UNC Sustainability Update - Upcoming Events

Today's UNC Sustainability Update includes the following headlines:

• Pre-Christmas Market


• Solar Fuels: Catalysis and Conversion


• Soils and the Sustainability of Civilizations


• Clinton Global Initiative University 2011


• An Evening with Terry Tempest Williams: Conservationist and Nature Writer


• Water Efficiency Workshop at the School of Government


• And more!

Click here to read the full UNC Sustainability Update.

Click here to join the UNC Sustainability Listserv.

Carolina in the News

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

Seafloor Samples Show Troubling Effects Of Oil Spill
"All Things Considered" National Public Radio
...Her colleague, Andreas Teske from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, says most of this "pudding" is probably oil from the BP well that has since passed through the digestive systems of all sorts of animals on its way to the seafloor. Teske says it reminds him a lot of the spring algae blooms that can choke coastal bays. "We think something similar has happened here," he says. "It was not a spring bloom, but an 'oil bloom,' and we are looking right now at the remnants of this oil bloom."
Click here to read more.

-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

Carolina in the News

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

Study: N.C. has 'great potential' for offshore wind power
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
North Carolina could have the most viable offshore wind power on the East Coast, with the ability to bring power to hundreds of thousands of homes and generate up to 20,000 new manufacturing jobs, according to a new study by the National Wildlife Foundation. ...That’s based on studies from the Department of Energy and UNC-Chapel Hill.
Click here to read more.

Gifts can help make good nutrition easier (Column)
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
Gift-giving is a pleasure, even more so when choices combine thoughtfulness with practicality. This year, nearly all of us could use gifts that inspire and make it easier to take care of our diets and health. The first idea is about making it easier to cook meals at home. The more often you can fix your own food, the more control you'll have over what goes into your body. (Suzanne Havala Hobbs is a registered dietitian and a clinical assistant professor in the department of health policy and administration in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill.)
Click here to read more.

-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

Carolina in the News

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

Drilling banned; eyes turn to wind
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
President Barack Obama on Wednesday declared North Carolina's coastal waters and the rest of the Atlantic Ocean off-limits to drilling for oil and gas, reversing a policy his administration established this spring - just weeks before an oil platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. ...The state has "great potential" for offshore wind power, thanks to its shallow waters, lengthy coastline and excellent wind speeds, according to the report. That's based on studies from the U.S. Department of Energy and UNC Chapel Hill.
Click here to read more.

New Hanover trying to keep contract awards local
The Star News (Wilmington)
In these tough economic times, should a local company that missed being the lowest bidder by less than $700 on a nearly $33,000 government contract get the business anyway? ..."Practically, economically speaking, there are definitely some issues about it," said Eileen Youens, an assistant professor with the School of Government at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.
Click here to read more.

Power: Drilling alternative is here, blowing in the wind. (Editorial)
The Fayetteville Observer
After the Deepwater Horizon explosion and massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April, it was clear: New offshore drilling leases will have to wait. ...On the same day (Ken) Salazar announced the delays in offshore leasing, the National Wildlife Federation released a report saying North Carolina could have the most productive offshore wind power on the East Coast - enough to run hundreds of thousands of homes and create as many as 20,000 new jobs. The report was based on studies by the Department of Energy and UNC-Chapel Hill.
Click here to read more.

-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

January Workshop: Become a Certified Interpretive Guide!

What are you doing when you return from Winter Break?

Get a jump on the Spring Semester by earning national certification!

-Communicate more effectively to give better presentations and tours!
-Earn nationally-recognized certification!
-Get an inside look at the NC Botanical Garden's new green Education Center and learn about sustainable practices at UNC!

Interested?
January 5-8, UNC and the NC Botanical Garden will be hosting an CIG Workshop for UNC students, faculty, staff, alumni, and NC Botanical Garden volunteers. It is sponsored by UNC’s Sustainability Office, American Studies Department, and the NC Botanical Garden so the cost is significantly reduced. Enrollment is limited to 15 participants.

What is a CIG?
CIG stands for “Certified Interpretive Guide” – the professional certification for those who communicate with diverse audiences as educators, tour guides, and communications specialists. Successful interpretation incorporates elements of public speaking, storytelling, and psychology to communicate specific information and messages on a subject. Effective interpreters play an invaluable role at schools, parks, museums, nature centers, zoos, botanical gardens, aquariums, and commercial tour companies worldwide. For information on CIG, visit http://www.interpnet.com/certification/cert_atglance.shtml

What is the workshop?
This 32-hour intensive workshop introduces participants to the basic principles of interpretation, and coaches them in the application of those principles. Examples will be drawn from UNC campus sustainability features and initiatives, though the principles are applicable to any subject. Upon completion of this workshop, participants will have satisfied all requirements for the national recognition as a Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG) by the National Association for Interpretation (NAI). This includes completion of an open book exam, preparation of a program outline, and delivery of a 10-minute interpretive presentation on the final day.

Learn more and enroll by reading the Program Details at:
http://go.unc.edu/Dp68N


Please direct any questions or comments to:
Brian Cain, C.I.T., C.I.P.
Research & Outreach Manager
Sustainability Office
Office: 919.843.5295
Email: Brian.Cain@fac.unc.edu
Web: http://sustainability.unc.edu