How does your garden grow? It’s not too late to plant seed for the summer. Visit this regional gardening guide to learn when to plant and harvest a variety of vegetables. Or, consider volunteering at one of the local community gardens, such as the Carolina Campus Community Garden, HOPE Gardens, or the Carrboro Community Garden to learn new skills and make new friends.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Carolina North Generator Produces Electricity from Landfill Methane Gas
A new 1,000 kilowatt generator at Carolina North converts methane gas from the Orange County landfill into electricity for the grid. The University and Orange County started the Landfill Gas Recovery Agreement in 2009 as a way to reduce carbon emissions, provide a revenue stream to Orange County, and advance UNC’s carbon-neutrality goals. The University currently sells the electricity generated to the Duke Energy power grid, but plans to eventually use it to power buildings at Carolina North. Methane is a greenhouse gas with 25 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide. By keeping methane out of the atmosphere, the University will receive carbon credits and move towards its goal of being carbon-neutral by 2050. The total emissions reduction as a result of the project is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 8,000 passenger vehicles. Read more »
Community Solid Waste Forum
Chapel Hill’s Sustainability Committee and Orange County’s Commission for the Environment will host a Community Solid Waste Forum on Thursday, May 30, from 6-8:30 pm at the Chapel Hill Public Library. Orange County residents interested in waste management practices are invited to attend and learn more about long-term regional goals. Please RSVP. Read more »
New Interactive Map of Raleigh Charging Stations
The City of Raleigh presents Periscope, a web-based dashboard system that allows the community to monitor and view electric vehicle charging stations in real time. The dashboard displays charging station availability and station usage figures. The dashboard will help inform future planning and placement of charging stations. Read more »
CO2 Concentrations Surpass 400 PPM Milestone
Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) recently surpassed a notable milestone, reaching above 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in human history. The new measurement came from analyzers atop Mauna Loa, the volcano on the big island of Hawaii that has long been ground zero for monitoring the worldwide trend on CO2. Carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere by fossil fuel burning and other human activities is the most significant greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. Its concentration has increased every year since scientists started making measurements on the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano more than five decades ago. The rate of increase has accelerated since the measurements started, from about 0.7 ppm per year in the late 1950s to 2.1 ppm per year during the last 10 years. Read more »
NC Bike Summit Call for Proposals
The North Carolina Bike Summit fosters collaboration between state bicycle initiatives, efforts, and endeavors; educates local government, bicycle advocates, and policy leaders; promotes cycling as a form of transportation; and highlights North Carolina’s dedication toward becoming a bicycle friendly state. The call for workshop and presentation ideas is now open for the Second Annual NC Bike Summit, to be held in Carrboro, North Carolina, October 18-20. Submit proposals by June 21. Read more »
Carolina in the News
Check out the recent media mentions of sustainability-related programs, practices, and people at UNC:
N.C. coast ideal for wind farms, but logistics complicated
The Star News (Wilmington)
For years, chatter about the possibility of offshore wind power in North Carolina has hummed among state environmental groups. In the past year, that conversation intensified as concrete plans to develop the state's offshore resource moved forward through federal channels. ... The turbines could provide habitat for several threatened species, boosting their fledgling population numbers and allowing charter companies to ferry higher numbers of tourists on offshore excursions…."The base of the wind turbine that goes into the sea floor has, placed around it, something that engineers call a scour apron," said Pete Peterson, professor of marine sciences, biology and ecology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. "It's a huge pile of very large rocks that stands up to 6 feet tall off the bottom, and extends out a substantial distance around the entire pile. That is exactly what you would build if you wanted to do a restoration of the rocky habitat for fish, including the snapper-grouper complex." Read more »
Launch ready to give businesses a leg up
The News and Observer (Raleigh)
The Launch business incubator is one piece of an economic plan, but it shows what the town, county and university can do together, officials said at an open house Wednesday. ...Chancellor Holden Thorp said the venture has been a hugely successful partnership and reflects a lot of the town’s pent-up enthusiasm. He was especially proud to see a former student, Betty Cogdell, making a go of her dream to sell gluten- and dairy-free baked goods. Thorp’s advice to potential entrepreneurs: “It’s a lot harder to do than you think it’s going to be, and a lot of people who quit don’t realize how close they might be to the goal line. If you can find a way to keep going, it’s always worth it.” 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.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Get in gear for the rest of the year! May is National Bike Month. Regional events include workshops, route mapping, inspections, and organized rides throughout the month of May. Go Chapel Hill-Carrboro presents the Annual Spring Roll Cruiser Ride on May 17. Check out the Bike Month calendar for a full list of events. Read more »
Carolina Places in Top 10 Percent in National Building Competition
The results are in for three Carolina buildings competing in the EPA’s 2012 ENERGY STAR “Battle of the Buildings,” a national building competition to improve energy efficiency, lower utility costs, and protect health and the environment. The NC Area Health Education Center reduced its energy use by more than 20 percent, placing 11th overall among 3,000 competitors. Tarrson Hall and Neurosciences Building were formally recognized for placing in the top 10 percent in energy reductions. Together, competitors have prevented nearly 290,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and saved more than $50 million on utility bills. Read more »
UNC Leads in Food Waste Composting
Carolina’s food waste composting program stands out as a regional and national leader among North American colleges and universities competing in the annual RecycleMania competition. UNC’s composting program ranked 1st in the ACC conference, 2nd in North Carolina (behind UNC-Asheville), 8th by campus population, and 37th overall in the 2013 RecycleMania Food Waste category. Carolina Dining Services collects food scraps for composting in Rams Head and Lenoir Dining Halls, the Beach Café, Alpine Bagel Café, Wendy’s, and the Friday Center. The Carolina Green Events program also collects compostables from special events and three event locations on campus. Read more »
Morrison Residence Hall Places in Top Five for Reducing Electricity
Morrison Residence Hall recently represented Carolina in LUCID’s Campus Conservation Nationals (CCN), the largest nationwide electricity and water reduction competition on college and university campuses. Morrison Residence Hall reduced electricity consumption by 18.6 percent, or 5,772 kWh, and placed in the top five schools with the greatest average percent reduction in electricity. Savings ranged from 16-19 percent reductions across all participating buildings. The Sustainability Living-Learning Community also participated in the competition and submitted a video to increase conservation awareness, encourage student behavior change, and document students taking positive actions on campus. Over 300,000 students competed in CCN, saving over 2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 1.6 million gallons of water. Read more »
Donate During Move-Out
As you pack for moving out of a residence hall or apartment, you may discover items you don’t want or need to take with you. Consider donating used, but still useful, items to local non-profits. Items deposited in residence hall donation stations will be used by TROSA in its substance abuse recovery programs. Sell your books to Student Stores for cash so that others can reuse them. Old or broken electronics and batteries will be recycled by American Greenz. Check out the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling’s “zero-waste” move-out guide for more information. Off-campus students can drop off many of these items and more at the Orange County Solid Waste Recycling Center on Eubanks Road, or take them to the Off-Campus Student Move-out ReUse Rodeo until May 10 at the Hargrave’s Center Mitchell Lane parking lot in Chapel Hill. Donate to support local non-profits, reduce your carbon footprint, strengthen the reuse economy, and preserve resources.
Tar Heel Bikes Reports Successful First Year
The Bike Share Task Force launched the University’s first bicycle share program, Tar Heel Bikes, last August. Tar Heel Bikes provides Kona AfricaBikes for short-term loan to Hinton James, Ehringhaus, and Craige residence hall communities. From August 27 through January 31, Tar Heel Bikes recorded 3400 check-outs, which demonstrates an enthusiastic response to the bike share program. The program encourages bicycle transportation as a cleaner, healthier, and more cost-effective alternative to motor vehicles. Read more »
CCCC Offers Summer Sustainability Courses
Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) is offering summer courses in sustainability-related topics, including LEED Green Associate Accreditation exam preparation, occupational safety and health, tree food and medicine, and more. The college will also host ecotourism seminars and guided field trips throughout the summer. Read more »
Environmental Leadership Program Launches New National Fellowship Program
The new National Fellowship Program offers intensive leadership and skills training, national networking opportunities, and guidance for personal and professional reflection. The Environmental Leadership program supports visionary, action-oriented, and diverse leadership for a just and sustainable future. Applications are due by July 1. Read more »
Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) – Public Information Internship – NC
Contact kgreen@renci.org if interested.
Carolina in the News
Check out the recent media mentions of sustainability-related programs, practices, and people at UNC:
Energy efficiency means lower utility bills, less mortgage risk
The Christian Science Monitor
Here’s some new impetus for those sitting on the fence over household energy efficiency: the risk of mortgage default is one-third lower for people with energy efficient homes, according to a recent study. The study, released in March by the University of North Carolina’s Center for Community Capital, claims that energy efficiency can be the difference between mortgage repayment and foreclosure.
Read more »
New federal map rates wind turbine risks to birds
The Outer Banks Voice (Nags Head)
A new map developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would seem to put a damper on future development of land-based wind energy projects in eastern North Carolina. But Kathy Matthews, a service biologist who worked on the map, and Charles “Pete” Peterson said that shouldn’t be the case. Peterson is a professor and researcher at the University of North Carolina’s Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City. He helped lead a state-funded team several years ago that developed a similar tool for offshore wind. The maps are intended to minimize wind turbines’ effects on birds and other wildlife.
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.
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