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Sustainability in the News
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Spring Energy Challenge has IU Bloomington buildings competing to conserve this month
Indiana University Bloomington's Energy Challenge, a competition to conserve energy and water, celebrates its fifth running from April 2 to 23.
This spring, 21 academic buildings, 23 Greek houses, all 12 residence halls and, for the first time, four apartment complexes will participate. Residence halls and apartment complexes also will be competing in the 2012 Campus Conservation Nationals, a nationwide electricity and water use reduction competition among colleges and universities for which IUB joins the ranks of nearly 250,000 students at 150 universities and colleges nationwide.
Read the full article >>
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Hilltop Garden hosted workshop on sustainable gardening skills
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IU students Will McHenry and Sara Swan transplant cool season crops at the Hilltop Campus Garden.
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Indiana University students and community members attended a hands-on workshop at IU Bloomington's Hilltop Garden Center to learn about local food and sustainable gardening skills.
The event included six demonstration stations, each led by a knowledgeable and skilled gardener. Station topics were chosen to address the unique space and rental constraints under which students often live.
Read the full article >>
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Scientist Michael Mann to speak at IUB about 'Climate Wars'
Penn State climatologist Michael Mann, who helped produce the iconic "hockey stick" graph showing that the Earth's temperatures increased significantly in recent decades, will give a public lecture during 2012 Earth Week at Indiana University Bloomington.
Mann, director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State, will speak on "The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars" at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 17, in the Georgian Room of the Indiana Memorial Union. The lecture is sponsored by SPEA and is free and open to the public.
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IUB sustainability interns to showcase projects this Friday, April 13, public welcome
 | | Intern Jamie Panunzio shares findings from her project with attendees of the 2010-2011 symposium. |
Students in Indiana University Bloomington's 2011-12 Academic Year Internship Program in Sustainability will showcase their completed projects on Friday, April 13.
The Academic Year Sustainability Internship Symposium will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, 275 N. Jordan Ave. It will include oral and poster presentations and a lunch reception featuring local and organic foods. Those interested in attending should register online here. This event is free and open to the public.
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Campus Division, volunteers plant 80 trees on north side of SRSC
 | | Students plant a tree at an event in November 2011 in Dunn Meadow. |
IUB students, faculty, staff and community members assisted in the planting of 80 trees on campus on Friday, April 6.
The event, organized by Campus Division, aimed to replace some of the trees lost to storm damage last year and take a step closer to the Campus Master Plan's goal of doubling the tree canopy.
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Two fashion events showcase sustainability
 | | Freshman Alissa Nunley wears a fair trade certified Eli Dress by Global Mamas in Alumni Hall. |
IU Student Association, in collaboration with the national organization Teens Turning Green, sponsored the REstyled ethical fashion show in Alumni Hall on April 2.
The 51 womenswear and menswear looks were fashioned from pieces made with fair-trade certified items or found at local vintage stores. The fashions worked for the purpose of inspiring attendees to create their own unique, sustainable looks.
Read the full article >>
SIFE and Girls Inc. showcased sustainable style in their event on Friday, March 30. Runway fashion consisted of only reused clothes found in bins or on hangers at a local Goodwill. These articles were then remade by student designers to fit today's trends and serve as a testament that good fashion can also be green.
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University looks to replace diesel buses with hybrids
As 18 campus buses need to be replaced, the University is looking to invest in more environmentally friendly transportation options.
The current buses, which run on diesel fuel, must spend a minimum of 12 years on the road before they are eligible to be replaced, IU Campus Bus Service Operations Manager Perry Maull said. Eighteen of the 27 campus buses reached 12 years on the road this year and are now due for replacement.
With the replacement, the Campus Bus Service is looking to purchase hybrid electric buses, similar to those used by Bloomington Transit.
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Green Teams Leading the Way in Campus Sustainability
By Bill Brown
Experts can't agree on the origins of the phrase, "think globally, act locally" but it is a concept taken seriously by Green Teams at Indiana University. Green teams existed on campus before the Office of Sustainability at the IU Foundation, Registrar's Office and Wells Library. They began as small, informal groups of people who cared about sustainability and decided to take action in their own sphere of influence. Now there are 33 Green Teams taking action in their own buildings and departments. Since each department and building has unique needs and areas of expertise, each team brings new solutions to the common goal of campus sustainability.
The IU Foundation team has made progress on sustainable landscaping, the Alumni Center has greened their events, Athletics pioneered desk-side recycling, Jordan Hall had the first composting system, Geological Survey/Geological Sciences is tough to beat in Energy Challenge, Wells Library is developing shared information resources for the campus sustainability effort, the Registrar's Office is the king of paper minimization, University Information Technology Services pushed sustainable office design and a sustainable move-in at the CyberInfrastructure Building, and the Office of Enrollment Management supports green teams in every department.
Some Green Teams participate in the IUOS Green Office Certification Program to guide them through the greening process. The Environmental Health and Safety team was recently the first to achieve the highest level of that certification. Others choose to do their own initiatives. Our Green Team sustainability interns have developed programming and resources for Green Teams over the years, and the teams provide a valuable two-way flow of information about campus sustainability.
IUOS hosted a Green Teams Leadership Summit on Friday, April 6, at E-House to craft a shared vision for strengthening the green teams program. We have new insights and ideas to share from that pool of caring leaders. Now would be a good time to start a Green Team in your building. If you would like to find out to start a green team, start here or contact iugt@indiana.edu.
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Profiles in IU Sustainability
This feature profiles a student, faculty member, staff member or IU alum who has inspired us as a sustainability leader here at IU. We hope you enjoy these stories, and we encourage you to send along your own! View this and past profiles at http://www.indiana.edu/~sustain/profiles/archives.html.
Stephanie Hopkins is this month's featured sustainer: Hopkins 101  | Featured Sustainer
Stephanie Hopkins |
- Degree: MPA/MSES '12, SPEA
- Hobbies: walking my dog, Rye, listening to music, and gardening
- Favorite Team: Chicago Cubs
- Favorite Food: Pad Thai
- Favorite Green Tips: purchasing veggies at the farmer's market, using a reusable mug for water and coffee, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, using a sewing machine to tailor and repair clothes, and air-drying laundry
What does "sustainability" mean to you? Sustainability, to me, is the pursuit of a way of life that does not compromise the basic needs of others, the environment, or the future. This requires being knowledgeable about the consequences of all aspects of your lifestyle and constantly making small adjustments as to minimize the negative impacts and maximize the positive impacts of your decisions. Sustainability can be a career path and a philosophy by which you live your life. How are you currently involved in sustainability at IU? Most of my sustainability work at IU is through my internship with IUOS as the coordinator of the Campus Garden Initiative, a program that fosters environmental and social sustainability by creating interactive, edible gardening spaces on the IU Bloomington campus. I also serve as the Membership and Publicity Director for the Student Sustainability Council, an assembly of 23 student organizations that work to advance sustainability efforts on campus through student involvement. What was your inspiration for becoming involved in sustainability? My interest in sustainability came from my involvement in a World Food Issues honors program at UK. I have been a vegetarian since the 8th grade and once I began pursuing food issues academically, I realized the need for vast improvements in the way my generation eats. Out of that, came my interested in learning more about the environmental and social impacts of other aspects of life. Have you had a favorite sustainability-related moment at IU? My favorite sustainability-related moment took place almost exactly a year ago. It was the Campus Garden Initiative's first planting day at the Bryan House pilot garden. As I got things set up out at the garden it began to rain. Just as I became worried that no one would attend the inaugural planting day, 15 students arrived to help plant the garden between downpours. It was so great to see these dedicated students in action! Read the full interview >> |
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Spring 2012 Energy Challenge has begun!
By Emilie Rex
Week 1 results for the 2012 Spring Energy Challenge are in, and the competition is intense. Sixty buildings are competing in three categories to reduce the most energy and water in comparison to a baseline measurement for their building. Here's a list of updates from the Energy Challenge Steering Committee:
- Greek House Competition: Alpha Epsilon Phi is in first for the combined water and electricity competition, with Phi Mu and Kappa Kappa Gamma in second and third respectively. Click here to see Greek House Competition results.
- Academic Building Competition: Lindley Hall is the current frontrunner, using only 83.3% of their combined energy and water usage in comparison to their baseline. SPEA and Optometry are battling it out at second and third respectively. Click here to see the Academic Building Competition results.
- Residence Hall and Apartment Complex Competition (Campus Conservation Nationals): This year, 16 of our on campus housing buildings are competing in the Campus Conservation Nationals, a nationwide competition similar to ours where students compete to reduce electricity and water consumption in separate competitions categories. Among the residence halls, Teter is leading the way in the water competition, using 24.3% less than of their baseline, while Ashton leads the electricity competition using less than 14.1% of their baseline. Redbud is the apartment complex frontrunner in the water competition with 4.9 % less usage than their baseline, and University Apartments East is blowing the competition away in the electricity competition using 14.5% less than their baseline. After seeing the results of IUB's first readings, Andrew deCoriolis, Director of Engagement at Lucid, who is one of the sponsors of Campus Conservation Nationals said, "Keep up the great work! You all have one of the highest total kWh and % reduction savings nationally."
Click here to see week one results for the Residence Hall and Apartment Complex Competition.
Interested in getting more involved in the challenge? Here are some tips about how to get more involved:
- Visit the IU Energy Challenge website at energychallenge.indiana.edu to learn more about the competition and how it works.
- Email us at iuec@indiana.edu to learn who your building captain is. Our building captains are hard at work organizing challenge events and outreach efforts in the participating buildings.
- We want to hear your Energy Challenge stories. Connect with us through Facebook and Twitter and let us know what you're doing to reduce energy and water at work, school and at home. We're @HoosierEC, or use #SpringEC.
- Check out our resources page to see how you can promote the challenge within your building. Click here for Greek house, academic building, and residence hall and apartment complex resource pages.
Only two weeks to go! Go Hoosiers!
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Libraries Green Team Earns Sprout Certification
by Amy Allen
Congratulations to the Libraries as the latest Green Team to earn their Sprout Certification. To earn Sprout Certification, the Libraries team met 36 criteria in seven categories including education and outreach, resource use, recycling, sustainable computing, energy and built environment, transportation, and food.
 | | Libraries Green Team. From left to right: Teresa Reynolds, Mike Noth, Melissa Harding, Daniel Bruhn, Vern Wilkins, Jim Champion, Jennifer Chaffin. Members not pictured include: John Cash, Gary Charbonneau, Chanitra Bishop, and Virginia Dearborn. |
Vern Wilkens, who has been the Libraries team leader for less than a year, has played a key role not only in achieving the Sprout certification, but in developing innovative ways to increase the level of sustainability at the libraries and on the IU campus. Here is Vern's account of his team's growth and future goals:
"The Libraries Green Team was formed in 2009, to fulfill one of the primary recommendations of 'Greening the IUB Libraries, A Call to Action', a report created by the Libraries Sustainability Task Force in 2008. The Green Team is dedicated to implementing the recommendations of the report and partnering with the Office of Sustainability to meet objectives at the campus level. Initially, our team focused primarily on the Green Team certifications offered by the Office of Sustainability. As we worked through our first two levels of certification, we expanded on the checklist items and used each task as a starting point for further sustainability efforts. We have participated in numerous events, including the Energy Challenge, and we are beginning to host our own events, with our first being a presentation by the Coal Free IU student group in April. Over the last year we have increasingly leveraged technology, including our Green Team's Sharepoint Intranet site, to better organize our efforts and allow for more effective collaboration in the time between our regular monthly meetings. One of our short-term goals includes completing a strategic plan for our Green Team, a more concise version of our original task force's final report, to help guide our efforts. We are also focusing on opportunities to further engage library staff, and to collaborate more with internal and external partners. Longer term, we plan to work on specific projects tied to our strategic plan, and to acquire funding for projects via grant proposals and collaboration with our development office."
For more information about the Green Teams Program, visit the Green Teams website, or email the Green Teams coordinator at iugt@indiana.edu.
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Events and Opportunities
Full event listing can be viewed on our blog
Upcoming Events:
April 9 - April 15
5th Annual SustainIU Week
Join the Student Sustainability Council (SSC) with a week of collaborative events centered around this year's theme, "Act Naturally." Find an event to attend on theSSC website.
Tuesday, April 10
Presentation by Gene Baur, president of Farm Sanctuary
When: 7:00 pm
Where: City Council Chambers, 401 N. Morton St.
Description: The City of Bloomington will host a presentation by Gene Baur, co-founder and president of Farm Sanctuary, the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. The lecture, "Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food," is free and open to the public. Copies of Baur's national best seller, which has the same title as his lecture, will be available for sale and signing. Hailed as "the conscience of the food movement" by TIME magazine, Baur is on a speaking tour across North America to raise awareness about the negative consequences of industrialized factory farming. His presentations empower people to act on behalf of animals and to make healthier and more sustainable food choices.
Farm Sanctuary works to protect farm animals from cruelty, inspire change in the way society views and treats farm animals and promote compassionate vegan living. Since 1986 the organization has campaigned to educate, prevent cruelty and encourage legal and policy reforms that promote respect and compassion for farm animals nationwide. Farm Sanctuary's shelters in New York and California provide lifelong care for nearly 1,000 rescued farm animals.
Additional events featuring Baur will be announced soon. For more information about the presentation or to learn about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Maria K Heslin, Deputy Mayor, City of Bloomington at 812.349.3569 or heslinm@bloomington.in.gov. For event flyer, click here.
Friday, April 13
First Annual Ben Brabson Lecture on Sustainable Ideas
When: 4:00 - 6:00 pm
Where: Fine Arts 015
Description: Jae Rhim Lee (2011 TED Global Fellow) is a visual artist, designer, and researcher whose work focuses on relationships between the mind/body/self and the built and natural environment. Ms. Lee has been selected as our keynote speaker because her work embodies the transformative and "out there" (to use her own words) thinking necessary to create new solutions for issues of environmental sustainability. If a "Mushroom Death Suit" sounds interesting to you, come to find out more! This event is part of SustainIU.
News, ongoing events, and opportunities:
Check out sustainability courses for summer and fall 2012!
Plan for the fall semester or add a summer course with sustainability-focused and sustainability-related courses through the IUOS web site or Office of the Registrar . Contact aiwg@indiana.eduwith questions or suggestions for the listings.
Get information the way you want it The Office of Sustainability requests your participation in a short survey to assess the best way to deliver information to the campus community. Your response will help the Office of Sustainability distribute news of courses, organizations, and activities more effectively. We would appreciate responses by Friday, April 13. Contact aiwg@indiana.edu with questions. Please click on the link below to complete the survey. Estimated completion time: 5-10 minutes. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JWNSVC8 Students: do you support social and environmental sustainability? Check the box to donate $5 to the IU Student Sustainability Fund when you register for classes. Already registered? It's not too late! Follow this link to check the box. Learn more and get involved: http://www.indiana.edu/~iubssc/sustainability_fund/index.php Opportunities still available for ImagineBloomington input ImagineBloomington is a visioning process to decide what Bloomington will be like in 25 years. According to the ImagineBloomington website , "results of this process will create the foundation, Bloomington's vision, for the City's comprehensive plan. Having a new vision for the community is the first step in the process for updating the City's Plan - known as the Growth Policies Plan." The process offers several ways for citizens to be involved, including community workshops, surveys, and online forums. A long-term plan such as this offers much opportunity for weaving sustainability ideals and practices into the fabric of Bloomington's infrastructure and policies. For recent press release including remaining workshop times, click here.
Indiana State University seeks applications for two sustainability positions ISU seeks an Assistant Director and an Administrative Assistant for its Institute for Community Sustainability. Full position descriptions are available in this PDF. The postings should soon be on the ISU Applicant Tracking System where candidates can apply.
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About Us
The mission of the Indiana University Office of Sustainability is to advance sustainable human-environment interactions within the Bloomington campus and community by facilitating collaborative academic and operational initiatives.
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Contact Us
IU Office of Sustainability
E-House
704 E. 10th St.
Bloomington, Indiana 47408
812-855-1822
www.indiana.edu/~sustain
sustain@indiana.edu
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