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.
U Wisconsin Madison Partners for Opportunities in Wind Energy
The University of Wisconsin, Madison's College of Engineering has partnered with Vestas, a producer of wind-power technology, to provide student learning opportunities. Under the partnership, Vestas will begin providing funding support this year that will grow to sponsor as many as 10 graduate and undergraduate students working on wind technology projects. The company also plans to provide visiting research fellows to campus and start a small research-and-development facility near the engineering campus that will focus on technology transfer. Another stage of the partnership will support named professorships or endowed chairs with expanded focus on wind-energy research and education.
U Wisconsin Madison Recognized as Bike-Friendly Campus
The University of Wisconsin, Madison has been named a silver award winner in the League of American Bicyclists Bicycle Friendly Business program. Bicycle Friendly Businesses are defined as corporations, organizations, and nonprofit groups that weave bicycling into their business culture and encourage their employees and constituencies to be active in cycling.
Virginia Tech Begins Composting Program
Virginia Tech has begun a program to compost its dining hall waste. Members of the VT community can now compost chopped vegetables, peelings, and cores. Since the program's launch in January 2009, VT has composted as much as 2.5 tons of waste per week. The initiative is the result of a partnership between VT Dining Services and a food processing center on campus.
Zipcar Partners with Zimride at Stanford U
Zipcar, a car-sharing provider, and Zimride, a social online ride-sharing community, have launched a partnership to integrate car sharing and ride sharing services on the Stanford University (CA) campus. The partnership eliminates the need to own a car to share a ride for all faculty, staff, and students at Stanford. Both Zipcar and Zimride have offered their services on the Stanford campus since December 2007 and November 2008 respectively, but now members of the Stanford community are able to use a Zipcar to share a ride organized by Zimride.
Arizona State U Dedicates 5 Solar Installations
Arizona State University has completed five solar installations totaling 1.88 MW. The five installations complete phase one of ASU solar project, which will add a total of 12 MW of solar power to the campus.
Drexel U Building to Features Living Biofilter
Drexel University (PA) has announced plans to include a living biofilter in its new Sciences Building. The multi-story plant wall is intended to improve indoor air quality and reduce the temperature of the air in summer through the plants' natural respiratory properties. The installation will also function as a humidifier during the winter months. Drexel believes the bio wall to be the first in a United States university. The new science building is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification.
Indiana U Res Hall & Greek Students Compete to Reduce Energy
Students at Indiana University have begun a month-long competition to reduce energy use and conserve water on campus. The competition between residence halls and between houses in the Greek community challenges each living community to reduce their energy and water consumption against a baseline of their house's or dorm's average per capita electricity and water consumption over a three-year average. Students are able to track their community's progress on the IU Energy Challenge website.
Kentucky CCs Offer Tuition Discounts to Unemployed Workers
The Kentucky Community and Technical College System and Governor Steve Beshear have announced the KCTCS Career Transitions program, an initiative through which recently unemployed workers can receive a 50 percent discount on tuition for up to 6 credit hours per term. The program also offers personalized assistance in navigating the college admissions process. The year-long initiative is offered at 16 community colleges across the state. Kentucky residents who have become unemployed and have filed for unemployment benefits since Oct. 1, 2008 are eligible for the program.
Lakeland CC Signs Energy Efficiency Contract
Lakeland Community College (IL) has signed an agreement with Siemens Building Technologies to improve energy efficiency on its campus. As a result of the contract, LCC expects to reduce its annual energy costs by more than $500,000. Siemens also plans to help the College establish a facility energy management course curriculum that will help students prepare for a segment of the green job market.
LA Times Covers Increase of Students Pursing Clean Energy Careers
The Los Angeles Times has published an article on the rapidly increasing number of undergraduate and graduate level college students who are taking courses towards a degree in renewable energies. Higher education institutions highlighted include the University of California, Los Angeles; Arizona State University; Indiana University; the University of Colorado; the University of South Carolina; Lehigh University (PA); and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Macalester Colleges Brings Car Share Program to Campus
Macalester College (MN) has signed an agreement with Zipride, a car share program. The program's website allows users to post rides offered, whether one time or habitual commutes, as well as rides wanted. Current Macalester students, faculty, staff, and alumni can participate in the program.
Saint Xavier U Building to Receive USGBC Natural Leader Award
The U.S. Green Building Council has announced that it will award Saint Xavier University (IL) with its 2009 Natural Leader Award. Saint Xavier will be recognized with the SMALL feet/large FEAT award for excellence in organizational change. The award recognizes Saint Xavier’s efforts to achieve carbon neutrality.
St. Petersburg College Announces 2 New Green Degrees
St. Petersburg College (FL) has announced two new degree programs, an Associate of Science in Environmental Science Technology and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Sustainability Management. Both will be available in the fall 2009 semester. The Environmental Science Technology degree includes three sub-plans: Water Resource Management, Environmental Resources/Energy Management and Sustainability. The Sustainability Management degree focuses on sustainable business and communication strategies, energy and resource management, legal aspects of sustainability, and sustainability in built and natural environments.
Survey Shows Businesses' Need for Students Educated in Green Issues
In a recent survey completed by National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), 65 percent of business surveyed said they value environmental and sustainability knowledge in job candidates and 78 percent said that that value will appreciate as a hiring factor in the next five years. NEEF surveyed 1,354 people from businesses in 20 industry sectors, from NGOs, and from government organizations as part of the project. The findings have been released in a report titled, "The Engaged Organization, Corporate Employee Environmental Education Survey and Case Study Findings."
U California Berkeley Releases 2009 Climate Action Plan
The University of California, Berkeley has released its 2009 Climate Action Plan (CAP), which documents how the campus plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by one-third and eventually achieve climate neutrality. The Plan, which will be updated annually by the Office of Sustainability, examines how far the campus has come in the last two years to meet it emissions reduction goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2014.
U Iowa to Offer Certificate in Sustainability
The University of Iowa has announced plans to offer a Certificate in Sustainability starting in the fall of 2009. The program will allow students to augment their majors and minors with a certificate that promotes an integrated understanding of human and environmental systems and the complex interactions between them. To meet the certificate's requirements, students must complete 24 semester hours of course work that includes three introductory core courses, four electives from a designated list, and one project course. The required projects will address advanced problems in design, sustainability and education, and multimedia writing on the topic of a green economy.
U Washington Offers 4 New Certificates on Sustainability Topics
The University of Washington Extension has begun offering four new sustainability-focused certificates. "Decision Making for Climate Change" and "Sustainable Transportation" are offered online, and "Low Impact Development" and "The Practice and Policy of Composting, Recycling, and Waste Prevention" can be obtained through on-campus courses.
U Wisconsin-Eau Claire Launches Sustainability Column
The University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire has launched the Sustainability University column in its student newspaper. The new column is designed to provide ideas, tips, and information on sustainable practices to help individuals make small changes in behavior that have a major and lasting impact on the environment and world. Students are able to send in questions for the editor of the column, which dedicated its first month to introducing the University Center's Green Team and Earth Month awareness events.
Westfield State College to Begin Single Stream Recycling
Westfield State College (MA) has announced plans to switch the campus to 100 percent single-stream recycling on campus. WSC piloted the successful program in one dormitory in November and has decided to expand single-stream recycling to all dorms this spring.
Brock U Completes Sustainability Assessment
Brock University (ON) has completed a 25-page Sustainability Audit. The document includes assessments in the areas of water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, land use, governance, health, and ethical purchasing. The University used the Campus Sustainability Assessment Framework, a Canadian-based assessment tool.
