat availability, and protect shoreline and mangrove erosion. Work involves loading fossil oyster shells into wire mesh bags, transporting them and placing them in strategic points in the estuaries that attract natural oyster spat (larvae) and eventually form reefs. Within one year, the 400 square meters of oyster reef created at this event will produce more than 1,000 oysters per square meter, filter at least 10 liters of water and particulates per oyster per hour from the water column, provide stability to mangrove shorelines by minimizing the impact of boat wakes, and provide food, shelter and habitat to nearly 300 species of invertebrates, fishes and birds.
Green Mountain College Receives Farm & Food Grant
Green Mountain College’s (VT) Farm and Food Project has received a $110,000 grant from the Jensen/Hinman Family Fund, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The funding, which will be matched by GMC, supports research aimed at running the College’s Cerridwen Farm with as few fossil-derived resources as possible with the ultimate target of using no fossil fuels at all. Research will be incorporated into GMC’s new summer intensive program in sustainable agriculture beginning in 2009.
Kent State U Stark, U Miami to Launch Env'l Media Initiative
Kent State University, Stark (OH) has received a gift from the Herbert W. Hoover Foundation to establish the Herbert W. Hoover Initiative for Environmental Media Activism. The Initiative, the result of collaboration between Kent State University, Stark and the University of Miami (FL), is designed to develop generations of scholars who understand science and are able to produce new media that is fair, highly educational, and effective in triggering change on individual and social levels. The Initiative will also sponsor at least one project a year to create an educational campaign for an environmental issue related to Ohio, and, where applicable, Stark County; provide grants for Kent State Stark faculty members to research and design collaborative courses that incorporate environmental issues; sponsor frequent screenings of environmental films from celebrated filmmakers; and sponsor an annual environmental short film/new media festival for student filmmakers with cash awards for the winners.
Oregon State U Selected for Marine Renewable Energy Center
Oregon State University has been selected as the site for the Northwest Marine Renewable Energy Center. The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded OSU a $1.25 million annual grant, which can be renewed for up to five years. This will be combined with funds from the Oregon legislature, OSU, the Oregon Wave Energy Trust, the University of Washington and other sources to create a total of $13.5 million over five years that will help create the Center. This monetary support will primarily be used to build a floating “test berth” to test wave energy technology on the Oregon coast. Construction of the new floating test berth should begin in 2010.
Saint Xavier U Purchases 1,200,000 kWh of Clean Energy
Saint Xavier University (IL) has purchased 1.2 million kilowatt-hours of “Clean Source” renewable energy over the next two years to compensate for electricity to be used in a new student residence hall. The “Clean Source” energy used in the soon-to-be-dedicated Mother Agatha O’Brien Hall is expected to prevent the emission of more than 817,000 pounds of CO2. SXU's purchase helped to fund a biomass cogeneration facility, a hydroelectric operation that does not obstruct fish migration; and 128 wind turbines.
Syracuse U Launches Several Sustainable Commuting Initiatives
Syracuse University (NY) has launched a new "Flexible Work and Sustainability Initiative" to encourage the use of flexible work options that support the University's commitment to energy conservation and sustainability. SU has also launched the One-Seat Rides Program, the Central Fare Deal program/Guaranteed Ride Home Service, a carpool parking program, the SU Ride Share program, and a University-wide Zipcar option. In related news, SU has also launched its second annual Campus Commuter Challenge. As par
U Arizona Hires Social Justice Education Coordinator
The University of Arizona Residence Life has hired Mohammed Naser as the Social Justice Education Coordinator to teach students living in campus housing about diversity and social justice issues. One of Naser’s tasks is to form a peer advisory group called Advocates Coming Together, or ACT, that will be responsible for instituting new programs in the residence halls and on campus. Residence Life will be testing students’ knowledge about diversity and justice-oriented topics and themes before and after the academic year to gauge student learning.
U Arkansas, College of William & Mary Go Trayless
Three University of Arkansas dining halls have gone trayless. The University estimates that it will reduce food waste from 433,500 to 225,000 pounds, save 200,000 gallons of water, and thousands of kilowatt-hours of electricity per academic year. The College of William and Mary (VA) Sadler Center has adopted a tray-free program as well. The dining hall is the second on campus to do so.
UC Riverside Launches Sustainable Dev & Green Design Certificate
The University of California, Riverside has launched a new certificate in Sustainable Development and Green Design. In the program, students will learn about the concepts and principles of sustainability through green building design, clean technologies and innovative approaches to achieving economic, environmental, and social sustainability. The courses required to complete the certificate are offered using distance education and online technology, coupled with classroom and interactive real-time computer systems.
UC San Diego Appoints Director of Strategic Energy Initiatives
The University of California, San Diego has appointed Byron Washom as its first Director of Strategic Energy Initiatives. Washom is tasked with providing strategic leadership in the establishment of an innovative energy plan. Future projects include energy storage systems that adjust to the intermittency of renewable energy and provide permanent load shifting; strategic purchasing of renewable energy from the grid during periods of surpluses; co-production of hydrogen from its fuel cell system; utilizing cold ocean water from the adjacent La Jolla Trench; and converting the campus vehicle transportation fleet into cleaner, alternative fuels.
U Delaware Launches Energy Institute
The University of Delaware has launched its new Energy Institute. The purpose of the new institute is to create and integrate new solutions to challenges in energy sufficiency and sustainability. University President Patrick Harker has also announced the establishment of the Center for Carbon-Free Power Integration, which will explore connection and storage issues related to wind and other intermittent energy sources.
U Florida Launches 'Erase the Waste' Campaign
The University of Florida has launched "Erase the Waste," a new campaign designed to help the University with its goal of producing zero waste by 2015. The main component of the “Erase the Waste” campaign is getting students, faculty, and staff to sign a pledge online and at campus dining halls that commits them to taking only what they know they will eat and going back for seconds, properly planning trips to the grocery store to avoid over-buying, composting food scraps at home, growing their own produce
U Memphis Students Construct Eco-Friendly House
The University of Memphis' (TN) Center for Sustainable Design has started construction on an eco-friendly house called TERRA, which stands for Technologically and Environmentally Responsive Residential Architecture. Involved in the project, which is funded by a grant from the FedEx Institute of Technology, are students from architecture, interior design, graphic design and photography. The house will feature solar panels, cork floors, water-saving toilets, an insulated concrete form, energy-efficient lights, and a greywater recovery system. The two-story, 1,680-square-foot house should be completed in January of 2009.
Utah State U Adds Hybrids to its Fleet
Utah State University has purchased eight new hybrid sedans for the University. Three of the new sedans will go into the central rental fleet and will be available for use by all campus departments. USU began incorporating hybrid vehicles into its fleet of nearly 700 in 2006.
U Texas Austin Receives $5M for Renewable Energy Initiative
The University of Texas at Austin Center for Electrochemistry has received a $5 million grant from the Welch Foundation to start the Renewable Energy Initiative (REI), a multi-disciplinary, collaborative effort to promote advances in renewable energy technologies. The initiative will focus on developing new kinds of photovoltaic and photoelectrochemical materials that could eventually make solar power competitive with fossil fuels; creating better batteries that can store energy over long periods of time; and developing better catalysts for fuel cells and water electrolysis.
U Vermont Purchases Green Certified Toilet Paper
The University of Vermont has signed a contract to purchase "green certified" toilet paper and paper towels made from 100 percent recycled paper and bleached without chlorine. The paper is certified by Green Seal, an independent green certification organization. The new initiative is the result of Forest Crimes Unit, a student group on campus that drew attention to UVM's use of Kimberly-Clark toilet paper. The group raised concerns about allegations that Kimberly-Clark harvests wood from old-growth fores
UW Green Bay Announces Institute for Env'l Mgmt & Business
The University of Wisconsin, Green Bay has announced plans to establish the UW-Green Bay Institute for Environmental Management and Business. Key goals of the institute will include strengthening and connecting academic programs that analyze environmental problems and seek practical, cost-effective solutions to these problems; providing outreach services to businesses and agencies that seek options for addressing environmental problems; promoting research by faculty and students aimed at solving local, regional, and global environmental problems; and serving as an academic resource for improving environmental sustainability of the UW-Green Bay campus.
U Wisconsin Oshkosh Establishes Community Garden
Students at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh have established a community garden on campus. The project started in 2006, and the students broke ground on the garden in June of 2008. The UW Oshkosh Community Gardens is managed by a student organization on campus named “Community Gardens.” The purpose of the organization is to maintain and promote the campus garden while engaging students in activities that encourage self-sufficiency, sustainability, and community connection. The Oshkosh Community Gardens will provide workshops in composting, irrigation, permaculture, “Sprouts for Sprouts” and Master Gardeners, as well as internships, summer school, and Service-Learning opportunities. There will also be regular farmers’ markets with proceeds going to local charities. The garden is currently only open to student participation, but the University hopes to open it up to the community next year.
2 Schools Partner to Prepare American Indians for Green Jobs
The University of North Texas has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Haskell Indian Nations University (KS) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to work together to increase the number of American Indian students pursuing professional careers in environmental fields, including policy, economics and science. The agreement establishes a direct track for graduates of Haskell to continue graduate studies in environmental sciences at UNT, where they will have the opportunity to earn Master's and doctoral degrees. The EPA will provide guidance on student employment and volunteer programs, collaboration on research opportunities, lectures and seminars on environmental issues, and outreach to local, tribal, national and international communities. In addition to preparing American Indians for careers in environment sciences, the memorandum seeks to familiarize the communities about American Indian concerns, improve the environmental conditions, support cultural preservation and promote economic development.
Babson College Hires Clean Technology Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Babson College (MA) has appointed Mart T. Donohue as its first Clean Technology Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Donohue will help design and teach Babson’s Clean Technology, Sustainability, and Social Entrepreneurship programs. Donohue will also teach in the MBA and Executive Education programs, as he conducts research in the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship. His research will focus on developing a breadth of case studies on the key lessons learned from the Cleantech sector. The case study series intends to be a tool for colleges and executive education programs.
California State U Monterey Bay Receives 2 Energy Awards
California State University, Monterey Bay has received two awards for its work in energy conservation. The University was honored with the Monterey County Business Council's Public/Private Partnership award for projects implemented in the last three years which include lighting retrofits, heating and ventilation retrofits and controls upgrades. These projects resulted in an annual savings of 16 percent of the University's electricity consumption and 11 percent of natural gas consumption.
Chronicle of Higher Ed Covers Sustainable Food Movement
The Chronicle of Higher Education has published an article on the sustainable food movement currently taking place on campuses in the U.S. The article highlights Emory University's (GA) community gardens, farmers' markets, and goal to have 75 percent of the 25,000 meals served each day feature regional or sustainable sources of food by 2015, and Cornell University's (NY) 30 percent to 50 percent local food initiative.
Eastern Kentucky U Expands Energy Efficiency Contract
Eastern Kentucky University has expanded its contract with Siemens Building Technologies to further increase energy efficiency through additional upgrades. An energy audit of EKU facilities revealed an additional $5 million in possible upgrades to energy-intensive systems would yield significantly higher savings. The new $27 million performance-based sustainability contract guarantees EKU will save 24,665,190 kWh of electricity, 1,729 tons of coal, 102,585 cubic feet of water and 138,584 cubic feet of seweage.
Emory & Henry College Opens Green Building
Emory & Henry College (VA) has opened the recently renovated Byars Hall, which houses the Division of Visual and Performing Arts. The LEED certified building features sustainable site development, water saving and energy efficient materials, and high indoor environmental quality.
George Mason U Opens Green Dining Facility
George Mason University (VA) has opened a new 35,000-square-foot Southside Dining Facility. The vendors for the new facility will be local suppliers and farmers who will be providing fresh produce. Other green features of the dining hall will include tray-free dining, biodegradable products, bulk napkin and condiment dispensers, and a dishwasher that will save 100,000 gallons of water per year.
GWU Integrates Corporate Responsibility into MBA Program
The George Washington University (DC) School of Business has launched a curriculum imbued with theories and practical applications on ethical leadership, corporate responsibility, and globalization. The new Global M.B.A. and World Executive M.B.A. programs incorporate values, theory, and international residencies aimed at producing ethical leaders.
Lawrence U Serves Local Food on Campus
Lawrence University (WI) has started a program to serve food grown in the Sustainable Lawrence University Garden in dining halls on campus. The University also has signed an agreement with a local family-owned dairy company to serve milk in both campus dining halls.
Maharishi U of Management Begins Geothermal Pilot Project
Maharishi University of Management (IA) has begun a pilot project to install geothermal technology for heating and cooling older campus buildings. The electricity for the geothermal heat pumps will be provided by solar panels and wind turbines. Following the pilot, the University plans to assess any possible installation problems associated with the retrofits and budget for campus-wide installation. The initiative is part of a broader plan to make the University carbon neutral in order to comply with the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment.
Montana University System Unveils Green Jobs Portal
The Montana University System has unveiled a new web portal aimed at helping college students study and find jobs in an alternative energy field. The new website, called "Montana Green Campus," was developed by the state Commerce Department and the University System and provides opportunities for students to study, work, and live green. The site offers a list of the more than 50 online degrees and 500 internet classes available through the university system.
New Campuses Make Climate Commitments
17 new institutions have signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment since the last update in AASHE Bulletin. In doing so, these campuses have committed to develop comprehensive plans for achieving climate neutrality. The new signatories are: Al Bowman of Illinois State University, Jay Gouge of Auburn University (AL), Brian W. Casey of De Pauw University (IN), Larry L. Earvin of Huston-Tillotson University (TX), Dr. Bruce Leslie of the Alamo Community Colleges System (TX), Dr. Jackie Claunch of Northwest Vista College (TX), Dr. Ana Guzman of Palo Alto College (TX), Dr. Adena Loston of St. Philip’s College (TX), Dr. Eric Reno of Northeast Lakeview College (TX), Dr. Robert Zeigler of San Antonio College (TX), Betsy Boze of Kent State University Stark Campus (OH), David Beyer of Everett Community College (WA), Felix A. Zamora of Mountain View College (TX), Gregory DeCinque of Jamestown Community College (NY), Ronald H. LaFayette of North Seattle Community College (WA), Kathleen Nelson of Lake Superior College (MN), and Cheryl Frank of Inver Hills Community College (MN). 582 college and university presidents and chancellors have now signed the Commitment. Dartmouth College (NH) has also made a climate commitment. Dartmouth President James Wright has announced that the College will cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2015, 25 percent by 2020, and 30 percent by 2030. At each milestone, the goal for the upcoming milestone will be reviewed and made more aggressive if possible. Additionally, The Dartmouth Board of Trustees has approved a $12.5 million investment to improve the energy efficiency of current facilities.
Northern Maine CC to Offer Wind Power Technology Program
Northern Maine Community College has announced plans to offer a new program that will train wind power technicians to operate, maintain, and repair wind turbine generators. College officials expect to have the program ready as early as January 2009. NMCC hopes to bring the full program online by the fall of 2009.
NY Times Article Features Columbia U Service Learning Initiative
A recent article in The New York Times covered Columbia University's (NY) effort to integrate service into the curriculum. The article mentions the Columbia Engineering Department's recent service learning initiative in which students volunteer in Harlem for credit. As part of the program, the undergraduate students have helped to design swings for people in wheelchairs, helped build an environmentally sustainable greenhouse at a local high school, worked with high school students to install a wind turbine on a high-school roof, and tutored students in the "Let's Get Ready" program to help improve SAT scores. The story also mentions Tulane University's (LA) new program that requires all students to complete service work.
Ohio U to Hold Eco-Homecoming
Ohio University's 2008 homecoming weekend has been given the theme, "Get Your Green On." Participants in the homecoming parade were encouraged to construct floats using recyclable materials, and the Recycling and Refuse Office provided reusable float materials to float makers. Additionally, OU's Office of Sustainability created the "Adopt-a-Game" program where student groups are recruited to collect trash and recyclables during timeouts during the football game.
Power Vote Campaign Launches Debate Tour
The Campus Climate Coalition's Power Vote campaign, a nonpartisan youth voter campaign to elevate the issue of climate change in the 2008 election, has launched its debate tour with a 39 foot tall windmill installation on the site of the University of Mississippi campus, the site of the first presidential debate between candidates John McCain and Barak Obama. As part of the tour, the windmills will travel the country for 22 days, hoping to be installed on each of the Presidential and Vice Presidential debate sites. The remaining sites include Belmont University (TN) and Hofstra University (NY). The windmill installation is part of Power Vote's larger campaign to mobilize 1 million young Americans to pledge their vote for clean and just energy.
Santa Clara U Purchases Renewable Energy
Santa Clara University (CA) has purchased 11,256 MWh of Green-e certified renewable energy certificates from newly constructed wind farms located within the western United States. The purchase represents 1/3 of the campus's annual electricity use and makes the University a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Leadership Club.
Sarah Lawrence, Princeton, & Swarthmore Install Green Roofs
Sarah Lawrence College (NY) has installed a green roof on campus. The new roof, which is the second of its kind on campus, was paid for by the student engagement fund and features modular trays that contain sedums, succulent plants that retain water. Princeton University (NJ) has also installed a green roof on its campus. The new roof, located on its newest building, Sherrerd Hall, aims to reduce water pollution, energy costs, and greenhouse gas emissions that result from heating and cooling. Likewise, Swarthmore College (PA) has installed its third green roof on its campus. Swarthmore planted 15 different types of sedums and 7 other types of plants on the roof of the new dorm, Kemp Hall.
SHU Moves to Single-Stream Recycling, Distributes Reusable Mugs
Seton Hill University (PA) has moved to a single-stream recycling system on its campus. The new system allows faculty, staff, and students to recycle cardboard, paper, plastics numbered one and two, aluminum, and bi-metal cans all in the same bins. SHU also gave away free reusable mugs to students who signed the Green Commitment, a document that lists ten things students can do to reduce waste. The University allows the "Drink to the Earth" mug to be used in campus dining halls to reduce the use of Styro
Sierra College Opens Eco-Friendly Campus
Sierra College (CA) has opened a new 28,000 square-foot one-building campus. The new building features natural lighting and was built using recycled materials. It was designed to achieve LEED Silver certification.
Stevens IT to Establish Clean Energy Technology Institute
Two professors of Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ) have received $149,934 from the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology to establish the New Jersey Innovation Partnership Institute in Clean Energy Technology (IPI-CET) at Stevens. The main goal of the IPI-CET is to develop educational and training programs and curricula at various levels that are needed in response to workforce challenges within the energy industry. The Institute - a partnership between Stevens, Bergen Community College, Public Service Electric & Gas Co., Erin Engineering Co., and PJM Interconnection - will establish a Technician's Certificate at Bergen, a Nuclear Power Engineering Concentration at Stevens, a high-school level program to lead students to a certificate or undergraduate degree with concentration in nuclear power engineering, and a continuing education program for professionals interested in a career in nuclear power.
Texas A&M Expands Free Tuition Program
Texas A&M has expanded its free tuition program to include families with incomes of $60,000 or less, up from the previous $40,000 limit. The "Aggie Assurance" program applies to Texas residents entering A&M as freshman who maintain a grade-point average of at least 2.5. The expanded program is retroactive to the current year, making more than 1,500 students eligible among the freshman class.
U Calgary Starts Campus Farmers' Market
The University of Calgary has started a monthly farmers' market on campus. On the first Tuesday of every month, the market provides a space for local vendors to sell local and organic produce, crafts, handmade goods, and garage sale items.
UConn Develops Faculty & Staff Green Guide
University of Connecticut Student Sustainability Coordinator Alissa Becker has developed the University of Connecticut Sustainable Office Guidelines: A Guide to Working Green at the University of Connecticut . The 30 page booklet features tips, ideas, photos, and charts to help UConn faculty and staff reduce the University's ecological footprint. Topics include recycling, energy use, meetings, purchasing, transportation, and water conservation.
UCSB Receives 'Go Beyond' Environmental Lab Award
The University of California, Santa Barbara Laboratory Research and Technical Staff (LabRATS) has received the "Go Beyond" Award, an award that honors individuals, organizations, projects, and laboratory manufacturers that "go beyond" the status quo to minimize the environmental impacts of laboratory and other high-technology facilities and laboratory equipment. The LabRATS won the award due to initiatives such as creating a free surplus chemicals website, using natural lighting in the lab, implementing fu
U Kansas Engineering Students Design Hybrid Car
Students enrolled in the University of Kansas Mechanical Engineering Senior Design Project class have used a 1974 Volkswagon Beetle to develop a hybrid car as part of a project called "EcoHawks." The students started by redesigning the engine to be able to use gasoline, biodiesel, and ethanol. This year's group used biodiesel that was produced in a chemical engineering laboratory on campus. The EcoHawks projects will continue after this academic year, choosing a different primary fuel source each year.
U Nebraska Omaha Expands Recycling Program
The University of Nebraska at Omaha has launched a new recycling program on campus. The new programs will use a single-stream system to recycle paper products, cardboard, water bottles, pop cans, and other various types of plastic and metal containers.
U Pennsylvania Commits to Increased National Service
University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann has announced that during the next four years Penn will fund an additional 400 community-service opportunities for its students. The President's announcement took place at the Service Nation Summit, a gathering of national leaders to mobilize a campaign for a new era of service and civic engagement in which all Americans will work together to solve the country’s most persistent societal challenges.
U Western Ontario Breaks Ground for Green Building
The University of Ontario has held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new green building at its Research and Development Park. The 75,000 square-foot office building will include natural lighting, energy efficient design, local materials and products, and recycled products. The $20-million building is designed to achieve a LEED certification. Construction is scheduled to be complete in early 2010.
