Consider trying out a Meatless Monday. Eating less meat – even omitting it from one meal per week – can have a positive impact on your health and the environment. When you do choose to buy meat, look for labels that specify local, organic, and humanely raised.
Read more »
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
New Rankings Showcase UNC's Commitment to Sustainability
Colleges and universities across the state are making sustainability a top priority. In the Sierra Club’s “Cool Schools” rankings, five NC institutions are among the top 65 greenest colleges and universities nationally. Carolina leads the way at No. 15 out of over 150 participating colleges, followed by Appalachian State at No. 23, Duke at No. 27, Warren Wilson College at No. 54, and UNC Greensboro at No. 63. UNC-Chapel Hill and Appalachian State University also both hold a gold rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS). UNC-Chapel Hill’s ranking recognizes the long-term success of its many sustainability initiatives. Carolina has reduced water use by 60% per square foot since 2000 and energy use by 31% per square foot since 2003.
Read more »
Share Your Pilot Project Ideas for Campus Sustainability
Gathering input to inform the University’s new Strategic Sustainability Plan began in Spring 2015. Throughout the summer, six working groups identified UNC’s sustainability goals and priorities. An overview of their suggestions is available here. To learn more, please come out to Polk Place from 11:30am-2:30pm on Tuesday, September 15. Rain location is the Carolina Union Aquarium Lounge. We’re also hosting a Carolina Green Pledge Drive for reusable bags. Take the pledge in advance at Carolinagreen.unc.edu to grab your bag and avoid the line. Join via facebook and invite your friends.
What Pilot Projects would you like to see emerge from the plan? Please submit your ideas here.
Carolina Dining Services Wins Grand Prize for Excellence in Sustainability
Carolina Dining Services earned a Gold Medal from the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) for outstanding performance in sustainability outreach and education. In addition, CDS won the overall Grand Prize for Excellence in Sustainability for its Feeding the 5,000 event that demonstrated how frequently unused food products can feed thousands of hungry people. (The second annual, free-of-charge Feeding the 5,000 event will occur Tuesday, September 29, from 11-2 in the Pit and Top of Lenoir.) The NACUFS Sustainability Awards recognize and honor institutions that have demonstrated outstanding leadership in environmental sustainability. Carolina Dining Services offers sustainable menu items daily, including, but not limited to, “Meat ‘Less' Mondays,” grass-fed beef, organic yogurt, humane chicken and cage-free eggs, and healthy, delicious and nutritious vegan and vegetarian offerings.
Read more »
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, September 29, and Thursday, October 1, from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm, at the Administrative Office Building on Airport Drive. Register soon through Connect Carolina for “Workplace Sustainability 1,” space is limited. Read more »
UNC System Avoids Over $900 Million in Utility Costs
More than 425 clean energy advocates, including students, faculty, campus operations leaders, and university executives attended the 2015 Appalachian Energy Summit this past summer in Boone, North Carolina. The fourth annual summit recognized the efforts of the UNC System to cumulatively avoid over $749 million in energy costs and over $158 million in water costs since 2003. The University of North Carolina system aims to avoid $2 billion in utility costs by 2025.
Read more »
Carolina Installs New Solar Features
The FPG Student Union is now outfitted with a 19.8 kw solar array, donated by Strata Solar, North Carolina’s largest utility scale solar installer. Funding to install the panels was provided by the Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee (RESPC), which allocates the $4 per student per semester green energy fee. You can see the panels from the top floors of Davis Library. A monitor will soon be installed in the Student Union to track the output of the photovoltaic panels.
Also new to campus are Powersol solar umbrellas installed near the Pit and at other spots around campus, including several residence halls. Affixed atop the umbrellas, solar panels power a charging station that offers three USB ports at each table. Take a seat and catch a quick charge on your electronic device. This project was also funded by the RESPC, as well as Carolina Dining Services and Student Stores. Read more »
BigBelly solar trash compactors were recently installed in high-traffic areas on campus including around the Pit, on Polk Place, and at the Medical School. These solar-powered, compacting trash cans and recycling bins increase the efficiency of trash collection. Each BigBelly station sends Grounds Services an email to let them know when the bins are full. Read more »
City of Raleigh Recognized for National Sustainability Excellence
Raleigh is the first community in North Carolina to achieve a 4-STAR Community Rating for national excellence in sustainability. “The City of Raleigh has a long commitment to sustainability with a focus not only on environmental stewardship but also on economic strength and social equity,” said Mayor McFarlane. “The 4-STAR Community Rating for national excellence is a culmination of the hard work and innovative ideas of staff and the community in not only promoting sustainable ideas but recognizing sustainable programs as a cornerstone of Raleigh’s future.” STAR is a sustainability rating system for cities, towns, and counties. Nearly 100 communities are actively using the STAR Community Rating System, with more than 60 engaged in the certification process.
Read more »
Clean Energy Forum
North Carolina policy-makers have been considering significant changes to the state’s clean energy policies during the 2015 legislative session. The Clean Energy Forum intends to put these discussions into context by providing an update on clean energy policies, outlining impacts of solar projects, and examining industry trends. Speakers at the Forum will include leading industry representatives, solar developers, state agency officials, and university experts. The forum will be held Friday, September 25, from 1-4pm at the NC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Please RSVP to swall@email.unc.edu and include Clean Energy Forum in the subject line. The event is sponsored by the UNC Institute for the Environment, the NCSU Institute for Emerging Issues, and the NC Clean Energy Technology Center.
Saving Pollinators at the NC Botanical Garden
Flowering plants, food, and our natural habitat rely on pollinators. The Saving Our Pollinators exhibition features 29 events, including workshops, exhibits, talks, and tours that highlight the acute plight of pollinators, including bees, birds, bats, and butterflies. Discover the importance of our pollinators as the NC Botanical Garden illustrates challenges and offers solutions to stabilize and secure their future. Events will take place from now until October 3rd.
Read more »
UNC Students Open a Waterless Car Wash
Students from UNC-Chapel Hill have started a business selling waterless car washes. "It saves 45 gallons or more per car wash, and most people don't realize how much water is wasted at a car wash," says Austin Helms, a student at the UNC Kenan Flagler Business School. Waterless Buddys will be opening to the public at University Place in Chapel Hill this fall. In the meantime, you can request an onsite car wash by going to their website.
Read more »
Local Sustainable Coffee Business Expands
For twenty years, Counter Culture Coffee of Durham has implemented practices of direct and fair trade with farmers, while selling wholesale to restaurants and specialty stores across the Triangle. The company, co-founded by Brett Smith, a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler business school, chose to build and leverage relationships with farmers to implement sustainable and transparent practices that yield a better tasting bean. Counter Culture Coffee recently announced it will expand to the west coast.
Read more »
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)