Paul Quinn College Turns Football Stadium into Farm
Paul Quinn College (TX) recently planted the first seeds in a former football field that will now serve the college as a student-run, two-acre urban farm. After grocers told the college's president that they didn't want to invest in the underserved Dallas neighborhood where the college is located, he contacted the Sustainable Food Project at Yale University (CT) for a crash course on organic agriculture and educational programs that emphasize the importance of local, healthy food. Part of the harvest will be sold to the company that runs concessions at Cowboys Stadium and the other will be donated nonprofit groups that feed the hungry. By fall the college plans to create a farmers market on its outdoor recreational basketball courts and eventually open its own grocery store.
Santa Clara U Student Initiates Sustainable Office Award Program
A Santa Clara University (CA) student intern has initiated the Sustainable Office Award Program (SOAP) to celebrate environmental achievements in different departments across campus. Departments are rated Going Green, Beyond Green or Certified Sustainable through a self-audit. Recent SOAP projects include reducing waste by dedicating a copier drawer to store once-used paper for internal print jobs, and reducing energy consumption by turning off electronics at night and on the weekends.
Southern Oregon U Receives $23K in Renewable Energy Credits
Southern Oregon University has received a $23,000 refund from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The refund is a result of the university’s investment in renewable energy credits, known as “Green Tags,” purchased with student fee money to offset the institution’s energy usage. The foundation uses the money from student fees to research and develop sustainable energy projects and 20 percent of the total amount received is refunded back to the school for its own projects. The Student Fee Committee is weighing requests from students for ideas on how to use the money.
SUNY Oswego Launches Campus Donation Initiative
State University of New York at Oswego has created the Leave Green initiative to encourage students residing off campus to donate household and personal items as they prepare to leave town for the summer. Items to be collected include clothing, linens, rugs, kitchenware and appliances, electronics, furniture, office and school supplies, unopened cleaning products and nonperishable foods. The collected goods will be donated to local organizations.
U Calgary Researchers to Convert Sewage into Power
The University of Calgary's (AB) Schulich School of Engineering has received a $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations Grant to pursue a global health and development research project. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the grant funds scientists and researchers worldwide to explore ideas that can break the mold in how to solve persistent global health and development challenges. The engineering school will look at developing technology that will turn human excrement into a range of useful products such as methane gas, fertilizer, water, heat and electricity. Their idea is to design small residential units much like portable toilets but with built-in reaction chambers. Chemical and bacterial reactions would convert fecal matter and urine into solids for use as agricultural fertilizer and gases – mostly methane – that could be burned to make electricity. Pure water would be a byproduct.
U California Berkeley Unveils Water Conservation Goal
At its recent Annual Sustainability Summit, the University of California, Berkeley's chancellor announced a water conservation goal to reduce campus use of potable water to 10 percent below 2008 levels by 2020. The university uses more than 600 million gallons of potable water annually, mostly for water faucets, toilets, showers and other domestic purposes on the main campus and in the student-residence halls. The university plans to meet its goal by upgrading to lower-flow fixtures, repairing leaks, replacing heating equipment and encouraging water conservation. The initiative will require an investment of $1.6 million over five years, with an expected savings of $250,000 a year.
U Maine Dining Services Emphasizes Local Food
The University of Maine’s Black Bear Dining has switched its five-year contract in order to have access to more local food. Through Sysco’s purchasing partner, Farm Fresh Connections, clients have the ability to connect with localized farmers and vendors through one source rather than individually. Black Bear Dining has increased its offering of Maine-grown produce by 50 percent within the past year. To create more awareness about the local food it offers, Black Bear Dining would like to centralize an area that solely offers local food with labels noting the origin of each item.
U Maryland Students Enlist Goats for Campus Weeding
Students at the University of Maryland have contracted goats to combat weeds in a proposed garden area near the School of Public Health. More than 30 goats grazed for three days, clearing the way for fruit and vegetable growing. Also aimed at bringing attention to the new garden, the $13,00 initiative was funded by an Office of Sustainability grant from mandatory student sustainability fees.
U Mass Amherst Launches Sustainable Food and Farming Certificate
The University of Massachusetts Amherst has announced a new sustainable food and farming certificate program that is open to the public. Available this summer, the 15-credit program is designed to serve students who are not able to make a commitment to a four-year degree but still want to earn college credentials. Available entirely online or by mixing online and campus classes, the program will offer sustainable farming systems, education, and public policy and advocacy areas of study.
U Mass Medical Conducts Wind Power Feasibility Study
The University of Massachusetts Medical School has initiated a wind study on campus, installing anemometers designed to measure wind speed and direction on the top levels of two campus parking garages. Currently available wind maps for the region suggest that sustained wind levels are not high enough on campus to make a wide-scale installation of wind turbines feasible or economical, so the instruments are being used to determine if there is enough wind blowing at these locations to generate electricity using small-scale wind turbines. Wind data will be collected through the summer, when wind levels tend to drop off. The additional data will be used to produce more accurate models of sustained wind levels on campus.
U Mass Medical Plans Computer Nightly Shut-Down Project
The University of Massachusetts Medical School's Information Services and Facilities departments are rolling out a program to target some 3,800 of the school's personal computers for nightly shutdown. A pilot shutdown program last year that covered 300 personal computers revealed that 65 percent of the computers, and 74 percent of the monitors, were left on overnight. With a software tool that programmed the computers to turn off at a certain time with flexibility that accounted for staff schedules and needed computer access, the pilot project resulted in an 80 percent shutdown. If the 3,800 administrative computers are brought into the shutdown program, the team estimates $100,000 in savings from reduced electricity consumption.
U Notre Dame Creates Sustainable Energy Center, Minor
The University of Notre Dame (IN) has established a Center for Sustainable Energy to enhance energy-related research and increase energy awareness through outreach and educational initiatives. The new center, which will sponsor a newly-created energy studies minor, will also serve as the primary campus hub for information or advice on energy topics and issues. The center will expand on the work of the Notre Dame Energy Center and Sustainable Energy Initiative to reach university students and the community with energy-related information and work with local science, technology and mathematics teachers to broaden their knowledge through research and curriculum development opportunities.
U San Diego Opens E-Waste Collection Center
The University of San Diego (CA) has opened an E-Waste Collection Center near campus. The center is open six days a week and accepts the following items: microwave ovens, gaming consoles, DVD players, VCRs, telephones, cell phones, digital cameras, radios, stereo components, cables and cords, televisions, flat panel displays, computer monitors, computers (CPUs), laptops, keyboards, printers, mice, hard drives, tape drives, networking equipment, modems, routers, switches, servers, printed circuit boards, lab equipment, fax machines, power supplies and zip drives.
Villanova U Students Expand Campus Biodiesel Production
After two years of producing biodiesel on campus, chemical engineering students at Villanova University (PA) have begun converting the glycerin byproduct into soap. The student group developed the idea of making soap as a sustainable way to dispose of the byproduct rather than putting the glycerin in the compost or paying to dispose of it. The bars of soap have been used as promotional items and have garnered interest from local businesses to sell in their shops.
Washington Post Highlights Higher Ed Bottled Water Bans
Rallying against bottled water has become a cause for college environmental groups in the past few years, reports a recent article in The Washington Post. The article addresses the controversial nature of bottled water bans, and gives examples of how colleges are trying to make it easier for students to pick refillable bottles over throwaway ones and educating students about recycling and how their several-bottles-a-day habit quickly piles up in a landfill. Bottled water restriction efforts at the University of Maryland College Park, Washington University in St. Louis (MO), DePauw University (IN) and American University (DC) are among those mentioned.
Western Kentucky U Creates Master's in Social Responsibility
Western Kentucky University has announced a new master's degree in social responsibility and sustainable communities, scheduled to begin in fall 2011. The graduate program will provide students from diverse backgrounds the tools to lead communities toward social justice and sustainability. Students will have the opportunity to conduct an action research project to understand relevant community issues and to identify possible solutions. The program has core courses and additional electives, with or without a thesis option, for a total of 33 hours.
Arizona State U Students Conduct Waste Audit
Students in Arizona State University's School of Sustainability recently conducted a 15-hour organic waste audit that resulted in more than 800 pounds and 69 bags of organic waste, recyclables and trash. With the aim of working toward a more sustainable solution to manage organic waste generated on campus, the students sorted through items destined for the landfill or a recycling facility. One-third of the compiled trash included pre-consumer compostable materials that didn't make it to the intended users including uncooked waffle batter and 45 pounds of raw meat and fat scraps. Understanding the makeup of its waste footprint is the first step in determining what strategies the university can implement to reduce food waste.
Bristol CC Receives $900K for Green Energy Curriculum
Including partnerships with area businesses and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Bristol Community College (MA) has announced a new Sustainability and Green Energy Across the Curriculum initiative. With a three-year, $900,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, the college will now offer concentrations in solar energy and wind energy including a new green building technologies certificate.
Campus Sustainability Planning: A May Update
Solar power capacity within the California State University system has more than doubled in the past five years and is proposed to double again by the end of 2012, it was recently announced in "The CSU Commitment to Sustainability." Thirty research centers and 150 academic programs are related to the environment, green engineering and sustainable practices; 19 of 23 campuses participate in programs to curtail campus energy use during times of peak demand; and the university system has 36 LEED-certified buildings with another 10 on the way. Also reported to AASHE in the recent past, York University (ON) has released its 2010 Sustainability Report, which includes 20 recommendations for a long-term and holistic approach to sustainability on campus. Initiatives include a pilot project for student sustainability engagement in summer 2011; the development of green IT guidelines for all departments; and identifying strategies to embed sustainability in course design. In related news, Miami University (OH) has committed to reduce its coal consumption immediately in its first sustainability plan, with the goal of completely eliminating coal as a campus energy source by 2025. The university also plans to expand its recycling efforts, strive for environmentally friendly construction and develop a campus plan for alternate transportation options including a network of bike lanes. In more related news, the University of Maryland's Facilities Management department has unveiled the first draft of its new master plan, largely focused on how to make the campus more bike and pedestrian friendly.
Carnegie Mellon Debuts 'Giving Wall' Initiative
Carnegie Mellon University (PA) has unveiled the "Giving Wall," an initiative to curb excessive waste. The Giving Wall is based on the idea of a lost and found station, where students can discard unwanted items on a row of shelves in the basement of the University Center. The items are up for grabs to anyone who wants them. In addition to hoping for an increase in campus recycling, the university aims to benefit the community by re-gifting items to those who need them.
Delta College Plans Stormwater Mgmt Interpretive Sign System
Delta College (MI) recently received a $10,000 Bay Area Community Foundation grant for the installation of interpretive signage for its Stormwater Management Project. The college has worked to improve its stormwater filtration system by channeling the water from parking lots through wet meadows and drainage ditches for a natural filtration before it enters the rivers and lakes of the region. The interpretive displays will raise awareness about the project and provide a historical perspective of the land from acquisition to its current use. Land stewardship functions will be represented including responsible stormwater management, the use of recycled/reusable materials, and the effect of local actions on the local environment.
Fielding Graduate U Debuts Sustainability Leadership Certificate
Developed in response to demand from practitioners and executives who want to remain competitive and effective, Fielding Graduate University's (CA) School of Human and Organizational Development has announced a new sustainability leadership certificate program. The program is designed to give students an understanding of sustainability through an interdisciplinary perspective that integrates ecological, economic, cultural and organizational theory and research.
Fleming College Debuts Green Business Mgmt Certificate
Fleming College has announced a new green business management graduate certificate program that will be offered at its Sutherland Campus in January 2012. Offered in a format to accommodate those working full-time, the program will provide students with skills to promote and lead sustainability and green practices in business and industrial sectors.
Harvard U Sponsors Regional Bike Share
Harvard University (MA) has announced that it will sponsor five bike share stations as part of Hubway, a newly launched regional Bike Share program recently introduced by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and state officials. Harvard has also committed to sponsoring four bike share stations in Cambridge, Mass. when the bike share program expands.
Harvard U Students, Staff Weatherize Campus Building
Organized by the Environmental Action Committee and a host of other campus groups, 30 members of the Harvard University (MA) community volunteered to help weatherize a 160-year-old building that serves the campus as the Freshman Dean's Office. The crew installed low-flow sink aerators, high-efficiency light bulbs and recycling signs, and weatherized windows. The project is estimated to save the university $1,928 per year.
Independence CC Upgrades Infrastructure to Save Energy
Independence Community College (KS) has completed a $2.7 million infrastructure upgrade in an effort to conserve energy and save money. The energy conservation plan began with an energy audit of the college’s buildings and its systems. The college received a grant from the Kansas Corporation Commission as part of an ongoing conservation effort to assist in the cost of the audit. Energy saving measures included thousands of new light bulbs, electronic ballasts, motion detecting lights, a new HVAC system and the installation of energy-efficient vending machines. The project took nearly three months to complete and the college hopes to see significant cuts in energy bills.
Lane CC Receives $100K Grant for Rooftop Solar Panels
Lane Community College (OR) has been awarded a $100,000 Green Power grant funded by Eugene Water & Electric Board customers that opt into the utility company's Green Power program. The college plans to use the grant money to install solar panels atop the roof of its downtown campus building.
Northwestern U Students Initiate First Campus Solar Array
Northwestern University (IL) has its first on-site renewable energy source thanks to some industrious students. Two different student groups raised $117,000 from on-campus and off-campus donations to help fund the Centennial Solar Panel System, a photovoltaic array that produces 20,000 kilowatt hours per year. The panels were placed atop the university's Ford Building, which houses a computer lab and machine lab that will be powered in part by the panels.
Rochester Institute of Tech Names Senior Sustainability Advisor
Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) has named Enid Cardinal as senior sustainability advisor to the RIT president. Cardinal, a LEED-accredited professional with a background in socially responsible investing and environmental policy, will assume her new role in July. She will be responsible for developing, implementing and administering policies and programs that will further the institute's goal of becoming an international model for best practices in campus sustainability operations and programs.
Stanford U, Columbia U Reinstate ROTC Program on Campus
Stanford University (CA) and Columbia University (NY) are the latest institutions to announce the reinstatement of their Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) programs following Congress' repeal of a ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. The institutions join Harvard University (MA), which reinstated its ROTC program in March.
SUNY ESF to Debut Combined Heat and Power System
The State University New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry has received $963,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority for a combined heat and power (CHP) system for its new Gateway Building. Expected to reduce the campus-wide carbon footprint by 22 percent, the system will provide five total campus buildings with simultaneously produced thermal and electrical energy, a design that reduces waste energy and improves overall system efficiency. The biomass-based function will produce high-pressure steam to generate electricity by moving through a steam turbine before it is used to heat campus buildings. Three natural gas-fired microturbines will complement the biomass system to provide a balance of electricity and steam for heating, providing approximately 70 percent of campus heating needs and 20 percent of campus electrical needs.
Syracuse U Achieves Climate Registered™ Status
Syracuse University (NY) recently became one of the first institutions in North America to achieve Climate Registered™ status by successfully measuring its carbon footprint with The Climate Registry. As one of the founding reporters of the nonprofit organization, the university voluntarily committed to measure, independently verify and publicly report its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) on an annual basis using The Climate Registry General Reporting Protocol. The protocol is based on the internationally recognized GHG measurement standards of the World Resource Institute and World Bank Council for Sustainable Development.
U Arizona Adds Electric Vehicle to Campus Fleet
The University of Arizona has added the electric Nissan Leaf to its fleet of 100 vehicles, available to students and faculty to rent. The first step in a plan to add more electric vehicles to its fleet, the car is now accompanied by a new electric vehicle charging station, donated by California-based AeroVironment, Inc.
U Arkansas Announces Minor in Sustainability
The University of Arkansas has announced that it will begin offering an undergraduate minor in sustainability. The new program will provide foundational knowledge and skills related to sustainability, organized by four thematic areas including social systems, natural systems, built systems and managed systems. Students can declare the minor starting this summer.
U Michigan Reduces Water Consumption by 68%
As a result of a computerized irrigation system installed in 2006, the University of Michigan has announced a 68 percent reduction in campus water consumption. The system plugs into a campus weather station that watches wind speed, rain, temperature and humidity to gauge the best times to irrigate and when irrigation should be shut off. The project initially cost $350,000, and the university has reported a total of $564,000 in water bill savings.
U Minnesota Crookston On Track for 17% Energy Reduction
As a result of its Campus and Community Energy Challenges partnership with Otter Tail Power Company, the University of Minnesota, Crookston is on track to lower its overall electricity use by 17 percent. The campus' energy-efficient upgrades include more efficient lighting and automated controls on variable-frequency drives for the ventilation systems.
U North Texas Elliptical Machines Produce Electricity for Grid
The University of North Texas has installed the ReRev renewable energy system on 36 elliptical machines at its recreation center. The $20,000 system converts energy from a workout into electricity and feeds the electricity created back into the recreational center’s power grid. Elliptical machines in regular use can generate enough electricity every two days to power a laptop for 24 hours. The machines are also being used as an educational tool for students.
U Pacific Students to Graduate in Recycled Gowns
Students graduating in May from the University of the Pacific (CA) will be wearing gowns made out of recycled plastic bottles. Each gown will consist of recycled plastic from 23 plastic bottles. After the ceremony, the robes will be returned to recycling bins where they will be reused in years to come.
Utah State U Opens Solar-Powered Observatory
Utah State University has opened a new solar-powered observatory designed and built by students and faculty in the university's Department of Plants, Soils and Climate. The observatory will measure standard weather conditions, solar radiation and carbon dioxide, and features atmospheric visibility sensors. In addition to helping students study climate, the data collected will be available to the public online.
U Utah Announces New Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund Projects
The University of Utah's Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund has announced 14 new campus sustainability projects that were approved during the spring 2011 call for applications for a total amount of $171,000. This semester was the most successful round to date for the university, with 18 project applications and more than $275,000 in funding requests. The project that received the largest amount of funding, $70,000, is a first-year architecture graduate student's proposal to equip the new Honors housing with environmentally friendly features. The student will work with professionals to install equipment including energy expenditure monitoring, eco-drains that will recover heat from water being drained, and an automatic shut-off feature for heating and air conditioning as windows are opened.
Yale U Hosts 'Changing Planet' Town Hall
Yale University (CT) recently hosted the "Changing Planet" town hall in partnership with NBC Learn - the educational arm of NBC News - the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Discover magazine. The event brought together more than 100 students and panelists including the director of the Yale Climate and Energy Institute, the founder and coordinator of the Energy Action Coalition, a geosciences professor at Texas Tech University and the chief sustainability officer at DuPont. Available for viewing on the NSF, NBC Learn and Discover websites, the town hall was intended to encourage student learning and dialogue about climate change by gathering scientists, thought leaders and university students to discuss the facts of climate science, the dynamics of its impact and to brainstorm solutions. A special print adaptation of "Changing Planet" will appear in the June issue of Discover magazine.
American U to Install 2,300 Solar Panels
American University (DC) has announced plans to install 2,300 solar photovoltaic panels spread across three on-campus buildings and three off-campus buildings. The six different solar sites will begin providing electricity to the university by July 2011 and are expected to reduce carbon emissions by 557 tons each year. The project will increase the solar capacity of the university from 27 kilowatts to more than 532 kilowatts, producing about 637 megawatt hours per year. Part of the installation will include solar thermal panels to provide hot water for dorms and the dining hall.
Antioch U New England Student Video Wins Energy Video Contest
Antioch University New England (NH) environmental studies students have won the My Energy Video Challenge 2011. The nearly four-minute video explains the Antioch Commuter Transportation initiative as part of the university’s effort to reach carbon neutrality by 2020. The contest was sponsored by Clean Air-Cool Planet, a nonprofit organization working to solve climate change through civic engagement, education and policy.
Arizona State U Researchers Work to Better Harness Solar Energy
Graduate students at Arizona State University have published a research paper in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy revealing that solar panels only use a fraction of the energy they receive to generate energy while the rest of it emits heat. The researchers developed solar thermal collectors that power turbines to generate steam in order to more completely harness the energy received.
Ball State U Journalism Students Work for Water Conservation
Ball State University’s (IN) journalism students will collaborate with nonprofit Circle of Blue to report on water conservation issues in China, and how climate change is impacting the Great Lakes region. The partnership will provide students with the opportunity to delve into an internationally significant sustainability issue.
Ball State U to Offer Sustainability Minor
Ball State University (IN) announced plans for a new minor in sustainability during a recent 10th anniversary celebration of its Council on the Environment. The program, to be offered in fall 2011, will explore issues including systems theory, values and ethics, atmosphere and climate, population, energy, water, land, food (land-based and freshwater/marine-based), health (disease and nutrition), materials (resource harvesting, resource limitations and resource recycling), natural biological systems, and economies and poverty. The minor aims to prepare students to be able to describe social, environmental and economic elements of long-term human survival; understand the systems nature of the interrelationships among social, environmental and economic elements of civilization; articulate their personal values as related to this complexity; and apply concepts of sustainability in decision making.
Catholic U America Students Invent Solar-Powered Table
A solar-powered picnic table designed by students at the Catholic University of America (DC) has recently been installed on campus. The six students received scholarships from Washington Gas Power Solutions Inc. as winners of a campus contest for the table, which is capable of charging laptops and other electrical appliances.
Duke U Signs MOU with World Wildlife Fund
Duke University (NC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the World Wildlife Fund to collaborate on research, teaching and the advancement of conservation policy and science. The agreement will enhance existing collaborations and expand to form new ones in the areas of marine spatial planning, ecosystem services, climate change adaptation, evidence-based conservation, reduced emissions from forest degradation and deforestation (REDD), supply chain and other business opportunities.
Elmhurst College Holds E-Waste Recycling Event
Elmhurst College (IL) recently held a one-day event for students, staff, faculty and community members to drop off old televisions, computer monitors and other electronic waste in a trailer that was taken to a private business for recycling. The event was an effort to minimize electronic waste by making it easier to recycle electronic appliances.
EPA Announces Green Power Challenge Winners
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced the results of its fifth annual College and University Green Power Challenge. The University of Pennsylvania held on to the top individual school title, purchasing more than 200 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of green power or 47 percent of its power purchases. The Big Ten conference surpassed the Ivy League conference for the first time as the top athletic conference in the challenge with an annual green power usage of more than 256 million kWh. This year's challenge participation increased to 69 competing institutions from 59 last year, representing 31 conferences nationwide. More than 1.5 billion kWh of annual green power usage were recorded, the equivalent environmental impact of avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions from the annual electricity use of more than 132,000 homes.
