This article was recently written by Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It makes a concise and compelling case about the larger impact of environmentalism in our society.
"One of my colleagues at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently met with a leader from a national African-American advocacy organization, and spoke about raising the profile of environmental challenges in minority communities. The response he got was that, though the group shared his concerns, they didn't think they could 'sell' environmentalism to their members.
"Cynical as that sounds, they were probably right. Over the years, environmentalism has largely been seen as an enclave of the privileged. The term 'environmentalism' brings to mind pristine wilderness and wide-open landscapes. What doesn't come to mind is an apartment building, a city block, or an inner city kid who has trouble breathing on hot days. Even issues like climate change are distant concerns for poor and minority citizens (and their advocates) who are struggling daily for equality in education, health care and economic opportunity.
"It's the environmental movement's own inconvenient truth, and it has tragic consequences..."
Check out the recent media coverage of sustainability-related programs and practices at UNC:
How Will Warmer Oceans Affect Sea Life? Scientific American This June, the world's oceans reached 17 degrees Celsius, their highest average temperature since record keeping for these data began in the 19th century. And a new experiment suggests that those balmier waters might mean big changes for the marine food chain. Marine ecologist Mary O'Connor of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill set up five four-liter "microcosms" of seawater filled with microorganisms from the Bogue Sound estuary on the North Carolina coast. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-will-warmer-oceans-affect-sea-life Related Link: http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2009/826/3?rss=1 UNC Release: http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2805/74/
Spize Cafe opens in Raleigh: "Ooh, that gave me a jolt!" Independent Weekly In another online food project, UNC-Chapel Hill students from the school of journalism and mass communication launched their latest multimedia project—Powering a Nation: The Quest for Energy in a Changing USA. It's an impressive site, which features a section titled "The High Energy Diet," that includes an interview with author Michael Pollan discussing our nation's food system and its use of fossil fuel energy. http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A400383
-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/
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is driving more than just job creation at UNC. It's also driving ground-breaking research in a number of areas across campus. UNC-based researchers have been notified of nearly 60 grants or awards since March. This will bring nearly $20 million to our university, and thus also our local community. This is in addition to the five-year, $17.5 million grant for the new UNC-based Energy Frontier Research Center.
To document the impact of this stimulus funding, UNC News Services has created a new website that profiles select projects. Check it out at: http://gazette.unc.edu/stimulus-research.html
If you missed this cover story in today's Daily Tar Heel, you should definitely follow the link below to read it all!
"While other students attempt to absorb the lectures of their morning classes, would-be junior David Baron is likely to be digging waist-deep in a pile of mulch or hacking away at roots with a pickaxe.
"Baron chose to take a year off UNC to found an urban garden which socializes and transitions homeless people into the job market...The community garden, called HOPE Garden, is part of the Campus Y Homeless Outreach and Poverty Eradication committee, which Baron joined his freshman year."
Check out the recent media coverage of sustainability-related programs and practices at UNC:
Warmer oceans may increase food for fish The Thaindian (Thailand) In a new research, scientists have found that plankton, the basis of marine food webs, might grow faster in warmed up oceans. The sheer diversity of ocean food webs has made experts fear it would be impossible to predict how climate change will affect marine ecology. But, Mary O’Connor and colleagues at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, may have solved the problem. http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/warmer-oceans-may-increase-food-for-fish_100237511.html UNC Release: http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2805/74/
Wind farm study favors sound near Buxton, N.C. The Virginia-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.) After measuring wind value and eliminating conflicts with bird migratory patterns, fish habitat and military air space, a new state coastal wind study says the best spot for utility-scale wind energy is in the sound off Buxton. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill feasibility study, requested last year by state Sen. Marc Basnight, D-Manteo, found that most other state waters are unsuitable for wind-energy development. http://hamptonroads.com/2009/08/wind-farm-study-favors-sound-near-buxton-nc
EVER GREEN: Buxton waters best for wind energy, study says (Blog) The Star-News (Wilmington) A new study says the state’s best spot for utility-scale wind energy is in the Pamlico Sound off Buxton. The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk reported that the feasibility study found most other state waters aren’t suitable for wind-energy development. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill conducted the study, which was requested last year by Dare Sen. Marc Basnight. http://green.blogs.starnewsonline.com/10458/ever-green-buxton-waters-best-for-wind-energy-study-says/
-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/
Learn about how to get out on two wheels in the UNC area!
When? 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM on Thursday, August 27
Where? The Pit at UNC (in front of Lenoir, the Union, and Student Stores)
What? Information will be presented about the benefits, personally and environmentally, of bicycling for transportation, how to select a bike and gear, how to navigate the Chapel Hill area safely, and ways to incorporate small daily changes that help cycling become a feasible lifestyle option. Basic bike maintenance, bike and helmet fitting, bike registration, and route finding will be available at the event. Participants in the event may enter to win a free bike from the Bicycle Chain!
This event is sponsored by Counseling and Wellness Services, the Department of Public Safety, The Bicycle Chain, Back Alley Bikes, the Recyclery, and the UNC Sustainability Office.
Mark you calendar! Share the news! UNC Chapel Hill’s Campus Sustainability Day will be held on Tuesday, October 27.
Join us as we celebrate sustainable programs, practices, and accomplishments from across campus with a range of events and promotions. The centerpiece of this year’s celebration will be the presentation of the 2009 Campus Sustainability Report to Chancellor Thorp (1:00 PM, Carolina Union Courtyard, open to the public).
Would you like to highlight your department or campus organization during Campus Sustainability Day? Groups may participate in the campus-wide celebration by:
hosting an exhibit/activity table at the Campus Sustainability Day Celebration (11:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Carolina Union Courtyard);
hosting an independent event, such as a public lecture, film screening, or service project; or
providing material or financial sponsorship of an activity or promotion.
All sustainability-related events or activities on October 27 will be advertised and promoted as part of the University’s campus-wide celebration. Last year had so many activities, we had to expand the event to 3 days! This is a great way for your department or campus organization to reach the wider campus community! If your group is interested in participating, please contact Brian.Cain [at] fac.unc.edu for updates and opportunities.
UNC 2009 research funding totals $716 million – another record high The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s research grants and contracts totaled $716 million in fiscal 2009, the largest amount to date. http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2802/68/
Triangle named No. 4 ‘Nano Metro’ The Triangle Business Journal The Triangle has been ranked as the No. 4 “Nano Metro” in the United States by the Project on Emerging Nano Technologies. ...The ranking is based largely on the number of companies and universities investigating nanotechnology. North Carolina State University has its Nano@NC initiative in the College of Engineering, Duke University has the Center for the Environmental Implications of NanoTechnlogy, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has The Carolina Center of Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence, among other nanotech programs. http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/stories/2009/08/17/daily34.html
Study: Pamlico Sound best area in state for wind energy The Associated Press A new study says the best spot for utility-scale wind energy is in the Pamlico Sound off Buxton along North Carolina's Outer banks. The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk reported that feasibility study found most other state waters aren't suitable for wind-energy development. UNC Chapel Hill researchers conducted the study, which was requested last year by Dare Sen. Marc Basnight. http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/aug/24/study-pamlico-sound-best-area-state-wind-energy/news/
Getting government and nature in line (Opinion-Editorial Column) The News & Observer (Raleigh) Jordan Lake is much in the news lately due to controversy surrounding a proposed development. At issue is whether land for the so-called "751 development" being planned by Southern Durham Development, Inc. falls within the "critical area" around Jordan Lake, in which such high-density development is prohibited. (Philip Berke is a professor in the Department of City & Regional Planning and Institute for the Environment at UNC-Chapel Hill. Dean Urban is a professor in Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. The writers represent a group of collaborators on this issue at N.C. State University, UNC and Duke.) http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/columns/story/1657201.html
Creative, cheap village relocation The Alaska Dispatch Sixty-five miles southeast of here near the west end of Baird Inlet, an experiment began this summer to see if coastal Alaska villages threatened by erosion can be saved for something less than the hundreds of millions of dollars relocation has previously been estimated to cost. (Anna York, a reporter for "Powering a Nation," a News21 project by students of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill, was in Newtok and July and filed this report.) http://www.alaskadispatch.com/news/rural-alaska/1579-creative-cheap-village-relocation
-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/
Fall 2009 internship positions now open! 2 different internships are open! Interviews will be scheduled Aug 31 - Sept 4.
The Sustainability Office at UNC Chapel Hill works with students, staff, faculty, administrators, and community members to catalyze the development and implementation of sustainable policies, practices, and curricula. Interns will become familiar with the many sustainability practices, policies, and curricula at UNC, while receiving hands-on experience developing communication tools, supporting Sustainability Office initiatives, and assessing sustainable practices at UNC Chapel Hill. All internships are competitive and require an in-person interview.
Researching, documenting, and tracking various sustainable practices on campus, closely mirroring the AASHE Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). This project will involve working with a spreadsheet and/or database program to input and track information, though programming skills are not necessary.
Working with partner departments and organizations to document sustainable practices at UNC Chapel Hill. This will involve excellent communication and research skills to fully document accomplishments and practices.
Interpreting information on sustainability programs and practices to identify trends, communicate accomplishments, and provide substantive recommendations for improvements.
Assisting in the facilitation of campus outreach events, as needed. This primarily refers to Campus Sustainability Day (11:00-3:00, Oct. 27).
Required qualifications:
Undergraduate or graduate student at UNC Chapel Hill in good academic standing, or a recent UNC graduate
Availability to intern 10-12 hours per week on a regular schedule for the full duration of the semester
Demonstrated experience/interest in research, particularly institutional research. A strong knowledge of existing sustainability practices and accomplishments at UNC is highly desirable.
Strong interpersonal skills, persistence, and initiative. Much of this data has not been collected previously. Developing good working relationships with campus departments able to access/develop this data will be key to the project’s ongoing success.
Demonstrated understanding and interest in sustainability
Willingness to assist with special projects and department events as needed (e.g. hosting table at special event, distributing light bulbs, etc.)
Ability to work independently and receive feedback
Internship 2: Campus Community Outreach Internship (1 internship position available)
Responsibilities and projects will include:
Assisting in the coordination and facilitation of campus outreach events, including Campus Sustainability Day (11:00-3:00, Oct. 27).
Developing communication tools and facilitating programs that promote energy conservation amongst students, faculty, and staff.
Writing copy for publications that document and promote sustainable practices, policies, and programs on campus.
Developing and promoting the “Carolina Green” pledge campaign.
Updating and maintaining web-based outreach, including websites, Facebook profile, blog, Google Maps, online calendars, and more.
Working with partner departments and organizations to document sustainable practices at UNC Chapel Hill and other peer universities.
Required qualifications:
Undergraduate or graduate student at UNC Chapel Hill in good academic standing, or a recent UNC graduate
Availability to intern 10-12 hours per week on a regular schedule for the full duration of the semester
Demonstrated understanding and interest in sustainability
Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate information such that it is personal and relevant to audiences
Willingness to assist with special projects and department events as needed (e.g. hosting table at special event, distributing light bulbs, etc.)
Ability to work independently and collaboratively
How to apply for all internship positions: Applications for the Fall 2009 semester are now being accepted. Interviews will be conducted August 31 – September 4. To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to: Brian Cain, Research & Outreach Manager, UNC Sustainability Office E-mail: Brian.Cain [at] fac.unc.edu
*Be sure your cover letter explains what unique skills or experience you would bring to our team! Participation in student organizations, artistic or technical skills, website or programming experience, and your academic concentration are just a few examples of qualities you may wish to highlight.
Academic Credit for all internship positions: While internship positions are currently unpaid, they may satisfy internship credits in some academic departments. The Research & Outreach Manager serves as the internship coordinator and is responsible for communication with the participating academic supervisor, if necessary. However, students are ultimately responsible for coordinating such credit opportunities in their respective departments.
Check out the recent media coverage of sustainability-related programs and practices at UNC:
These days, school colors are green Independent Weekly From water-free urinals to trayless dining halls, college campuses have been making strides in becoming more environmentally friendly. Here are several green innovations undertaken by the Triangle's major universities. http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A399720
Campus Y matches students with social activism Independent Weekly Sometimes it's very simple to help other people. You can volunteer, give money to charity or even help your friend move into a new apartment. But when you want to help a whole country or group of people, it can get a lot more complicated. Enter the Campus Y at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, which matches students with social activism groups. http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A399716
Green Life: It's go time for commuters The Gazette (Montreal, Canada) ...An American study published this summer found that people who got to work without using cars were in better health than those who drove. The study followed more than 2,000 middle-aged urbanites and found that those who biked or walked even part of the way to work did better on treadmill tests than people who did not. The men had healthier results than women for their body mass index, insulin levels, and blood pressure, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found. The study's authors say that's probably because the women biked or walked less vigorously. http://www.montrealgazette.com/travel/Green+Life+time+commuters/1900331/story.html UNC Release: http://uncnews.unc.edu/content/view/2695/71/
-Thanks to UNC News Services for finding some of 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/
This week marks the return of the UNC Sustainability Update sent to all of our listserv members! While there is some overlap between the blog and the listserv update, the listserv update includes additional items such as job/internship postings and regional/national events.
While the following article makes mention of UNC and Chapel Hill, it is perhaps more interesting for its perspective on North Carolina's push towards green job creation. Rural vs. urban is an interesting debate. However, the debate around the transition to a more sustainable economy is key.
N.C. is a state in transition The Charlotte Observer ...The contrasting votes were yet another sign that North Carolina is a state in the middle, pulled in multiple directions as it makes the transition from a rural state to an urban and suburban one. The struggle shows in much of what the legislature did this year – in debates on issues ranging from tax reform to environmental protection. ...“It isn't urban like the Northeast, but we've created these sprawling metro areas,” said Ferrel Guillory, director of UNC Chapel Hill's program on public life. “Yet we remain, in our traditions and our historical legacy where there's a lot of ruralism alive.” http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaking/story/890624.html
-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/
Welcome to our regular Monday-morning blog feature, where we share easy tips and DIY projects that you can do this week to live more sustainably!
If you haven't already setup your sustainability profile at MakeMeSustainable, you can start by visiting http://makemesustainable.com. If you live in Chapel Hill/Carrboro, you'll automatically join our local group! The Chapel Hill/Carrboro “carbon tree” already has over 280 members who have reduced their annual emissions by over 70 tons. Join us!
This week's project: Eating sustainably on a budget It seems like everyone is short on cash these days. As folks look to trim costs, there is a misconception that this means foregoing the sustainable dining options that are locally and/or organically grown. Fortunately, there are a number of strategies that can help you eat green without spending too much green!
Prioritize and purchase the foods where organic is most important - both for your health and the environment. Click here for a guide.
Use common ingredients to simplify your shopping list.
Eat mostly plants, as organic animal products can be more expensive. Eating lower on the food chain also has a plethora of health and environmental benefits.
Buy local by joining a CSA or visiting the local farmers market.
Start your own vegetable and/or herb garden.
Buy and eat foods that are in season.
Buy only what you need.
Buy dry goods that require preparation. They last longer and are usually less expensive. For example, dried beans, rice, etc.
Buy from bulk bins, which reduces packaging waste and is generally less expensive. Grocery stores such as Whole Foods sometimes have this option for items such as coffee, honey, flour, tea, granola, cereal, etc.
Pay with cash to limit spending.
If you live on campus and don't do much grocery shopping, you still have lots of ways to green your dining.
Eat lower on the food chain to reduce your environmental footprint.
Look for foods marked "Local" or "Organic" in the dining halls.
Look for special food offerings such as cage-free eggs and local grass-fed beef that appear on the menu.
Only take the food you will eat to reduce waste and costs.
Make sure you use a reusable "to go" container, rather than Styrofoam.
Bicycles don’t grow on trees. Bamboo is a grass, technically, and Craig Calfee, a bicycle designer from Santa Cruz, joined forces with two other Californians and two men from Zambia with the goal of creating bamboo bicycles. They wanted to make sustainable bikes that were strong enough to handle the rough local terrain, as well as to provide jobs for the community. The product, Zambikes, were so successful that the recently-taught Zambian mechanics took the bamboo bike idea further, creating cargo bikes, bike trailers, and bike-drawn ambulances, nicknamed “zambulances.”
The bicycle frames are slowly and meticulously crafted by the hands of Zambians who were taught mechanical and design skills. Mr. Calfee hopes to soon sell some of the bikes in the US.
With a price tag of $900 for a finished bike, these may not seem fit for the casual rider. However, if you consider the long-lasting durability of bamboo, coupled with the benefits of supporting a hand-crafted, environmentally-sustainable product and the cool-factor of being able to say your bicycle is made of bamboo, they are well worth the price.
Welcome to our regular Monday-morning blog feature, where we share easy tips and DIY projects that you can do this week to live more sustainably!
If you haven't already setup your sustainability profile at MakeMeSustainable, you can start by visiting http://makemesustainable.com. If you live in Chapel Hill/Carrboro, you'll automatically join our local group! The Chapel Hill/Carrboro “carbon tree” already has over 280 members who have reduced their annual emissions by over 70 tons. Join us!
This week's project: Saving energy on laundry day Unless you own a spa, the clothes washer & dryer are among the most energy-intensive appliances in your home (see the US Department of Energy). You can save a LOT of energy by changing your "laundry day" routine a bit. Here a few ideas - find the ones that are right for you:
The easiest, cheapest option is to not have "laundry day" so regularly. Unless you were sweating in the hot sun or rolling in the mud, you can probably wear those clothes more than once between wash/dry cycles. Why waste the time and money to clean clothes that aren't really dirty yet?
Run a full load. Easy. Do it.
Wash your clothes with cold water, not hot or warm. Most, if not all, detergents clean just as well in cold water...and it saves a lot of energy. You'll never know the difference, so this is an easy change. If you need more convincing on this, I recommend the video at the bottom of this post.
Air dry your clothes as much as possible. If you have limited space (e.g. a dorm room), you may be able to selectively air-dry at least 1 load of laundry. What will dry quickly when hanging out? Usually athletic garments (e.g. synthetics like Under Armour and light cottons like gym shorts) do well. So when you wash all your stinky gym clothes together, hang them out to dry together! Don't waste the $$ on an unnecessary dryer cycle.
If you would like to learn about how else to "green" your laundry day, check out the following post by Collin Dunn at Planet Green. It includes great info on buying a new washer/dryer, making your own laundry detergent, and much more background info on making your laundry day more sustainable: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-laundry/green-laundry-basics.html
We saw this video and just HAD to share it with you! The music's not great, but the idea is genius - grow a garden in an otherwise unused truck bed. For all you dorm & apartment dwellers, this could definitely be a fun way to grow your own greens & vegetables!
Episode 1: Pretty good explanation of the green roof & the substrate.
Episode 2: Great solar-powered time lapse footage of the garden.
Fare-free transit benefits residents, clears traffic, air (Opinion-Editorial Column) The Chapel Hill Herald Free is all the rage now. Yahoo e-mail comes with infinite disk space. Google searches are free. The hip bands are making their music available online for nothing. It goes on. ...More important, our partnership to provide fare-free transit shows just how seriously the university, Chapel Hill and Carrboro take our commitment to improve the environment. The reduction of vehicles traveling in this area -- particularly those with only one occupant -- because of the availability of fare-free transit has vastly improved our air quality. (Holden Thorp is chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.) http://heraldsun.southernheadlines.com/opinion/columnists/guests_ch/110-1187000.cfm
New UNC energy policy regulates building temperatures The Herald-Sun (Durham) Students returning to UNC's campus next month might find temperatures inside classrooms a little warmer than usual or a little cooler than normal during winter months. Under a new "Energy Use Policy" recently adopted, UNC officials want thermostats set no lower than 78 degrees during summer months or higher than 69 degrees during cooler weather. http://heraldsun.southernheadlines.com/orange/10-1187209.cfm
Reclaiming the Water "Green Ideas" Insider Higher Ed ...“We had a drought in this area in 2002," said Raymond E. DuBose, director of energy services at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “It was an eye-opener for us all. Our reservoir got very, very low and the entire community, including the university, felt threatened because of that drought. The reality is we could have run out of water.”...The system went into operation in April, and the estimated reduction in use of drinking water is currently about 660,000 gallons per day -- equaling about 30 percent of UNC’s total demand. The university expects that the use of reclaimed water will increase in the future, to 1.5 to 2 million gallons a day, or more. ("Green Ideas" spotlights different strategies, large and small, that colleges are adopting in attempts to reduce their environmental impact.) http://www.insidehighered.com/layout/set/dialog/news/2009/07/31/greenideas
Green Plus program gets big boost The Herald-Sun (Durham) The Green Plus program developed at UNC, championed in its early stages by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce and now headquartered in Chapel Hill got a national boost Friday in its mission to help small- and midsize businesses become better environmental stewards. The American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) announced that it will partner with the Institute for Sustainable Development to offer the Green Plus program to chamber members. http://heraldsun.southernheadlines.com/orange/10-1189493.cfm
Collegiate altruists to converge on UNC The Herald-Sun (Durham) Building sustainable gardens in Argentina, constructing chicken coops in Tanzania and building an irrigation system in Bolivia are examples of projects performed by Nourish International, an organization that is hosting its second annual Summer Institute that will take place on the UNC campus from Thursday to Aug. 10. ...Nourish International, also simply referred to as Nourish, is a nonprofit organization based in Chapel Hill. Founded in 2003 by a UNC student, Nourish started as a UNC student group called "Hunger Lunch." http://heraldsun.southernheadlines.com/orange/10-1189965.cfm
N.C. should embrace mission to develop alternatives to oil (Editorial) The Star-News (Wilmington) North Carolina is at the center of the energy debate – the ongoing tug-of-war between those who insist we must drill wherever we can for whatever oil and natural gas remain and those who would turn out the light on old energy in favor of “clean” energy sources...Even more encouraging, however, was a report from a UNC-Chapel Hill professor who suggested that wind energy is not only feasible for some parts of coastal North Carolina – such as near Morehead City – but also could be produced at a competitive cost. http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20090730/ARTICLES/907309996
Roses and Raspberries (Editorial) The Chapel Hill News Raspberries to whoever stole a trailer full of empty oyster shells from behind Squid's Restaurant. UNC microbiologist Chris Elkins collects the spent shells from Squid's for the Coastal Conservation Association. Every three weeks he drives the trailer full down to the coast, where the N.C. Coastal Federation uses them to prevent erosion, protect marshland and preserve fish and wildlife habitat at Jones Island. The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries also uses oyster shells to help promote the formation of oyster reefs. http://www.chapelhillnews.com/opinion/story/51325.html
Backyard gardeners get serious, reclaim farmland The News & Observer (Raleigh) Darin Knapp and Jane Saiers are science geeks by profession, gardeners by hobby. But these days their hobby has become a second occupation -- so much so they can now be called farmers. This summer, they started selling blueberries at the Hillsborough Farmers Market. ...Knapp, 45, is a neuroscientist at UNC-Chapel Hill, and Saiers, 44, owns her own medical communications company and works from home. http://www.newsobserver.com/139/story/65725.html
-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/
When many people think about the effects of sea level rise and erosion due to global warming, they usually imagine tropics and nearby coastal areas, such as the North Carolina Outer Banks, much of Florida, or the island nations of the South Pacific. However, here is an interesting account of displacement caused to villagers from the small coastal Alaskan town of Newtok. This video is from “Powering a Nation” - an experimental multimedia news website from UNC's School of Journalism and Mass Communication that explores U.S. energy use and its impacts. Check it out:
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has launched an experimental multimedia news Web site that explores U.S. energy use and its relationship to the country’s demographics.
“Powering a Nation” (www.poweringanation.org) is Carolina’s contribution to the News21 project led by eight of the 12 top journalism programs participating in the Carnegie-Knight Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education funded by the Carnegie Corp. of New York and John S. and James L. Knight Foundation in Miami, Fla.
Ten Carolina journalism students selected as News21 fellows have been working since January with faculty – joined by two students from Harvard University and the University of Missouri – to produce stories about wind farms, the electrical grid, mountaintop removal, coal activists, biofuels, religious response to environmental issues and other topics.
The project includes interviews with Michael Pollan, author of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”; a Michigan pastor who organizes collaboration between scientists and evangelicals; coal miners and coal activists in Ohio; and families facing energy obstacles.
The stories are presented as feature articles, multimedia documentaries, motion graphics, blog posts and games. An interactive energy challenge game allows users to track their energy use and get personalized tips for conservation. Users can compare their energy profiles with others by using online social networks.
Students also are blogging and using a Twitter feed to document the process of the project and to reach targeted audiences for their stories.
“We want to provide transparency in the journalistic process as the stories unfold,” said News21 fellow Courtney Woo. “We invite our audiences to comment and engage with us as we tackle the complicated issues surrounding what it takes to power a nation.”
News21 is short for News for the 21st Century: Incubators of New Ideas, an effort to advance the U.S. news business by helping revitalize journalism schools and creating a stronger voice for them in the news industry. The project's goal is to attract new and younger audiences with innovative reporting on issues.
“Changing demographics and energy use is a critical issue in North Carolina and the nation,” said Jean Folkerts, dean of the school. “And it is a topic through which we can showcase the innovative journalistic techniques we’re teaching at the school. I think we distinguish ourselves at Carolina by preparing our students to complete all aspects of this kind of project, including the advanced levels of design and programming required for interactivity and audience participation in the site.
“The project has an enormous impact on the school. Students and faculty who are specialists in broadcast, digital media, print and photography are working together in a single newsroom to focus on a serious issue for the country,” Folkerts said. “We welcome mainstream media to use the content, or build on it, to deliver important energy information to a larger population.”
Eight of the News21 fellows graduated this spring or summer. New fellows will be chosen in the fall to expand on the “Powering a Nation” concept, and students in a marketing course will design marketing plans to be implemented next year. Carolina will host incubators through 2011.
Welcome to our regular Monday-morning blog feature, where we share easy tips and DIY projects that you can do this week to live more sustainably!
If you haven't already setup your sustainability profile at MakeMeSustainable, you can start by visiting http://makemesustainable.com. If you live in Chapel Hill/Carrboro, you'll automatically join our local group! The Chapel Hill/Carrboro “carbon tree” already has over 280 members who have reduced their annual emissions by over 70 tons. Join us!
This week's project: Giving "trash" a second life Ever since winning a "trash art" contest as a child, I've been interested in all the creative ways in which folks reuse their trash. If you need some help thinking of new uses for your old stuff, I would like to direct your attention to the following "13 Trash-to-Craft Ideas" post recently written by Kim Carlson. She has fun reuse ideas for tissue box & baby wipe containers, yogurt & cream cheese containers, old photos, glass jars, aluminum cans, old popsicle sticks, crayon nubs, and more!
