Planning a barbecue or summer soirée? Make the most of summer produce! Stop by your local farmers’ market to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables! Also, consider using a solar cooker to reduce your barbecue’s carbon footprint! Read more »
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
UNC Schools Gather for Energy Summit at ASU
University representatives from across the state assembled at the Appalachian Energy Summit, hosted by Appalachian State University and the Rocky Mountain Institute, to develop actionable energy plans to benefit students, the environment, and the local economy. Representatives from all 17 campuses in the UNC system and five private colleges and universities committed to save energy and reduce energy costs. The summit launches a multi-year, collaborative process to set goals, share best practices, and demonstrate leadership. Read more »
Carolina Reduces Motor Fleet Petroleum Consumption by 21 Percent
Alternative fuels, synthetic lubricants, and more efficient vehicles have reduced Carolina’s petroleum consumption 21% relative to 2005. More than one-third of the campus vehicle fleet runs on alternatives to fossil fuels. Flex-fuel vehicles use 85% ethanol fuel, some diesel vehicles run on 20% biodiesel fuel, and the campus operates 26 electric vehicles. Carolina displaced more than 86,000 gallons of petroleum last year. In 2005, the NC General Assembly required all state vehicle fleets to displace 20% of their petroleum with alternative fuels or energy efficiency measures. Read more »
Sign-Up Now for Alternative Commuting
Registration is open for the 2012-2013 Commuter Alternative Program (CAP). A regionally and nationally recognized program, CAP encourages biking, walking, ride sharing, busing, use of park and ride lots, and vanpooling as means of getting to campus. Program incentives include access to park and ride lots, discounts at local merchants, entry into prize drawings, and emergency rides home. Act now. Registration closes August 15. Read more »
NC Botanical Garden Wants Your Opinion
The NC Botanical Garden is collecting visitor feedback to update educational materials. Take a short survey online, or at the Garden on Saturday, August 11, or Monday, August 13, and receive a free plant. Read more »
ACUPCC Reports Progress in Reducing GHGs
The American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), a network of almost 700 signatories, has reduced greenhouse gas emissions 25% since 2007, according to its recent five-year report. More than 30% of signatories have set goals of climate neutrality within 20 years. Carolina is a charter signatory of the ACUPCC. Read more »
Town Council Adopts Chapel Hill 2020 Plan
The Chapel Hill 2020 Plan will guide development and land use, including green communities, enterprise and entertainment hubs, and improved housing options for local workers and students. Read more »
Town of Chapel Hill to Expand WISE Homes and Building Program
The Worthwhile Investments Save Energy (WISE) Homes and Building Program has expanded to include single-family rental homes and multifamily buildings. The program provides funds to help property owners and renters reduce utility costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Read more »
Piedmont Biofuels Produces Zero-Waste Biodiesel Using Enzymes
Using its proprietary approach of enzyme catalysis, Piedmont Biofuels recently announced the first commercial scale zero-waste production of biodiesel in the United States. A diesel fuel alternative made from fats and oils, biodiesel can be used in diesel engines without modification. Read more »
New Law Bans Policies on Sea-Level Change for Four Years
State lawmakers recently passed a law banning state agencies from defining any rate of sea level change for regulatory purposes until 2016. If Governor Perdue does not veto the bill by August 2, it will automatically become law. Read more »
New Website Tracks Rio+20 Commitments
Launched at the Rio+20 Earth Summit, the Cloud aggregates and tracks government and corporate commitments to a low-carbon green economy. This global platform promotes transparency by recording and monitoring all Rio initiatives. The Cloud already contains more than 200 commitments. Read more »
Satellites See Unprecedented Greenland Ice Sheet Surface Melt
For several days in July, Greenland’s surface ice cover melted over a larger area than at any time in more than 30 years of satellite observations. Nearly the entire ice cover of Greenland, from its thin, low-lying coastal edges to its two-mile-thick center, experienced some degree of melting at its surface, according to measurements from three independent satellites analyzed by NASA and university scientists. On average in the summer, about half of the surface of Greenland’s ice sheet naturally melts. According to satellite data, an estimated 97% of the ice sheet surface thawed at some point in mid-July. Read more »
Hard Numbers for High-Temperature Records
“June broke or tied 3,215 high-temperature records across the United States. That followed the warmest May on record for the Northern Hemisphere – the 327th consecutive month in which the temperature of the entire globe exceeded the 20th-century average, the odds of which occurring by simple chance were 3.7 x 1099, a number considerably larger than the number of stars in the universe.” –Bill McKibben. Read more »
EPA Announces Youth Sustainability Challenge Winners
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the winners of the Youth Sustainability Challenge, a project encouraging sustainable communities. A team of Georgetown University students won for the Best Overall Video. Read more »
We Are All Farmers Scholarships and Work Exchanges
We Are All Farmers offers scholarships and work exchanges for its fall Permaculture Design Course. The course is designed to educate participants about permaculture design, water, soils and more. Read more »
Carolina in the News
Check out the recent media mentions of sustainability-related programs, practices, and people at UNC:
Water Is On Our Minds, Op-Ed by Peter A. Coclanis, Distinguished Professor of history and Director of the Global Research Institute at Carolina
The News & Observer
With all the other problems the world is facing, it might seem strange to some that UNC-Chapel Hill recently selected water for its first pan-university research and teaching theme. For the next two years students, faculty and staff from all over campus will be exploring various and sundry issues relating to H20 here, there, and everywhere whether in the present, future or past. Many experts agree that issues relating to water will be among the most prominent we will face in coming decades, with many viewing water as the new oil. 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.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
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