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News from the CU Environmental Center November 2006
CU Recycling Celebrates 30 Years | Director's Corner | Buff Energy Star Awards Recognize Conservation Efforts | Sustainable CU Update | Wind Challenge 1000 Seeks Climate Heroes | What's Happening: Upcoming Events | A Tip for Turkey Day | Haven't Made the LiveGreen Pledge? Do it Here!

Enjoy the monthly update from the CU Environmental Center.  Please let us know if you have ideas, input, feedback or news.

CU Recycling Celebrates 30 Years  

Program Looking to the Future

Thirty years ago, CU students had a vision: Making CU-Boulder a national leader with a strong campus recycling program.  Since 1976, when the program started with newspaper and aluminum can recycling, students have driven the recycling program to national prominence as one of the best in the world. CU currently recycles six grades of paper and co-mingled containers in offices, residence halls and classrooms, as well as composting food waste from nearly all campus dining halls.

This year also marks the 15th anniversary of the CU Recycling student-administrative partnership. Established in 1991, the partnership between the UCSU Environmental Center, Facilities Management, and Housing and Dining Services has been a model for campus recycling.

Even after 30 years, CU Recycling is still looking to the future.  CU envisions an increased commitment to a waste-free campus, expanding operations and facilities capable of diverting the majority of solid waste from landfills and continuing to deliver innovative educational programs.

“Combined, the University of Colorado at Boulder will become a new model in sustainable materials management,” reads the 2006 Blueprint for a Green Campus, an award-winning strategic plan that offers a visionary yet practical approach to advancing sustainability and environmental quality at the university.

CU Recycling has been recording the amount of recyclable materials collected since 1980, when the program began recycling office paper.  Over 19,000 tons of paper and 8,000 tons of co-mingled containers have been diverted from the landfill, saving the equivalent of 930,000 gallons of gas, 256,000 fully grown trees and 18,775 metric tons of greenhouse gas emission. 

A 2003 report confirmed that this recycling was actually saving the university money – an average of $235,000 per year.

The university’s recycling program has been widely recognized, being named “State Recycler of the Year” by Colorado Recycles and “Outstanding School Recycling Program” by the National Recycling Coalition, among others.

Through strengthened efforts to minimize waste generation, expanded recycling and composting operations, and innovative programs to making recycling exciting, CU will continue to lead in the years to come.

“CU students founded the nation's first campus recycling program 30 years ago—and have led the higher education towards a more sustainable future ever since,” said Dave Newport, director of the CU Environmental Center.  “Now we must unite and refocus on a transition to zero-waste and increased social benefits for the campus and community.”

Director’s Corner  

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” –Charles Darwin

The irony of working in the so-called “liberal bastion” of higher education is how conservative it really is. Over the least 10 years, we have seen business, government, community groups and lately religious evangelicals accept that climate change is real and that we need to do something about it. Higher education is just now beginning to get it.

Governments worldwide have embraced Kyoto, with the British, among others, embracing a climate-neutral commitment. In addition, scores of local governments have also committed to Kyoto. Boulder just became the first in the United States to pass a carbon tax.

Earlier this year, 86 noted evangelicals sent President Bush a letter asking for action on climate change because it’s “immoral.” The Dow Jones Sustainability Index was born nearly eight years ago and now even Wal-Mart is integrating sustainability and climate change into its business model.

Yet, until lately, college and university presidents were absent from this dialogue. Now that’s changing, too.

Last month’s national conference of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) at Arizona State University quietly kicked off a campaign to sign 200 U.S. college presidents to a climate neutrality commitment by next June.

A month later, we’re about 10 percent of the way there and the campaign hasn’t gone public yet.  On Campus Sustainability Day in early October, University of Florida President Bernie Machen became the first to publicly take the plunge to climate neutrality.

Machen said campus sustainability and climate change mitigation was “sweeping the nation’s campuses,” and, moreover, was the right thing to do.

“It ultimately comes down to preserving the planet for our children,” Machen said. 

AASHE itself has grown from a few universities to hundreds in less than two years. The national conference was planned for 3-400 hundred, and over 700 of us showed up. CU-Boulder had the largest team there. We presented papers and attended the presentations of others. We listened to a stellar lineup of big names – Bill McKibbon, Ray Anderson, Huner Lovins, and Beverly Wright – and we came home jazzed.

Back on campus, we are redoubled in our efforts to win the administration’s understanding and cooperation with the broad based plan: Blueprint for a Green Campus: a Sustainability Action Plan for CU. The Boulder Faculty Assembly last month endorsed it. So have the student government and the City and Boulder County. We are still discussing it with Regent Hall.

In February 2007, the Rocky Mountain Sustainability Summit will feature college presidents, national, state and local leaders, and dozens of sustainability experts; maybe even Colorado’s new governor. The unique challenges and opportunities facing us in the Mountain States will be aired out. CU will be on display—and at the same time, learning from others.

From this, hopefully a critical mass of consensus will emerge that it’s time for all universities to demonstrate the moral leadership climate change requires. We must lead by example. Many are starting to accept that mantle of leadership. On environmental affairs, CU has always shown a high level of accomplishment and leadership. Now is the time to take that leadership to the next level. It’s the right thing to do.

“Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.”  ~Dwight D. Eisenhower

Buff Energy Star Awards Recognize Conservation Efforts  

Three Campus Buildings Commended for 2005-2006 Success

The University of Colorado at Boulder’s Vice Chancellor for Administration, the Facilities Management Office of Energy Conservation and the UCSU Environmental Center have recently announced the continuation of the Boulder campus Buff Energy Star Award program.

The Buff Energy Star Award seeks to showcase, recognize and reward building proctors that reduce energy waste. With an annual energy bill currently exceeding $25 million, the goal of the program is to reduce energy consumption and campus CO2 emission, as well as provide energy conservation learning opportunities for students.

During the 2005-2006 fiscal year, the Math, Environmental Health and Safety, and the Student Recreation Center buildings achieved Buff Energy Star status with energy usage reductions ranging from 11 to over 15 percent. The annual combined energy savings of these three buildings is estimated at $90,434 and 660,105 kWh, which equates to a reduction in carbon dioxide of 891,141 lbs.

Some specific actions that the proctors and occupants of these buildings took to reduce energy included no cost/low cost activities such as enabling power management features on computers and other office equipment, turning equipment and lights off when not in use, taking advantage of day-lighting, participating in a building energy audit, reporting energy waste to the campus conservation hotline

and helping to initiate larger energy conservation projects in their buildings.

As the proctors of these three buildings, Donna Maes (Math), Sherril Potter (EH&SC) and Herb Kienle (Recreation Center) will each receive a one-time cash bonus of $1,000 from the Vice Chancellor for Administration.

In order to qualify for the next round of the Buff Energy Star award, which ends in June 2007, campus buildings must meet the following five program criteria:

• The building must reduce energy use by at least 5% from the prior 12 months.
• There must be energy and water conservation posters and conservation educational materials throughout the building (contact Energy Program manager Robert Hall at  Robert.Hall@colorado.edu).
• The building proctor must complete an energy audit with the campus Energy Conservation Officer (contact Moe Tabrizi at tabrizi@colorado.edu).
• The building proctor must take action on the findings of the audit.
• The building proctor must take an active role in communicating and encouraging building occupants to conserve resources.

In addition to the $1,000 bonus awarded to building proctors, a public celebration recognizing the future winners will be given during a special award ceremony.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Building occupants may nominate proctors for the award and proctors may also nominate themselves. Nominations should be forwarded to Moe Tabrizi, who, along with Robin Newsome-Suitts of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administration and Robert Hall of the Environmental Center make up the award selection committee.

For further information about the Buff Energy Star Award or how your building can save energy, participate in an energy audit and be nominated as a future Buff Energy Star Building Award winner, contact Moe Tabrizi at Tabrizi@colorado.edu.

Sustainable CU Update  

Capital Funds Granted to Variety of Innovative, Lasting Projects

In the spring of 2005, students voted to pass the Sustainable CU: The Environmental Improvement Initiative Referendum which dedicates $2.80/student/semester to fund on-campus projects incorporating renewable energy, energy efficiency, recycling and waste reduction, as well as other innovative projects to reduce the campus impact on climate and environment. 

The Sustainable CU fund is administered by the UCSU Environmental Center and approximately $150,000 is available annually through the 2008-09 academic year for these projects.  Sustainable CU prioritizes capital initiatives that are innovative and not otherwise funded, or those that are created and led by students thereby enhancing student opportunities.

Elizabeth McNie, co-chair of the Environmental Board, has been pleased with the variety of compelling projects fthat have been submitted for consideration thus far.
           
“The Board did an excellent job selecting several projects that were innovative, feasible and fiscally responsible,” McNie said. “We’re excited about the leadership and legacy that CU students have chosen to demonstrate through the Sustainable CU referendum.”

The UCSU Environmental Board is pleased to announce funding for the following 2006-07 projects:

• Folsom Stadium Solar Shade
• Mobile Biodiesel Processor and Educational Facility
• University Memorial Center Energy Monitoring System
• Housing Electric Vehicles
• Greenhouse Feasibility Study
• Waterless Urinals for the UMC
• Campus Wind Power Resource Assessment

The 2005-06 projects completed or currently underway include:

• Recreation Center Solar Canopy
• Recycling Facility and Rate Study
• Residence Halls Recycling Cabinet
• Food Security Initiative: Campus Garden Improvements
• Libby Hall Dock Improvements for Recycling and Composting

Additional proposals will be accepted for consideration early in the 2007 spring semester. 

For more information, visit http://ecenter.colorado.edu/greening_cu/.

CU Wind Challenge 1000 Seeks Climate Heroes  

Program Targets Individual On-Campus Energy Usage

The CU Environmental Center is challenging all students, faculty and staff to become “climate heroes” and take real personal action to confront climate change through the CU Wind Challenge 1000. The program encourages members of the campus community to become part of a unique 1,000-person group that is doing its part in making CU carbon-neutral and furthering the university’s reputation as a leader in environmental performance.

For a few pennies a day, campus individuals can take personal action in neutralizing the climate impact of the electricity they use on campus through the purchase of renewable energy credits (RECs, pronounced “wrecks”).

RECs effectively “green” the same number of kWh of electricity that an individual uses in his or her daily activities on campus. For every kWh generated from a renewable energy source, in this case a wind farm, there is one less kWh generated from conventional fossil fuel sources. Most of the electricity in the U.S. is produced with fossil fuels, which produce carbon dioxide, the primary gas causing climate change. Wind energy consumes no fossil fuels and is free of CO2 emissions.

Campus members can buy RECs from $3 per semester for a part-time faculty/staff member to $29 per year for a full-time student living in on-campus housing. The program is an affordable and effective way for campus individuals or groups to support renewable energies as a means to reduce the impacts of climate change.

CU’s Baker Hall Residential Academic Program (B-RAP) staff has recently committed to offsetting its on-campus energy usage through the Wind Challenge 1000, marking the first full University program to do so.

“They have set a good example for our students by backing up their words with action - by showing that our choices do matter,” said Darin Toohey, CU professor and B-RAP director. “I encourage my colleagues to join the Wind Energy Challenge and help reduce CU-Boulder’s carbon emissions, thereby sending a strong message to other universities that programs like this can make a difference.”

CU is currently buying 11.3 million kWh of wind energy, which covers nearly 10 percent of its energy usage and powers the UMC, Student Recreation Center, Wardenburg Health Center, and the new ATLAS and Law buildings on campus. CU is the only university in the Big 12 Conference that purchases wind power.

The CU Wind Challenge 1000 is one of the renewable energy and energy conservation programs sponsored by the Environmental Center. These programs aim to meet the goals of the “2006 Blueprint for a Green Campus,” one of which is to create zero-climate impact on campus by 2025.

Additional information on the CU Wind Challenge 1000 can be found at http://ecenter.colorado.edu/energy/wind. What's Happening: Upcoming Events  

• November 16 - Leaders in Sustainability Series, 12-1 p.m., UMC 247 - Margie Griek of Colorado Association for Recycling will speak on recycling issues in Colorado and how Higher Education plays a role in state leadership.
• December 8 - Campus Sustainability Roundtable, 10 a.m. - Noon, UMC 245, followed by a lunch discussion, Noon - 1 p.m. - This roundtable will serve to update departmental and operational staff and interested public about current progress and strategic directions in campus environmental issues. To reserve a lunch, RSVP to ecenter@colorado.edu or 303-492-8308 by Tuesday, December 5.
• February 21 – "Fostering Sustainable Behavior Workshop" with Doug McKenzie Mohr, expert in Community-Based Social Marketing
• February 22-23 – Rocky Mountain Sustainability Summit: Forging Solutions at Colleges and Universities. The summit will feature leading experts, government officials, campus leadership, multiple workshops, Green Products Expo and more.

To view the complete events calendar, click here

A Tip for Turkey Day  

This thanksgiving, if you are going to indulge in turkey, consider an organic, pasture-fed bird for your feast.  And, give many thanks for the life-giving planet! Here are three good reasons to buy organic, pasture-raised turkey:

• Avoid antibiotics - In September 2005, the FDA pulled a poultry antibiotic from the market because it could make similar antibiotics used by people less effective.
• Eat turkey, not growth enhancers - The average organic turkey is usually around 15 lbs, much smaller than the 30 lb turkey you can typically find in the grocery store.
• “Free-range” turkeys are only required to have access to the outdoors – which usually means a small opening to a small fenced area. So look for “pasture-raised” to ensure you support a truly free-range and natural turkey.

(source: www.idealbite.com)

Haven't Made the LiveGreen Pledge? Do it Here!  

http://ecenter.colorado.edu/livegreen/

  Contact the CU Environmental Center email: ecenter@colorado.edu phone: 303-492-8308 web: http://ecenter.colorado.edu Join our mailing list!