Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Majora Carter Announced as Earth Day Keynote Speaker

Majora Carter, urban revitalization strategist and social-enterprise pioneer, will deliver the Campus Earth Week Keynote Address on Wednesday, April 15, at 6pm, in Carroll Hall, room 111. Carter has redefined the field of environmental equality. She started in the South Bronx at the turn of the century and is now a leader in the local economic development movement across the United States. She is a visionary voice in city planning who views urban renewal through an environmental lens and with a focus on historically underserved and minority populations. Carter's confidence, energy and intensely emotional delivery make her talks themselves a force of nature. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Read more »

Make Your Voice Heard: Provide Input to UNC’s Strategic Sustainability Plan

To maintain its role as a national and international leader in sustainability, UNC-Chapel Hill is developing a Strategic Sustainability Plan to build upon the University’s many successful initiatives to date. The goal is to create a cohesive vision for embedding sustainability into the full range of campus activities, including teaching, research, operations, and engagement. The campus community is invited to participate in Town Hall meetings to provide input on current sustainability initiatives and aspirations for the future. Mark your calendar for an opportunity to participate: 

  • Tuesday, March 31: Campus Sustainability Town Hall, 12:30-2:00pm @ Toy Lounge, Dey Hall 
  • Tuesday, March 31: Student Sustainability Town Hall, 6:00-7:30pm @ Student Union, Room 3411
  • Wednesday, April 1: Staff Town Hall, 9:30-11:00am @ Toy Lounge, Dey Hall 
  • Wednesday, April 1: Faculty Town Hall, 12:30-2:00pm @ Toy Lounge, Dey Hall 
  • Town Halls for a mix of students, faculty, and staff interested in specific themes will be held on Tuesday, April 21, from 12:30-2:00 and 3:30-5:00 at a location to be determined and Wednesday, April 22, Earth Day, from 2:30-4:00pm @ Student Union, Room 3206A/B. 
  • An open Earth Day Town Hall for all members of the campus community will be held on Wednesday, April 22, from 11:30am-1:00pm @ Student Union, Room 3206A/B. 

Volunteer opportunities with our world-class consultants are available for students. Two to three students are needed to help with: 

  • Documentation of Sustainability Advisory Committee meeting, on March 18, 3:30-4:30pm in Graham Memorial 035. Photograph the Sustainability Advisory Committee working sessions and outcomes for inclusion in future Sustainability Strategic Plan-related updates and publications. 
  • Participate with consultant team conducting on-campus “intercept interviews,” March 18-19 Shadow consultant team during initial “intercept interviews” gathering student opinion on sustainability at UNC, and be trained to conduct additional interviews independently between 3/19 and 3/31. 

Interested students should contact Amelia Aboff at amelia.aboff@burohappold.com or via text at 917-696-8677. Additional opportunities for involvement will be available in the coming months – for more information as these come up, please contact Cindy Shea at the UNC Sustainability Office at cpshea@email.unc.edu.

To find out the latest on the Strategic Sustainability Plan and upcoming events, read more »

What’s the Big Idea: Food for Thought

The UNC Friday Center presents four lectures on food history, culture, sustainability, and regulation as part of the next What’s the Big Idea? series. UNC-Chapel Hill researchers Marcie Cohen Ferris, Alice Ammerman, and Barry M. Popkin will present research findings, and a special session with UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Carol Folt will conclude the series with a preview of the new pan-campus theme, “Feeding a Hungry World.” The talks run from April 9-30, from 7-8:30pm at the Friday Center. Each session is $10 or attend the entire series for $30. Read more »

Learn to Lead Staff Sustainability Efforts

“Making the Workplace More Sustainable,” an interactive staff sustainability workshop, helps participants identify, measure and promote sustainable change opportunities in their work areas. Participants learn about sustainability goals and initiatives at UNC, become “green events” certified, and learn how to conduct a Workplace Sustainability Assessment. The upcoming, two-day training will be held Tuesday, May 19, and Thursday, May 21, from 8:30AM – 12:30PM, at the Administrative Office Building on Airport Drive. Register soon through Connect Carolina for “Workplace Sustainability 1,” space is limited. Read more »

Sustainable Speaker Series at CCCC Pittsboro Campus

Students for Sustainability at the CCCC Pittsboro Campus work on environmental conservation and educational events. Learn about the economic and ecological benefits of the Haw River at “The Haw River is Our Home,” on Wednesday at 7 pm, on the Chatham County Campus in Pittsboro. On March 25, learn how NC Waste Awareness and Reduction educates and engages the public on clean energy at “Building People Power for Climate and Energy Justice,” also at 7pm, at the Chatham Community Library Mary Hayes Holmes Conference Room. Read more »

Bill Introduced to Legalize Third-Party Electricity Sales in North Carolina

North Carolina is one of only 5 states that prohibits third-party sales of electricity. Rep. John Szoka, R-Cumberland, has introduced a bill that would allow renewable-energy developers to sell power directly to customers in North Carolina, bypassing the state's utilities. The “Energy Freedom Act” could enhance competition and consumer choice, increase development of renewable energy projects, and make the state an even more attractive place to work and live by contributing to a clean and healthy environment. The bill would take effect July 1. Read more »

North Carolina Wins 9 Good Food Awards

The Good Food Awards honors companies that create delicious and sustainable local food economies. Out of 1,462 entries, 14 different North Carolina products made it into the final round and nine were awarded the top honor. Picklers, cheese-makers, chocolatiers, distillers, brewers, butchers, coffee roasters and farmers across the state work together to make some of the highest quality food products in the nation. Read more »

I-40 Pedestrian Bridge Good for Health and Business

Recent completion of the I-40 bike and pedestrian bridge joined the northern and southern sections of the American Tobacco Trail. Cyclists can now travel the full 21 miles from downtown Durham to Apex without having to share the road with cars. NC State’s Institute for Transportation Research and Education recently found that the trail’s completion contributed to a 133% increase in use. Many people use the trail to get to restaurants, grocery, and retail stores. Though the trail is primarily used for recreation and fitness, it could become an important transportation corridor as Durham grows. Read more »

Trial Treatment of Invasive Plant Proposed in Hillsborough

Hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant that originally came to the US from Asia as an aquarium accessory, has been an issue for Orange County’s watershed. Hydrilla has several ramifications for ecosystems, including a disease that can infect water fowl. It also out-competes native vegetation, which endangers the habitats of many organisms and water quality. A statewide task force to combat Hydrilla found a chemical solution, which will be tested in a two-year trial with close monitoring before applying it to the rest of the watershed. The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources is reviewing an environmental assessment for toxicity and the effects on humans, plants, and animals. Read more »

The Guardian Launches Climate Change Series

In an effort to find a new narrative for climate change, the UK-based Guardian newspaper has launched a series of podcasts, images, films, and reporting to bring attention to climate change issues and engage and inform the public. The Guardian’s editor-in-chief, Alan Rusbridger, explains how climate change is the most important story in the world and challenges journalists to engage readers in a new way. Read more »

Register Now for Environmental LCA Workshop

Environmental life cycle analysis (LCA) is used in industry and commerce for gauging the environmental impact of a service or product. A hands-on workshop at NC State will provide attendees with an overview of LCA, and students will learn methodologies and commercial software. The workshop will be held from August 3-7, and registration is $1900. Space is limited. Read more »

Carolina in the News

Check out the recent media mentions of sustainability-related programs, practices, and people at UNC:

Startup Led by UNC Grad Brings Solar Services to Rooftops
A California startup co-founded by UNC-Chapel Hill graduate Alec Guettel is expanding to North Carolina. Sungevity is launching solar services for residential homeowners in partnership with Lowe's. The company offers solar equipment and related services, including proprietary estimating technology. Sungevity is a venture capital-backed startup and raised $125 million from investors in 2013. Read more » 

New Discovery Could Change Sea Level Rise Predictions
Dr. Mike Willis of the Department of Geological Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill noticed something surprising while combing through satellite and GPS data: a hole twice the size of Central Park in a small Greenland ice cap. Willis and his colleagues determined that meltwater had been collecting in a subglacial lake until the whole thing blew out, sending the water out to sea and causing the ice above it to slump downward. The discovery suggests that water does not flow quickly between ice and rock and out to sea. Instead, it pauses on its rush to the ocean and heats the ice. This process could be important in understanding how Greenland will respond to climate change and contribute to the already 8 inches of global sea level rise since 1900. Greenland holds enough ice to raise global sea levels by 24 feet and its glaciers melt could affect projections of future sea level rise. Read more » 

Study Suggests that Dense Development Would Harm Air in NC’s Triangle
New research from UNC-Chapel Hill challenges the idea that dense urban development is better for the health of residents. The study, published in the December issue of Risk Analysis, found that denser development would slightly reduce the Triangle’s air pollution on a regional level, but at a more local level, it would expose a greater number of citizens to “hotspots” of particulate matter, a harmful pollutant. “Our suggestion is not necessarily that density is wrong,” said Daniel Rodriguez, a professor at UNC’s department of city and regional planning and a coauthor of the study, “but that in itself, in isolation, it’s probably not going to be beneficial for people.” Theodore Mansfield, the study’s lead author and a Ph.D. student at UNC, discussed the costs and benefits of city living. “There are a lot of great things that cities do,” he said. “But at the same time, the concentration of all those activities in a small space can have some negative health impacts.” Read more »

Lawsuits Challenge Agricultural Pollution
Federal lawsuits, supported by studies that link hog farming with air and water pollution, are challenging the livestock industry to change its ways. "Pork is cheap and cheap to produce in large factories because they don't pay for cleaning up water supply, and they don't pay for the asthma neighbors get. They don't pay for polluting downstream water that used to be potable, and they don't pay for the loss of property values," said Steve Wing, a UNC-Chapel Hill epidemiologist. In North Carolina, 10 million hogs produce as much fecal waste in a day as 100 million people, and Duplin County is the nation's top county for hog production. Read more »

Thanks to UNC News Services for finding these great stories! You can find more UNC media coverage and stories online at uncnews.unc.edu.

Green Tip

Spring is just around the corner! Consider starting it green. Mix your own natural cleaning products from water, vinegar, tea tree oil, and lavender oil. Plant the garden you’ve always wanted. Or start a compost bin for organic waste. Learn how at the Composting Workshop at the Carolina Campus Community Garden on March 18 (more details in the news section). Read more green tips »

UNC-Chapel Hill Sustainability Office – Multiple Internships Available – NC

UNC-Chapel Hill Environmental Finance Center – Environmental Finance Data Analyst – NC

North Carolina Coastal Reserve – Summer Stewardship and Research Assistant – NC

TS Designs – Marketing and PR Manager – NC

NC FIELD – Lead Coordinator – NC

City of Lenoir – Stormwater Management Administrator – NC

Town of Kernersville – Sustainability Specialist – NC

Alamance County – Parks Superintendent – NC

Camp Sea Gull – Environmental Discovery Educator – NC

The Sustainability Institute at Penn State – Education Program Associate – PA

University of Dayton – Post-Doctoral Assistant in Sustainability (Posting # S00685P) – OH

National Outdoor Leadership School – Sustainability Coordinator – WY

Jacksonville University – Sustainability Coordinator – FL

Florida Institute of Technology – Sustainability Officer – FL

Messiah College – Director of Sustainability – PA

St. Mary’s College – Visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies – MD

University of Nevada, Las Vegas – Energy and Utility Manager – NV

Nutrition Science Initiative – Director of Research – CA

Indiana University – Director, Office of Sustainability (Job #13090) – IN

University of Oregon – Program Manager, Sustainable Cities Initiative – OR

Central College – Coordinator of Sustainability Education – IA

Kalu Yala – International Sustainability Internship – Panama

Sustainability Office Internships for Summer 2015

The Sustainability Office at UNC-Chapel Hill works with the campus community to catalyze the development and implementation of sustainable policies, practices, curricula, and behaviors. Interns will become familiar with the many sustainability practices and policies at UNC while receiving hands-on experience developing communication tools, supporting initiatives, and assessing sustainable practices. There are four internship positions available and all require an in-person interview. Apply by Monday, March 30. Read more »

Conserve Water and Energy on Campus, Win a Solar Umbrella

Throughout March, UNC’s residential communities will compete in a Utility War to reduce energy and water consumption. The community to reduce the most will win a solar umbrella charging station that can be used to charge personal electronics while sitting outside. The contest is sponsored by the Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee and the Residence Hall Association. Read more »

Composting Workshop, Wednesday, March 18

A free composting workshop will be held on Wednesday, March 18th from 3 - 4:30pm at the Carolina Campus Community Garden. Muriel Williman, Orange County waste management educator, will cover composting basics and how to start vermicomposting with worms. The class will be held rain or shine and parking is available across from the garden. Read more »

Innovation Lab Offers Design Thinking Workshop, Thursday, March 19

ABAN, Ten Thousand Villages, and Tech Talent South will share insight and methodologies for business solutions on Thursday, March 19, from 6-8pm, at the 1789 Venture Lab on Franklin Street. The hands-on, interactive event is open to all.