Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Learn to Lead Staff Sustainability Efforts
“Making the Workplace More Sustainable,” an interactive staff sustainability workshop, helps participants identify, measure and promote sustainable practices in their work areas. Participants learn about UNC sustainability goals and initiatives, become “green events” certified, and learn how to conduct a Workplace Sustainability Assessment. The upcoming, two-day training will be held Tuesday, February 23, and Thursday, February 25, from 8:30am - 12:30pm, at the Administrative Office Building on Airport Drive. Register soon through ConnectCarolina for “Workplace Sustainability 1,” space is limited. Read more »
Sign up for EcoReps Spring 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. Spring semester training will be held on Sunday, January 31, from 11am-4pm in the Student Union, room 3209, and counts as a Public Service Scholars Skills Training. Register now »
New Dual Degree Program in Environment and Science Communication
Students now have the opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree in environmental studies and a master's in mass communication over the course of five years at Carolina. The program is a unique partnership between the School of Media and Journalism and the Curriculum for Environment and Ecology, with support from Honors Carolina. An information session about the program will be held on Thursday, January 21, from 5-7pm in the Freedom Forum Conference Center (room 305) of Carroll Hall. Faculty from the Curriculum for the Environment and Ecology and the School of Media and Journalism will provide information and a current program student will share her experience. Register here »
Register for the Clean Tech Summit
The 3rd Annual NC Clean Tech Summit will be held on February 18-19 at the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education in Chapel Hill. This year’s event will feature a number of experts, stakeholders, and industry leaders offering their perspectives on success stories from the clean tech industry and the challenges ahead. Register by January 15 for the early bird rate.
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Get Involved in the State Energy Conference
The 2016 State Energy Conference, April 20-21 at NC State University, brings together decision-makers, engineers, planners, and thought leaders to examine the impacts of energy technologies, policy, and finance of the energy marketplace. Students have several opportunities to get involved: showcase energy-focused research and projects as poster presentations; volunteer for complimentary registration; and attend the Cleantech Connect Career Fair for internship and job opportunities.
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Apply for the Udall Scholarship
Are you a second- or third-year undergraduate student with leadership and public service experience? Are you interested in American Indian nations or environmental issues? If so, you may be eligible to receive The Udall Scholarship. The award includes access to professionals, skill training, internship opportunities, and up to $7,000 for eligible academic expenses. Endorsement application submissions, including letters of recommendation, are due by Tuesday, January 26, 2016 at 5pm. Email ODS (ods@unc.edu) for more information.
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Register for the CEE Student Research Symposium
The UNC Curriculum for the Environment and Ecology invites all students with research interests in ecology and the environment to present their work at the annual CEE Student Research Symposium, to be held on Friday, February 26 from 11am- 5pm on UNC's main campus. Registration is free and open until Friday, January 29. Contact Dennis Tarasi (tarasi@live.unc.edu) with questions or concerns.
Apply now »
Apply to the Odyssey Fellowship Program
The Odyssey Fellowship Program is a 10-week residential immersion program for young adults ages 18-28. Fellows spend their days learning important practical life skills in regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, and ecological sustainability. The program is currently accepting applications for the spring and fall sessions of 2016.
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Public Service Award Open for Nominations
The Robert E. Bryan Public Service Award recognizes outstanding engagement and service to North Carolina communities. All students, faculty, staff, and official student organizations are eligible. Submit a nomination by February 3.
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Apply for a Community Engagement Fellowship
The Carolina Center for Public Service is currently accepting applications for the Community Engagement Fellowship program, which awards a maximum of five fellowships of up to $2,000 each year for projects that employ innovative, sustainable approaches to complex social needs. Returning, full-time graduate students at UNC-Chapel Hill are eligible to apply. Apply online through the CCPS Application and Nomination Portal by February 8.
Apply for the Mingma Norbu Sherpa Fellowship
The Mingma Norbu Sherpa Fellowship provides $1,250 to support undergraduate or graduate field study and engaged research in environmental areas. Preference will be given to students in the Buckley Public Service Scholars program who are majoring in business, environmental or economics disciplines. Apply online by February 8.
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U.S. Farmers Work to Improve Water Quality
More than four decades after the Clean Water Act, agriculture has become the biggest threat to water quality in many parts of the United States. Phosphorus and nitrogen from manure and synthetic fertilizers are causing problems not only in the Midwest, but also in places like the Gulf of Mexico, where a “dead zone” the size of the state of Connecticut has formed. Farmers are becoming more aware of agricultural nutrient pollution and many are adopting practices known to curb, if not eliminate, nutrient pollution.
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Policymakers and Corporate Leaders Could be Held Responsible for Climate Inaction
Recent climate negotiations in Paris show that world leaders are capable of fast political movement, but a growing chorus of academics and city-level planners are saying that major cities on the U.S. coast—where nearly 39% of Americans live—are not preparing for the inevitable rise in sea levels. Legal experts are looking at cases that could set a precedent to hold policymakers accountable for inaction. “You are enforcing by not enforcing,” said Victor Flatt, the director of the Center for Law, Environment, Adaptation, and Resources at the UNC School of Law. “If you know that the whole system is going under and that there is high likelihood that deaths or property damage can result from failing to alter your building codes or your zoning, once the knowledge is out there it becomes difficult.” While direct legal pressure is not being applied to city officials as yet, environmental activists are pressuring Attorney General Loretta Lynch to investigate corporate leaders for hiding the risks of climate change from the public.
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UNC Researchers Investigate Strategies for Mitigating and Controlling Algal Blooms
Researchers have long suspected that climate change leads to stronger and more frequent algal blooms, and a new fusion of climate and watershed models have proven those suspicions right. For Lake Erie, the number of severe blooms will likely double over the next 100 years. The findings hold implications for hundreds of coastal regions around the world where nutrient runoff and climate change intersect, causing a toxic algae problem. Hans Paerl, of the Institute of Marine Sciences at UNC, is evaluating a variety of algae mitigation and control strategies. "It should be noted," he said, "that no matter what types of physical or chemical treatments we use to mitigate blooms, they should be accompanied by nutrient input reductions.”
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Wednesday, January 13, 2016
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