News from the CU Environmental Center 


April 2012



Greetings!
Enjoy our monthly update from the CU Environmental Center.
Please let us know if you have ideas, input, feedback or news.
In This Issue
:: Director's Corner
:: Teach for sustainability
:: Community-Based Social Marketing workshop with Doug McKenzie-Mohr
:: Campus sustainability awardees announced
:: Down to Earth: Seed hunting
:: Upcoming Events
:: SILT program launches in 2012
:: GOTS digital media call for judges
:: Down to Earth: The value (and cost) of our electronic craze
Director's Corner

Campus Sustainability: It's About People

By Dave Newport

 

This article first appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education on April 1, 2012

Dave

In 2004, Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus, two prominent environmentalists, published an article that was part eulogy and part warning for the green movement. In the essay, "The Death of Environmentalism," they asserted that if environmentalists are to survive, they must create the "I have a dream" eco-vision of the future, not the "I have a nightmare" version, and must connect it to people, not just bunnies and trees. A lack of focus on people and their needs, the authors said, would marginalize environmentalism, perhaps fatally.

 

Now the budding campus-sustainability movement, which was born of the same impulses and sentiments as the environmental movement, may be at risk of falling victim to the same problems that Shellenberger and Nordhaus described: eco-centricity.

 

Campus sustainability has long been premised on the "three legs of the stool": environmental protection, fiscal equity, and social justice. It aspires to merge the natural world with man's world-to envision a future devoid of natural-resource depletion, an equitable distribution of wealth, and social systems that promote justice and peace. Just as environmental harm ultimately affects people worldwide (climate change, for example), sustainable solutions require all populations to benefit.

 

Some people could argue that this vision of sustainability is taking root in higher education. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, known as AASHE, has tracked remarkable growth in campus-sustainability programs-the group's membership has gone from a handful of campuses in 2006 to about 1,000 today. The American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment, a landmark carbon-neutrality effort, has committed almost 700 college presidents to zeroing out greenhouse-gas emissions and increasing climate-literacy efforts. The Princeton Review and others now routinely assess greenness in their annual campus ratings.

 

Those facts may suggest that campus sustainability is alive and well-but is it also devoutly eco-centric?

 

AASHE's recent survey of sustainability staff members found that 92 percent of them are white. That raises a question: If sustainability is such a powerful and integrative theme, marrying environmental, economic, and social concerns, where are all the people of color in the sustainability field? AASHE has tried to highlight social-justice imperatives in its calls for presentations and in the theme of its conferences (for example, "AASHE 2010: Campus Initiatives to Catalyze a Just and Sustainable World"). Yet few such papers show up.

 

Julian Agyeman, a professor of urban and environmental policy and planning at Tufts University, has been critical of environmental groups that espouse social-justice ends but whose actions are overwhelmingly eco-centric. In his keynote speech at AASHE's 2010 conference, he noted the eco-centric focus of the organization's 2009 digest of campus-sustainability activity: "Three hundred eighty pages, over 1,250 stories and initiatives from nearly 600 institutions, 24 chapters, and the word 'justice' appears 13 times."


Read more...

 

Teach for sustainability internship program accepting applications   

 

Earn credit in an internship that is fun, innovative and allows you, the student, to teach. Teach for Sustainability, part of our Earth Education program, is a three credit internship available to all majors. We are accepting applications now for up to 25 interns for Fall 2012. 

 

Earth Education's mission is to promote environmental awareness and scientific achievement by focusing on children's personal connection to the Earth and to provide student teachers with the skills and tools to positively impact future generations. 

 

The intern program has two components. A mandatory weekly meeting is tentatively set for Tuesdays, 4-6 p.m., to participate in curriculum building and provide teacher training. Frequent guest speakers will lecture on topics in Earth education and teaching sustainability.

 

The second component is teaching in BVSD schools and Boulder educational programs for about eight weeks of the semester. The interns will spend at least one hour per week teaching at a local school, which the Environmental Center coordinates.  

 

There are no prerequisites for this internship, except a great attitude and the desire to teach the future! Space is limited.

 

To apply, complete the application form. April 30 is the early application deadline, and if there is space available after the early applications are reviewed and selected, additional applications will be accepted until August 3. Please note that the application process internship is competitive. 

 

Students sign an internship agreement and are enrolled for internship credit through the Environmental Studies department unless they have a separate intern program through their own department.  

 

Please indicate on your application if you would like to obtain internship credit through ENVS or another department. Special arrangements are your responsibility. 

 

 

Fostering Sustainable Behavior

Community-Based Social Marketing
with Doug McKenzie-Mohr May 21-23 
on the CU Boulder campus

Dr. McKenzie-Moore

 

Most programs rely on disseminating information to achieve the behavior changes they hope to foster. Yet research demonstrates that simply providing information has little to no effect on what people or businesses do.  

 

Over the last decade, community-based social marketing has emerged as an effective alternative for promoting sustainable behavior.  

 

This three-day workshop with the founder of Community-Based Social Marketing, Dr. McKenzie-Mohr, will fundamentally change the way you think about program delivery.

 

Who Should Attend: 

  • Those who design and/or fund programs to encourage individuals and businesses to engage in sustainability-based behaviors--such as energy and water efficiency, waste reduction, transportation mode changes, purchasing, and more
  • Those involved in environmental education, such as parks, recreation, wilderness, zoos, or aquariums
  • Public health professionals who work to foster active and health lifestyles.   

Introductory Workshop May 21

A comprehensive introduction to community-based social marketing and how it applies throughout the world to foster sustainable behavior.  

 

*attendance at this workshop, or an earlier McKenzie-Mohr introductory workshop, is required for the Advanced.

 

Advanced 2 day Workshop May 22-23   

An in-depth exploration of how community-based social marketing can be used to foster sustainable behavior. Participants will also be coached in making community-based social marketing presentations to their agency or community.

  

All materials, refreshments and lunch are included in the workshop prices.

  

For more information  and enrollment, visit: http://sustainable.colorado.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=102   

 

LODGING: Discounted rates are available at the Boulder Outlook Hotel, Boulder's first Zero Waste Hotel located within walking distance of the University. 

CU announces the 2012 Campus Sustainability Awards 

 

The annual campus sustainability awards program started in 1997 as a means to recognize commitment to reducing the burden that the CU campus places on the environment. Outstanding efforts make CU's successful and challenging approaches to attaining sustainability possible.    

The awardees exemplify CU's continuing efforts to become a sustainable institution. This award announces the campus' appreciation and recognition of your commitment and dedication.  

    

The 2012 Campus Sustainability Awards go to:

  • Boulder Food Rescue, Partnership for Sustainability 
  • Fair Food Task Force, Partnership for Sustainability
  • National Snow and Ice Data Center, Departmental Achievement
  • Beth Osnes, Green Faculty
  • David Payne, Green Faculty
  • Program for Writing and Rhetoric, Partnership for Sustainability
  • Samantha Weintraub, Student Leadership

 

In addition, Special Recognition Certificates will be awarded to:

  • Jonathan Akins, Individual Achievement
  • Carrot Mob Initiative by Gretchen Christoph, Swithin Lui, Wren Suess, Nathan Zick-Smith and Half Fast Subs, Partnership for Sustainability
  • Kristin Creamer, Individual Achievement
  • Environmental Health and Safety, Departmental Achievement
  • Facilities Management CAD Department, Departmental Achievement
  • Facilities Management Turf and Irrigation Teams, Departmental Achievement
  • Pieter van der Mersch, Individual Achievement
  • Don Seeley, Individual Achievement

 

The awards ceremony luncheon is scheduled for Thursday, April 26.  The Chancellor, Provost, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Vice Chancellor for Administration will present the awards. 

 

For more information, visit:

http://ecenter.colorado.edu/greening-cu/campus-sustainability-awards

 

Seed hunting
Tips for getting those spring gardens started

By Katherine Nettles
EC Communications Coordinator

Earth month is here, and warm, sunny days have been sprouting early this year.

The blessedly longer daylight hours we gained from Daylight Saving Time and Spring equinox have had me venturing outside to poke around the yard and turning our compost more regularly to help break down the collection of fallen leaves from last year. We got a fresh batch from the City of Boulder's free mulch pile last weekend to spread around the yard, and now is the time to prepare that veggie garden!

But remember, our last day of frost can be as late as May 3, according to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. So don't start planting outside just because the dial has been hitting the 80s so often!

But you can take all that spring fever and channel the temptation into sprouting seeds, starting a "garden in a box," or planting an indoor herb garden. Many vegetables take several weeks to germinate and grow hardy enough for the outdoors, so you can get a jump on the growing season now.

There are a handful of great nurseries in and around Boulder to get organic heirloom seeds or plant starters, like Harlequin Gardens, BBB Seed, Boulder Altan Alma Organic Farm, Abbondanza, and Botanical Interests, and many sell their products at local farmers' markets.

McGuckin Hardware and Whole Foods also stock good selections, including local heirloom seed company Lake Valley.

You can also order online from eGardenSeed.com, seedsavers.org, Sustainable Seed Co., Down To Earth Seeds and many others.

If the only space you have to tend garden is on your kitchen counter or front porch, check out the Center for Conservation Garden's box kits, and create pre-planned edible or visual xeriscape gardens for as little as $25, or more elaborate creations for up to 100 square feet and up to $400.

If you are like me and tend to go buck-wild and plant too much, an in-home consultation is only $65, and a professional helps you settle on how much to plant, and where.

There are also several community gardens in Boulder where you can rent a plot for the season and get access to shared tools and equipment on-site. These have the benefit of adding social time to your gardening hours, and visits make great dates and get-togethers. But the plots get reserved quickly, so get on the list or waiting list as soon as possible!

Visit growinggardens.org/english/programs/communitygardens/index.html for details.

As for planting seeds indoors, you can buy entire kits or you can reuse many common household items, such as egg cartons (beware of overwatering, though--they can get moldy) or plastic food containers, to germinate seeds. If there is space on an outside porch or deck, the seedlings can be moved outside once the last chance of frost passes.

Happy tending!

Upcoming Events   calendar

 

Food and Environmental Justice Week April 16-19


Food and Environmental Justice Week promotes education and awareness of injustices and unequal distribution of environmental burdens and environmental benefits based on race, socio-economic status, gender and ethnicity in Colorado and around the world.

 

We envision a food system in which all activities, from farm to table, are equitable, nutritious, educational, culturally appropriate and community-driven. To this end, partners in Food and Environmental Justice week are hosting a series of films, speakers, a food drive and a Sustainable Foods Fair to connect the CU community with Food and Environmental Justice initiatives at the local, national and international levels.

 

Mon., April 16- Food is fuel

5:30 p.m., Humanities 1B50

Discussion of Biofuel Policy and its human costs, with Dr. Richard Johnson and John Glaser, hosted by the Student Environmental Action Coalition and Environmental Studies Club.

 

Tues., April 17-Mother: Caring for 7 billion

5:30 p.m., Humanities 1B50

Film screening and panel discussion with Dr. Al Bartlett, Dr. Beth Osnes, Dr. Fernando Riosmena, and Rev. Peter Sawtell, hosted by the Environmental Center.

 

Wed., April 18- Mardi Gras: Made in China

12:00 p.m., C4C N320

Film documentary hosted by the Center for Multicultural Affairs.

 

Thurs., April 19-Food Stamped

5:30 p.m., Humanities 1B50.

Film screening and panel discussion with celebrity chef Ann Cooper and Caleb Phillips, hosted by the E-Center.

 

Student and faculty events:

 

April 18-Sustainable Food fair and Buffalo Can Challenge

10 a.m.-3 p.m., UMC fountains

 

April 28-Better Boulder-Better World volunteer day

 

For more information, visit:  http://ecenter.colorado.edu/Films-and-Panels   

 

2012 Ecoleader Lunch-n-Learn Series Finale April 17: Transportation

 

Bring your lunch and join us from 11:30-12:30 p.m. in UMC Room 355.

 

Find out why getting students and faculty/staff out of the single occupancy vehicle (SOV) is imperative to maintaining and improving our quality of life. Learn about programs currently in place, and be prepared to give feedback that will be used to create new programs to further this goal. In order to continuously create a campus that is innovative in our transportation strategies, we need to hear from you!

 

RSVP is appreciated at [email protected] 

 

Sustainabowl April 19

 

8-10 p.m.  

The UMC Connection  

University Memorial Center first floor   

 

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. 

 

Communikey Festival April 25-29  

 

Communikey (CMKY) is a Boulder-based interdisciplinary organization dedicated to social, cultural and ecological innovation through creative process. CMKY facilitates forward-thinking cultural experiences that emphasize the intersection of sound, design and technology in artistic forms. It forges a creative exchange across cultures, backgrounds, and mediums while fostering the development of the local arts community.

 

For tickets and a full listing of workshops, shows and events, visit http://communikey.us/festival2012/  

 

 

Sustainable Practices Upcoming courses  

 

There are still many spring courses ahead, and summer courses through summer are now posted.  Enroll in a summer course early to take advantage of the 20 percent early bird discount!  

 

LEED Green Associate Exam Prep classroom course April 27  

This course covers material on the LEED Green Associate exam, includes study guides and materials, and 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.

 

For more information about classes or to enroll, visit  http://sustainable.colorado.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=125

 

10th Annual Earth Day 5k April 22

 

10 a.m., University of Colorado Research Park  

 

Support the Center for Resource Conservation's mission to empower our community to conserve natural resources.  Free transportation will be provided to the race from the RTD station in downtown Boulder and CU campus.  

 

Activities include a pre-race running meditation instruction from John Pratt and Tarah Michelle, a stretching circle led by FastForward Sports, a post-race Green Kids Run and macaroni and cheese tasting compliments of Noodles and Company. 

 

Participants can use their time from the 10th Annual Earth Day 5k to qualify for the first 29 waves of the 2012 BolderBOULDER!

 

To register, visit http://conservationcenter.org/earth-day-5k/

 

Sustainability Immersion Leadership Training  Program launches

 

The Sustainability Immersion Leadership Training (SILT) program is a two-semester program designed to offer full-time CU Boulder undergraduate students the opportunity to develop leadership skills and to engage in community initiatives.  

 

Through a mix of key readings, field trips, guest speakers, interactive workshops, lectures and discussions, and hands-on project work, participants learn from both concept and applied experience. Students will gain an understanding of leadership and sustainability issues and develop skills through a service-learning project.  

At the end of the program, students will have completed a capstone project, received a certificate of completion and made networking contacts both on campus and in the community.

 

Participation begins in the fall. At the end of the first semester, each student will select a local sustainability project in collaboration with a community organization. During the spring semester, students will work in small teams and focus on implementing the selected capstone projects.  

 

SILT program benefits:

  • Gain an understanding of the values, issues, and application of sustainability from industry, government and academic experts
  • Develop career-building networks and resume-building knowledge and skills
  • Learn how to employ effective solutions to real-world challenges  
  • Increase leadership capacity and professional aptitude by growing skills, confidence, and knowledge.

Current first-year students who will be in their second year while participating in 2012-13 are especially encouraged to apply.  

 

Participants commit to:  

  • Weekly attendance during fall semester
  • Bi-weekly attendance at meetings during spring semester  
  • Completion of a capstone team project

Application Process:

Up to 15 students will be selected for the program. Submit a letter of interest, an online application and a letter of recommendation. (link to online application) Applications for 2012-13 are due on June 7. Applicants will be notified of acceptance in July.  

 

An interest meeting will take place on April 24 at 5:00pm in UMC 355.  Please sign up in advance to attend by emailing [email protected]

 

There is a $100 fee to participate in the SILT program. If financial support is needed, please indicate on your application that you are interested in obtaining a scholarship. Fees will be collected in July-August, upon acceptance into the program.  

 

Questions? Please contact us at [email protected]

 

 

Green On The Screen call for judges
Green on the screen

Thanks to all our participants this year the 2012 Green on the Screen Digital Media Contest, sponsored by Ball Corporation, received more than 40 entries, and we have begun the judging process.  

 

With your help, we can use these videos to promote resource conservation and Zero Waste efforts on campus and beyond!

 

The Judging Panel is made of up representatives from Ball Corporation, CU Faculty/Staff, and community members and is going on this week from Monday, April 9 through Friday, April 13.  

 

A public video screening is set up in the ATLAS lobby where the videos will be shown on a constant loop while the building is open. Anyone can go and fill out a voting form and leave it in the ballot box.

 

A public poll is available through the CU Recycling website for anyone to submit their votes for the top 5 videos. Make sure to spread the word! 

 

You can also get to the voting page from one click at the CU Recycling home page:       recycling.colorado.edu

 

Winners will be announced by Earth Day, April 22!

 

The winners will also be publicly awarded by Ball Corp. with their videos shown at the CU Sustainability Awards April 26.  

The value (and cost) of our electronic craze

By Katherine Nettles
EC Communications Coordinator

Have you purchased an iPad, smartphone or some other nifty gadget lately? What did you do with your oldie?

I've been taking stock of all the electronic discards in my house, and let me tell you, there are quite a few. Being married to an IT guy doesn't help -- an extra mouse or three, an extra keyboard or two, and an assortment of other spares and extras come with the territory.

Then there's my first camera phone that I am determined to one day fix and reclaim all the photos from--that sits in my desk drawer.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average number of electronic devices and appliances in an American household doubled since 1978, and is now around 24. Many of us are holding on to old, defunct gear.

So what do we do with it? Tossing it out is a waste of hard-mined metals, not to mention toxic to our overflowing landfills (leeching lead, mercury, cadmium and chromium). But is recycling any better?

We Westerners contribute millions of tons of electronic waste to the planet annually. E-waste is defined by the Indian Institute of Materials Management (more on that later) as "equipment or products having a battery or an electrical cord, which have become obsolete, either due to advancement in technology, changes in fashion, style and status or are nearing the end of their useful life."

Yikes. "Recycled" e-waste is all too often dumped in East Asia and West Africa, where there are few or no environmental and human health regulations. People sort through it and manually cook off the plastic for the bits of gold, copper and lead underneath. Naturally, cancer rates and chronic lung diseases in these places are climbing.

Plus, consider that most hard drives contain your old info--often even when companies claim to "wipe it" clean. Hackers scrounge them for identity theft.

The only way to change these problems is to prevent them. Poor nations continue to process our junk because they don't have much power to reject it, or to choose economic alternatives.

Institutes like the IIMM are working to solve these issues, but the problem is growing. The EPA estimates our e-waste will double by as much as 500 percent in the coming years as developing countries enter the market, and our technology craze continues. And we have plenty of environmental justice trouble on our own soil.

Three tenets of an electronics consumer:
Think first. Embrace manual or non-electronic can openers, toothbrushes and toys. Buy used or buy quality, energy efficient products from companies with good human rights and environmental records. Visit: http://greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/toxics/electronics/

Donate those working monitors, Christmas lights, paper shredders, floppy disks (yeah, remember those?), flash drives, space heaters, electric blankets, digital photo frames, Furbies and blinking, singing kids' games! Nonprofits can repurpose your working cast-offs. Or fix them!

Recycle at a trusted source. Some companies are improving the lifecycle of our electronic diet, such as Eco-Cycle here in Boulder. Check the EPA waste site for others, and learn the crucial skill of how to tell if a company is trustworthy.

Take ownership of purchases new and old, reduce e-waste and put things where they can do the least harm. I'm digging out my floppy disks now...
Contact the CU Environmental Center
Phone: 303-492-8308