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Sustainability in the News
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IU Bloomington ranked 45th in the world for campus sustainability
 Jan. 23, 2013 BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Bloomington has been ranked 45th in the world in campus sustainability by the University of Indonesia's 2012 GreenMetric World University Ranking. Launched in 2010, the GreenMetric initiative compares universities worldwide through surveys based on sustainability indicators, including energy and water use, waste management, transportation and education. The project highlights the role of universities in combating global climate change and promoting environmentally sound practices. "IU Bloomington's commitment to sustainability involves both stewardship of our environmental resources and excellence in environmental studies," said IU Provost and Executive Vice President Lauren Robel. Read the full article >>
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IU Office of Sustainability seeks summer 2013 interns 
Jan. 23, 2013
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Continuing a tradition of student engagement in sustainability-related program development and research, the Indiana University Office of Sustainability is now accepting applications for its seventh Summer Internship Program in Sustainability.
The office will hold two information sessions about the program. The first, co-sponsored by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, at SPEA Room 212. The second is co-sponsored by the Hutton Honors College and will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 29, at E-House, 704 E. 10th St.
The Summer Internship Program in Sustainability addresses issues of environmental, economic and social sustainability in campus operations, academic programs and university-community relations.
Read the full article >>
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Prominent government and political leader Helmke joins SPEA faculty at IU Bloomington 
Dec. 11, 2012
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Paul Helmke, former president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and of the Brady Campaign/Center to Prevent Gun Violence, will be joining the faculty of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington starting in January.
Helmke served as the mayor of Fort Wayne, Ind., from 1988 to 2000 and was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Indiana in 1998.
At SPEA, Helmke will teach and also direct the new Civic Leaders Living-Learning Center. That facility in Briscoe Residence Center opens in fall 2013 and will be home to first-year students from across the IU campus who share an interest in government, economics, politics, policy and related subjects.was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Indiana in 1998.
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Indiana University study finds flame retardant pollutants at far-flung locations
Jan. 8, 2013
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Chemicals used as flame retardants are present as environmental pollutants at locations around the globe, including remote sites in Indonesia, Nepal and Tasmania, according to a study by researchers from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
The study, published this month in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, makes use of a novel but highly effective sampling technique: measuring concentrations of the chemicals in the bark of trees, which absorbs compounds in both vapor and particle phases.
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IU study: Consumer intent to purchase electric vehicles is low, varies by city
Dec. 27, 2012
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A study from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs casts doubt on the Obama administration's goal of putting a million plug-in electric vehicles on the roads by 2015. But the study does find that consumers are more receptive to buying electric cars in some cities, including San Jose/San Francisco, Chicago and Boston.
The researchers surveyed more than 2,300 adult drivers in 21 large U.S. cities in the fall of 2011. They found that the perceived drawbacks of electric vehicles outweigh the advantages for most consumers.
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Where Health and Sustainability Meet
By Bill Brown
Patty Hollingsworth, IU Director of Health Engagement, has organized a very diverse ad hoc group on the Bloomington campus called the IUB Wellness Coalition. This group looks for ways to improve employee health through screenings, education and  engaging employees in nutrition, stress reduction, and exercise programs. The IU Office of Sustainability has a seat at this table because of some very important relationships among employee health and wellness and campus sustainability. More often than not, what is healthiest for people also saves energy, reduces pollution, reduces waste, improves productivity, and reduces the costs of poor health, for which we all pay dearly.
Encouraging employees to consider more active forms of transportation, for example, improves fitness and wellness while reducing pollution associated with single-occupancy vehicles. Chris Arvin, Director of Fitness and Wellness at Campus Recreational Sports, noted that it takes seven minutes to walk from the Optometry building to Wildermuth Intramural Center to work out. Alternatively, it can take a tense 15-20 minutes to drive in jammed traffic and attempt to find a place to park. You also just missed 14 minutes of relaxing exercise you could have squeezed into your busy schedule. To paraphrase kinesiology professor Carol Kennedy-Armbruster, who designed the U.S. Navy's SHAPE fitness program, you have just allowed your car to steal your opportunity to enjoy all the benefits of that walk.
In my former YMCA, housed in an historic building in Evansville, the men's locker room was on the 3rd floor. Next to the elevator was a fine set of stairs, the use of which often took less time than waiting for the vintage elevator. When one of my friends complained about the elevator as he waited for it to arrive, I pointed out that he had just spent half an hour on an electric stair-climbing machine. Why would he even consider taking the elevator and missing out on another free three minutes of stair climbing without the noise? His brain flickered to life and he never took the elevator again. Health and sustainability both require conscious consideration and personal responsibility. We allow automatic behavior to steal our opportunities for a better quality of life.
The recently completed Transportation Demand Management Plan for the Bloomington campus noted that 71% of IU employees drive alone to work, in spite of the fact that 57% of faculty and 35% of staff live within 3 miles of campus. That means that 29% of employees carpool or they have found ways to combine their commute with their health and exercise goals by walking to campus or to the bus stop (employees ride free), or biking to campus. They are piling up the step counts on their pedometers and Fitbits, taking off pounds, and adding healthy years to their lives while enjoying the fresh air and birdsong they are helping to preserve. They have discovered that wonderful place where health and sustainability meet.
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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
Thomas Fallwell is this month's featured sustainer:
Fallwell 101
Hobbies: Collecting fossils and Native American artifacts, bird watching, travel
Favorite Spot in Bloomington: Lake Monroe on Fossil Beach
Favorite Green Tip: Reduce, reduce, reduce. Avoid packaging!
Tell us a little about yourself
I've been married 40 years and have a daughter and son in their twenties. I enjoy the company of family and of many friends locally and throughout the country. I have lived in 5 different states and overseas and have come to appreciate the Bloomington area as a unique blend of cultures that I haven't seen anywhere else.
What does sustainability mean to you?
Personal responsibility. In my view sustainability comprises three main ideas, human, environmental, and economic wellbeing. What kind of world am I leaving for those who come after me?
What role do you play in supporting sustainability initiatives at IU?
My challenge is to be an active voice in making our action programs grow here at IU. How can we get results?
What do you see as the biggest challenge for sustainability at IU?
Thinking big enough! Indiana University as a world leader needs to be in the forefront of sustainable practice. The "doing" of sustainability not just the talking of sustainability. What have we done for sustainability lately? IU needs a world class composting practice, needs to be a leader in waste reduction, and energy reduction just to name a few areas. IU has world class research facilities and our students have some of the brightest minds in the country. IU and her sister institutions have the economic power, educational influence, and are placing the leaders of tomorrow into society today. Higher education is uniquely positioned to develop and demonstrate sustainable practices to our students while they are in school and that will develop expectations and habits that will transform societies.
How do you practice sustainability in your daily life?
There is no magic that makes someone "sustainable," it is practice and habit. Do the little things locally. Use things until they are worn out, donate things you no longer need, consider where the item you are purchasing comes from and the conditions in which it was made, think about what you consume. Give your commerce and support to businesses that share your values.
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IU Office of Sustainability Presents
2013 Summer Internship Program in Sustainability
*Applications accepted until 11:59 pm on Friday, February 15th*
We strongly encourage you to log in here by February 8th
to send your recommendation request
The Summer Internship Program in Sustainability utilizes campus as a living-learning lab, enlisting students as researchers in investigating important questions facing our community, such as: How do the ways in which our campus operates and consumes resources affect the social, environmental and economic well being of our community? How is our campus impact connected to more complicated global issues like climate change, resource scarcity and poverty? What opportunities do we have as individuals, institutions, communities, and governments to increase collective social, economic and economic health, and how do we best communicate these opportunities? How will we adapt and ensure all people have the ability to thrive in response to dynamic climate conditions and limitations on resources?
We have 18 open positions (listed below). Through internships co-mentored by staff in operations and faculty members, interns conduct research and develop programming focused on general sustainability outreach and education or in specific topic areas such as food, transportation or resource use.Internships are co-mentored by IUOS and the Campus Sustainability Advisory Board.We will be hiring for positions in both areas.
Attend one of our information sessions:
- Thursday, January 24 5:30-6:30 pm at SPEA Room 212
- Tuesday, January 29: 6:00-7:00 pm at E House (704 E 10th St). You need to register for this session which is held in conjunction with Hutton Honors College. Please email Anna Duquaine (aduguain@indiana.edu) to register.
Learn more:
- Visit our website for application information
- Read our recent blog posts:
- Follow us on Twitter or Facebook for continual updates
Open Positions:
Internships Mentored through the Office of Sustainability
Internships Mentored through Campus Sustainability Advisory Board
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Events and Opportunities
Full event listings can be viewed on our calendar, while the latest news and opportunities are viewable on our blog
Internship Opportunities:
Applications for the Summer 2013 Internships are Now Open
Application Deadline: Friday, February 15, 2013
Time Commitment: Each position will require 20 hours per week. The positions run from May 2013 - August 2013.
Compensation: Interns will be compensated for their time at a rate of $ 11/hr for graduate students and $9/hr for undergraduates.
Position Description: Numerous positions are available for the Indiana University Office of Sustainability Summer 2013 Internship Program. Applicants must be full-time students at Indiana University Bloomington at the time they apply to the program. Applicants must also have a good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Graduate and undergraduate students in all schools are eligible to apply. Click here to learn more about the internship opportunities we have available.
Questions: If you have any questions, comments, concerns or need some advice about the application process, email us at sustain@indiana.edu.
Bloomington Community Orchard Nonprofit Internship Program
Application Deadline: Sunday February 3, 2013
Compensation: NA at this time; information upon request.
Postion Description: The Bloomington Community Orchard's Operations team seeks interns for the 2013 winter/spring season. There are three positions available on the Operations team. Each intern will participate in the operations of the orchard, in addition to developing and managing and independent project. For the individual assignment, the interns will choose from the following positions: Tree Steward, Pest Management, and Permaculture Design. If you are interested in community development, urban agriculture, food security, and education through demonstration, then this is the internship for you.
Questions: If you have any questions regarding the organization or internship, feel free to email Amy Allen at alleamy@umail.iu.edu . Click here for more information about the organization, internships, and how to apply.
"The Believers" - Film Screening and Discussion
When: 7:00-9:30 pm
Where: IU Cinema
Description: "The Believers" by filmmakers Monica Long Ross and Clayton Brown, tells the story of how two scientists thought they could solve the world's energy problems in 1989. Ross, Brown, and other guests will stay after the film to take part in a panel discussion. This event is FREE, but ticketed. Call 812.856.2503 or cinema.indiana.edu for more information and to secure your ticket.
Diabetes - Are You At Risk?
Tuesday, January 29
When: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Where: Indiana Memorial Union, Redbud Room
Description:
This FREE 16-week program is designed to reduce your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. It is designed to create awareness of the causes of the disease. This class will be led by Susan Woods, Lifestyle Coach. For more information and to register, go to: http://www.iu.edu/~welliu/Classes/IU%20Bloomington.shtml.
Mindful Based Stress Reduction
Friday, February 1
When: 12:00 - 1:30 pm
Where: IMU, Persimmons Room
Description: Learn effective ways to address stressful situations "on the spot" to decrease mind-body tension. This class will allow participants to practice managing chronic stress, improve focused attention and communication, and enhance their overall wellness. This class is free to all employees who are able to commit to attending these weekly sessions for 10 weeks, starting on January 18. For more information and to sign up for this class go to: http://www.iu.edu/~welliu/Classes/IU%20Bloomington.shtml .
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities:
Tuesday, January 29
Campus Garden Workday
When: 5:00 - 7:00 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. For more information, visit the IU Garden Blog.
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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.sustain.indiana.edu
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