Education Center blossoms at Garden
The Chapel Hill News
Knock another jewel in our local crown. The new Education Center at the North Carolina Botanical Garden is finished. ...In addition to the founding donor, students donated through UNC's Renewable Energy Special Projects Funds, and more than 400 individuals gave to cover the $12 million budget. The 31,2000-square foot building center, located at 100 Old Mason Farm Road, was designed by architect Frank Harmon of Raleigh. It is a green building, designed to receive a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) platinum certification.
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/features/story/51981.html
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2849/68/
N.C. Botanical Garden inaugurates new “green” education center with fall events
Expected to be the first public building in North Carolina securing the highest level of certification for green architecture, the new Education Center for the North Carolina Botanical Garden will open later this month. The center’s dedication is scheduled for Oct. 12, University Day, which celebrates the laying of the cornerstone of Old East, the first building at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2849/68/
Offshore winds promise power
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
...Wind energy is not science fiction, already having been developed in Europe for years, with at least 13 countries operating or developing their own projects. ...A UNC study commissioned by the legislature and issued in June found 2,800 square miles suitable for wind development off North Carolina. It said tapping 15 percent of the state's offshore wind reserves could provide 20 percent of North Carolina's energy needs.
http://www.newsobserver.com/126/story/1677218.html
Hurricane Floyd’s Floodwaters Fueled Changes that Could Save Lives
WNCT-TV (CBS/Greenville)
We often learn valuable lessons in the wake of disaster and Hurricane Floyd is no different. The storm and its flooding spurred policy changes that could one day prove life-saving. ...But experts such as UNC-Chapel Hill associate geography professor Chip Konrad say even that may not capture the ferocity of the flood that forever changed the landscape of eastern North Carolina.
http://www2.wnct.com/nct/news/local/article/hurricane_floyds_floodwaters_fueled_changes_that_could_save_lives/52256/
Recycling Program A Success At UNC
WCHL 1360-AM (Chapel Hill)
With the help of the Orange County Solid Waste and the UNC Department of Waste Reduction, students were able to recycle a large amount of plastic wraps and bags during move-in weekend last month. Amy Prebble, recycling and outreach coordinator for UNC Waste Reduction, says the event was a success by all accounts.
http://www.wchl1360.com/detailswide.html?id=11843
Roses and Raspberries (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill News
Roses to the North Carolina Botanical Garden, whose new Education Center is expected to be the first public building in North Carolina to earn the highest level of certification for green architecture. The Education Center, a new gateway to the garden's nature trails and display gardens, was designed as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum building.
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/opinion/story/52259.html
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2849/68/
Consider the (energy) source (Opinion-Editorial Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Electric cars cause more pollution than cars powered by gasoline. This doesn't have to be the case, but it will remain true unless we make major changes in our system of producing electricity. The problem is that electric cars run on batteries, and batteries have to be recharged. And the recharge -- people tend to overlook this -- comes from plugging the batteries into the electric power grid. (John J. W. Rogers is retired as the William R. Kenan Jr. professor of geology at UNC-Chapel Hill.)
http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/columns/story/1691164.html
UNC honored for commitment to diversity
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was one of 53 colleges and universities nationwide that were honored recently for commitment to diversity. Dr. Archie Ervin, UNC’s associate provost for diversity and multicultural affairs, accepted the award for the University recently from Minority Access Inc., a nonprofit education organization that supports academic institutions, government agencies and private businesses in improving the recruitment, retention and enhancement of minorities.
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2895/75/
Colleges Map Hazy Routes to Limiting Emissions
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Nearly 400 colleges are expected to submit their climate action plans this week, a major step in the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment. The heavily detailed reports, which took colleges many months to produce, map out strategies for limiting emissions for decades to come. But the hard work has just started. From here, institutions have to figure out how to transfer theory into action, which will present a whole new set of challenges. Chief among them: How to tackle ambitious projects when money is tight.
http://chronicle.com/article/Colleges-Map-Hazy-Routes-to/48378/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
UNC Release:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2865/68/
UNC submits Climate Action Plan as part of commitment to carbon neutrality
As the latest step in its commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill today (Sept. 15) submitted its Climate Action Plan to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. In 2007, Carolina was one of the first universities to make this commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of its campus and offset all its greenhouse gas emissions. The pledge now has 650 signatories.
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2865/68/
-Thanks to UNC News Services for finding these great stories AND compiling the summaries! You can find more UNC media coverage and stories online at:
http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/category/8/34/103/
