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News from the CU Environmental Center
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January 2012
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| Greetings!
Enjoy our monthly update from the CU Environmental Center.
Please let us know if you have ideas, input, feedback or news.
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| Director's Corner: Please push sustainability's buttons
What does the University of Colorado at Boulder have that Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, Duke, UCLA, Rice, Northwestern, Yale, Dartmouth, Oregon, Washington, UC-San Diego, or CSU don't have?
Put another way: what does CU have that only ASU has?
Answer: a front page web link to "Sustainability."
Big deal? Perhaps.
Over the holidays CU rolled out its new web page-with little fanfare. They have been working on it for a year and wanted a soft roll out over the break when nobody was looking so they could fix/tweak the inevitable whoops.
Along with a better overall look, CU installed a front page "Sustainability button" that links to a sustainability portal.
In short, CU has given the same front page prominence to Sustainability as we give to Athletics, Academics, Research, Admissions, and so forth.
Wow!
But...why?
Why has CU has taken this step-a step that I can only find on one other major university web page?
We have seen this before. A few years ago when sustainability was the next big thing, green claims on campus web pages grew like pond scum in summer. Without naming names, suffice to say that there was ample greenwash and hyperbole on some otherwise respectable campuses' web pages.
However, in the open source, transparent world, exaggerated claims are inevitably challenged-sometimes publically. And more objective sustainability evaluations like STARS have made it more difficult for a campus to claim global sustainability supremacy on the strength of installing a couple new recycling cans.
So what are the benefits of a strong sustainability presence on CU's web page? Why did we do it?
There are at least six reasons:
- Student Recruiting. Studies indicate major benefits for student recruiting if prospective students perceive a candidate campus to be green.
- Faculty Recruiting/Research awards. CU is ranked very high in "environmentally-related" research awards from NSF (either number 1 or number 3 depending on how it's computed). Why? Well, among other reasons research faculty with the acumen to win these sorts of awards want to work on a campus that is perceived as a sustainability leader.
- Reputational standing. CU's sustainability achievements/awards/rankings serve to enhance campus reputation that, in turn, serves to elevate perceived value and academic standing. We are increasingly recruiting international students; they have high expectations for sustainability. CU's STARS Gold also helps. In coming years, even US NEWS may begin to use STARS rankings as part of their annual rankings. Princeton Review and Sierra are beginning to now.
- A culture of sustainability and conservation. The prominence of sustainability on the website and on campus reinforce one another and thus better promote conservation behaviors and initiatives that create value while they continue to reinforce CU's green reputation. Thus we can engage more campus folks in sustainability behaviors because of this high-level affirmation of its legitimacy. This is the most important benefit, in my book.
- Town/gown partnerships and cooperation. In sustainability-conscious Boulder and conservation minded Colorado, a green perception of CU pays back in terms of enhanced community relations and outreach, political/regulatory cooperation, and support for CU as the flagship university.
- Development. Other campuses are generating considerable revenues from focused green development efforts. CU has among the best sustainability stories to tell in the nation. We have a Green Fund story telling page at http://ecenter.colorado.edu/resources/donate.
That said, this is a risky play. With increased visibility comes increased scrutiny. We better have content and quality to deliver. And we do--but is it enough?
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Events 
"Water, Our Downstream Neighbor" Jan. 27-29 in Denver
This extraordinary weekend symposium brings together activists, scholars & contemplatives in dialogue around the Front Range connection to the South Platte watershed.
Critical conversations about our water future will be guided and inspired by international voices for Earth, water and human rights: Maude Barlow and Elisabeth Peredo Beltrán.
Come! Let us labor together, inspire one another, and grow our awareness in openness to the great shift required as old notions of "separation from nature" slip away.
What are the urgent concerns of our near and farther neighbors? What does it mean for the public to own the water? What does water need from us? How does water connect us, inspire us? We are all downstream neighbors!
This event is sponsored by The Loretto Community, Transition Colorado, St. Mary's Academy, Colorado Heights University, Loretto Earth Network, and Chipotle.
For more information and registration visit http://downstreamneighbor.org/
Sustainabowl every first and third Thurs. through April 19
Interested in the environment, passionate about bowling, or do you just want to have some fun? Sustainabowl is a great way to have a good time and meet people with similar interests.
This ongoing event happens every other Thursday in The UMC Connection, University Memorial Center first floor, from 8:00 - 10:00 pm. through April 19. Join us for the next Sustainabowl on Feb. 2.
Menu for the Future discussion seminar Feb. 16-April 12
The CU Environmental Center is hosting a discussion seminar titled Menu for the Future, beginning Feb. 16. This six-session discussion course book explores the connection between food and sustainability.
CU-Boulder students interested in participating need to sign up in advance by Thurs., Feb. 9 (so we can have enough time to order materials for you).
Participation is limited to 15 students. The cost is $20/student and this covers the cost of the seminar booklet. The Group will meet weekly for 7 weeks on Thursdays, 5:00-6:30pm, February 16-April 12, at CU Environmental Center, University Memorial Center Room 355.
"Food is our common ground, our universal experience."
--James Beard
Goals:
* To explore food systems and their impacts on culture, society and ecological systems.
* To gain insight into agricultural and individual practices that promote personal and ecological well-being.
* To consider your role in creating or supporting sustainable food systems.
Topics Covered:
1.What's Eating America
2.Anonymous Food
3.Farming for the Future
4. You Are What You Eat
5. Toward a Just Food System
6.Choices for Change
This discussion seminar uses the Northwest Earth Institute discussion course study guide for a self-facilitated course experience. Visit nwei.org for more information on format and content and sign up at EventBrite.
Forums to action:
"Getting to Carbon Neutrality" CU Student/Staff Calibration Conference Feb. 17
In order to celebrate the University of Colorado at Boulder's success in taking the steps to meet our carbon neutrality plan, CU Environmental Center's Energy Outreach Team will host the first "Getting to Carbon Neutrality" Student/Staff Calibration Conference Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. in the UMC Aspen Rooms.
University of Colorado Boulder created the Conceptual Plan for Carbon Neutrality after signing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) in 2007. The plan outlines challenging but achievable goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with campus related activities and arrive at a tangible neutrality point as soon as possible.
CU has set out to ultimately reach 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions, and the conference will highlight where the university is now and what steps have already been taken to reach the goals of the Carbon Neutrality Plan.
The conference will focus on the following six key areas addressed by the Carbon Neutrality Plan:
- Zero Waste
- Green Purchasing/paper
- Net Zero Building/Renewables
- Energy and Water Conservation
- Sustainable transportation and Fleet
- Curriculum
Key campus stakeholders will address these topics in a panel discussion and will help facilitate discussions among students during a small-group break out session over lunch. This session provides students and staff with the one-on-one opportunity to collaborate on ideas and possible solutions in meeting CU's bold greenhouse gas reduction goals.
CU is already doing a great deal to attain carbon neutrality and much of the "low-hanging fruit" has been identified. While all of these efforts have had a drastic impact on reducing the campus-related emissions, a good deal more remains to be done.
Registration for the event is required to ensure participation from highly engaged students. The registration deadline is Feb. 10, and more information is available at ecenter.colorado.edu/carbonneutrality.
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Sustainable Practices Program Update
The new 2012 year has begun with a bang, enrolling nearly 40 new certificate seeking students and continual enrollments for Spring semester courses.
If you are considering enrolling in a Spring semester course, we encourage you to do so early--not only to take advantage of the 20% early bird discount, but also to make sure that courses don't sell out before you have registered.
We are pleased to announce the addition of a LEED Green Associate Exam Preparation classroom course to the Spring semester course offerings, Friday, April 27th on the CU Boulder campus. Cost is $450 inclusive.
This course will cover material on the LEED Green Associate exam and includes study guides and materials. Attendance satisfies the LEED pre-requisite for sitting for the exam. The Green Associate exam is the first step towards earning other LEED professional credentials in Green Building. Please visit the list of CURRENT COURSES on the website for more information or to register.
In addition, we are excited to offer a public 3-day comprehensive workshop - Fostering Sustainable Behavior: Community-Based Social Marketing with the founder of CBSM, Dr. Doug McKenzie-Mohr, from May 21-23rd on the CU Boulder campus. Dr. McKenzie-Mohr is an internationally recognized founder of CBSM and has trained over 50,000 people around the world.
Attendance at the workshop earns from 8 to 24 credit hours towards the Professional Certificate in Sustainability Management. Please note that attendance at the Introductory workshop on May 21, or another intro workshop led by Dr. McKenzie-Mohr, is required for enrollment in the two-day Advanced workshop which follows.
Enrollment is limited and we expect this event to sell out, so please register early if you would like to attend.
Our goals for 2012 include moving more of our classroom based courses to an online learning format. We expect to have at least 10 online courses available by Spring semester 2013, which will enable out of state students to pursue the certificate.
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 CU wins EPA challenge to divert most game day garbage from landfills
CU won the 48-school "Diversion Rate" and 17-school "Organics Reduction" categories in the EPA's NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision contest.
"Our achievements toward zero-waste reflect the efforts of an outstanding team committed to this initiative," said CU Athletic Director Mike Bohn. "Being a national leader in the EPA challenge would not have been possible without the dedication and tireless efforts of campus leaders and the cooperation of event sponsors and vendors. The enthusiasm and willingness of fans, led by our students, has been key in driving the success of this endeavor."
Data for CU's competition in the EPA challenge was taken from the Oct. 22, 2011, home football game against the University of Oregon. Measures that marked CU as the division winner in "Diversion Rate" and "Organics Reduction" included diverting nearly 88 percent of total gameday waste from landfills. Also, about 2.5 ounces of organic materials per person were diverted from landfills and composted or donated instead.
"One of the most exciting aspects of this whole effort has been the reduction in overall waste generated despite record attendance and food sales," said Edward von Bleichert, CU-Boulder environmental operations manager. "Compared to 2008, the 2011 season produced 21 percent less total waste per game and sent 44 percent less trash to the landfill per game due to aggressive composting and recycling efforts."
According to the EPA, 2.7 million game-goers involved in the 2011 challenge from 78 participating colleges and universities diverted more than 500,000 pounds of waste from football games, preventing nearly 810 metric tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. That is the equivalent of the annual emissions from 159 passenger vehicles.
CU also competed in the EPA's 2009 inaugural Game Day Challenge against seven other schools, winning in the "Diversion Rate" and "Waste Reduction" categories.
In 2008, CU became the nation's first major college football program to commit to zero-waste at football games through its own Ralphie's Green Stampede initiative, later extending the same efforts to all athletics events.
"We would be remiss if we did not salute Boulder County's own White Wave Foods for its inspiration and support in creating Ralphie's Green Stampede," said Bohn.
For more information on Ralphie's Green Stampede visit our homepage, and visit the EPA Game Day Challenge page to learn more.
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CU Boulder Community Garden interest forms for 2012 now available
Do you want to lease a garden plot for the 2012 growing season?
The CU Environmental Center has obtained funding from Sustainable CU to install an 8,000 square ft. garden. Site approvals are pending for a garden to be located southeast of Bear Creek apartments.
The community garden will have 75 plots available for students, faculty, staff, campus organizations and campus departments to lease.
The garden will improve CU's sustainability performance and provide many opportunities for those that would like to learn how to garden, such as educational workshops on growing food.
Garden members will be given an opportunity to lease a small plot within the designated garden area and produce their own food throughout the growing season (April- October). Gardeners will be allowed to plant a full range of plant species that must be maintained without the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and fungicides.
Complete the community garden plot Pre-Reservation Interest Form and secure notification for final approval.
If we obtain the final site approvals in time for the 2012 growing season, we will contact everyone who completes the interest form with the reservation confirmation form and payment and deposit instructions. Reservations will then be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Those who complete this interest form will have first dibs on the plot reservation process.
Based on this interest form, we will determine how many plots to apportion for individuals (Bear Creek and Williams Village student residents, undergrad students, grad students, faculty/staff) and campus departments and organizations.
For more information visit ecenter.colorado.edu/greening-cu/garden
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Five solutions for eco-traveling
By Katherine Nettles
As I traveled near and far last month it occurred to me how many opportunities there are to be more eco-conscious while in transit. The method of travel that we choose comes first, but it hardly ends there.
What you do, where you eat, and how you pack all contribute to (or detract from) the environmental impact of your wanderlust.
Making sustainable choices can heighten your overall experience too.
Planes, trains, automobiles...and buses, bikes and ride shares
Anyone who has ever traveled in Europe likely has some fond memories of train riding. Did you know you could ride Amtrak from California to Boston, or New York to New Orleans- and most places in between? Read, sleep and dine your way across the country and save on CO2. Then use the subways, trolleys, buses, local rails, bike share or rideshare once you get to your destination for cheap, inspiring detours and a slice of local life.
Pack with a conscience
Prepare for the trip by reusing old spice jars or travel containers for liquids like eye makeup remover and shampoo, for toothpaste, styling gel, sunscreen, and lotion. Bulk packaging reduces the materials needed and the ultimate waste created. My personal favorites are the mini plastic sample jars from Aveda, which are airtight and don't expand under pressure due to screw-on caps. You can buy recycled glass versions too.
Bring a collapsible, reusable water bottle
Travel always requires water, doesn't it? Planes rides are dehydrating, and once you get to your destination you will get thirsty from exploring the beach, the mountains or all those city blocks on your tour of Fifth Avenue. Water fountains are free and accessible, so save the cash for a locally roasted coffee or freshly brewed pilsner, and go easy on the landfill. I like the Platypus or the ALEX bottles.
Bonus: the Platypus rolls up in your purse or pocket.
Be a sustainable consumer
Surely you want to sample the local gems anywhere you visit. No one visits Italy to try the McDonald's. So find local restaurants, markets, shops and breweries to get an authentic experience. The things you buy, food you eat, and economy you support will be better linked to be the place you are visiting, and you reduce the carbon cost of importing everything-except yourself.
The Locavore app identifies seasonal, regional produce, and Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (or pocket guide) to keep up-to-date on sustainable seafood. Find green businesses with apps like LocalEats and TripSketch.
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Contact the CU Environmental Center
phone:
303-492-8308
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