|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sustainability in the News
|
|
|
Campus surpasses goal in water conservation challenge
 IU's Million Gallon Challenge competition has already saved 7,346,565 gallons of water in three weeks, surpassing its original 1 million gallon goal.
So far, Campus View Apartments has saved the most, using almost 20 percent less water than usual. Eigenmann Hall, Briscoe Quad and McNutt Quad have each used at least 10 percent less.
The School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Student Recreational Sports Center, Cyclotron and Geological Sciences/Geologic Survey buildings have also saved about 10 percent.
"IU students, faculty and staff continue to demonstrate responsible stewardship of water resources," Bill Brown, director of sustainability, said in a press release. "We are particularly pleased that our newest citizens in the residence halls are leading the way."
|
|
 |
Public gives input about energy plan
The public was invited to provide feedback on the Integrated Energy Master Plan
Jerry Williams, senior vice president of 8760 Engineering, the consulting firm that prepared the plan, presented the key points to about 100 community members.
"All of the other efforts hinge on reducing the loads," Williams said. "The building energy consumption is the most important target for this plan."
The plan makes recommendations for implementation that may require physical modifications.
|
|
|
Green Drinks lectures at Upland Brewery
Bauer touched on the city's efforts to preserve and certify Bloomington's City Hall, a goal aligned with Green Drinks' mission. Green Drinks, a social networking organization for anyone interested in making a greener world, has chapters in numerous countries and in almost every large city in the U.S., according to the Green Drinks website. |
|
|
|
Monroe County claims award for energy conservation
The Monroe County Council worked alongside IU, the Monroe County government and three Bloomington schools on the county-wide energy conservation project. The award was granted for its emphasis on energy conservation throughout the county.
|
|
Nomination deadline extended for the first Campus Sustainability Awards
The deadline for nominations for the first IU Bloomington Campus Sustainability Awards has been extended to Monday, Oct. 22. The awards ceremony will be from 7 to 8 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center's Grand Hall.
The IU Bloomington Office of Sustainability is accepting nominations for four awards to recognize faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members who have made outstanding contributions to campus sustainability. The award categories are:
- Excellence in Research
- Excellence in Teaching
- Leadership Award
- Team Award
Read the full article >>
|
|
|
|
Two prominent speakers headline SPEA's 40th anniversary commemoration
"This year we are marking the 40th anniversary of the founding of SPEA in 1972, but this is much more than a celebration of our past," said SPEA Dean John D. Graham. "These speakers share in common an ability to describe for our students and the entire campus community the forces that will shape the future of our nation and our world." Speakers will be John Fernandez, a former Bloomington mayor and U.S. Commerce Department official, on Oct. 2; and Philip LeBeau, correspondent for NBC News and CNBC, on Oct. 4.
|
|
City of Bloomington, Duke Energy install electric car charging stations
The few Bloomington drivers behind the wheels of electric vehicles have two new places to plug in. The City of Bloomington installed a charging station at Garage Market on the corner of Seventh and Morton Streets and another at Garage Band on Seventh and Walnut Streets.
The stations are operational as of Sept. 18 and are part of a two-year program with Duke Energy.
Jacqueline Bauer, city sustainability coordinator, said the program involves using the stations to measure the effects electric vehicles have on the power grid and to indicate if electric vehicles are becoming more popular.
|
|
|
|
_______________________________________________
Reaching for the STARS 2.0
By Bill Brown
STARS 1.0, introduced by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) in 2010, sought to answer the call for a campus sustainability metric designed by higher education for higher education. Before STARS was developed, campus sustainability was rated by various magazines and organizations over the years, including the Sustainable Endowments Institute, Sierra Club, and the Princeton Review. Each organization utilized different metrics and approaches causing the ratings between institutions to be disparate and incomparable. When AASHE introduced STARS 1.0, after a long process of development and design the landscape of campus sustainability ratings greatly improved and campuses became increasingly interested in sustainability reporting. 
AASHE's STARS 1.0 was an excellent first step toward standardizing campus sustainability ratings. Indiana University Bloomington was a Charter Participant in STARS 1.0 and was the seventh institution to report, earning a Silver rating. Last year, I was elected to serve on the Board of Directors of AASHE and I also serve on the STARS Steering Committee that has been meeting all year to improve the STARS metric.
Since 2010, over 200 institutions have reported under STARS and 100 more subscribe to the tool. Earlier this year, a STARS Reporting Tool was introduced to streamline the process of completing other metrics, such as those mentioned above. The Sustainable Endowments Institute ceased its Green Campus Report Card earlier this year, further consolidating campus sustainability metrics around STARS.
Last week, AASHE released a draft of Stars 2.0 Technical Manual for review by AASHE members (Indiana University Bloomington is a member). This version incorporates changes recommended by members and input from dozens of technical advisors, STARS staff and the steering committee. Members are encouraged to comment through November 30th.
STARS 2.0 still has the same general three-section organization: Education and Research; Operations; and Planning, Administration and Engagement. Instead of a two- tiered system of 139 credits, there are now 70 credits, which involve both consolidation of previous credits and some new credits. Institutions will now be able to upload images to illustrate credits. Credit titles have been shortened and standardized.
The new draft includes some unresolved questions regarding normalization of metrics per student or per square foot and whether to use progress established by an institution's past history using a baseline year or national performance thresholds. There are also some pilot regional credits offered for evaluation.
The STARS Steering Committee hopes to incorporate feedback into a final version of STARS 2.0 by next summer. The goal is for STARS to become the "gold standard" for campus sustainability through continuous improvement in response to user feedback.
STARS rated institutions have found they can use STARS as a framework for gap analysis, as a teaching and learning tool, as an internal benchmark, or as a common benchmark with peer institutions. A STARS rating can also be used for recognition and marketing in an age where high school students are increasingly looking for colleges and universities that have robust campus sustainability initiatives. Campus sustainability is considered by two-thirds of students when choosing where to attend school, according to the Princeton Review, and it is deemed to be "very important" in the decisions of 26% of students, according to an Aramark study.
Please take some time to review STARS 2.0 and provide your feedback.
STARS 2.0 Technical Manual: Draft for Public Comment https://stars.aashe.org/pages/about/governance/steering-committee.html
|
_______________________________________________
Profiles in IU Sustainability
This feature profiles a student, faculty member, staff member, IU alum, or community member who has inspired us as a sustainability leader. 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
Paul Sullivan is this month's featured sustainer: 
Sullivan 101
Time at IU: I started at IU in 1976 in the computing organization and have worked in a lot of areas since (Payroll, Bursar, Purchasing, Accounting, Budget, HR, Environmental Health and Safety, IU Police, Risk Management, Athletics, Architect's office) and even taught a little in the Kelley School.
Hobbies: Hiking (working slowly on the Appalachian Trail), traveling, home improvement/maintenance projects
Favorite Spot in Bloomington: Probably the city as a whole. Great place to live and raise kids. I especially like the IU campus, Cascades Park and the B-Line trail.
Favorite Green Tip: Try to walk around instead of drive - lots to see and experience in a small town
Tell us a little about yourself
Been in Indiana most of my life - grew up in Indianapolis, went to Purdue (with a year at IUPUI), spent some time in Chicago before settling in Bloomington at IU. Been married to Susie for 40+ years - Have two great kids, one in Bloomington (Maggie) and one in Montreal (Ian). All of my siblings and father have relocated to Bloomington. Most of us work for IU (Susie - my wife, Laura Kress - my sister, Julie Bobay - my sister, Laurie Sullivan -my sister-in-law).
What does sustainability mean to you?
Trying to leave the world in better shape than we found it - trying to conserve as much as possible.
What role do you play in supporting sustainability initiatives at IU?
I was one of the initial co-chairs of the Task Force (with Michael Hamburger) and have been coordinating the initiatives on the operational side. Probably my biggest contribution was ensuring that sustainability was included in the campus master plan.
What do you see as the biggest challenge for sustainability at IU?
On the operational side, the biggest challenge is to get the sustainable principles embedded in the units so that they are always considered when making decisions. We all have been trained to include economic and human resource variables in all of the decisions and this is just another set of factors to consider.
How do you practice sustainability in your daily life?
Try to waste as little as possible.
|
|
_______________________________________________
Events and Opportunities
Full event listings can be viewed on our calendar, while the latest news and opportunities are viewable on our blog
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, October 16
A Healthy Community Through Transportation Policy When: 7:30-9:00 pm Where: Bloomington Showers Complex (City Hall) Description: The City of Bloomington & Bloomington Transportation Options for People (B-TOP) will be hosting a public presentation by Todd Litman called "A Healthy Community through Transportation Policy." (Flyer available by clicking here.) The presentation is FREE. For more information, email info@b-top.org.
Thursday, October 18
Indiana University's Office of Sustainability's Energy Fair
When: 2:00-6:00 pm
Where: Woodburn Clock Tower
Description: Come out and have a great time with the IU OOS as we kick off another Energy Challenge! There will be music, contests, and "green" activities for everyone to participate in.
Thursday, October 18
"Transit Ballot Initiatives to Watch in 2012" online presentation
When: 2:00-3:00 pm
Where: Online
Description: Join Transportation for American and the Center for Transportation Excellence in this presentation that will discuss the important transit ballot initiatives that are being decided this year. Additionally, they will discuss some of the factors that have led to the success of past ballot initiatives. Click here to register.
Friday, October 19
Campus Garden Workday When: 4:00 - 6:00 pm Where: Hilltop Garden and Nature Center, 2367 E. 10th St Description: No need to sign up ahead of time, just show up ready to play in the dirt and grow food for the campus community! Gloves and tools are provided. Email iugarden@indiana.edu with questions. Click here for more information about the IU Campus Garden Initiative.
Saturday, October 20
Latimer Woods Restoration Project
When: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Where: Latimer Woods, meet at entrance to Latimer Woods trail
Description: Description: Come out and volunteer with the Latimer Woods Project! We are in need of volunteers to help remove the invasive Purple Wintercreeper species and plant native wildflowers! It is not difficult work and all tools and gloves are provided! Click here to learn more about the project and future volunteer dates, times, and locations.
News, ongoing events, and opportunities:
Nomination Deadline Extended for Campus Sustainability Awards
We are now accepting nominations for the First Annual Sustainability Awards Ceremony. Awards will be presented in four categories: Excellence in Research, Excellence in Teaching, Leadership Award, and Team Award. Any faculty, student, staff, or community member may be nominated for these awards.
For more information or to nominate click here.
________________________________
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
Contact Us
IU Office of Sustainability
E-House
704 E. 10th St.
Bloomington, Indiana 47408
812-855-1822
www.sustain.indiana.edu
sustain@indiana.edu
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
