Berkshire CC to Establish Sustainable Energy Training Center
Berkshire Community College (MA) has received a $201,067 grant from the Northeast Utilities Foundation to convert its Ralph Hoffmann Environmental Center into the Sustainable Energy Resource Training Center. This new center will provide certification programs for workers interested in joining the renewable energy workforce. Programs will provide training in the development and installation of solar heating, wind and photovoltaic systems, as well as for energy auditors and for technicians trained in weatherization.
College of Marin Begins Organic Farm Apprenticeship Program
The College of Marin's (CA) Indian Valley campus is collaborating with the Fresh Run Farm to offer an apprenticeship program for aspiring organic farmers. The program will provide classroom instruction as well as paid farming positions. There will be 1,800 hours of experiential training and 11 courses for students enrolled in the apprenticeship.
Concordia U Plans for Bottled Water Bans
Concordia University (QC) has announced a three-year plan to upgrade drinking fountains in most campus buildings to accommodate reusable drink containers and remove bottled water for sale in vending machines. The university will launch an education and communication campaign to promote the use of refill stations on campus.
Emory U Implements Campus-Wide Set Temperature Policy
Emory University (GA) has announced a new plan to manage temperature settings in its office spaces and public and common areas in most campus buildings starting in July. The joint effort, led by Campus Services and the Office of Sustainability Initiatives, will implement a set temperature policy that calls for 76 degrees during the cooling season and 68 degrees during the heating season.
Emory U Works to Consolidate Office Supply Orders
In an effort to shrink the campus carbon footprint generated by vendors who make deliveries by truck to campus, Emory University's (GA) Office of Sustainability, in collaboration with its procurement office, is working to consolidate office orders to a minimum of $50 per order. The university found in a 2010 analysis that it placed nearly 5,000 orders under $50. Had all orders under $50 been eliminated, the reduction could have saved about 15 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Federal Budget Deal Largely Spares Education, Pell Grant
President Barack Obama said in a speech Friday that the plan to finance the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year largely spares his top priorities including education, reports The Chronicle of Higher Education. With only an hour to spare before a government shutdown, lawmakers reached an agreement late Friday. Details of the spending bill, which would cut $38.5 billion from the previous year's budget, are still being negotiated but according to the White House blog, the bill would maintain the Pell Grant maximum at $5,550, the same level as this year, and make "strong investments" in the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation and the Energy Department's Office of Science.
Francis Marion U Receives Grant for Green Roof
Francis Marion University (SC) has received a $40,400 grant that will be used to finance a green roof atop its McNair Science Building. An experiment conducted by a biology professor found that plants on the science building absorbed between 75 to 100 percent of rainfall.
George Mason U Hotel Earns LEED Gold
George Mason University's (VA) Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel has been awarded LEED Gold certification. Nearly 90 percent of the on-site construction waste was diverted from landfills to recycling agencies, and more than 30 percent of the total building materials were manufactured using recycled materials. The center features high-efficiency glazing on windows and doors and water-source heat pumps, and has implemented green housekeeping initiatives including sustainable cleaning materials and a comprehensive recycling program.
Harvard U Students Create Interactive Water Footprint Map
Students at Harvard University (MA) recently won a competition by data visualization community Visualizing.org that challenged the design community to visualize urban water data. The contest was held in honor of the United Nation's International World Water Day in March. The graduate students' "What is Your Water Footprint?" interactive online graphic shows visitors how much water they use based on what country they live in and allows users to see how much water is used to create common consumer beverages and products.
Humboldt State U Developing Portable Biomass Energy System
Researchers at Humboldt State University's (CA) Schatz Energy Research Center have partnered with Renewable Fuel Technologies to develop a self-sustaining, portable system that transforms biomass into renewable energy. Student research assistants will help torrefy woods of different types and moisture contents, a process where biomass is heated without oxygen to temperatures between 250 and 300 degrees Celsius. Their results will help inform design aspects for a final commercial product. Forest biomass, already used to generate 40 percent of Humboldt County’s electricity, will play an important role in a partnership between the Schatz Energy Research Center, the California Energy Commission and Redwood Coast Energy Authority to create a strategy to meet 75 percent of Humboldt County’s energy needs with renewable energy.
Los Angeles Trade Technical College Greens Printing Services
Los Angeles Trade Technical College (CA) is working with Xerox Corporation to reconfigure its printing services to be more environmentally sustainable. Expected to cut operational costs by $1.5 million, the five-year contract will consolidate all printers, copiers and fax machines, and introduce a new pop-up window that reminds users to save paper and ink by not printing unnecessary documents.
Michigan State U Raises Campus Energy Conservation Awareness
Michigan State University has kicked off its annual Dim Down program. With events that raise awareness about energy conservation, the program encourages faculty, students and staff to join in a voluntary effort to reduce energy consumption by unplugging and switching off appliances during their lunch hours.
Obama Addresses Clean Energy at Georgetown U
President Barack Obama recently spoke to students at Georgetown University (DC) about the necessity of creating a secure energy future for the nation. The president stressed the importance of cutting U.S. oil imports by one-third by 2025 and called for producing more electric cars, converting trucks to run on natural gas, building new refineries to brew billions of gallons of biofuels, and increasing fuel-efficiency standards for vehicles. Congress has been debating these measures for years, says The New York Times article.
Ohio U Moves Away from Coal
Ohio University told students and environmental groups in a recent letter that it will not consider coal as an energy source for a new heating plant. Though the university has made no legally binding commitment, this announcement puts the school on a path to moving beyond coal by 2016, when its current coal-powered heating plant will have to be replaced as the useful life of its boilers draws to a close. The university is embarking on a broad campus energy planning process that will map out clean, affordable and reliable energy sources for the campus moving forward.
Rochester Institute of Technology Names McCarthy Chair
Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) has named Jennifer Schneider, a professor in its College of Applied Science and Technology, as the new Russell C. McCarthy Chair. In her new role that begins in September, Schneider will help to expand the college's research strategy in the area of infrastructure science focusing on the role it plays in communities. Her research in environmental health and safety management system design, risk management and critical infrastructure will expand in her role as chair, focusing on building resilient communities.
Rutgers U Approves 32-Acre Solar Canopy Energy Project
Rutgers University's (NJ) Board of Governors has approved plans for more than 40,000 solar panel canopy structures over two surface parking areas on its Livingston campus. The 32-acre system will generate eight megawatts of power, or about $1.2 million in electricity annually. The $40.8 million project is made possible by federal tax incentives and New Jersey’s Solar Renewable Energy Credits.
Student Activists Protest Facebook's Coal Power Plans
Students in North Carolina and Texas joined a Greenpeace campaign to protest a new Facebook data center that is scheduled to open in 2012. The $450 million facility will power its 300,000 square feet with coal from a nearby power plant.
Teagle Foundation Awards PA Institutions $300K for Diversity Ed
The Teagle Foundation has awarded a $300,000 grant to Pennsylvania institutions Lafayette College, Bucknell University and Dickinson College for a cooperative project that aims to advance diversity and diversity education. The funds will be used to incorporate diversity throughout the curriculum and to improve students' academic and co-curricular experiences on campus. The institutions will focus on their own topics but meet periodically as a group to share resources, expertise and outcomes.
U Albany Part of $58 Mil Federal Grant for Solar Energy Research
The University at Albany (NY) is involved in a $58 million investment by the federal government to increase the nation's share of the solar energy research market and help create thousands of jobs with the creation of a national center in solar energy research. Most of the grant will go to a public-private partnership between the SEMATECH company and the University at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. The grant aims to make the Albany, New York area a hub for research and clean energy in the photovoltaic manufacturing market.
U California Berkeley Promotes Travel-Free Meetings
The University of California, Berkeley's Office of Sustainability has launched a small grant program to promote the use of campus videoconferencing and web-based meeting tools as alternatives to in-person meetings that require travel by airplane. The Travel-Free Meeting grant program aims to provide incentives and help remove barriers to using video/web-based services as meeting alternatives. Grants of up to $100 will be given for hosting web meetings and videoconferences, or for purchasing a computer camera for Skype calls or desktop web-conferencing.
U Florida Recognized for Wealth of Online Sustainability Content
With 800 pages pertaining to sustainability, the University of Florida came out on top during an investigation by undergraduate students at Claremont McKenna College's (CA) Roberts Environmental Center as to which institutions devote the most online content to sustainability issues. The university’s diverse coverage of sustainability includes carbon emissions reduction, a focus on locally grown produce and renewable energy outreach and development.
U Nevada Reno to Host Geothermal Academy
The University of Nevada, Reno is scheduled to host the nation’s first National Geothermal Academy at its Redfield campus in June. The eight-week educational program is a consortium of national leaders in the geothermal field from colleges and universities throughout the nation. Professionals from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and other companies will teach the 40 students who have been selected through a competitive application process.
USA Today Features 'Eco Fashion' at Santa Clara U
USA Today recently spotlighted students in Santa Clara University's (CA) Green Club, who produced an Eco Fashion Show on campus. The featured creation was a "wearable dress" with a paper bag bodice and fanned newspaper tutu skirt.
U Utah Opens Bike Repair Stations
The University of Utah has installed two bicycle repair stations on campus to help facilitate bike commuting options. Installed by Commuter Services, each station features a tire pump, tire levers, screwdrivers and allen keys to help students make minor repairs to their bikes.
U Wisconsin-Milwaukee Hosts Dorm Energy Competition
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is challenging students living on campus to look at their energy habits during its "Reduce Your Use!" energy savings competition. From April 17 through April 23, energy use in campus residence halls will be tracked through the university's building energy dashboard website.
U Wisconsin-Whitewater Offers e-Waste Recycling
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus has started a campus-wide initiative to recycle e-waste. As part of the three phases of the TREE (Technology Repurposing and Electronics E-cycling) program, the university will upgrade its surplus computers program, establish ink recycling bins and offer surplus computer equipment for sale.
Wake Forest U Students Teach Sustainability to Bilingual Children
Three students at Wake Forest University (NC) are using a service learning project for their "Entrepreneurship in Latin American and Latin Cultures" course to teach bilingual 4th and 5th graders in the community. Their program, Semillas Sostenibles (Sustainable Seeds), is a four-week course that teaches children about the environment, sustainability and healthy lifestyles. The students created a blog to document their progress.
28 New Campuses Complete Greenhouse Gas Inventories
Twenty-eight signatory campuses of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) have submitted public greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories since the last update in the AASHE Bulletin on January 31, 2011. The GHG inventory is the first major reporting requirement of the Commitment and is due within a year of signing. In alphabetical order, new inventories were submitted by: Antioch University, Seattle (WA); Bellevue College (WA); Brandeis University (MA); Century College (MN); Community College of Denver (CO); Creighton University (NE); Denison University (OH); Georgian Court University (NJ); Massasoit Community College (MA); Metropolitan State College of Denver (CO); Missouri University of Science & Technology; Oberlin College (OH); Polytechnic University (NY); Salem State College (MA); Shenandoah University (VA); Smith College (MA); State University of New York College at Cortland; State University of New York Empire State College; The University of Montana - Helena College of Technology; The University of Montana – Western; University of Alaska Anchorage; University of Baltimore (MD); University of Massachusetts Boston; University of Richmond (VA); University of South Carolina Lancaster; University of South Carolina Sumter; University of South Carolina Union; and University of South Carolina Upstate. In related news, Bowdoin College (ME) has also completed its greenhouse gas inventory.
American U Building Earns LEED Gold
American University’s (DC) School of International Service has been awarded LEED Gold certification. The building features numerous green components including an LED-lit parking garage, a solar air and water heating system, skylights to provide natural lighting, sunshades to prevent heat loss, and energy-efficient appliances.
Appalachian State U Recognized for Green Energy Advocacy
A new report by the Appalachian Region Commission, which states that the green energy movement has the potential to create more than 70,000 jobs by 2030, applauds Appalachian State University's (NC) efforts toward green energy job growth. The report recognizes the university's community outreach efforts through educational programs and the research conducted at its Energy Center. By 2030, the commission hopes to cut energy use for the entire region by 24 percent, resulting in energy savings of $21 billion for the region.
Appalachian State U Weighs Local Food Buying Initiative
Appalachian State University's (NC) Food Services director recently met with 45 local food producers as part of a planned initiative to purchase food produced within a 250-mile radius for the campus. Some of the challenges to overcome before the plan is implemented, as outlined in a recent Office of Sustainability sustainable food report, include the possible higher cost of local food, the state bidding process that favors the lowest bid, the limited production capability of small farms, and the importance of meeting Food Services' timing specifications.
Campuses Show Support for Earth Hour 2011
University of Houston's Hilton College (TX) is one of the many colleges and universities that participated in Earth Hour this year by switching off its lights for one hour and using LED flashlights instead. Organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), a record 134 countries switched off lights to symbolize a more sustainable future for our planet at 8:30 p.m. on March 26. WWF encourages campuses to go beyond the hour with operational practices including turning off lights after hours in offices or installing motion-sensor lighting; installing energy saving light bulbs and devices; turning off printers, computers, monitors, microwaves, coffee machines and other appliances at the end of the day; installing rainwater harvesting tanks for watering gardens and lawns; providing and encouraging staff and students to use recycling facilities; and electing Earth Hour Monitors to ensure lights are out and appliances are off standby at the end of each day.
Central Lakes College to Offer Free Renewable Energy Training
Central Lakes College (MN) is partnering with the Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. to offer free renewable energy training that is open to the public. The training is intended for dislocated workers to improve their skill-sets and make them more competitive in the renewable energy sector job market. The training program is made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Minnesota Department of Commerce through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Governor's Workforce Development Council.
College of Saint Benedict Bans Sale of Bottled Water
As part of its commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2035, the College of Saint Benedict (MN) has banned "the sale of plain, plastic bottled water on campus, and the purchase of plain, plastic bottled water with institutional funds," states a recently announced new policy. The policy, which was endorsed by the college's Cabinet, Sustainability Council and the Student Senate, will go into effect in August 2011 at the start of the new academic year.
Cornell U to Compete in Green Grand Prix
Cornell University (NY) will compete in the 7th Annual Green Grand Prix this month, which will take place at Watkins Glen International racing facility in New York. The university has submitted its diesel hybrid dubbed "Redshift." Entries can include diesel and traditional gasoline-powered vehicles, hybrid models, plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel cell cars and vehicles running on biodiesel, flex-fuel and pure electric.
Daemen College Debuts New Global and Local Sustainability Degree
Daemen College (NY) will offer a new interdisciplinary bachelor's degree in global and local sustainability starting in fall 2011. Students can choose from areas of concentration including liberal arts, business, health care studies and education. Internship opportunities will help students further their skills in economic and social development and cultural and historical preservation, and prepare for environmental careers in government, nonprofits and private businesses.
Duke U Hires U.S. Energy Official to Lead New Energy Initiative
William Pizer, a U.S. Treasury Department official whose departure from the Obama Administration was recently announced, will join the faculty of Duke University's (NC) Sanford School of Public Policy to help design and lead an initiative in energy and the environment. He will begin teaching in the fall. Pizer, who led a new office responsible for the Treasury Department’s role in the U.S. domestic and international environment and energy agenda, was also appointed a faculty fellow in the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, a nonpartisan institute at Duke that focuses on finding solutions to national environmental challenges.
Harvard U Expands Composting Program
After a recent waste audit that revealed that 25 percent of campus waste at Harvard University (MA) is organic material, the university's Green Team and the Green Living program made compost bins available at every dormitory, academic and administrative building on the Harvard Law School campus. The audit also found up to 40 percent compostable waste being thrown away in dorm garbage cans.
Harvard U Law Building Awarded LEED Gold
Harvard University (MA) has earned its 44th LEED certification with the recent LEED Gold certification through LEED for Commercial Interiors of a Harvard Law School building. Sustainable features include lighting upgrades expected reduce electrical demand by 40 percent, a 95 percent construction waste recycling rate and the salvage of more than 11 tons of furnishings and electronics for future campus projects.
Indiana U Receives NASA Funding to Study Climate Change
Researchers at Indiana University’s Department of Geography are receiving a $637,000 grant from NASA to study climate change. The research will be conducted at a mangrove forest in Bangladesh, the largest mangrove block in the world. The researchers are working in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service to study the forest's capacity to store carbon. NASA’s funding for this project is part of the federal Carbon Cycle Science Program, which aims to determine to what extent human actions affect climate change.
Messiah College Set to Install 112 Solar Panels
Messiah College (PA) has announced the installation of 112 solar panels on the rooftop of residence halls on its Grantham campus. The resulting energy produced by the panels will generate enough solar thermal heat for the hot water systems of all three buildings involved in the project. This system will save the equivalent carbon emissions of removing 130 cars from the road.
New York Times Features Rutgers U Solar Farm Clean Energy Credits
Rutgers University's (NJ) seven-acre solar farm was recently profiled in The New York Times for its use of Solar Renewable Energy Certificates. The article highlights the benefits of the clean energy credit, stating that to date, the university has offset $235,760 from its electrical usage and earned certificates that it can sell for nearly $1.5 million in a market popular with companies that want to avoid pollution penalties. The $10 million, 1.4-megawatt solar installation meets about 11 percent of the campus' electrical demand and reduces its carbon dioxide emissions by 1,300 tons a year.
Syracuse U Students Kick Off Campus Sustainability Campaign
The Students in Free Enterprise group at Syracuse University (NY) launched its DOT ("Do One Thing") for Sustainability campaign with a tabling event to introduce the campaign to the campus community. A DOT is one small commitment to better the world in the area of environmental, economic or social sustainability like shutting off the lights when leaving an empty room. The idea is that connecting a billion DOTs will bring about a movement of change. The group hopes to collect around 20,000 DOTs from the campus community and create a successful model program that can be rolled out at other institutions.
U California San Francisco Unveils 3 Green Laboratories
Featuring the integration of water-efficient devices and energy efficiency strategies, the University of California, San Francisco has recently opened three new green laboratories. The university received its first LEED Gold certification for a lab renovation with its School of Dentistry Mesenchymal and Craniofacial Research Laboratory, which involved renovating an entire floor of an existing high-rise research tower. The university will also seek LEED Gold certification for its Ray and Dagmar Dolby Regeneration Medicine Building and Cardiovascular Research Building. More than 75 percent of the demolition materials were reused and diverted from the landfill in all three projects.
U Maryland Eastern Shore Completes 2.2 MW Solar Farm
The University of Maryland Eastern Shore has completed the installation of its 2.2-megawatt solar farm. With more than 7,800 solar panels covering 17 acres, the farm is expected to remove about 121 million pounds of campus carbon dioxide emissions over the next 20 years. The university partnered with solar energy services provider SunEdison, who financed, built and will operate and maintain the system. During the next 20 years, the university will purchase the electricity produced by the farm from SunEdison.
U Minnesota Graduate Researchers Attempt Renewable Petroleum
Graduate students at the University of Minnesota are researching how to make renewable petroleum using only bacteria, sunlight and carbon dioxide. With a $2.2 million U.S. Department of Energy grant, the team is using Synechococcus, a bacterium that fixes carbon dioxide in sunlight and converts CO2 to sugars. Next, the sugar is fed to Shewanella, a bacterium that produces hydrocarbons. This turns CO2 into hydrocarbons. The research is published in the April issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
U Nevada Reno to Receive $500K for Renewable Energy Program
The University of Nevada, Reno's College of Engineering has received a $250,000 donation from NV Energy to help boost its renewable energy program. This gift is the first of a two-part donation that will total $500,000. The department will use part of the donation to create a new faculty position for researching renewable energy.
U New England Installs Solar Panels
The University of New England (ME) has completed its first renewable energy project with the installation of solar panels atop its Campus Center. The energy produced by the panels will be used to heat approximately 50 percent of the center’s hot water. To engage students and staff in the project, the university will also install a real-time digital monitor to track the building's energy production and savings.
U Pennsylvania Music Building Receives LEED Gold
Along with its new green cafe, the University of Pennsylvania has earned LEED Gold for the renovation of its School of Arts and Sciences Music Building. Sustainable features include efficient lighting, controls and mechanical and plumbing systems, passive stormwater management techniques, reduced site water use with selection of drought resistant plant species and "smart" controls that adjust irrigation based on rainfall levels. The project also recycled or salvaged 95 percent of construction waste.
Western Kentucky U Declares A Fair Trade Campus
Western Kentucky University's president announced at the recent United Students for Fair Trade Convergence that the university has declared itself a fair trade university. The declaration, which started in the Student Senate and was later passed by the University Senate, will impact decisions made by dining facilities, catered events, offices and stores, ensuring that products for sale on campus uphold the values of living wages, humane working conditions, no child labor and environmental sustainability.
