Make a committment to Reduce your Impact on the Environment by choosing 3 actions from the Live Green Pledge. By choosing 3 actions you will significantly reduce your impact as well as Double your efforts because CU Administration has committed to match each pledge with $5 towards Sustainability Initiatives on campus. This is a HUGE opportunity to hold the University accountable as well as yourself. Together we can make a difference. Sign the pledge at ecenter.colorado.edu/livegreen
For more information contact Sarah Dawn or Jesi at the Environmental Center UMC 355 or visit ecenter.colorado.edu/livegreen
ENVS 4100: Campus Carbon Neutral Class
CAMPUS CARBON NEUTRAL CLASS WILL HAPPEN IN THE SPRING--PLEASE NOTE REGISTRATION DIFFICULTIES
The Campus Carbon Neutral Planning class (ENVS 4100-001) taught by Environmental Center Director Dave Newport will be offered in the Spring 2010 term, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 - 6:15pm. However, because of registration difficulties, students must register for wait list. If you want to take the class, please go ahead and wait list for it. Your wait list will be converted to enrolled as soon as the registration difficulties clear up.
Please feel free to contact Dave with any questions, dave.newport@colorado.edu. You can view last term's class website at http://ecenter.colorado.edu/envs4100
U.S. 36 Final EIS Public Hearings
Wednesday, November 18th Boulder County Louisville Middle School 1341 Main Street Louisville, CO 80027
Thursday, November 19th Adams County Global Leadership Academy 7480 Conifer Road Denver, CO 80221
Schedule for all Public Hearings: 6:00 - 6:30 p.m. Open House and Written Comments 6:30 - 7:00 p.m. Presentation 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Verbal Comment Submission 8:00 - 8:30 p.m. Closing Open House and Comments
Since 2003, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Regional Transportation District (RTD), in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), have studied the U.S. 36 corridor between Denver and Boulder in the U.S. 36 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The U.S. 36 EIS defines the transportation improvements that are needed to meet travel demands through the year 2035, defines the environmental impacts and the cost of the overall project. The federal study brings the corridor one step closer to completing the planning process and poises U.S. 36 for state and federal funding.
The U.S. 36 Final EIS is now available for public review and comment. The 45-day formal comment period will end Monday, December 14, 2009.
Public Hearings are being held to share information about the Combined Alternative Package/Preferred Alternative proposed in the U.S. 36 Final EIS. At these meetings you will learn about all multi-modal transportation improvements and be able to provide formal comment.
To learn more about the new campaign visit the website: www.us36eis.com.
Lester Brown: Plan B 4.0, Transition to a New Energy Economy
Wednesday, November 18th Wittemyer Courtroom, Wolf Law 6 pm
Free and Open to the Public; Plan B 4.0 books will be available for sale and book signing will follow the lecture.
As fossil fuel prices rise, oil insecurity deepens, and concerns about climate change cast a shadow over the future of coal, a new energy economy is emerging. Wind, solar, and geothermal energy are replacing oil, coal, and natural gas, at a pace and on a scale we could not have imagined even a year ago. For the first time since the industrial revolution, we have begun investing in energy sources that can last forever. Plan B 4.0 explores both the nature of this transition to a new energy economy and how it will affect our daily lives.
Lester R. Brown is president of Earth Policy Institute, an organization dedicated to building a sustainable future. Described by the Washington Post as “one of the world’s most influential thinkers,” Brown started his career as a tomato farmer. Shortly after earning a degree in agricultural science, he spent six months living in rural India, where he became intimately familiar with the food/population issue. Brown later became head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's International Agricultural Development Service. In 1974 he founded the Worldwatch Institute, leaving in 2001 to found the Earth Policy Institute. He has authored or co-authored over 50 books, the most recent of which is Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, and has received 24 honorary degrees and numerous awards, including the 1987 United Nations Environment Prize, a MacArthur Foundation “genius award,” and the 1994 Blue Planet Prize.
Thursday - Friday, November 19th - 20th Denver Merchandise Mart, 451 E 58th Ave # 4270, Denver Administrators and Teachers - $60 Students, Pre-Service Teachers, First Year Teachers, and Retirees - $25
Explore the Conference Strands Explore Going Green Explore the Nature of Science Explore Science Beyond the Classroom Explore Brain Based Learning
Featured Speakers: Janet Carlson, Executive Director BSCS Essential Features of Instruction in the Science Classroom
Mike Irvin, Oil City Magnet Elementary School Principal Environmental Science Saves the Day
Michael Klentschy, Author and Education Consultant Using Science Notebooks in the Elementary Classroom
Kenneth Wesson, Education Consultant How the Brain Learns
Inquiry-based learning allows students to ask their own questions, grapple with important problems, analyze multiple perspectives, and tackle challenging content. This, in itself, defines science. Students become not only engaged in their learning but also learn deeply, promoting conceptual understanding. This strand will provide strategies, tools, and successful models for teachers and anyone involved with science education.
For more information about this event, please contact the following:
Responsible Purchasing Webinar: Office Electronics and Computers Updates
Thursday, November 19th
Learn about new developments in the world of greener office electronics and computers by joining the Responsible Purchasing Network’s (RPN) webinar: “Green Your Office Electronics and Computers.” This webinar accompanies the release of the updates to two Responsible Purchasing Guides, Office Electronics and Computers.
Energy-efficient electronics can help any institution reduce costs and prevent harmful emissions. Attend this webinar to learn how to save on electricity bills, reduce waste, and soften your office's environmental impact. Machines covered include: copiers, printers, scanners, fax machines, multifunctional devices (MFDs), digital duplicators, external power adapters, mailing machines, desktops, laptops, and monitors
The event is free to attend, but registration is required. For more information regarding the details of this event, please visit: www2.gotomeeting.com/register/229268083.
Webcast at CU: Carbon Neutral Campus Architecture
Thursday, Nov. 19
11 am - 1 pm
East campus, RL2 building, room 321
Interesting webinar hosted by the Environmental Center and Planning and Design. Learn about carbon neutral campus buildings!
An interactive webcast produced by the Society for College and University Planning, this investigation of cutting-edge learning environment projects that are carbon-neutral and beyond will focus on three projects (Aldo Leopold Legacy Center, Baraboo, WI; Okanagan College, Penticton, B.C. Canada; and Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY) which push the limits of design to create high-performance environments that are also exemplars of pedagogical and aesthetic excellence. The web program moderator is Nicolai Ouroussoff, architecture critic for The New York Times, and panelists include an architect and client from each project.
Guidelines for Energy Modeling and Smart Grid Control Strategies
Thursday, November 19th ECCR 1B55 5 – 6 pm
This is the second seminar in a series focusing on student research in the Building Systems Program. These seminars will showcase pertinent research into innovations in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
There are many variables that contribute to the development of an accurate building energy model, and determining the appropriate amount of information needed for the modeling process can be a challenge. In an effort to expedite the modeling process, best practices based on field experience and experimental research have been documented to help guide the modeling process.
For more information, please contact Sara at sara.macalpine@colorado.edu.
Carbon Neutral Campus Architecture: Climate Specific Design and Innovation
Thursday, November 19th 12 - 2 pm (CDT)
An investigation of cutting-edge learning environment projects that are carbon-neutral and beyond, this webcast will focus on three projects that push the limits of design to create high-performance environments that are also exemplars of pedagogical and aesthetic excellence. Because design requirements vary considerably according to climate, examples of carbon neutral buildings from three different climate zones will be highlighted. The program moderator is Nicolai Ouroussoff, architecture critic for The New York Times, and panelists include an architect and client from each project.
Discuss how to use fact based information to set realistic goals and comprehensive strategies to lower energy consumption in your campus and to engage the campus community in the process. Explore funding options and opportunities to fund energy projects while lowering deferred maintenance and increasing operational efficiency of your facilities. Review the process for conducting energy audits and identifying energy conserving investments with attractive paybacks and capitalize on the benefits of retro-commissioning and post-project results measurement and verification.
