Univ of Denver starts bike sharing program

image by Wayne Armstrong, copyright 2009 Denver University

It's always great to see how sustainable practices are promoted at other universities around the country. This week, the following headline caught my interest:

"U. of Denver Students Start Bike Program With the City"

So I followed the link to the USA Today article and read about how 2 students in Denver helped attract funding ($50,000) and support for a bike-sharing program. 600 bikes will soon be available at 40 kiosks around town. 2 of those kiosks will be on the university's campus.

What makes this story unique is more than just the student involvement, it is also the city's response. It looks like Denver is also making a strong commitment to sustainability. There stated goal is to have "10% of the total commuter population on bikes in 10 years." Pretty cool, huh?!

Almost reminds me of another town/university combination here on the East Coast. A town and university that came together in 2006 to become the first town-gown partners in the country to commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions 60% by 2050. A town and university that partner to offer a free mass transit system that is among the highest per capita bus ridership in the country. A town and university that work together to facilitate sustainable development and a greener future for all state residents.

Any guesses what town/university combination I'm thinking of?

Yup, Chapel Hill and Carolina!

Now if only we had a bike sharing program on campus...

UNC investing millions in landfill gas project

UNC, as a signatory of the ACUPCC, has pledged to work towards becoming climate neutral. Currently much of the university's energy comes from coal burning plants, so an important step towards neutralize greenhouse gas emissions is investing in alternative energy sources.

TO this end, UNC and Orange County have agreed to a $5.5 million project (funded by UNC) to capture and process landfill gas for energy. If you haven't read the news yet, I highly recommend you check out today's edition of the Daily Tar Heel. It's story, County, UNC finalize landfill gas agreement, broke the news on campus and has most of the details. You can read it online at:
http://www.dailytarheel.com/news/city/county%252C_unc_nalize_land_ll_gas_agreement-1.1352989

-Brian Cain, Research & Outreach Manager, UNC Sustainability Office

Chapel Hill is Cool!

The list of Cool Cities in North Carolina is growing! In 2008, North Carolina had 47 cities including Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham and Raleigh taking part in the initiative. These cities' mayors have signed the Climate Protection Agreement pledging to reduce their city's green house gas emissions 7% by 2012 from the 1990 level. Through the effort of community-based volunteers, this program aims to encourage local efforts in the fight against global warming so each city or county can take a personalized approach to reducing their carbon footprint. And these grassroots efforts have yielded some amazing results!So what are some cities doing to reach their goal?

• Durham and Asheville hired sustainability coordinators• Cary installed LED lights in all their traffic signals


• Chapel Hill and Carrboro are thinking about building energy audits, solar power projects and amending city ordinances. Chapel Hill's fare-free hybrid buses are also doing their part to reduce single passenger car trips!


• Bald Head Island is encouraging the use of rain barrels and geothermal heating


• Greenville opened a three-mile greenway to provide alternative transportation opportunities


• New Bern purchased hybrid vehicles

Did you know?
Chapel Hill became North Carolina's first Cool City in 2006.

To learn more visit:
http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=83161.0&dlv_id=73501

Get involved! The Sierra Club is hosting a “Building Solutions” workshop in Winston-Salem on January 24th. Register here:
http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageNavigator/cool_cities_workshop

Take a look at a checklist for personal ways to fight global warming here:
http://coolcities.us/resources/personalAction/5ways_city&stateBW.pdf

-Daria Khramtsova, Research & Communications Intern, UNC Sustainability Office

Top 10...

Courtesy of the Town of Chapel Hill's Office of Sustainability:

Top 10 Ways Chapel Hill Is Working Toward Climate Protection

1. Carbon Reduction

The Town of Chapel Hill became the first U.S. municipality to commit to a 60 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 through the Community Carbon Reduction (CRed) Project.

2. Green Building Development

Developers are encouraged to include a “20 percent more energy efficient” feature in their plans maximizing the potential for energy conservation and use of renewable energy.

3. Green Municipal Buildings

New or expanded Town government facilities are built to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green building Rating System, approved by the U.S. Green Building Council.

4. Alternative Transportation

Since 2002, the buses have been free in Chapel Hill, offering more than 6 million rides a year. The Town is working to complete more than 28 miles of greenways and trails that will allow pedestrians and bicyclists to quickly and safely access every part of town.

5. Green Fleets

The Town has set high standards for obtaining energy efficient vehicles and to operate its fleets in a manner that is energy efficient and minimizes emissions.

6. Tree Protection

Proposed changes to the Tree Protection Ordinance will establish a new vision statement that calls for no net loss of trees/canopy cover and an increase in trees proportional to population growth.

7. Energy Bank

The Town has set aside $500,000 in bond funds to acquire construct, equip and install energy efficient facilities in certain existing public buildings. The savings attributable to these projects are used to reimburse the fund.

8. Active Living by Design

The Town participates in a national program centered in Chapel Hill that establishes innovative approaches to increase physical activity through community design, public policies and communications strategies.

9. Open Space

The citizens of Chapel Hill have supported and helped the Council identify, protect and preserve green spaces and critical natural areas, now totaling about 740 acres.

10. Sustainability Committee

The Sustainability Committee provides guidance to the Planning Board regarding sustainability principles to be adopted and monitors implementation of the principles and policies as adopted by the Council as part of the Comprehensive Plan review process.

Learn more at http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.asp?NID=1799.

Do you know the Top Ten Ways UNC is Working Toward Climate Protection? You can find the list at http://sustainability.unc.edu/Initiatives/TopTen/tabid/176/Default.aspx.