Real Men go green!

Today is Halloween. In case you don’t already know, this is a REALLY FUN DAY here in Chapel Hill! So in keeping with the celebratory spirit, here’s an entertaining (and thought provoking!) post for today:

So what makes a man a man? Being manly, of course! And nothing in more macho than being environmentally, socially, and economically responsible. Don’t believe me? Read up at on 10 Reasons Real Men ‘Go Green’ at:
http://artofmanliness.com/2008/07/13/10-reasons-real-men-go-green/

P-A-R-T-Y

Don’t forget the big Sustainability Celebration this afternoon! Join us from 4-7 PM at the Rams Head Center for acoustic music, organic food samples, and lots of great information from student & university groups. This is your chance to have fun, get informed, and get involved!

If you can’t make it to the party, you can still get in on the action by joining MakeMeSustainable! UNC's Institute for the Environment has teamed up with the creators of the eco-networking site MakeMeSustainable.com to create a unique group for Chapel Hill/Carrboro and offer a full set of tools and tips to track and reduce your environmental impact. The site also allows you to share your success, network with other concerned individuals, check out sustainable businesses, and see the progress of our community's combined carbon reduction efforts.

Just visit http://makemesustainable.com.

Campus Sustainability Days are here!

What are you doing this Wednesday-Friday, Oct 22-24?

UNC will be celebrating Campus Sustainability Days with events and activities all around campus, and you are invited to join in the fun! All events are FREE and open to the public. The big live music, free food, “get involved” fair will be Thursday afternoon. Here’s the schedule:

Wednesday
12:00 - 2:00 Green Roof Information Fair (Location: FedEx Global Education Center, 4th Floor)

Thursday
10:00 Tour LEED Visitor Center @ Botanical Garden (Limited space! Call 962-0522 to RSVP)
11:00 - 12:00 Responsible Coffee Info & Tastings (Location: Global Cup Cafe, FedEx Global Education Center)
12:00 Tour LEED Visitor Center @ Botanical Garden (Limited space! Call 962-0522 to RSVP)
12:00 - 2:00 Recycled School Supply Giveaway (Location: Polk Place Quad)
12:30 - 1:30 Responsible Coffee Info & Tastings (Location: Daily Grind, The Pit)
12:30 - 1:30 Walk-n-Talk Sustainable Buildings Tour (Location: Start at Rams Head Plaza, end at FedEx Global Education Center)

4:00 - 7:00 SUSTAINABILITY CELEBRATION! (Location: Rams Head Center)
FREE Fair, Local, Organic Food Samples
LIVE Acoustic Music from Vinyl Records
Local, Seasonal Menu @ Rams Head Dining Hall (starts @ 4:30)
Student Organizations and Campus Departments

Friday
3:00 - 7:00 Harvest Grow-Down (Location: Carolina Garden Co-Op behind Kenan Dorm)

If you would like to download & print the flier, just visit:
http://sustainability.unc.edu/Portals/0/Documents/CSD%20Schedule.pdf

Chancellor Thorp: Sustainability is “part of our culture.”

When Chancellor Moeser stepped down after 8 successful years leading UNC, he left a strong legacy of institutionalizing sustainable practices and policies at UNC. During his tenure as chancellor, UNC developed a Sustainability Office, implemented a university-wide Sustainability Policy, signed the Community Carbon Reduction Pledge and American College & University President’s Climate Commitment, built a number of “green” buildings (including the first LEED building in the state system), invested in extensive resource conservation projects, and incorporated themes of sustainability into a number of curriculum areas.

This past Sunday, Oct 12, Holden Thorp was inducted as UNC’s 10th chancellor. Already an accomplished scientist, teacher, and entrepreneur, Chancellor Thorp will now be responsible for leading Carolina through a period of dramatically growth and change. This will include the groundbreaking and construction of Carolina North – UNC’s largest single expansion project in history. So how does our new chancellor see sustainability fitting into Carolina’s future?

“Carolina must remain committed to the environment, which has been a topic of research here for nearly two centuries. Our faculty's expertise spans global warming, alternative energy sources, clean air and drinking water, the health of our marine ecosystems, and sustainable development - issues that affect everyone. And with programs in the Institute for the Environment, the College and Public Health, we are even stronger. We must keep pushing these strengths - to lead in the study of the environment and its problems and in devising and providing solutions.

“On campus, we will continue to demonstrate a humble respect for the environment. Sustainability is not just an academic topic. It's part of our culture. It's reflected in everything from our construction program to how we conduct business every day.”

This quote comes directly from Chancellor Thorp’s installation speech. Watch the speech yourself to hear all that he says about sustainability at UNC. Jump to 24:30 on the timeline for the sustainability comments.



Yes, the future looks bright! As Chancellor Thorp would say, “Let it shine!”