|
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS FROM THE UNIVERSITY of PENNSYLVANIA
|
MAY 2012
|
 A NOTE ON COLLEGE GREEN
Alumni Weekend, always a heartfelt and exciting time at Penn, has come and gone as thousands of alumni have descended on campus. One of the regular refrains we heard from alumni as they toured the campus was: "Wow. It was not like this when I was at Penn!"
Often they are referring to a new building, or amenity such as restaurants or cafés. However, this year their comments focused on Penn Park, the gem of our Penn Connects campus development plan. Penn Park is a "game changer" for us because it embodies, in one single project, how the aspirations of our Climate Action Plan can be expressed in our long-range campus development strategy.
And Penn Park is not a "one-off" example. We are adding two more open spaces to campus that will be completed in Fall 2012: Shoemaker Green will soon bridge the green gap between College Green and Penn Park as a sustainable site in front of the historic Palestra, and this summer we are breaking ground on Spruce Street Plaza, another "parking lot to park" project that will provide a green gateway to campus in front of HUP. In addition, all new campus buildings are built to LEED Silver certification standards or higher, so that as we grow with new buildings that are mission critical, we are mindful of our environmental footprint.
There is a growing sense of pride that Penn's relationship to the environment is very different from just five years ago when Dr. Gutmann signed the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment. This generation of faculty, students and staff is advancing the cause with greater speed than anticipated, and as we come to the conclusion of our second year, the progress is certainly being seen and felt on the physical campus.
The Climate Action Plan has bound our community together, and is one of the many reasons that Penn is continually recognized as a national leader in sustainability. From our institutional support of renewable energy development to our incredible growing network of Eco-Reps in Schools, Centers, College Houses, and Greek Chapters - Penn is truly engaged on all fronts in our efforts to create a more sustainable campus.
I hope that this plan is the foundation for future leaders who will further advance our campus goals so that when we return someday and marvel at their accomplishments, we will state with pride: "Wow. It was not like this when I was at Penn!"
Craig Carnaroli
Executive Vice President
University of Pennsylvania
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Class Tree Program Commemorates Penn Graduates
On April 25th, Morris Arboretum Executive Director Paul Meyer joined the Class of 2012 at Penn's College Green to plant a tree and dedicate it as part of the Penn Tree program, a program linking Penn students to their own Morris Arboretum. The Class of 2012 planting ceremony marks the second commemoration of this new Penn tradition, where a tree is planted and dedicated on campus in honor of each Penn class... READ MORE |
 Penn Launches Green Office Program
The Penn Green Campus Partnership recently rolled out its new Green Office Certification Program, which recognizes the efforts of staff and faculty to green their daily activities and workplaces. Participating offices earn points by completing specific sustainability actions, which are assigned point values based on their impact and level of difficulty to implement. Offices can choose to aim for the highest level from the start, or work their way up slowly from Level One. Level One certification can be reached with 25 easily achievable actions, while subsequent levels require increasingly more effort and cost, but also have increasing impact. Click here to visit the Penn Green Campus Partnership website and learn how you can start taking steps to getting your office certified. |
 Volunteer for PennMOVES 2012
Once again, Penn Business Services is pleased to announce the launch of the annual PennMOVES (Move Out Volunteers Engaging in Service) initiative and is seeking volunteers from the Penn community to assist with the move-out collection and sale. Since its inception in 2008, PennMOVES has collected close to 350,000 pounds of items that students can't take with them when they leave campus in the summer - clothes, furniture, kitchen gear, nonperishable food items, etc. Rather than ending up in the landfill, these items are now distributed to individuals and organizations throughout our local community. This year, Penn is again collaborating with Goodwill Industries to provide technical expertise and logistical support for the effort. The sale will be held Saturday, June 2nd, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at South Bank, 3401 Grays Ferry Avenue. Admission is free, but bargain hunters can pay an early admittance fee of $5 for entry on a first-come, first-served basis between 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Free parking is also available. Proceeds from the sale will benefit Goodwill's local job training programs. For more information, visit www.upenn.edu/pennmoves. |
 Spring 2012 Green Fund Selections Announced
The Penn Green Campus Partnership has awarded five Green Fund grants this April ranging from a comprehensive recycling center within the School of Engineering and Applied Science to a behavior change project focusing on water conservation. This spring's grants bring the total number of Green Fund projects to 41... READ MORE |
| |
 Penn IUR, Partners Launch Innovative Electricity Price Awareness Campaign
You can easily track the minute-by-minute price swings of a barrel of oil, but can you do the same for a megawatt of electricity? Today you can. The Electricity Price Ticker Partnership, led by the Penn Institute for Urban Research at the University of Pennsylvania and PJM Interconnection, has unveiled its Web-based Electricity Price Ticker that tracks the real time wholesale electricity price for the PECO area. The ticker is the centerpiece of the partnership's Electricity Price Awareness campaign, which aims to increase the public's understanding of the connection between the wholesale price of electricity and their electricity bills. The ticker will show that energy use patterns affect the price of electricity and encourage support of national Smart Grid efforts... READ MORE |
 International Sustainable Campus Network Recognizes Penn's Green Academic Offerings
The academic component that the University of Pennsylvania has included in its Climate Action Plan caught the attention of the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) when that agency compiled its inaugural Global University Leaders Forum Charter report earlier this year. Penn became a charter member of the Global University Leaders Forum (GULF) in 2010 when President Amy Gutmann signed the Sustainable Campus Charter (Almanac February 2, 2010), which commits signatories to excellence in building impacts, campus-wide target setting and an integrated sustainability approach to research, education and operations... READ MORE |
| |
Penn Home Ownership Services Teams Up with Mark Group to Offer Home Energy Audits
Since 2007, when Penn became the first Ivy League university to sign the American College and University President's Climate Commitment, Penn has been dedicated to promoting initiatives and programs for a more sustainable campus. Now through the Greening Penn at Home program members of the Penn Community can now easily and affordably extend this commitment to their homes. Penn Home Ownership Services has joined with Mark Group, a global leader in energy-saving solutions and the region's largest provider of home energy efficiency analysis and improvement, to offer this new program to Penn faculty, staff, and Health System employees. Greening Penn at Home, provides education on home energy efficiency best practices and facilitates the Penn community's implementation of cost-effective energy efficiency home improvements. Under Greening Penn at Home, Mark Group will offer the Penn community on-campus educational sessions, free home energy assessments, and energy efficiency home improvements at preferred rates... READ MORE |
| |
 Campus Reduces Waste by 85 Tons, Launches New Initiatives During RecycleMania 2012
While Penn fell short of its 32 percent goal for RecycleMania 2012, the campus reduced its overall amount of waste generated by more than 85 tons during the eight-week competition as compared to last year. Penn recycled approximately 27 percent of its waste, finishing fourth amongst its Ivy League peers behind Cornell (34%), Harvard (32%), and Princeton (28.5%), and second amongst Philadelphia colleges and universities, trailing only Drexel (33%)... READ MORE
|
 Students Roll Out TerraCycle Collection Boxes for Random Recyclables
Members of the Penn Environmental Group (PEG) and Penn Eco-Reps program have recently rolled out a new waste reduction initiative that focuses on repurposing non-traditional recyclables into consumer products through the Trenton-based company TerraCycle... READ MORE
|
| |
 Weiss Pavilion Receives Preservation Alliance Award
Weiss Pavilion, Penn's intercollegiate athletic weight training room and recreation center within the north arcade of Franklin Field, was recently honored with a 2012 Grand Jury Award from the Greater Philadelphia Preservation Alliance for exemplifying outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation. The former site of parking spots, Weiss Pavilion transformed Franklin Field by adding 52,000 square feet of space that includes a weight training facility for Penn student-athletes; a fitness center for students, faculty, and staff; and retail establishments. The facility was certified LEED Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in December 2011 and is Penn's fifth project to achieve LEED certification. The annual Preservation Alliance Awards Luncheon is the largest gathering of preservationists in the region. Click here for the complete list of Preservation Alliance award recipients. Click here for more coverage in The Daily Pennsylvanian. |
 Penn Recognized by Tree Campus USA for Third Consecutive Year
The University of Pennsylvania has earned its third consecutive Tree Campus USA designation from the Arbor Day Foundation. Tree Campus USA is a national program the foundation launched in 2008, sponsored by Toyota Motor North America Inc., to honor colleges and universities for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation... READ MORE |
| |
Parking Services Kicks Off Occasional Parking Program
Penn Parking Services has designed a new program to allow commuters who normally use public transportation, vanpooling, carpooling or biking as their primary commute mode to be able to drive to campus when necessary. Occasional parking is available at PennPark and provides two free uses per year with up to 10 additional uses priced at 50 percent of the daily maximum rate, currently $8 (which means passes will cost $4). Passes will be available for purchase, by payroll deduction only. Participants must have a valid driver's license, proof of participation in Penn's transit, vanpool or carpool programs and not be a current Penn Parking permit-holder. Bikers would be required to register their bikes with the Division of Public Safety property registration in order to qualify. For additional details, visit the Penn Parking website at www.upenn.edu/parking. |
Carpool Discounts Available for Penn Commuters
Current Penn parking permit patrons can take advantage of discounts based on occupancy and location choices by teaming up to form a Carpool. Registration is on an annual basis and each carpool member will receive a pre-tax deduction via payroll. Carpool discounts: 25% for a two-person car pool; 50% for a three-person car pool; 75% for a four-person car pool. For additional details, visit www.upenn.edu/parking. |
 Take the Penn Transit Survey
The Penn Transit Survey is now available online at www.upenn.edu/survey/transit. Please take a few minutes to take the survey as it will assist Penn Transportation in improving services for those who ride Penn Buses, Penn Shuttles, Penn Accessible Transit (PAT) and Loop through University City (LUCY). It is a convenient and easy way to make a difference in Penn's sustainable transportation efforts. Complete the survey online for one of two chances to win a gift certificate to Penne Restaurant and Wine Bar or a Penn hoodie from the Bookstore. |
| |
 University Square Farmers' Market Now Open on Wednesdays
The campus Farmers' Market at University Square (outside the Penn Bookstore at 36th & Walnut Streets) began May 2 and will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Wednesday until late November or early December. This year the Market will feature two new vendors - Big Sky Bakery and the Community Grower's Alliance in addition to old favorites such as Beechwood Orchards, Hilltop Gardens and John & Kira's Chocolates... READ MORE |
| |
 Drs. Jane Dmochowski & Ann N. Greene
Dr. Jane Dmochowski, Managing Director of the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER), and Dr. Ann Greene, Adjunct Assistant Professor and Associate Director for the Undergraduate Studies Department of History and Sociology of Science, are two faculty members leading the charge in enhancing Penn's sustainability-focused academic offerings. Last month they organized a full-day workshop -- Integrating Sustainability Across the Curriculum - that provided faculty with an introduction to environmental themes such as limits to growth, resource conservation, feedback and amplification effects, identifying indicators of change, social equity and the environment, behavior change, and communications strategies.
CLICK HERE TO READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH JANE AND ANN... |
|
|
|
|
