Sustainable Campus

New Carp Czar

2010-11-07T10:53:00.003-06:00

It's a Bird, It's a Plane...

No, It's a giant, jumping Asian Carp. Escapees from southern catfish farms, the Asian Carp have been moving north for years. Now, they are approaching the Great Lakes.

Already, Asian Carp represent 9 out of 10 fish in the Illinois River.

In order to prevent this invasive species from invading the Great Lakes fisheries, the Obama Administration has appointed a "Carp Czar" to keep the fish downstream.

It's a Good Tray to Die:

2009-05-05T10:56:00.008-05:00

Cafeterias Kill Trays, Save Water

Carrying two plates and a coke is a challenge many college students say they can handle. The lunch lines at food courts and cafeterias at college campuses have lost the clatter of trays. Hoping to save water, conserve energy, and reduce food waste, colleges are dumping trays and hoping students can still balance their salad bowls, pizza, and coke without them.

This is no doubt sad news for students in the frozen North who have long re-purposed the slick trays as sleds in the winter months. Check out this video of Ithaca College students using their trays for enter-tray-ment.

It also must come as a disappointment to punsters at campuses across the country who carved monikers in the trays: O. Tray Simpson, It was the worst of trays, and, perhaps the most ubiquitous t-shirt and tray figure at institutions of higher learning: Tray Guevara.

The New York Times, in a front page story, noted that the trend of ditching trays is spreading. The College Sustainability Report Card (a great tool for assessing how green universities and colleges are) found that 126 of the 300 schools it surveyed are abandoning cafeteria trays. So, adios trays. Like sands through the hourglass, these are the trays of our lives.

Graduating with a Green Collar:

2009-04-07T11:20:00.008-05:00

Professionalizing Sustainability in Higher Education

If you wanted to get a green job, to be part of the green economy, to do good and get paid, how would you do it? The field of "sustainability" is struggling as it professionalizes. Universities are facing pressure from students who demand degrees and curriculum that will prepare them for green jobs. Who decides how a green professional is trained? What courses should a freshly-minted college graduate have to get a job in the green economy? Let's explore how some campuses are answering these questions:

Arizona State University was the first school to offer a degree program in sustainability. They actually offer two degrees with two different course programs. Within ASU's Bachelor of Science in Sustainability students can emphasize economics, managing ecosystems, or resources and technology. The Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability emphasizes humanities and social science courses in environmental policy, international development, and urban sustainability. ASU also offers graduate degrees in sustainability that have a great deal of flexibility and are largely designed by students and faculty advisors. Though the Sundevils have a leg up on many universities with their School of Sustainability (see the video below), other schools are putting together programs, as well.

Welcome to the School of Sustainability from Institute of Sustainability on Vimeo.

The interdisciplinary nature of sustainability poses problems and opportunities for universities as they try to decide what makes a green professional. ASU has split their degree: one for harder sciences and one for humanities and social sciences. The division of most institutions into different colleges (Letters and Sciences, Agriculture, etc.) can work against a truly interdisciplinary approach to sustainability.

Responding to student demand, many schools are evaluating their slate of courses with an eye to selecting those that have a focus on the environment. Others are scrambling to cobble together courses they already offer to put together a degree program. For a true sense of the diversity of coursework and programs that identify themselves as sustainable, check out this list.

Most large universities seem to be developing "institutes" that can help them bridge the disciplinary divides to make broad coursework in sustainability possible for students. The University of Wisconsin is taking its Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies in this direction. The Institute, named in honor of Earth Day's founder Gaylord Nelson, now only offers a certificate in Environmental Studies if you are an undergraduate. At Wisconsin, like many other schools, students have to commit to a disciplinary home base in politics, forestry, biology, business, or any number of other departments and then build their degree program with the help of faculty advisors. This multi-disciplinary degree in environmental studies is the approach other schools take: University of Delaware's Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, the University of Florida's Natural Resource School, and Ball State's sustainability minors are all examples of ways schools approach sustainability and environmental studies.

Schools of Architecture and Design have also been quick to incorporate sustainability into their degree programs. Check out the University of Texas and Yale University have programs that emphasize sustainability and environmental awareness in design. Colorado State University has a program in Construction Management that offers an emphasis in sustainability.

There is a lot at stake in this professionalization battle. Which disciplines will dominate the debate on sustainability and the environment will have far-reaching consequences for our world. What courses do you think should be a part of a degree in sustainability? Should the engineers, biologists, business leaders, or policy folks steer the debate on environmental issues?

Farmers' Markets on the Quad:

2009-03-05T10:14:00.000-06:00

More Campuses Host Markets For Students, Staff

Across the United States, demand is soaring for local and regional foods. Farmers' markets have benefited from this interest in buying and eating locally. The USDA estimates that there are over 4,700 markets across the country. Around the town square or in abandoned shopping center parking lots, farmers' markets are popping up like daffodils in spring. Now, more colleges and universities are making space on campus for farmers.

Of course, the harvest season does not neatly overlap with the semester system. Still, many areas are able to host markets in the fall and late spring when both students and fresh fruits and veggies are plentiful.

Building Community
Markets are becoming centers of community life. Adding musicians to the good, local food, makes the market a social space where community can grow. At markets like the one at the University of Southern California, the farmers' market is a great place to hang out. The USC on the other coast has also started a fun, community-oriented market and shown that Gamecocks love farmers' markets as much as Trojans.

Sustainable Education
Farmers' Markets are also an opportunity for learning. The connection to agriculture is about understanding food systems, sustainability, and health. Student councils, student health services, and dining services have all gotten involved in bringing farmers to campus. Faculty in agriculture, rural sociology, nutrition, and environmental studies have joined to make markets a reality at their universities. The market presents numerous opportunities for service learning for students and created bridges to internships and even summer jobs at local farms. At UC-Davis, a group reading of Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma resulted in a market on the East Quad. Farmers' Markets also give campuses with Ag. Colleges a place to shine. Cal Poly Pomona has a Farm Store where they sell meat, eggs, and produce from the College of Agriculture--it doesn't get more local than that.

Healthy Choices
The availability of fresh fruits, veggies, and other foods is also an improvement to many pizza-heavy student diets. Even though access to full kitchens is limited in most dorm settings, students can still find healthy choices at the markets that don't require cooking. Trail mixes, dips, and "snackable" fresh produce are big sellers at campus markets. According to surveys at UC-Davis, most students eat two or fewer servings of fruit and veggies a day. Now students can put down the Papa John's for something from Farmer John.

Some Schools with Farmers' Markets:

Ashes to Ashes, Rice Crispies to Dirt

2009-02-22T12:29:00.008-06:00

Collegiate Composting Saves Cafeteria Scraps from the Landfill

College campuses are getting into the composting game. Determined to reduce their "solid waste streams," students and staff are pitching their scraps and left-over lasagna into compost bins.

Ohio University has the largest "in-vessel" composting machine at any college campus. Installing the behemoth composter near their dairy barn has prevented 25% of Ohio University's solid waste from making it to the landfill. Instead, they convert tons of food and landscape waste into nutrient-rich soil in a mere 14 days.

The University of Vermont found that a partnership with a local non-profit business served their composting needs. Students and dining hall staff use food waste bins to separate compostable material from other waste. The scraps are then hauled to a composting facility where they are eventually used by local farmers and gardeners. Every week UVM collects 4.96 tons of food waste to be turned into compost.

Composting is catching on at the University of Washington, too. At UW, students even eat with compost: forks and spoons made of corn that can go right in the compost bin. Composting is so popular, it even generated a fabulous musical:

Spin Me Right Round, Baby:

2009-02-05T12:05:00.013-06:00

Appalachian State Captures the Mountain Breezes

Wind energy isn't only for wide-open spaces on the plains. It can be small and successful almost anywhere. App State's wind energy focuses on smaller turbines that can catch even the smallest breeze or the mightiest wind.

With a grant from the Department of Energy, Appalachian State created a "wind map" of North Carolina and found that the state was suitable for wind projects both large and small. They even created detailed county maps for folks in Western North Carolina. It turns out that the western counties have 1 million acres of land with Class 2 or better wind resources. They have set up demonstration stations and will allow people to borrow anemometers (wind-o-meters) to assess whether their homes, farms, or neighborhoods are candidates for small wind power.

Appalachian States' "Wind Working Group" is also getting down to business. They are writing model ordinances for communities eager to include wind energy, demonstrating commercially available wind power that would be suitable for schools, and organizing workshops for groups and individuals interested in wind power.

Kitchen Sink Conservation:

2009-02-04T14:00:00.008-06:00

Harvard's Green Skillet

Powering down equipment, high efficiency appliances, and low-flow sprayers are bringing Harvard's cafeterias into the sustainable fold.

The staff at dining services at campuses across the country are not often engaged in reducing institutional carbon footprints -- but they should be. Harvard's Office of Sustainability challenged instituted a competition to reduce energy consumption among the campus kitchens.

The kitchen staff got creative: the winning team reduced energy consumption by 23%. Over 500 kitchen staff participated, and all kitchens met the goal of reducing energy consumption by at least 10%.

Harvard's efforts to build a culture of sustainability is more than just a top-down effort to bankroll lots of LEED-certified structures. The Green Skillet competition is one of a wide range of efforts to use resources efficiently across campus. Two large science complexes on campus were energy hogs until a "Shut the Sash" competition paid labs to close fume hoods. Even in the dining hall, Harvard's crimson has shades of green.

Farm to Fork:

2009-01-06T11:24:00.013-06:00

Universities Find their Farmers

Students care where their food comes from. Increasingly, colleges and universities are investigating ways to connect with local farmers and support sustainable agriculture.

History: More than a decade ago, a small liberal arts college in Central Arkansas pioneered local campus food. At the time, more than 90% of food consumed at Hendrix College came from outside of the state. The local food project aimed at bringing food from nearby farms to the green cafeteria trays of Hendrix students. Though the project faltered in the early 1990s, the goal of bringing local food to students has spread across the country.

Why Eat Locally:

Economics: Supporting local family farmers supports your local economy. Dollars spent on local food tend to stay in the region, diversifying and strengthening the local economy.
Social Justice and Animal Rights: Knowing where your food comes from and how it is produced is important. You can answer questions about the humane treatment of animals if you know your farmer and his/her methods. You can also ensure that workers are paid living wages and not exposed to toxic chemicals.
Food Safety: Large, industrial food processing plants have brought e. coli and salmonella to the table along with fruits, veggies, and meats.
Energy: Food travels over 1500 miles to reach most American tables. These "food miles" can be drastically reduced with locally produced food.
Yum: Food that is grown for its taste, eaten in season, and picked fresh tastes great. Veggies that are selected for their ability to be shipped and stored aren't very tasty. Go with your palette and eat locally.

Schools Eating Locally:

The University of Toronto: Partners with a group of farmers to provide food to students that is both local and sustainable.
The University of Northern Iowa: Has instituted a Buy Local program that brings fresh local food to hospitals, local restaurants, retirement homes, and the school's cafeteria. Thanks to the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Northern Iowa is eating closer to home.
Colgate University: Recently began offering locally produced veggies and beef in the cafeteria. They serve organic food when possible.
Drake University: Drake's Ag. Law Center, arguably the best foodie law school in the country, is trying to bring a better food policy to a neighborhood near you. Fostering "Food Policy Councils," the university works with a diverse array of folks to make food policy recommendations.

Not all students opt for local food, even when they have the option. Tufts University has two bins of apples: one local, one not. Students often choose the apples from afar, which has slowed the incorporation of local foods into the campus cafeteria. So, if you have the choice: eat locally.

Pedaling Change

2008-12-20T21:47:00.012-06:00

Students Psyched for Bikes

Most college campuses are already well populated by bicycles. With construction costs rising and parking at a premium, many schools have sweetened the deal for students who travel on two wheels.

Ripon College in Wisconsin has the best deal for incoming students who agree to leave their car behind: free mountain bikes. Parking your car at home and getting a free bike has been a dramatic success at Ripon. Over 60% of incoming freshman took Ripon up on the deal and saved the school from building another parking garage. They ditched their greenhouse gas-making ride and got this person-powered one for free:
The congestion created by automobiles has sparked a *Velorution* (velo = bicycle in French) at the school. So, Ripon is directly confronting car-based convenience on campus by systematically moving parking to the exterior of campus and removing two streets that bisect the grounds. Soon Ripon will "create a safer, greener, more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly mall." The University of New England liked Ripon's plan and now has a bike give-away for those who abandon their autos.

Check out all of the elements of Ripon's Velorution here:

Other campuses have utilized more traditional bike rentals or provide free bikes for campus use:

Mercer University asked for donated bikes, fixed them up, and is renting them to students.

Emory University students merely show their ID and are able to rent bikes for free at several stations around campus.

Danforth University students following the model of FreeWheel groups needed no help from their school to start a free bike program. They just did it.

Sierra Club's Greenest Schools

2008-12-16T14:00:00.003-06:00

Surprises in Top Ten Eco-Campuses

Small liberal arts colleges once dominated innovation and creativity in sustainable college campuses, but now large state schools are getting in on the action. The Sierra Club ranked the schools based on a 100-point formula that considered everything from green building to waste management. Here are the rankings:

1. Middlebury College; Middlebury, Vermont
2. University of Colorado-Boulder; Boulder, Colorado
3.University of Vermont-Burlington; Burlington, Vermont
4. Warren Wilson College; Swannanoa, North Carolina
5. Evergreen State College; Olympia, Washington
6. Arizona State University; Tempe, Arizona
7. University of Florida-Gainesville; Gainesville, Florida
8. Oberlin College; Oberlin, Ohio
9. University of Washington-Seattle; Seattle, Washington
10. Tufts University; Medford, Massachusetts

University-wide master plans dedicated to a reduction of the school's carbon footprint are highlights of some of the state schools listed. Other schools opted for more creative solutions to problems: ASU is sending all of its organic waste material to a local farmer who composts it.

Tufts University, on the list at number 10, deserves credit for several important firsts. Tufts' president convened a group of university presidents and chancellors all the way back in 1990 to urge institutions of higher education to create a sustainable future. The meeting resulted in the Talloires Declaration, which is a "ten-point action plan for incorporating sustainability and environmental literacy in teaching, research, operations and outreach at colleges and universities." Learn more about the Talloires Declaration here. Find out if your school is a signatory here. Tufts also dedicated a huge sum for investments in developing countries.

But what's so great about Middleburry? Well, author Bill McKibben regularly brings environmental journalists to campus. The campus draws power from wind and even a wood-chip plant. And a host of student-directed initiatives have boosted recycling and reuse. The campus now recycles more than 60% of the waste produced at Middleburry.

In addition to green cheers, there are also jeers. Five schools are reserved for special criticism from the Sierra Club:

1. The College of William and Mary; Williamsburg, Virginia
2. George Washington University; Washington, D.C.
3. Howard University; Washington, D.C.
4. Texas Tech University; Lubbock, Texas
5. Valadosta State University; Valadosta, Georgia

Howard University doesn't recycle, the Club claims, and the Red Raiders are wasting water. Perhaps the infamy of being dubbed an "un-Cool School" will make these colleges and universities change their ways.

Some schools deserve honorable mention in their sustainability efforts. Kentucky's Berea College has an EcoVillage. Pitzer College in California has dorms with solar panels and roof-top gardens.