Earth Week: Sunday, April 26

Earth Week is officially underway! Check the schedule and join in the fun! Events are scheduled all across campus April 18-26. All events, unless otherwise noted, are FREE and open to the public. For a full schedule, please visit http://sustainability.unc.edu/

TODAY:

Plants that Trap Insects—An Earth Day Family Workshop

Time: 2-4 PM

Location: North Carolina Botanical Garden

Contact: North Carolina Botanical Garden

Description: Coinciding with Earth Day AND the time that the pitcher plants in our extensive carnivorous plant collection are flowering. Bob Palmatier, certified environmental educator, has designed this program for scientifically inclined and curious elementary and middle school students (3rd - 7th graders accompanied by an adult). Fee: $15/person, $25/family ($10/person or $20/family for NCBG members). Materials fee TBA.

Click here for the EARTH WEEK FLYER!

Earth Week: Saturday, April 25

Earth Week is officially underway! Check the schedule and join in the fun! Events are scheduled all across campus April 18-26. All events, unless otherwise noted, are FREE and open to the public. For a full schedule, please visit http://sustainability.unc.edu/

TODAY:

Hard-Hat Tours of the Garden's New, Green Education Center

Time: 10-11 AM

Location: North Carolina Botanical Garden

Contact: North Carolina Botanical Garden

Description: Join North Carolina Botanical Garden director Dr. Peter White for a special tour of the Education Center under construction at the Garden. The 1-hour tour will introduce you to environmental systems like the geothermal heat wells, the photovoltaic panels, rain water collection systems, and many other design features. 20 people maximum for these tours, so please call 962-0522 to reserve a space .

Click here for the EARTH WEEK FLYER!

Earth Week: Friday, April 24

Earth Week is officially underway! Check the schedule and join in the fun! Events are scheduled all across campus April 18-26. All events, unless otherwise noted, are FREE and open to the public. For a full schedule, please visit http://sustainability.unc.edu/

TODAY:

Sustainable Living Community Fair

Time: 6 PM

Location: The Pit

Contact: The Sustainability Living Community (Gabe McGowan, gabemcg [at] email.unc.edu, Sarah Dugan, sdugan[at] email.unc.edu)

Description: The Sustainability Community has been working throughout this whole year to understand how living sustainably is possible in campus. Groups include food, enviromental justice, recycling, media, wellness and conservation and energy. Jerry Markatos will be our guest speaker on sustainability in media.

Spring Garden Grow Down

Time: 4-7 PM

Location: The Carolina Garden Co-op's new plot at the end of Wilson Rd. off Cameron Ave.

Contact: Carolina Garden Coop (Bryce Koukopoulos, bkoukopoulos [at] gmail.com)

Description: Join the Carolina Garden Co-Op as we celebrate Spring and the start of the growing season! The Grow Down is a family-friendly community event featuring carnival games, baking contests, cake walks, live music and a square dance!

Click here for the EARTH WEEK FLYER!

Act Today: Spring Edition

A new edition of "Act Today," a chronicle of sustainability at UNC, is now available! This Spring 2009 edition focuses on solar energy. Just click on the image above to open the PDF!

"Act Today" is a print & online newsletter published by the UNC Sustainability Office to inform the campus community about academics, research, public service, and operations that promote campus sustainability. Publication has now moved to a more regular quarterly schedule, so please send us your story suggestions and feedback!

Earth Week: Thursday, April 23

Earth Week is officially underway! Check the schedule and join in the fun! Events are scheduled all across campus April 18-26. All events, unless otherwise noted, are FREE and open to the public. For a full schedule, please visit http://sustainability.unc.edu/

TODAY:

Tour of Battle Park by Battle Park Curator Stephen Keith

Time: 2-3 PM

Location: Battle Park

Contact: Stephen Keith, North Carolina Botanical Garden

Description: Come join us for a tour of Battle Park that will focus on the successful ecological restoration activities of UNC Student groups and the historical significance of UNC Student involvement in this treasured campus jewel. We'll tour the trails, see successful restoration sites, and discuss how to best tackle current management challenges. We will meet in the picnic area near Forest Theatre's gravel parking lot at 2 pm.

Click here for the EARTH WEEK FLYER!

Earth Week: Wednesday, April 22

Earth Week is officially underway! Check the schedule and join in the fun! Events are scheduled all across campus April 18-26. All events, unless otherwise noted, are FREE and open to the public. For a full schedule, please visit http://sustainability.unc.edu/

TODAY:

Earth Day Celebration featuring UNC environmental groups

Time: 10 AM - 2 PM

Location: Polk Place quad

Contact: Environmental Affairs Committee

Description: Celebrate the Earth and all of our environmental campus organizations. Bring your blankets, lunch, musical instruments, anything you want to tie-dye or screen print (Vorace Tee), frisbees, etc!

Multidisciplinary Teach-in

Time: All day

Location: Select classrooms

Contact: Focus the Nation (Fern Braun, fbraun [at] email.unc.edu)

Description: TBA

Speaker: John Replogle, President & CEO, Burt’s Bees

Time: 5:30 PM

Location: Koury Auditorium, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School

Contact: Center for Sustainable Enterprise

Description: Free and open to the public

Green Jobs Panel (flyer)

Time: 7-9 PM

Location: Sonja Haynes Stone Center Theatre

Contact: Danielle Del Sol, Institute for the Environment

Description: What are "green-collar" jobs? How can they help find graduating students meaningful jobs despite trying economic times? How can the development of sustainable and earth-friendly technologies and sectors help get the economy back on track? Join the UNC Institute for the Environment and others for a fascinating panel on the future of green-collar jobs and the development of the green economy in North Carolina and beyond. Expert panelists include Joseph James, Purpose Prize winner and CEO of Corporation for Economic Opportunity; John Hardin, Acting Executive Director of the North Carolina Board of Science and Technology, and Larry Shirley, Secretary of the NC State Energy Office. The panel will be moderated by Dr. James Johnson, Director of the Urban Investment Strategies Center and the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, and William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Click here for the EARTH WEEK FLYER!

Easy ways to "green" your routine

Today's edition of the Daily Tar Heel featured a few suggestions from us on how you can be "Carolina Green". Here are a few more to help you make a positive change this Earth Day:

1. How sustainable are you? How sustainable are your friends? Find out by starting a profile at MakeMeSustainable.com, locally administrated by UNC’s Institute for the Environment. This site is an “ecological footprint” calculator AND social network! Start building your tree now.
   
   
2. Did you know that UNC has phased out the use of incandescent bulbs? Unless incandescent bulbs are required for security or special functions, everyone should be using more efficient lights, such as fluorescent lighting (compact fluorescent lamps or CFLs). If you see someone on campus still using an incandescent bulb in their lamp, remind them to switch to a more efficient compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) as soon as possible.
   
   
3. Live on campus? Learn about which air system your dorm room uses and see how much control you have over changing the room’s settings. If you have a window unit, turn the temperature down in the winter and up in the summer. If your heating/cooling is on the University’s central steam/chilled water system, cooler is actually more efficient year-round.
   
   
4. Cell phones, laptops, and most rechargeable items only need a couple hours to fully recharge, not all night. Recharge while you study and unplug when it is fully charged.
   
   
5. Put an end to selfish electronics! Unplug appliances when not in use since they draw electricity even when turned off. Also, use a power strip to connect your appliances and turn it off when not in use. As an added bonus, they're convenient and stylish.
   
   
6. Everyone on campus has a computer, and computers are notorious energy hogs. Manually change your computer’s power options or download special energy friendly software. For PC users: go to control panel and click the “Performance and Maintenance” icon then click the “Power Options”. Change your power scheme or modify your current power scheme by changing the settings.
   
   
7. See a green handle on the toilet? These are the dual-flush toilets that can be found across campus. Conserve water by pushing up for #1. Only push down for #2, which requires more water.
   
   
8. It’s hotter to use cold water…when you do laundry. With concentrated detergents these days, most clothes can get just as clean in cold water. Why waste the energy and money on wasteful warm laundry?
   
   
9. Disposal food containers represent a lot of unnecessary waste. When eating at either Lenoir or Rams Head Dining Halls, replace your trashy Styrofoam with a reusable “to go” food container ($3.50). When shopping, replace your wasteful plastic grocery bags with a reusable tote bag at Rams Head Market and Carolina House of Dogs ($1.50).
   
   
10. Reduce waste by limiting how much mail you receive. Do you really need personal newspaper and magazine subscriptions on campus? UNC Libraries already have subscriptions to hundreds of newspapers and magazines. Save your money and your mailbox by visiting the Undergraduate Library or Davis Library.
    
    
11. Drink from a reusable cup throughout each day. Look for the “One Less Cup” sticker at The Daily Grind, Alpine Bagel, and other on-campus eateries. Put it on your reusable mug to show your support for reducing waste and receive a discount!
    
    
12. One of the easiest ways to have a direct, positive impact on your community and the global environment is to buy and eat locally! On campus, look for the “Local” sign at the dining halls and Rams Head Market. In the community, consider patronizing the Carrboro Farmers Market on Saturday mornings (http://www.carrborofarmersmarket.com).
    
    
13. Lastly, get involved with campus “green” programs and events. Your best resource is the new website CarolinaGreen.unc.edu. It is an easy, one-stop directory of all things “green” at UNC. Are you Carolina Green?

So what do you think of these simple tips? Try to incorporate some or all of these to make your daily routine more environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable!

Earth Week: Tuesday, April 21

Earth Week is officially underway! Check the schedule and join in the fun! Events are scheduled all across campus April 18-26. All events, unless otherwise noted, are FREE and open to the public. For a full schedule, please visit http://sustainability.unc.edu/

TODAY:

Farmers Market

Time: 10 AM - 2 PM

Location: Polk Place quad

Contact: FLO Foods

Description: Area farmers offer up the fruits of their labors!

Green-Theme Meal

Time: 4:30 - 8:30 PM

Location: Rams Head Dining Hall

Contact: Carolina Dining Services

Description: Students can use their meal plans at dinner. For those who don’t have a Meal Plan, the door rate is $9.25.

Our Vanishing Night

Time: 7:30 PM

Location: Morehead Planetarium and Science Center

Contact: Morehead Planetarium and Science Center

Description: During this program, we'll use the Zeiss VI star projector to reveal how light pollution — the illumination of Earth's atmosphere by outdoor lighting — dims the thousands of stars and other celestial objects found in a natural dark sky. Following the Star Theater presentation, join us for a short walking tour to consider how lighting can be designed to improve visibility and safety, while also minimizing light pollution and energy use. Back at the Morehead sundial, telescopes will be active. Be sure to check out Saturn.

Click here for the EARTH WEEK FLYER!

UNC wins Organic Composting and Recycling Award!

What a way to kick-off Earth Week!

The Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling has just announced that UNC Chapel Hill has won the Carolina Recycling Association’s annual award for Outstanding Composting or Organics Recycling Program! This achievement is the result of three campus groups: Carolina Dining Services (CDS), the Department of Lab and Animal Medicine (DLAM), and the Grounds Department. Together the recycling efforts of these three groups make up 38% of this year’s total campus recycling. The collection of animal bedding by DLAM accounts for almost 16% of the total campus waste diversion by weight. Food waste collection by Carolina Dining Services is almost 14% and the yard waste processing by Grounds is another 8%. All total, 2.3 million pounds of food waste, animal bedding and yard waste were composted or recycled from campus last year.

Read all about this honor on the official press release at:
http://www.fac.unc.edu/wastereduction/trend/cra%202009%20compost%20press%20release.pdf

Earth Week: Monday, April 20

Earth Week is officially underway! Check the schedule and join in the fun! Events are scheduled all across campus April 18-26. All events, unless otherwise noted, are FREE and open to the public. For a full schedule, please visit http://sustainability.unc.edu/

TODAY:

Spare-the-Air

Time: All day

Location: School of Government

Contact: School of Government (Mary Tiger, mwtiger [at] sog.unc.edu)

Description: The School of Government will celebrate Spare-the-Air day by taking pledges from faculty, staff and students to take alternative transportation to work or school that day. We will have a mug contest and donation. Mugs will be used to replace paper coffee cups in the employee lounge. Keenan McDonald, a local farmer, and Sybil Tate, MPA student and local foods expert, will host a brown-bag lunch seminar on the importance of local food. Later in the week, students and staff will conduct a dumpster dive.

UNC Coal Power Plant Rally

Time: booth 10 AM - 2 PM, rally at 11:50 AM

Location: Polk Place

Contact: SWEAT (jlisetts [at] email.unc.edu)

Description: UNC students unable to attend the Stop Cliffside Power Plant Rally in Charlotte, NC will be having an analogous event on the UNC campus. Following the recent classification of the coal power plant as a "minor" source of pollution by the NC Division of Air Quality (DAQ), students will be tabling to raise awareness on the future destruction that will be caused by the construction of the power plant. Concerned citizens will also be sending petitions and citizen's complaints addressing Gov. Perdue and the NC Division of Air Quality (DAQ), accompanied by a rally in the quad around midday.

Green Architecture Panel: How to Make Buildings Ethical, Functional and Practical (flyer)

Time: 6:30 - 7:45 PM, followed by reception

Location: Michael Hooker Research Center, Lower Level Auditorium 0001

Contact: Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee (RESPC)

Description: A panel discussion on The Challenges of Green Architecture: How to Make Buildings Ethical, Functional and Practical. Panelists include: Mary Jane Nirdlinger, University Land Use Planner; Tom O'Dwyer, President of Green Hybrid Homes; and Michael Chandler, Architect and President of Chandler Design-Build. Moderator: Cindy Shea, Director of UNC Sustainability Office. Discussion will include Carolina Commons, a 166-unit housing community for individuals affiliated with UNC; Pushing the envelope on energy efficiency and sustainable materials; and New certication programs for residential builders and realtors.

Speaker: Larry Gibson, Mountain Top Removal Activist

Time: 7 PM

Location: Union Room 3411

Contact: SWEAT (jlisetts [at] email.unc.edu)

Description: Larry Gibson, a native West Virginian recently featured as a CNN Hero in the piece "Larry Gibson: Defending the Planet", will be speaking following a brief introduction of mountain top removal. Larry Gibson's family has lived on or near Kayford Mountain since the late 1700's. Larry and his family used to live on the lowest lying part of the mountain, and looked "up" to the mountain peaks that surrounded them. Since 1986, the slow motion destruction of Kayford Mountain has been continuous -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Eighteen years after the "mountain top removal" project began, Larry Gibson now occupies the highest point of land around; he is enveloped by a 12,000 acre pancake in what was previously a mountain range.

Click here for the EARTH WEEK FLYER!

Coen Brothers Compost during the shooting of their New Film

A little composting can go a long way. Shannon Schaefer, production secretary for A Serious Man took charge of the sustainability issues on the set and ended up diverting 11 tons of waste from the landfill! Part of this was through the use of water coolers and reusable containers instead of plastic or Styrofoam cups, but most of it was through the composting of food waste.

From the article:

Surprisingly, 74 percent of the refuse went to compost, including virtually everything from catering and craft services - fruits, vegetables, meat, bones, dairy, paper and corn eating utensils (plates, napkins, cups, forks, knives). “Basically anything that was once an animal or a plant is now compost,” Schaefer said.

Good thing the UNC cafeteria has embraced this principle long ago!

Notes from the 41st Annual Foard Jr. Memorial Lecture: Cradle-to-Crade Design

During this speech on Wednesday, Bill McDonough presented a new idea for living in a world of consumption surrounded by “stuff”. Why should we limit ourselves in our production? Self-denial and restraint may not be the answers to living an environmentally conscious life. Instead, McDonough advocated celebrating life and the nice things that surround us, but perhaps adopting a new design plan. The goal is not to be “less bad” but to truly be “good” by creating products that are not discarded as waste but create food for the future.

Waste = Food

If the products that are produced do not contain toxins and can fluidly be recycled back into the system with nothing being lost, we are creating food for future life. For example Cradle-to-Cradle certified carpet can be recycled back into carpet without an ounce being wasted. The backing is not toxic, and the yarn contains no synthetics. After the carpet is no longer needed, everything is removed, separated and make into new carpet.

Other things that cannot be remade into other things, should be able to break down completely to create food for plants and animals. Books, cloth, leather, and wood can be completely clean inputs for a composting, if they are treated without environmentally harmful chemicals.

Lets take an example from nature. We do not get angry at a tree for producing too many blossoms in the spring (have you looked outside recently?!) because even though the blossoms do not all produce fruit in the end, they recycle neatly back into nature. This is not efficient but it is nature’s design principle. Yet plastic accumulated in the Pacific gyre outnumbers zooplankton 6:1. This is not overproduction we can celebrate. Even more than that, we cannot afford to waste plastics, which are made from non-renewable fossil fuels. As fossil fuels become more expensive we need to rely on the fossil fuels we have transformed into plastic to be the raw material for future production.

What if we took this example and applied it to buildings? One of the buildings designed by McDonough + Partners produces more energy than it uses and it contains its own water purification system. Sometimes overproduction can be a good thing.

On Our Bookshelf and in the Classroom

Don’t forget to register for the William McDonough talk which is today at the Friday Center! As of yesterday it was not too late to register to attend the book signing and talk by Time Magazine’s Hero of the Planet and the author of Cradle to Cradle.

In Cradle to Cradle McDonough discusses the lifecycle of products created by the industrial system. Usually these things are not meant to last and go directly to the “grave” creating waste. Even some products that can be recycled such as plastics are often “downcycled” making them into lower grade plastics that end up in the landfill eventually. McDonough proposes a case for a better alternative by completely rethinking the industrial process. Creating products that can be completely recycled back into nature by breaking down into biological nutrients without any toxic byproducts or synthetics is one way to close the waste loop. Alternatively products can be “upcycled” for use by transforming waste into new products without decreasing their quality or value.

In addition to being an author, McDonough is also an architect and designer. His architectural firm William McDonough + Partners is responsible for the Greenbridge development on Rosemary Street in Chapel Hill, a building meant to be the model of sustainable design and green building.

Today McDonough will present his vision of the possibilities of an environmentally and economically intelligent future of design. This is one talk not to miss!

When: Wednesday April 1, 2009
5:00pm Reception and Book Signing
6:00pm Lecture

Where: William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education
100 Friday Center Drive
Chapel Hill

Free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Advance Registration required

Register here

More about Bill McDonough: http://www.mcdonough.com/