When making holiday travel plans, consider using Zimride, a commercial, web-based ride-sharing system made available by the Department of Public Safety. Rides are offered to RDU airport as well as dozens of other locations throughout North Carolina and beyond. Car-pooling helps reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Wind and Solar Energy Make Up 100% of New US Electricity Capacity in September
Global temperatures in September matched a record for the hottest September ever. It was also a very hot month for renewable energy. According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), wind and solar energy accounted for all new electricity capacity added to America’s grid in September. Wind and solar, although still trailing fossil fuels, collectively account for 40% of all new generating capacity added since January 2012. According to FERC, solar now accounts for 0.31% and wind 4.43% of total installed generating capacity on the U.S. power grid. Read more »
New App Shines Light on Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
Let Light Bulb Finder illuminate your next lighting purchase. The free mobile app displays bulb specifications, energy efficiency, and financial savings so that users can make fast, informed decisions in stores and at home. The app was recently named one of the “Top 100 New Home Products for 2012” by “This Old House.” Read more »
The Chapel Hill Farmers' Market is Accepting Applications
The Chapel Hill Farmer’s Market is entering its sixth year at University Mall and is now accepting applications for the 2013 market season. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2013. Read more »
Apply Now for the EPA P3 Competition
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking proposals to research and develop solutions to real world challenges. The People, Prosperity, and Planet Program (P3) will award up to $90K for teams to implement their proposals in the field and marketplace. Last year, the Gillings School of Global Public Health student team received an honorable mention for developing a point-of-use disinfectant for drinking water that is inexpensive, non-toxic, and effective in reducing waterborne illness in developing nations. Submit proposals by December 11. Read more »
Community Engagement Fellowship
The Carolina Center for Public Service is accepting applications for the Community Engagement Fellowship program. Fellowships are awarded to develop and implement projects that employ innovative, sustainable approaches to complex social needs. Full-time graduate students at UNC-Chapel Hill are eligible to apply. Applications are due by February 4. Read more »
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Carolina in the News
Check out the recent media mentions of sustainability-related programs, practices, and people at UNC:
Clean Water Act at 40: Rivers No Longer Burn but Climate Threats and Runoff Now Rush In
Scientific American
When the Clean Water Act was passed, the primary concerns were 'point sources' of pollution: sewage plants and other easily recognizable sources, such as industrial facilities. Now, the main concern is runoff water that drains from urban and agricultural sources. One way of attempting to deal with such pollution is to pipe storm water farther out to sea before discharging it. But when the resort town of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, tried just that early this century, there was essentially no improvement in beach conditions, said Marc Verhougstraete, a postdoctoral fellow and water-quality expert at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Read more »
Chamber Looks to Help Businesses Go “Green” (Blog)
The Star News (Wilmington)
The Wilmington Chamber of Commerce rolled out a program Wednesday to help the area’s small and medium-sized businesses get involved in sustainability and achieve certification of their efforts. The program began in 2004 as a partnership of Duke University, the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, and the Raleigh and Durham Chambers of Commerce. The program now works with 400 businesses in 18 states. 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
Monday, November 5, 2012
Carolina in the News
Check out the recent media mentions of sustainability-related programs, practices, people at UNC:
NC’s Campus Y planting seeds for sustainable future
The Chapel Hill News
Campus Y, the social justice center of the UNC campus, has begun raising money for a $10 million to $15 million endowment. The endowment, which would be the Y’s largest in decades, would provide seed capital for its new Social Innovation Incubator, and create a new faculty position and social entrepreneur in residence position. Learn more »
N.C. 54 light-rail plan based on cost, riders, development
The Chapel Hill News
Regional leaders weighed their options for more than 15 years before choosing N.C. 54 for a proposed light-rail corridor connecting Orange and Durham counties. ...The 17.3-mile N.C. 54 route links UNC and UNC Hospitals with Duke University and its medical center – both counties’ biggest employers. Environmental concerns exist about the wetlands along N.C. 54, but there’s a route around them. The corridor also has large undeveloped tracts where homes, offices and businesses could grow around the light-rail stations, leaders said. Learn 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.
Duke Energy and WISE Program Help Owners Save Energy
Duke Energy and the Town of Chapel Hill Worthwhile Investments Save Energy program (WISE) are offering cash incentives to Chapel Hill homeowners for energy efficiency upgrades. Residents can earn up to $3000 for HVAC upgrades, increased attic insulation, comprehensive energy assessments, and other home energy upgrades. These incentives help property owners and renters reduce utility costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Learn more »
Hurricane Sandy Gives Preview of Sea Level Rise
The chaos caused by Hurricane Sandy highlights at least one major reason to worry about climate change: rising sea levels. While storm surges are affected by a variety of factors, higher sea levels can magnify those surges and exacerbate flooding — not just during large storms like Sandy, but during smaller storms too. Sea-level rise, caused by melting glaciers and ice caps, is expected to accelerate in the decades ahead—an additional two to seven feet by 2100, some scientists project. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes that it is “very likely” that extreme coastal flooding during storms will become far more common in the future as a result. Learn more »
Submit Essays and Projects to DePauw’s Undergraduate Ethics Symposium
DePauw University’s 2013 Undergraduate Ethics Symposium will feature student essays, fiction, poetry, visual art, photography, dramatic works, and films with the theme of “Ethics and the Environment.” The deadline for submissions is February 1, 2013. The symposium will be held April 11-13, 2013, at the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. Learn more »
2012 Strategic Energy and Water Plan Now Available
2012 marked a year of significant accomplishments in UNC’s energy and water conservation efforts. Energy consumption per square foot has declined 31% since FY 2003 thus meeting State Energy Office goals three years early. Upgrades to central energy infrastructure, in-house retro-commissioning efforts in campus buildings, lighting upgrades, and HVAC projects account for the savings. Potable water consumption per square foot has fallen 43% since FY 2003. An integrated non-potable water system, including reclaimed water, stormwater, and condensate, supplies over 196 million gallons of non-drinking water for cooling tower make-up water, toilet flushing, and irrigation. Learn more »
Three New Water Bottle Refill Stations Installed at Carolina
Fill er’ up at one of the three new Halsey Taylor water bottle refill stations in the Student Union. Two of the stations are located in the east wing and one is located on the first floor near Wendy’s. There are also two water bottle refill stations on the first and second floors of Lenoir Dining Hall.
If you don’t have a reusable water bottle, take the Carolina Green Pledge to earn one. Water bottles can be picked up at the Sustainability Office. Or, organize a pledge event through your department, student organization, residence hall, or other campus group to help distribute water bottles throughout campus. Contact the Sustainability Office for more information.
Water Institute Director Delivers University Day Keynote
Jamie Bartram, Director of the Water Institute and Jennifer Holzworth Distinguished Professor of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, delivered the University Day keynote speech, focusing on Carolina’s two-year academic theme, “Water in Our World.” Bartram described the university’s research on water as an “exceptional opportunity for a world-leading, or world-changing, academic endeavor.” The academic theme aims to expand water-related course offerings and research initiatives, and encourage university departments to confront current water challenges. Watch the keynote speech online.
America Recycles Day is Thursday, November 15
America Recycles Day will be nationally celebrated Thursday, November 15. Here at Carolina, the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling (OWRR) will be hosting a Swap Shop and Hard-to-Recycle Drive in the Student Union Lobby, from 11am to 2pm. Bring unwanted clothes and school supplies to swap with others, and donate non-perishable foods. OWRR will also collect batteries, plastic bags, and electronic waste for recycling. Stop by to drop off your unwanted items, play recycling trivia games for prizes, and celebrate our national recycling holiday! Learn more »
Carolina Green Revolving Funds Referenced in National Report
The Sustainable Endowments Institute recently released the 2012 edition of “Greening the Bottom Line,” documenting the rapid growth of green revolving funds (GRFs) on college and university campuses. GRFs are a financing mechanism that puts dollars to work over and over again. Investments to reduce energy and resource use decrease operating costs and environmental impact. After paying back the avoided costs, GRF monies are put to use on another project. Carolina is profiled in the report for a 20% return on investment related to the Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee GRF, financed by a self-assessed student fee, and the Green Revolving Fund, financed by the general operating budget. Learn more »
Green Tip 11/1/12
As the seasons change, consider crafting meals using local, in-season produce. In North Carolina, leafy greens, apples, peanuts, pecans, and sweet potatoes are great foods to use during the fall and winter. View the North Carolina Fruit and Vegetable Availability Chart.
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