Thursday, January 29, 2015
Green Tip
It’s not too late to add a new year’s resolution. Why not make it a green one? Resolve to develop more environmentally-friendly habits: walk or bicycle instead of taking the car to do at least one errand per week; write or call decision makers to let them know how you feel about environmental, social, and economic issues; use biodegradable laundry soap; or compost.
Read more green tips to stay sustainable throughout the year »
Carolina in the News
Check out the recent media mentions of sustainability-related programs, practices, and people at UNC:
UNC Dining Halls Consider Local, Sustainable Suppliers
An ongoing movement toward offering more local, sustainable food options is a priority for Carolina Dining Services (CDS) as it tries to meet the standards of the Real Food Challenge. The challenge encourages universities to serve less food from industrial farms. It was brought to UNC by Fair, Local, Organic Food (FLO), a UNC student organization asking that CDS be more sustainable in its food purchases. “I think CDS continues to show their interest in expanding the amount of real food served,” said FLO member Alexandria Huber.
Read more »
Residential Solar Panels Still a Great Investment
Jordan Kern, post-doctoral researcher at the Institute for the Environment writes about residential solar projects as a viable financial investment opportunity. Currently, for an average household in the Duke Energy Carolinas service area, investing in a 4-kilowatt solar panel system over 25 years can be just as good as investing in a savings bond earning 8.9 percent interest. Duke Energy’s proposed net metering reduction rate would reduce this equivalent interest rate by only about 0.1 percent. A much greater threat to the financial viability of the residential solar market in North Carolina is the expiration of state and federal Investment Tax Credits (ITCs), which collectively allow homeowners to recoup more than 50 percent of the solar panels’ original cost. The state ITC is set to expire at the end of 2015, and the federal ITC is slated to expire at the end of 2016. Expiration of either tax credit, assuming the current costs of solar power stay the same, would make purchasing solar panels a poor financial investment for most homeowners in North Carolina.
Read more »
Thanks to UNC News Services for finding these stories! You can find more UNC media coverage and stories online at uncnews.unc.edu.
Carolina Ranks 12th in the World for Sustainability
The Universitas Indonesia’s annual GreenMetric report rates campus sustainability programs worldwide. Carolina ranked 12th in the world and fifth in the United States out of 360 universities. Campuses were evaluated in six categories: setting and infrastructure; energy and climate change; waste management; water usage; transportation; and education. The University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom ranked first, and four other U.S. universities — University of California Davis, University of Connecticut, University of California Berkeley, and Northeastern — made the top ten list. To see complete rankings and specific scores, Read More »
UNC Kenan-Flagler Prepares Students for the Business of Energy
A new MBA Energy Concentration and Energy Center at the Kenan-Flagler Business School will prepare graduates to assume energy-related leadership roles that power the global economy. In the full-time MBA Energy Concentration, students will explore every aspect of the energy value chain, including oil, gas, and renewables. Courses will focus on day-to-day business and economic challenges in the energy industry. The new Energy Center will examine energy public policy, conduct research, and support students in education and career opportunities. It will also be a forum for finding answers to critical energy questions. Read more »
Sign up for EcoReps Training
EcoReps are Carolina’s trained peer-to-peer sustainability outreach team. Learn about campus sustainability initiatives that advance ecological integrity, economic prosperity, and societal well being. Then learn the skills needed to effectively engage other students. The only full day spring semester training will occur Saturday, January 31, from 10AM – 3PM in Dey Hall, room 208, and counts as a Public Service Scholars Skills Training. Register now »
Learn to Lead Staff Sustainability Efforts
“Making the Workplace More Sustainable,” an interactive staff sustainability workshop, helps participants identify, measure and promote sustainable change opportunities in their work areas. Participants learn about sustainability goals and initiatives at UNC, become “green events” certified, and learn how to conduct a Workplace Sustainability Assessment. The upcoming, two-day training will be held Tuesday, February 24, and Thursday, February 26, from 8:30AM – 12:30PM, at the Administrative Office Building on Airport Drive. Register soon through Connect Carolina for “Workplace Sustainability 1”, space is limited.
Read more »
UNC-Chapel Hill Hosts Student Research Symposium
The UNC Curriculum for the Environment and Ecology (CEE) invites all students interested in ecology and the environment to present their research work at the annual CEE Student Research Symposium. This inter-institutional event brings together students and faculty from across the Triangle. The Symposium will be held on Saturday, February 21, from 9AM – 2PM at the North Carolina Botanical Garden. Registration is free and open until Friday, January 30. Register now »
Sustainability Investments and the UNC Endowment
In fall 2014, the UNC Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution requesting “that UNC Management Company research targeted investments for the University’s endowment assets that advance environmentally friendly clean energy strategies consistent with applicable asset allocation and investment objective policies.” Join Jon King, President and CEO of UNC Management Company, and Matt Fajack, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, on Monday, February 23, from 2 – 3:30PM, in Toy Lounge of Dey Hall, to learn about the sustainability strategies employed and investments made by the managers of UNC’s $2.1 billion endowment. Read more »
Help Carolina Win the Student Commute Challenge
Help UNC beat Duke, NC State, and Wake Tech by tracking your commutes! The Student Commute Challenge is a friendly student competition to see who can bus, bike, walk or carpool the most by February 20. Each commute earns points, and weekly challenges earn extra points. Track trips for great prizes, including gift cards to UNC Student Stores or an iPad Mini. Sign up and start logging your commutes today!
Note: The website is having trouble working with UNC email addresses. We recommend signing up for the challenge with a non-UNC email address, like Gmail or Yahoo!
Join Carolina’s Environmental Honors Fraternity
Interested in the environment? Love being outdoors and volunteering? Join Epsilon Eta (Ep Eta), the nation's first environmental honors fraternity. Ep Eta is a co-ed fraternity that recognizes outstanding students, creates a social network of friends and support, and offers environmental service and education to the community. Potential applicants must attend three rush events by February 7th. Applications for membership are due by Monday, February 9th.
Read more »
Waste Reduction and Recycling Spotlight: Residential Composting Program Expands!
Morrison and Manning West will join Ehringhaus, Manning East, Ram Village, Hinton James, Connor, and Cobb as communities enrolled in the residential composting program. Residents in these communities may check out a personal compost bin via the Residence Hall Association (RHA) Enhancements program. Residents are responsible for emptying their personal bins into the green community collection cart at the designated outdoor dumpster site. The food scraps are transported to the Carolina Campus Community Garden (CCCG). CCCG volunteers mix it, turn it, and transform it into compost, a nutrient-rich soil amendment used on the garden’s crops. CCCG produce is later distributed to UNC Housekeepers. CCCG hosts volunteer workdays on Sundays and Wednesdays, 3 PM to 5 PM.
Last semester, the six enrolled communities diverted 978 lbs of food waste from the landfill! The residential composting pilot program began in Spring 2014 with four residential communities. The Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling (OWRR) works with RHA and the Department of Housing and Residential Education to incrementally enroll additional communities each semester.
Read more »
Apply Now for Sherpa Fellowship
The Mingma Norbu Sherpa Fellowship provides $1,250 to support study and research at environmental field sites, preferably abroad. Preference will be given to Buckley Public Service Scholars program participants who are majoring in business, environmental or economics disciplines. Apply by February 9th.
Read more »
Sustainability Shorts Film Competition
UNC-Greensboro is accepting short film submissions for its 6th annual Sustainability Film and Discussion Series. Entries will be screened at the Weatherspoon Art Museum on Thursday, April 23, at 6:30PM, and winners will receive a cash prize of up to $300. The competition is open to all. Films must be under 10 minutes and focused on sustainability. Entries are due by March 27th.
Read more »
Compete in the 2015 MIT Clean Energy Prize
The NSTAR MIT Clean Energy Prize (CEP) is the nation's largest student run energy entrepreneurship competition. Over $400K in prizes are available to cutting-edge startups from universities. Winners will receive $35K in funding and all participants are paired with entrepreneurial mentors. Apply by February 8th. Read more »
Vote Now for the SECU Prize for Innovation
The State Employees Credit Union (SECU) Prize for Innovation challenges students to develop new and innovative ways to address North Carolina’s challenges and future economic well-being. Four student groups have made it to the final round in the “Fan Favorite” category. Cast your vote here to help two teams win $10,000. Read more »
Triangle Transportation Requests Proposals
The Triangle Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program of the Triangle J Council of Governments requests grant applications for projects and programs to reduce traffic and air pollution. The Triangle TDM Program promotes alternative commuting options, such as carpooling, vanpooling, biking, walking, and teleworking. Apply by March 11th.
Read more »
New York Times Covers North Carolina’s Flourishing Food Sisterhood
In a traditionally male-dominated industry, women lead North Carolina’s local-food movement and top-flight restaurants. Women have succeeded by helping one another along the way, stretching beyond restaurants, into pig farming, flour milling and pickling. Women run the state’s pre-eminent pasture-raised meat and organic produce distribution businesses and preside over its farmers’ markets. They influence food policy and lead the state’s academic food studies. And each fall, the state hosts the nation’s only retreat for women in the meat business. Read more »
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
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