Miami U Debuts Sustainability Revolving Loan Fund
Miami University (OH) has unveiled a $50,000 revolving loan fund for cost saving, feasible, environmentally impactful, and well-researched projects. Money saved as a result of the projects will be filtered back into the fund and will be made available for new projects. The first round of proposals, open to staff, faculty, and students, are due in November.
Michigan State U Opens Green Dairy Facility
Michigan State University has opened a green dairy facility at its Biological Station. The structure, which is registered for LEED certification, uses an automatic sidewall curtain system that raises or lowers to regulate temperature, and the design maximizes sunlight to reduce the need for electric lighting. The dairy also plans to develop programs that show how ecological, social, and economic principles can be evaluated on a smaller scale than those associated with larger, more conventional dairy farms.
Montserrat College of Art Builds New Green Building
Montserrat College of Art (MA) has opened its new dormitory, the Helena J. Sturnick Village, which will house 86 students and utilizes bricks from a previous structure on the site for landscaping. Other green features include a section of roof that will be planted as a garden and motion activated lights.
Newsweek Covers Growth in Sustainability-Focused Academic Prgms
Newsweek has published an article on the increasing number of higher education institutions that are developing and adding to sustainability themed academic programs. The article cites that there were 27 sustainability themed programs, degrees or certificates in 2007 compared to three in 2005. The programs vary from business to agriculture, all with sustainability as a core focus. Higher education institutions mentioned include College of the Atlantic (ME), Green Mountain College (VT), Barnard College (NY), University of Virginia, Montana State University, Aquinas College (MI), Oregon Institute of Technology, and Arizona State University.
New York Institute of Technology Unveils Solar Car Port
The New York Institute of Technology, with the help of federal grant money, has opened the first of two solar car ports on its campus. Part of NYIT's "One Spot, One Car, One Commute" solar plug-in hybrid electric vehicle project, the freestanding, four-car carport prototype has solar panels integrated into its structure. The carport shades parked vehicles while collecting energy from the sun and converting it into power to charge plug-in hybrid vehicles. School officials expect that the energy produced from one car spot will be enough to power a solar plug-in hybrid electric vehicle for the average New York metro commute.
North Central College Opens Green Res/Rec Building
North Central College (IL) has opened a combined dormitory and recreation center that is registered for LEED Silver certification. The 201,439-square-foot, 265-bed Res/Rec Center, which contains a 200-meter indoor track, features a covered bike storage unit, a white reflective roof, recycled building materials, and a geothermal system that eliminates the need for natural gas service and will reduce the building’s energy consumption by nearly 20 percent.
Oberlin College Launches Bicycle Campaign
Oberlin College (OH), in partnership with the City of Oberlin, has launched 4,000 More Bikes, a campaign that aims to reduce car use, increase bike use, and build community. Students, faculty, staff, and members of the community can join the campaign by signing a pledge to spend more time on a bike and less time in a car. Members receive membership cards, bicycle stickers, discounts at bike shops, and raffles for helmets, locks, and other bicycle equipment.
Point Park U Offers New Master's Program in Env'l Studies
Point Park University (PA) has launched a new Master of Science program in environmental studies. The 30-credit interdisciplinary program is intended to provide students with an understanding of the nature of environmental problems and their solutions. The goal of the program, which incorporates scientific, economic, political, legal and ethical points of view, is to train professionals who will be involved in seeking solutions to environmental problems.
Saint Joseph's College Starts Campus Farm
Saint Joseph's College (ME) has established a small farm adjacent to the school that will be used to grow organic produce to supplement the school’s cafeteria and food pantry. The 35,000-square-foot, environmentally friendly farm, which is strongly supported by the school’s food vendors, is being tended by six student apprentices who are learning how to effectively rotate crops between lands in order to avoid the need for chemicals.
SUNY Geneseo Holds Zero-Waste Welcome Picnic
The State University of New York at Geneseo has announced that its annual Welcome Picnic was a zero-waste event this year. Campus Auxiliary Services used compostable cups, plates, silverware, and napkins, and the food-service gloves and garbage bags were biodegradable. After the event, paper and food waste was collected and delivered to the compost pile on campus.
Temple U Launches Bike Campaign
Temple University (PA) has launched a new initiative that aims to build a bike culture on campus that will link students, faculty, and staff to bike-related information and resources. A campus survey conducted last spring found that many campus members are interested in commuting by bike to and from campus, but are hesitant because they do not know where to purchase a bike or where to have it serviced. Respondents also indicated a need to learn bicycling skills that would give them a comfort level riding on busy city streets. In an effort to address these concerns, Bike Temple partnered with local stores to offer bicycles at a discounted rate and to provide a nearby repair facility.
Two Williams College Academic Buildings Receive LEED Gold
Two academic buildings at Williams College (MA) have received LEED Gold certification. Schapiro Hall and the North Academic Building, both of which opened last year, feature green roofs, water-efficient landscaping, native plants, low-flow plumbing fixtures, waterless urinals, and low VOC materials. In addition, more than 90 percent of the structure has access to outdoor views and daylighting and 23 percent of building materials were obtained locally.
U Colorado Boulder Mountain Research Station Installs 10kW Array
The University of Colorado at Boulder has installed multiple photovoltaic arrays that will create a total of 10 kW of energy at its Mountain Research Station. The new installation will provide 15 percent of the Station's total electricity load. The $60,000 project received a grant from Sustainable CU, a student led and funded sustainability grant program approved by student referendum and managed by the CU Environmental Center.
U Maryland Eastern Shore to Build 2.1 Mega Watt Solar Farm
The University of Maryland, Eastern Shore has announced plans to install a 20 acre solar farm that will produce 2.1 MW of energy. The University is partnering with SunEdison, a solar energy services provider that will finance, build, operate and maintain the system. University officials look at this job as both a way to offer an alternative energy and lower costs. Under the solar power service agreement, the solar plant will require no upfront capital investment by the University. Construction is scheduled to begin in early September with anticipated completion by the end of 2009.
U Montana Receives Grant for Ethanol Production Research
The Native American Research Lab at the University of Montana has received a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. The grant funds research aimed at making the production of ethanol more efficient, easier to make, and cheaper to buy. The lab has both Native students and non-Native students working on this project.
U Waterloo Students Win Hydrogen Design Contest
Students at the University of Waterloo (ON) have won the 2009 Hydrogen Education Foundation’s Hydrogen Student Design Contest. The students' submission utilizes hydrogen power as a way to provide on-demand energy when the primary electricity generated from solar and wind power is unable to meet demand. Two different teams from Wayne State University (MI) received honorable mentions. Teams from around the world competed in the competition.
U Wisconsin-Milwaukee Reduces Storm-Water Runoff
The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee has undertaken a project that will divert approximately 84 percent of rainfall from minor storms away from the sewer system. Rainwater collected from a few campus rooftops and a parking lot will be directed into a new system of streams that are lined with native flowers, grasses, and sedges. The plants will filter and absorb a large portion of the water.
Virginia Tech Partners to Expand Transportation Benefits
Virginia Tech and RIDE Solutions have established a partnership that will expand transportation benefits for students, faculty, and staff. The partnership will help expand carpooling options for the 27,000 VT commuters by creating a database of available carpooling options. The goal of the program is to reduce energy consumption, improve air quality, reduce parking demand, and help people save money.
Whitman College Installs 21kW Solar Array
Whitman College (WA) has installed a 21kW photovoltaic array on the roof of the Bratton Tennis Center. Whitman expects the new installation to replace approximately 20 percent of the building's annual energy use. Whitman’s environmental studies program will utilize the project in educational programming for students and community members, and a solar monitoring station will be established on the first floor of the Hall of Science, adjacent to a pre-existing weather, seismic and stream-monitoring station. A website will allow anyone to monitor the system’s output.
16 New Institutions Sign Presidents' Climate Commitment
16 new institutions have signed the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment since the last update in the May 11, 2009 issue of the AASHE Bulletin . In doing so, these campuses have committed to develop comprehensive plans for achieving climate neutrality. The new signatories are: Mark Keenum of Mississippi State University; John Dunn of Western Michigan University; Claibourne Smith of Delaware State University; Dr. Stewart Edelstein of The Universities at Shady Grove; Earl H. Potter of St. Cloud State University; Dario Cortes of Berkeley College (NY); Stephen Kinslow of Austin Community College District (TX); Earl Richardson of Morgan State University (MD); Thomas Ramage of Parkland College (IL); Dianne Boardley Suber of Saint Augustine’s College (NC); Ted Landsmark of Boston Architectural College (MA); Carol Lucey of Western Nevada Community College; Dr. Robert Dunker of Western Iowa Tech Community College; Steve Cooper of Tech University of America; Edna Baehre of Harrisburg Area Community College (PA), and M. Sue Collins of Hibbing Community College (MN). 650 college and university presidents and chancellors have now signed the Commitment.
Appalachian State U Holds Yard Sale
Appalachian State University (NC) has completed its annual BIG Sale, a yard sale that sells items donated during move-out to the community and to students. Profits from the event, which totaled over $13,500, were donated to local nonprofits for energy efficiency. The program prevented approximately 52.5 tons of couches, rugs, lamps, shower caddies, and other dorm room items from entering the landfill.
Baylor U, Indiana U Hold Green Move-In
Baylor University (TX) and Indiana University have expanded their recycling efforts for the 2009 move-in. At Baylor, 40 student volunteers from the Entrepreneurship Engaged Learning Group helped to educate and assist parents and incoming students with recycling disposal. Students in residence halls also received an in-room mixed-use recycling box to recycle materials throughout the year. In addition, prior to move-in, students received tips and other information on how to make the move-in process more environmentally friendly. In all, Baylor collected 10.6 tons of recycling during move-in. IU placed giant dumpsters outside residence halls with signs promoting cardboard recycling. The University hoped to surpass the 12 tons of cardboard that was recycled last year. IU also placed compost bins near some dormitories on campus (the compost was used to help the Bloomington City Garden Project) and distributed hand-outs at orientation explaining what can be composted and recycled and the benefits of carrying a reusable water bottle.
Bismarck State College Installs Wind Turbine
Bismarck State College (ND) has installed a 2.4 kW wind turbine on campus. The project will provide power to a maintenance building on campus. The turbine provides access for students enrolled at BSC's National Energy Center of Excellence to learn about wind as a renewable source of electricity generation. The renewable component will be integrated into existing energy program curriculum.
Carleton College Launches Car-Share Program
Carleton College (MN) and WeCar, a car-sharing program by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, have announced plans to offer a car-sharing program. Carleton students, faculty and staff are eligible for membership and can rent the cars hourly, overnight, or for a full day. WeCar members will have access to two hybrid vehicles on campus.
Carleton College Opens Two Eco-Friendly Residence Halls
Carleton College (MN) has opened Cassat Hall and Memorial Hall, two new dormitories on campus. The two buildings will house a total of 230 students and are registered for LEED Gold certification. The structures feature landscape designed with native vegetation, parking lots with porous paving, storage room with space for securing bicycles, high efficiency lighting, a solar thermal hot water system, and a radiant in-floor heating system. In addition, the main lounges have floors made from salvaged wood and 20 percent of building materials were manufactured within 500 miles of the construction site.
Case Western Reserve U Installs Water Purification System
Case Western Reserve University (OH) has installed a water purification system at its Grab It Café to help reduce the need for bottled water on campus. The University estimates that switching to a purification system will eliminate 29,000 water bottles form the waste stream this year. The University has also distributed 1,200 reusable tote bags to incoming students to help reduce the need for plastic bags.
Eastfield College Unveils Solar Array
Eastfield College (TX) has unveiled its new, 4.4 kW solar array. The solar system is ground mounted and will be used as a teaching tool for the College. It is estimated that the array will save the college more than $100,000 in electricity costs over its 30-year lifetime.
Emory U, Acadia U Implement Trayless Dining
Emory University (GA) and Acadia University (NS) have implemented trayless dining initiatives on campus. Emory has decided to go tray-free in its Oxford College dining hall starting this fall after a successful spring pilot program resulted in a 14,587-pound reduction in food waste compared to the same semester one year earlier. The Oxford pilot project also decreased overall food consumption, which resulted in savings of approximately $800 per month for overall food purchases at Oxford’s dining facility. Savings from the program are being reinvested into menu options that feature more locally grown fruits and vegetables, part of Emory’s sustainability goal to purchase 75 percent local or sustainably grown food by 2015. Acadia's new program has removed trays from Wheelock Dining Hall in an effort to reduce food waste, water use, and energy consumption. The program's official launch will be held when returning students arrive for the academic year. A President’s Lunch is planned in Wheelock Dining Hall to introduce trayless dining to new and returning students and to celebrate Acadia’s other sustainable food service initiatives.
Johns Hopkins U, North Carolina State U Launch Farmers' Market
Johns Hopkins University (MD) and North Carolina State University have begun a weekly farmers' market on campus. The JHU market hosts vendors of locally grown and produced fruits, vegetables, flowers, nuts, cheeses, jams, teas, confections, baked goods, pork, poultry, beef, and more. The NCSU market, which was pioneered by the Sustainability Commission of the Student Government, will offer local and organic food items such as beef and pork, milk and eggs, and seafood, including clams, shrimp, grouper and snapper.
Kennesaw State U Opens Green Dining Hall
Kennesaw State University (GA) has opened The Commons — Student Culinary Center, a new dining hall on campus. The two-story, 53,466-square-foot facility features student-designed artwork, floor-to-ceiling windows, and an on-site herb and vegetable garden filled with fresh basil, rosemary, and bell peppers. The Commons features the use of LED lighting, composting of food waste, use of “trayless” service to reduce water usage and food waste, use of compostable paper goods and the elimination of all Styrofoam products. In addition, the dining hall’s kitchen is equipped with Energy Star appliances and each food venue is independent of one another and can be turned off to reduce energy consumption. The University is seeking LEED certification for the structure.
Kettering U Student Installs Wind Turbine
A Kettering University (MI) student has installed a wind turbine on the roof of a campus building as part of his thesis project. The seven-foot-diameter turbine will generate electricity for campus, allow students to do hands-on research, and help prompt similar initiatives in other buildings in the area. The new installation is expected to produce one kW of energy, with a 1.5 kW capacity.
Marshall U Creates Sustainability Department, Appoints Director
Marshall University (WV) has created a new Sustainability Department and has appointed Margie J. Phillips as its new director. The new Sustainability Department will seek to help the University look for ways to conserve water and energy, reduce waste, and incorporate green technologies and materials into its planning and operations. Phillips has served as Marshall's energy analyst for more than 12 years.
Michigan State U Opens Recycling Center
Michigan State University has opened its new Surplus Store and Recycling Center. The $13 million facility will accommodate three times the amount of materials as the former MSU recycling facility. A comprehensive recycling program, coupled with the facility, will allow the University to expand recycling collection in 553 buildings on campus. The five target materials are white paper, mixed office paper, newspaper, cardboard, and plastics. The 74,000-square-foot Center, which is registered for LEED Silver certification, features rainwater collection tanks, rooftop solar array panels that produce 10 percent of the electricity for the building, broad use of daylighting, and low-flow fixtures in restrooms.
Mississippi State U, Georgia Tech Increase Game Day Recycling
Mississippi State University and Georgia Tech have launched programs that aim to increase recycling during home football games. MSU's "Keep it Clean: Green Gameday, Sustainable Season," developed by the Athletic Department and the University's Environmental Collaborative Office, seeks to encourage Bulldog fans and visitors to recycle aluminum, plastic, and glass and to be responsible for picking up tailgating trash. Georgia Tech has announced plans to expand its Game Day Recycling program, an initiative that started last year. New to the project this year are the "recycling ambassadors" that will work at the gates to help direct visitors to place recyclables in blue bins. The University plans to encourage student organizations to 'adopt-a-game' to help provide the 40 volunteers that will be needed for each football game.
Nature Publishes Article on Campus Sustainability Around the World
Nature has published "How green is your campus?" in the September 2009 issue of its magazine. The article mentions the following U.S. institutions: Emory University (GA); Arizona State University; Pomona College (CA); Green Mountain College (VT); University of Minnesota, Morris; Middlebury College (VT); Harvard University (MA); University of Colorado at Boulder; and Williams College (MA).
Peninsula College Recycles Building Material
Peninsula College (WA) has begun the process to recycle or reuse approximately 95 percent of the materials from 4 buildings that were deconstructed on campus. A portion of the materials will be used in the construction of the College's new classroom building, which has been designed to meet LEED Silver standards.
Portland CC Announces Green Initiative Fund
Portland Community College (OR) has announced the Green Initiative Fund, a project to reward students, faculty, or staff with financial incentives for coming up with their own green projects to reduce the College’s carbon footprint. The fund allocates money to projects that increase the amount of renewable energy used on campus, increase energy efficiency, and reduce the amount of waste created by the College. Portions of the fund will support education initiatives and student internships and will be administered through a student-majority governance board.
Purchase College Hires Sustainability Director
Purchase College (NY) has appointed Joseph Tripodi as its director of the Office of Sustainability. Tripodi will coordinate the College’s efforts toward climate neutrality. He will concentrate on alternative fuels and vehicles, sustainability education across the curriculum, renewable energy, energy-recapture technologies, and the recycling process. Additional activities will include working with various groups to expand research and community outreach and participating in the College's tracking of progress towards its goals in sustainability.
San Antonio College Expands Campus Recycling
San Antonio College (TX) has announced plans to expand "GoGreen," the campus wide recycling program. The College will provide all participating buildings with recycling toters, or small recycling bins with wheels, that will be able to handle plastic, paper, glass, and aluminum. In conjunction with the 150 new toters, a compactor and recycling truck will now pick up recycled contents twice a week at participating buildings. Work-study “supervisors” will coordinate with participating GoGreen club officers once the locations of the drop-off toters are known. The program is expected to start this fall.
Santa Barbara City College Receives Green Construction/Landscaping Curriculum Grant
Santa Barbara City College has received a $711,436 two-year grant from the Chancellor's Office of the California Community Colleges for green construction and landscaping curriculum. The grant comprises the planning and delivery of classes that provide students a background in green technologies and the training necessary to conduct free sustainability audits for local business and homeowners.
Smith College Opens Green Engineering & Sciences Building
Smith College (MA) has opened Ford Hall, its new Engineering and Molecular Sciences Building on campus. The 140,000-square-foot structure features LED lighting, maximum daylight exposure, photovoltaic solar cells, and low-flow plumbing fixtures.
U Maryland History Department Goes Paperless
The University of Maryland History Department has gone paperless. All course syllabi and other documents will be available exclusively online. The Department has saved an estimated 40,000 sheets since the initiative began this summer.
U Pennsylvania Eliminates Junk Mail
University of Pennsylvania Mail Services has announced that it will no longer accept unsolicited mail from the U.S. Postal Service for redistribution to the college houses. Since 2007, Penn Mail Services has recycled "no value" mail, which is addressed to "occupant" or "resident." From this point forward, however, the U.S. Postal Service will stop delivering the junk mail to the University.
U Tampa Expands Recycling, Increases Energy & Water Conservation
The University of Tampa (FL) has expanded its recycling program and has implemented several new energy and water conservation initiatives. 15 new recycling receptacles have been placed in buildings around campus to allow faculty, staff, and students to recycle aluminum cans and plastic bottles. Recent energy initiatives include replacing 729 175-watt light bulbs with 420 80-watt bulbs, which will save UT approximately $125,000 per year; replacing window air conditioning units in one campus building with central air, which will reduce energy use by 60 percent; and installing a new air chiller and two air handlers in a campus gymnasium. UT has also installed 955 tamper-proof 1.2 gallon-per-minute shower heads.
Washington State U Begins Bike Share Program
Washington State University has launched the Green Bike Program. The fleet of 40 mountain bikes features hybrid tires, locking systems, baskets, lights, and helmets. The program has two check-out/in locations on campus and provides bikes to WSU faculty, staff, and students free of charge for 24 hour periods. The program is designed to help decrease congestion, promote physical activity and health, and lessen the use of fossil fuels.
3 MA Campuses Install Walk-In Cooler Energy-Reduction Systems
Smith College has installed 20 "CoolTrol" systems on campus. The system reduces the amount of time a walk-in cooler's compressor runs, thereby maximizing the energy efficiency and minimizing operational costs. After an up-front cost of $50,000, the technology will save Smith about $17,000 a year in electricity. Smith also received a rebate from National Grid to invest in the energy-saving project. The installation project is the result of a class assignment undertaken by a Smith undergraduate student. The coolers will also be installed at Amherst College and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
3 Schools Receive DOE Funding for Carbon Capture Training Projects
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced that the University of Illinois, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Wyoming will each receive a portion of its $8.4 million in funding to develop sequestration technology training projects. The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois will create the Midwest Geological Sequestration Consortium Sequestration Technology Training Center; the University of Texas at Austin will create an alliance for Sequestration Training, Outreach, Research and Education, as part of the Gulf Coast Carbon Center, to promote the transfer of scientific knowledge and applied engineering technologies related to CO2 storage in the Gulf Coast region; and the University of Wyoming will develop the Wyoming Carbon Capture and Storage Technology Institute to implement training and technology transfer in the Wyoming and Rocky Mountain regions.
Bates College Assigns Summer Reading on Climate Change
In an effort to encourage arriving first-year students to participate in researching and taking action on carbon emissions and climate change, Bates College (ME) has made climate change the focus of its 2009 summer reading program. The list of books included: With Speed and Violence: Why Scientists Fear Tipping Points in Climate Change by Fred Pearce; Climate Code Red: The Case for Emergency Action by David Spratt and Philip Sutton; and Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben. As part of the same effort, the institution's annual orientation will feature a presentation by Franke James, an artist known for her environmental activism, and on October 24, Bates students will take part in an international day of action advocating for real progress in curtailing climate change.
