Thursday, December 22, 2011

Conservation Tips for a Sustainable Holiday Season

As we look forward to time away from campus, please remember that our building systems continue to operate during the break. With your efforts, we can keep UNC sustainable over the holidays.

Before leaving for any extended period, please:
  • Shut down desktop and laptop computers unless instructed otherwise by IT or administrative staff. If your computer, speakers, phone charger, etc., are all on one power strip, turn off the power strip after shutting down your computer.
  • Unplug nonessential equipment such as copiers, fax machines, printers, scanners, and chargers. Most equipment draws electricity even when turned off.
  • Unplug all appliances, including coffee makers, microwaves, televisions, and radios. Like office equipment, many appliances use electricity even when turned off.
  • Turn off office lights and as much public lighting as possible in hallways, bathrooms, break rooms, and conference rooms.
  • Check windows to make sure they are tightly closed and locked.
  • Check faucets in bathrooms and break rooms to make sure they are completely turned off and not dripping.
  • If you work in a lab with variable air volume fume hoods, shut the sash completely (just as you should any time the hood is not in use).
  • Call in any leaks or maintenance issues to your Facilities Services team (962-3456 or www.fac.unc.edu)
These tips will help keep your building safe and energy-efficient over the holidays. They also apply at home.

Wishing you a very happy holiday season!

Job- NC

The Triangle J Council of Governments seeks an experienced contract specialist to assist in administering the Carolina Blue Skies and Green Jobs Initiative Recovery Act Grant. Read more »

Job- NC

The University of North Carolina - Wilmington seeks an assistant professor in environmental sustainability. Read more »

Internship- NC

The City of Durham seeks a graduate student to support the Rain Catchers project. Read more »

Summer Undergraduate Research- MA

The Harvard Forest is accepting applications for summer internships in ecological research. Read more »

Internship- WY

The Yellowstone Raptor Initiative seeks interns to assist raptor biologists in Yellowstone National Park.

Summer Undergraduate Research- IL

The Chicago Botanic Garden is accepting applications from undergraduates to conduct research in plant biology and conservation. Read more »

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District Earns Green Plus Certification

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School district is the first school system in the country to earn Green Plus Certification. Awarded by the Institute for Sustainable Development, Green Plus helps small businesses and non-profits assess and demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. The CHCCS district has retrofitted buildings to reduce energy consumption; manages pests without chemicals; and replaced Styrofoam trays in school cafeterias with biodegradable trays. Students, staff, and parents work together to develop triple bottom line solutions. Read more »

Monday, December 19, 2011

2011 Strategic Energy and Water Plan Now Available

As the University continues to focus on energy and water conservation, 2011 marked a year of significant accomplishments. Kenan Residence Hall reduced energy use by 4% from the previous year, finishing first in the Residence Hall category for the EPA’s 2011 Energy Star National “Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings.” A maintenance program to tune-up HVAC systems was adopted campus-wide and has resulted in a cost savings of over $5 million dollars. Since 2002, conservation measures have resulted in over $63 million of energy cost savings and $7.5 million in water savings. The 2011 Strategic Energy and Water Plan report is available online through the Energy Management website.

Construction for Innovate@Carolina 505 Incubator to Begin Next Month

The Innovate@Carolina Campaign motivates and funds innovative initiatives across campus, including the 505 Incubator which will break ground in January 2012 at 505 West Franklin Street. The 505 Incubator will offer space and support to recent graduates and local entrepreneurs with early-stage company ideas. The 505 Incubator will foster collaboration between companies, and provide internships, to help keep entrepreneurial growth local. The new Campus Y Social Innovation Incubator will support student-led projects.

Gov. Perdue Encourages Applications for Mobility Fund Projects

The N.C. Department of Transportation is soliciting proposals for projects across all modes of transportation to relieve congestion and enhance mobility across the state. Priority will be given to projects that provide the greatest benefits in travel time savings and increase the overall efficiency of the transportation system. Candidate projects will be accepted through Feb. 29, 2012. The amount of money available is estimated at $45 million in the 2012-2013 fiscal year and $58 million in succeeding years. Visit the N.C. Department of Transportation for more information.

Rain Bird Providing More Than $50,000 in Grants to Water-Efficient Projects

Rain Bird’s “Intelligent Use of Water Awards” program will provide more than $50,000 in grants to water-efficient projects in need of funding. Applicants submit a water conservation project to an interactive website and add descriptions, photos and videos about the project. The projects with the most votes in their funding category ($1,500, $5,000, or $10,000) will receive funding. Winners will be announced on World Water Day, March 22, 2012. Read more »

$5,000 Scholarship for Sophomores & Juniors Interested in the Environment or Native American Issues

The Morris K. Udall scholarships provide up to $5,000, or the cost of tuition, fees, books, room and board, whichever is less, to sophomores and juniors who have demonstrated a strong academic record and outstanding potential for leadership. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit to two groups of students; those who study the environment or related fields, and those with Native American or Native Alaskan backgrounds who study health care or tribal public policy.
The UNC application deadline for the Udall Scholarship is January 24. Please see the website for more information.

Indiana University at Oxford Program Offers Opportunity for Summer Study in Comparative Environmental Policy

The Indiana University at Oxford program, sponsored by the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, allows undergraduate and graduate students from Indiana University and other universities to spend six weeks during the summer studying comparative environmental policy and global governance of climate change at Oxford University and other world-ranked European colleges in Brussels, London, and Cambridge. Applications are due by February 14, 2012. Read more »

The Chapel Hill Farmers' Market is Now Accepting Applications for the 2012 Market Season

The Chapel Hill Farmer’s Market is entering its fourth year at University Mall and is now accepting applications for the 2012 market season. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2012. Read more»

Carolina in the News

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

Does global warming alter tourist behavior?
The News and Observer, Raleigh
A new study from UNC-Chapel Hill seems to indicate that some human weather-related behavior also is being influenced by global warming. Researchers found peak attendance in U.S. national parks that have experienced climate change is happening earlier, compared to 30 years ago. According to the study, of the nine parks that experienced significant increases in mean spring temperatures since 1979, seven also saw shifts in the timing of peak attendance. Read more »

Homemade for the holidays
The News and Observer, Raleigh
Each holiday season, food lovers look forward to homemade treats from friends and relatives: a plate of sugar cookies, a rum-soaked fruit cake, a batch of granola. ...It's the effort that makes the recipients of gifts from the kitchen feel loved. "It's just really special to have a food gift," says Marcie Cohen Ferris, an assistant professor of American studies at UNC-Chapel Hill and a recipient of one of our cooks' gifts. Read more »

Thanks to UNC News Services for finding this great story AND compiling the summary! You can find more UNC media coverage and stories online at http://uncnews.unc.edu/.

Job- UNC

The Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill seeks a tenured full professor, also holding a sustainability chair, or a tenured associate professor, also holding an appointment as a sustainability fellow. Read more »

Job- NC

Elizabeth City State University seeks an energy/sustainability coordinator to implement its sustainability mission.

Job- NC

Central Piedmont Community College's Engineering Technology Division seeks an instructor to teach topics related to energy including conservation and efficiency.

Job- NC

The Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is hiring a Farm Manager for planning, designing, and managing healthy, thriving field crop and livestock operations.

Job- VA

The School of Sciences at Lynchburg College (VA) invites applicants for a tenure-track assistant/associate professor in environmental science to begin in fall 2012. Read more »

Job- PA

Chatham University's School of Sustainability and the Environment seeks a faculty member in food studies with an emphasis on food systems.

Job- NJ

Princeton University seeks to appoint one or more distinguished humanists whose work is related to the environment for the 2012-2013 academic year.

Job- FL

Leon County is seeking a Sustainability Coordinator to manage the implementation of all aspects of the Sustainability program.

Job- MA

Harvard University seeks a commuter choice program coordinator to develop, implement and administer a system to monitor and increase campus enrollment in various programs including carpools, Zimride and Zipcar.

Job- MA

Bunker Hill Community College seeks full-time faculty responsible for teaching and developing sustainability-related curriculum and coordinating new degree and certificate sustainability programs.

Job- AZ

The School of Sustainability at Arizona State University invites applications for up to three faculty positions either at the tenure-track assistant professor level or tenured associate professor level.

Job- CO

The University of Colorado Boulder seeks a scholar or practitioner with demonstrated excellence in interdisciplinary research, teaching and/or professional activity to serve as the first Colorado chair in environmental studies.

Job- ON

Fanshawe College is seeking a full-time sustainability coordinator to advocate for and lead sustainability practices on campus.

Internship- USA

The Conservation and Land Management Internship Program is now accepting applications for 2012.

Internship- NY

Clarkson University is offering a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program during the summer of 2012, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Read more »

Research Fellowship- USA

The Ariel Appleton Research Fellowship is now accepting applications from undergraduate and graduate students to help support non-destructive research in the natural sciences, with emphasis on conservation ecology. Read more »

Summer Undergraduate Research- GA

The Aquatic Chemical Ecology (ACE) Program at Georgia Tech is now accepting applications from undergraduates interested in a summer research experience. Read more »

Summer Undergraduate Research- ME

The University of Maine and University of Concepion, Chile, are now accepting applications from undergraduates interested in sustainable forest bioproducts.
Read more »

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Job- Various Locations

The Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate will be filling several Renewable Energy Specialist positions nationwide.

Job- UNC

The Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invites applications for a tenured Full Professor, also holding a Sustainability Chair, or a tenured Associate Professor, also holding an appointment as a Sustainability Fellow, to start July 1, 2012. Read more »

Campus Y to open Social Innovation Incubator in January

Budding social entrepreneurs soon will have space to nurture their initiatives in the heart of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus. The Social Innovation Incubator will open in January in the third floor of the historic YMCA building, home of the Campus Y. The incubator will provide physical space and equipment to its resident teams, as well as important resources such as legal, tax, communications and other expert advice.
The incubator is for UNC students. Applications for residency in the incubator, which can be found on the Campus Y’s website, are being accepted now through Jan. 6 at 5 p.m.
To be eligible, teams must:
  • Pitch an idea that is an innovative solution to persistent social problems that creates social value through sustainable, systemic change and
  • Be UNC students who have thought through short- and long-term challenges, including required resources and sustainability measures.

Methane Flaring To Begin Soon on Landfill Gas Project

Methane gas from the Orange County landfill will no longer be released into the atmosphere, thanks to the first phase of a joint project launched in November 2010 by the county and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to turn this greenhouse gas into electricity. Read more »

UNC Student Sustainability Outreach Campaign Recognized as Best Practice by National Sustainability Program

Earlier this year, UNC was awarded a silver rating through the AASHE STARS program. The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) was developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) to track progress in achieving sustainability. Now STARS is recognizing UNC for best practices in student sustainability outreach campaigns. STARS will highlight the “Slow the Flow: Every Drop Counts” campaign, held during the drought of 2007-2008. UNC competed against rivals at NC State to conserve water over a period starting with the schools' football game in November and lasting until the basketball matchup in February. Students at UNC trimmed their daily water use by 24% during the challenge. To view all best practices highlights compiled from STARS reports, visit the STARS blog.

New Research and Outreach Manager Joins the Sustainability Office

The Sustainability Office welcomes Kristin Blank-White as the new Research and Outreach Manager. Kristin is a graduate of the Sustainability and Environmental Management Masters Program at Harvard University where she focused her studies on environmental standards and wrote her thesis on green building evaluation frameworks. Prior to joining UNC, Kristin worked for the Duke Environmental Leadership Program in the Nicholas School of the Environment, where she developed and coordinated courses for environmental professionals. She also worked at the non-profit Sustainable Furnishings Council. Her strong interest in university sustainability programs began when she volunteered to work on MIT's recycling program while she was an administrative staff member there. Kristin fills the position vacated by Brian Cain, who was the first Research and Outreach Manager in the Sustainability Office. Brian built a great foundation for Kristin to stand on, and we wish him the best in his adventures in Florida.

New Electronic Energy Dashboards for 157 Campus Buildings

New energy dashboards display real-time energy consumption in buildings across campus. The new dashboard system, tracking 157 buildings, enables building occupants and technicians to monitor current and historical energy use. Instant feedback conveys the results of energy conservation efforts. Energy Services and campus IT staff developed the system to report this data virtually via an online portal. To view building data from your computer, please visit online.

2011 Campus Sustainability Report Now Available

The 2011 Campus Sustainability Report was presented to Chancellor Thorp and the UNC community on November 15th, at the Campus Sustainability and America Recycles Day event. This comprehensive assessment of sustainable policies, practices and programs on UNC’s campus reveals the university’s adoption of sustainability as a core value and strategic planning tool. UNC aspires to be a living laboratory of sustainability both in and out of the classroom. Key findings demonstrating how the campus is moving towards this goal include:
  • Energy saving measures avoided $64 million in costs since 2003, while potable water use fell 40 percent.
  • Greenhouse gas emissions are down 20 percent since 2008.
  • A new student-managed “green energy” revolving fund and a new University-financed fund are providing more stable funding streams for energy conservation and efficiency.
  • The new Education Center at UNC’s North Carolina Botanical Garden is the first public LEED Platinum building in the state. Three LEED laboratory buildings are under construction.
  • More than 200 courses offer sustainability-related content, and more than 300 faculty conduct sustainability research.
  • Expanded recycling programs and a growing number of “green certified” events are reducing the campus waste stream.
  • Ever more food is obtained from local sources and labeled with the name of the farmer. New digital signage conveys the nutritional content of food offerings and potential allergens.
  • UNC students contribute more than one million service hours annually in communities throughout the state.
The full 2011 Campus Sustainability Report is available online through the Sustainability website. To receive a hard copy, request one online. To show your commitment to sustainability, start by taking the Carolina Green Pledge.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Internship- GA

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is now accepting applications from students majoring in environmental health for summer internship positions. Read more »

Internship- NC

SJF Institute is now accepting applications from graduate students for an internship opportunity beginning in January 2012.

Internship- UNC

The UNC Institute for the Environment is seeking undergraduate students interested in conducting research in the fields of Marine Sciences, Geology, Geography, Natural Resources and Land Use Planning, and Environmental Sciences and Engineering. Read more »

Internship- CA

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) is now accepting applications for summer internship positions to work for nine weeks on a specific project under MBARI staff supervision. Read more »