Job- MA

Harvard University Business School is seeking a sustainability engagement program manager to manage the Graduate Green Living Program at the university.  The successful candidate will have a bachelor's degree and at least two years of relevant work experience.  Click here for details.

Job- CA

The University of the Pacific (CA) is seeking a sustainability director to serve the university through development, coordination and administration of programs, supporting sustainable practices and advancing sustainability at all three campuses.  Click here for details.

Tip of the Week

Producing one liter of bottled water actually takes three liters of water- the liter that goes into the bottle plus two more that are used in the production process.  Carry a reusable water bottle with you to cool you down during the summer heat!  This tip came from National Geographic.

Public Input Session on Proposed Transit Service Adjustments

Chapel Hill Transit (CHT) will hold the first in a series of public input sessions on its proposed service adjustments for fiscal year 2011/12 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, at the Chapel Hill Town Hall Council Chambers (405 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.).

Job- AZ

Arizona State University is hiring a new Director of Sustainability Practices.  This is a full time job.  Applications close on June 6, 2011, but will continue to be accepted and considered until the search is closed.  Click here for details.

Job- DC

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement is hiring a new Regulatory Programs Chief.  The application will close on Monday, June 6, 2011.  Click here for details. 

Job- DC

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement is hiring a new Deputy Director.  The application will close on Monday, June 6, 2011.  Click here for details. 

Job- LA

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement is hiring a Gulf of Mexico Regional Director.   The application will close on Monday, June 6, 2011. Click here for details.

Job- DC

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement is hiring a new Strategic Resources Chief.  The application will close on Monday, June 6, 2011.  Click here for details. 

Job- DC

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement is hiring a new Chief Environmental Officer.  The application is due Monday, June 6, 2011.  Click here for details.

Carolina in the News

Check out the recent media mentions of sustainability-related programs, practices, and people at UNC:

10 N.C. colleges make green list

The News and Observer (Raleigh)

Ten North Carolina schools have made The Princeton Review's Guide to 311 Green Colleges. Appalachian State University, Brevard College, Duke University, Elon University, Guilford College, N.C. State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, Wake Forest University, Warren Wilson College and Western Carolina University made the esteemed list.

Click here to read more.

When Bikes And Cars Collide, Who's More Likely To Be At Fault? (Blog)

National Public Radio

...Cities and states vary greatly in terms of their infrastructure, topography and bike friendliness, Libby Thomas, with the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, tells Shots. So in the end it's pretty hard to draw any big conclusions about who ultimately errs more.

Click here to read more.

'Natural' doesn't tell you much (Column)

The News and Observer (Raleigh)

It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that any food that is natural or organic is good for you. It may be, but often it's not. It's a distinction that bears the potential for confusion across cultures, I've learned. (Suzanne Havala Hobbs is a registered dietitian and a clinical associate professor in the department of health policy and administration in the Gillings School of Global Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill.)

Click here to 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/

Tip of the Week

Turn your computers off at night time instead of just putting them to sleep!  You will save an average of 4 cents a day, which adds up to $14.60 a year while also saving energy.

Job- NC

The Town of Cary is pleased to announce an open position of Volunteer Coordinator for the SPRUCE Program.  Click here for details.

Job- NC

Pamlico Community College seeks applications for a Director/Chair of General Studies and Allied Health.  The application is due June 15, 2011 at noon. 

Internship- UNC

DELTA Student Energy Internship Program

Developing Energy Leaders Through Action (DELTA) seeks applications for a summer internship with the UNC Energy Services in Chapel Hill, NC. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

Udall Fellow to Examine Water Scarcity

Nationwide, only two doctoral candidates received dissertation fellowships this year from the Morris K. and Stewart L. Udall Foundation of Tucson, Ariz.  Lauren Patterson of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was one of them.

Job- MA

The University of Massachusetts Amherst's Department of Environmental Conservation seeks applications for a non-tenure, nine month, renewable lecturer position in sustainability science with a desired emphasis on the integration of sustainability systems.  Review of applications will begin on June 23, 2011.  Click here for details.

Job - AZ

Arizona State University is seeking a director of its Office of Sustainability Practices, responsible for planning and directing all activities of the department. This is a full time position.  Click here for details.

Job - IN

Indiana University seeks a director of its Office of Sustainability to develop and coordinate a campus-wide program of environmental stewardship, energy conservation, applied environmental science, policy research, environmental literacy and community outreach. Click here for details..

SmartCommute Challenge

Help UNC to beat Duke and NC State in the SmartCommute Challenge, which ends June 1st.  SmartCommute Challenge is an annual spring campaign hosted by GoTriangle which encourages commuters in the Triangle to find alternative ways to work.  Click here for a "Commute Savings Calculator" to see how much money you can save by riding the bus, carpooling, vanpooling, or riding your bike. 

For more information, visit the SmartCommute Challenge website.

2011 Water and Health Conference

Keynotes and workshops have been posted for the 2011 Water and Health Conference, October 3-7, 2011, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Attendees of this year’s conference have the opportunity to hear four keynote presentations from renowned experts spanning human rights, water resources, policy, practice, and financing. Keynote Presenters are Catarina de Albuquerque, Charles J. Vörösmarty, Jaehyang So and Frank Rijsberman. You can view their complete bios here.

Registration is now open; early bird rate ends July 31, 2011. Click here to register.

Carolina Campus Community Garden celebrates its first year May 26

Members of the public are invited to attend the first anniversary celebration of the Carolina Campus Community Garden on May 26 at 2 p.m. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The event will take place at the garden, located off Cameron Avenue on Wilson Street.

Activities will include a tour of the garden and opportunities to hear from Chancellor Holden Thorp, garden volunteers, UNC employees and others about the garden’s impact. Participants will be able to sample appetizers made from garden produce, help plant a row of beans and enjoy live music.

 

Carolina in the News

Check out the recent media mentions of sustainability-related programs, practices, people at UNC:

Pioneering green building hits old-style financial snags

Reuters (Wire Service)

...If such a building can't succeed in progressive Chapel Hill, home to the University of North Carolina and part of a regional economy driven by high-tech research, can large-scale green designs succeed anywhere? "I would be afraid that the broader market, regional or national, would think this project is in foreclosure because it's green. That would be a mistake," said Chris Wedding, who teaches about green building at the university's Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Click here to read more.

When It Comes to Helping Others: Just Do It (Blog)

The New York Times

It’s graduation season, and for the past two months I’ve been traveling to campuses in the United States on a book tour to talk about service in the Marines and social entrepreneurship in Africa. (Rye Barcott is the author of “It Happened on the Way to War: A Marine’s Path to Peace.” The book was released this spring in conjunction with the 10th anniversary for Carolina For Kibera, the NGO that he co-founded while an undergraduate at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2001. He is a TED Fellow and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.)

Click here to read more.

Western Triangle bus, rail transit plan backed

The Chapel Hill News

...The plan the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization's transit committee approved calls for: Beefed-up bus service in and between the three municipalities; An electric-powered light-rail line from the UNC campus to East Durham; The Durham County portion of a rush-hour commuter train line from West Durham to Garner.

Click here to read more.

Bus, rail transit plan backed

The News and Observer (Raleigh)

Local elected officials on a western Triangle planning board endorsed a $1.4 billion bus and rail transit plan Wednesday that - if local voters agreed - would be financed in part with a half-cent sales tax increase in Durham and Orange counties. ...The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization's transit committee approved the plan for beefed-up bus service in and between the three municipalities, an electric-powered light-rail line from the UNC-Chapel Hill campus to East Durham, and the Durham County portion of a rush-hour commuter train line from West Durham to Garner.

Click here to 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/

Job - UNC

Morehead Planetarium and Science Center has an opening for a development and communications associate to support the North Carolina Science Festival. This is a temporary position from June 1, 2011 to May 31, 2012. Click here for details.

Medication Drop-off Program: May 18

Medication flushed down the toilet ends up at wastewater treatment plants, which are not designed to remove dissolved medications. These pharmaceuticals can damage beneficial bacteria that helps to treat wastewater, and end up in our streams, rivers, and lakes. There, they can affect wildlife and end up in the downstream drinking water supplies. Thus proper disposal is of medication is important.

The Chapel Hill franchise of Home Instead Senior Care, in partnership with the Chapel Hill Police Department, will present “Mission Medicine,” a medication take-back program, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 18th, at University Mall on South Estes Drive in Chapel Hill

Tip of the Week

Cutting your lawn this summer? Leave the clippings where they fall, rather than bagging them up. This will naturally fertilize your lawn for FREE as the clippings naturally decompose.

Internships - NC

The Forest Foundation, in collaboration with Good Work, the Abundance Foundation and other organizations in the area are working to develop a local carbon mitigation and lending project for sustainable and green organizations. They are looking for interns who can help improve the infrastructure around this project, particularly web development, social networking and crowd sourcing.

Internships - NC

Greenway Transit is offering cross-marketing opportunities to other green businesses and is working with CommunityGreen.org, a Triangle wide green company website and database, www.ygrin.com, a national yellow grease community based energy project. Greenway Transit is looking for interns to help build this collaboration of green businesses.

Internships - NC

The Green Tracks Training Program (launched by the Forest Foundation and Durham Economic Resource Center) is looking for interns interested in grass-roots sustainable development, networking and building coalitions of green businesses, and innovative, green jobs training and business development.

BikeAbility Adapted Bike Event Coming to UNC Campus

Children and adults with special needs and their siblings can learn about safe bike riding and try a variety of adaptive bikes at BikeAbility, to be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 21, at Bowles parking lot on the UNC campus.

The event is presented by Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation's Adapted Recreation and Inclusion program, in partnership with UNC police, UNC's Trauma Prevention Office and the Crumley Roberts Law Firm. They'll help you or your child practice bike riding and take you through a bike safety course to help practice braking, turning and staying safe while riding. Bring your own bike or try one of vendor Ambucs' adapted bikes. Also at the event will be the Recyclery, Cycle 9, face painting and more.

The event is free, but you must register. Register in advance at www.townofchapelhill.org/register. For more information, email mkaslovsky@townofchapelhill.org or call 919-968-2813.

Town of Cary RFP for Public-Private Solar PV

The Town of Cary is seeking proposals from qualified vendors for a “public-private partnership photovoltaic (PV) system.” Proposals for the public - private partnership photovoltaic (PV) system project will be received by the Town of Cary, Public Works and Utilities Department, located at 400 James Jackson Avenue, Cary, North Carolina until Wednesday, June 6, 2011 at 3 p.m. Click here for more information.

Job - UNC

The UNC Institute for the Environment (IE) seeks a temporary half-time administrative support associate for experiential education programming. The position will assist with the recruitment, selection, coordination and monitoring of energy and IE field site interns across the state, as well as provide general support to IE experiential education staff.

Bike to Work Week: May 16 – 20

Triangle cyclists will have plenty of chances to celebrate National Bike Month with over twenty-four scheduled events in May, especially highlighting Bike to Work Week (May 16 – 20) and Bike to Work Day (May 20). Events will be held throughout the Triangle region. Select events include:

• May 14th - Annual Bike for Hope at Trek Bicycles of Raleigh - Join CAP Member Glenn Girtman and Team Midnight Ramblers on their Bike for Hope. The Hope Foundation is an organization founded to help find cures to mental illnesses.
• May 16 - 20: Sales and Free Inspections at local bike shops in Chapel Hill and Carrboro
• May 17th, 7 - 10 AM: Carrborro Parking Lot across from Armadillo Grill - free bike checks, give-aways, coffee, biscuits, and handouts so stop by on your bike to work.
• May 20, 5:30 PM: Go Chapel Hill - Carrboro Friday Night Cruiser Ride and Entertainment! Gathering will be at the Wallace Deck

Visit http://smartcommutechallenge.com/biketowork.php for more events and information!

Request for Proposals: 2011 Carolina Diversity Summit

The 2011 Carolina Diversity Summit is sponsored by the Diversity Education Team (DET) and will be held on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in November, 2011. The DET welcomes RFPs from faculty, staff and students on any diversity issue, including, but not limited to: race, ethnicity, sexual orientation/identity, age, disability, gender, socio-economic status. We are particularly looking for presentations that are interactive and that deal with multiple or varied demographic topics. Click here for more information.

Job - NY

Echoing Green is accepting applications for a Fellow Programs Associate to provides day-to-day management of search, selection, and support processes for emerging social entrepreneurs. Click here for details.

Share Your Graduation Bucket List for $200 Free Zimrides

Do you have a Bucket List before you graduate! With Zipcar, getting off-campus is a cinch! If you’ve been meaning to go camping with your buddies or take that endless crush on a date, now’s the time. Tell us what’s on your Bucket List at facebook.com/zipcaru. Our favorite entry wins $200 in free driving to get out there and make it happen.

Remember Zipcars are parked right on campus, ready to go for as little as an hour or for the whole weekend. And guess what? Gas, insurance and 180 miles/day are all on us. Sign up at Zipcar.com/unc, it’s only $35 for a whole year, plus you’ll start off with $50 free driving when you enter promo code BUCKETLIST2011.

Help Shape Chapel Hill's Parks and Rec Master Plan

The Town of Chapel Hill is soliciting public input to help shape the future of the park system through a master plan that will establish a 10-year vision for future parks, greenways and recreational facilities. Public involvement is encouraged. Opportunities to provide input include public workshops, online public comment form, and randomly selected household surveys.

For more information on the development of the new Parks and Recreation Master Plan, visit www.greenways.com/CHPRMP.html or contact Parks and Recreation Department Assistant Director Bill Webster at 919-968-2819 or bwebster@townofchapelhill.org.

Carolina in the News

Check out the recent media mentions of sustainability-related programs, practices, people at UNC:

245 Sign Up for EPA's 'Battle of the Buildings'

The New York Times

...Last year's competition only included 14 buildings, which collectively saved more than $950,000 and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equal to the annual electricity use of almost 600 homes. The 2010 winner was Morrison Residence Hall at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The dormitory reduced its energy use by 35.7 percent in one year, saving more than $250,000 on its energy bills. Click here to read more.

Sun lights new Bell Tower parking deck stairwells

University Gazette

When football fans take the stairs in the new Bell Tower parking deck this fall, their steps will be lighted by the sun. A total of 30 photovoltaic panels in arrays on the deck’s northeast and southwest corners, cleverly tucked behind Carolina blue signs with the interlocking NC logo, collect the solar energy to power the light fixtures in the stairwells. Click here to read more.

At top colleges, diversity not just black-white

The Associated Press...In recent years, more than 100 universities have adopted institutional initiatives to increase access for low-income students, according to a summary compiled by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The North Carolina effort, known as the Carolina Covenant and begun in 2003, is among the most successful. The program guarantees its participants — who must meet the same admission standards as other applicants — a debt-free education with a combination of grants, scholarships and work-study obligations. Click here to read more.

MIT students ask Kenyan slum residents: Why shun inexpensive, high-quality health care clinic?

The Associated Press

...The clinic is run by Carolina for Kibera, an aid group co-founded by a University of North Carolina graduate and two Kenyans. The group turned to Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Anjali Sastry, who sends graduate students across Africa and India for her Global Health Delivery Project class. Click here to read more.

Why you Should not let the Greg Mortenson Scandal Discourage you from supporting NGOs

The Huffington Post

...Our organization, Carolina for Kibera, is one of thousands of smaller, community-based organizations that invest scarce resources directly into the hands of young people with enormous talent but little opportunity. It's an effective approach, and it's one low-cost, high-impact way to help brake cycles of violence and poverty from within. (Rye Barcott is a UNC-Chapel Hill alumnus and cofounder of Carolina for Kibera.) Click here to read more.

The Future of Nuclear

"The State of Things" WUNC-FM

Twenty-five years after the devastating nuclear accident at Chernobyl, the world’s attention is again focused on nuclear energy and the risks associated with nuclear technology. The massive damage to Japan’s Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant is contributing to growing fears over the safety of such facilities. But are those fears misplaced? How safe is nuclear power? Experts remain divided over the risks and benefits. Host Frank Stasio examines the role that nuclear energy will play in powering the future with ...David McNelis, a research professor of environmental sciences and engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill... Click here to 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/

Tip of the Week

As the weather heats up, be sure your home's air conditioning doesn't burn a hole in your pocket! A programmable thermostat is one of the easiest ways you can save energy, money, and optimize your home for long-lasting efficiency. Do you have one yet? Learn more here.

Internship

The UNC Sustainability Office is accepting applications for the PAID Peer-to-Peer Education Internship! You will serve as the representative of the UNC Sustainability Office at student orientation and select campus community events during the summer. Apply now! Click here for details.

Chapel Hill rethinks Jordan Lake allocation

From the News & Observer, an interesting local issue that could have a tremendous impact on us in the Triangle:

The Chapel Hill Town Council split strongly Monday night over its water utility's plans to tap Jordan Lake in case of an emergency. The state is reviewing lake allocations. The Orange Water and Sewer Authority, which also serves Carrboro and UNC-Chapel Hill, asked the council to officially support retaining the utility's 5 million-gallons-per-day allocation and keep the utility in the regional partnership that controls the lake's future.

Click to read more.

Internship

The Clean Water Education Partnership (CWEP), a program staffed by the Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG), seeks an enthusiastic and creative Intern to assist with developing and delivering outreach about stormwater.

Internships

The Sustainable Furnishings Council office in Chapel Hill, NC, a non-profit that promotes sustainable practices in the home furnishings industry, is seeking multiple unpaid interns:

• Membership Management Intern
• Marketing Intern
• Database Management Intern

For more information or to apply contact Susan Inglis at susan@sustainablefurnishings.org or (919) 967-1137.

School of Social Work Collaborates with Carolina for Kibera

For 10 years, Carolina for Kibera, an international nonprofit affiliated with the UNC Center for Global Initiatives, has worked with individuals, children and families in Nairobi, Kenya, to improve their access to healthcare, education and employment. This summer, UNC faculty from the School of Social Work will team up with the organization to explore how to help Kibera’s youth increase their financial stability.

Gina Chowa, an assistant professor at the School, will direct the joint venture, which will focus on using the programs and services that CFK already operates to assist young people in building assets. Founded by a UNC student and Kenyans in 2001, CFK oversees a youth sports program, a medical clinic, a reproductive health and women’s rights center, and a waste management program in Kibera, East Africa’s largest slum.

Read more »

Job

The North Carolina Conservation Network is seeking candidates for the position of Affiliate Organizer. The NC Conservation Network is a statewide network of about 100 environmental, community, and environmental justice organizations focused on protecting North Carolina’s environment and public health. Click here for details.

Job

The North Carolina Botanical Garden is currently hiring a full-time Coordinator for Children's and Family Education. The position is charged with the development, implementation, and management of all aspects of environmental education programming for children and families. Click here for details.

Nourishing NC Community Garden Grant

Research shows that when communities have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, they eat them - and they’re healthier for it, having lower rates of obesity, diabetes and other diet-related diseases. Unfortunately, many North Carolinians have limited access to fresh produce in their community. To address this Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) and the North Carolina Recreation & Park Association (NCRPA) have joined forces to establish a community garden in all 100 counties by the end of 2013.

This is a three year program. The deadline for 2011 is May 11th. Up to $3,000 is available per county, and priority is given to gardens sited on parks and recreation properties. Click here to learn more.

Internships

Open to students and recent graduates nationwide, Climate Corps Bay Area is currently recruiting 30 AmeriCorps members for its 2011-2012 program year starting in September. Interns will be trained and paid to work with local governments and nonprofits throughout the Bay Area in California on greenhouse gas emissions reductions programs including energy-efficiency programs and energy conservation campaigns. Click here for details.

Job

Colorado Mountain College seeks an associate professor in sustainability studies. The successful candidate should have at least a master’s degree in sustainability studies, environmental studies, alternative energy or a closely related field with a minimum of one year college teaching experience. Priority will be given to applications received by May 13, 2011. Click here for details.

Job

Union Institute and University (OH) seeks a part-time environmental and sustainability faculty member. The successful candidate should have an advanced degree in a relevant discipline. Applications should be submitted by May 12, 2011. Click here for details.

Reminder: New Blue Graduation Gowns Are Also Green!

Award-winning colorist and fashion designer Alexander Julian – Chapel Hill native and UNC alumnus – was determined that his son, Will, was not going to graduate in May 2011 wearing an aqua gown. Julian, most famous for his clothing line Colours and for putting argyle on the Tar Heels’ basketball uniform, knows a little something about color. And he knew that the regalia in use at his alma mater for the past several years was not true Carolina Blue.

“As a colorist, ever since Holden Thorp was inaugurated as Chancellor, I have been on him like a wet, dirty T-shirt to let me try to improve the true blueness of the robe color,” Julian said.

The robe also wasn’t green, as in sustainably made. With so many students concerned about the environment, the time was right for a gown that might only be worn once in a lifetime to be made from recycled materials.

Deadline Approaching for Chapel Hill WISE Home Energy Improvement Program

Chapel Hill residents interested in participating in the Town's new home energy efficiency incentive program - Chapel Hill WISE - should turn in their application forms ASAP! Participating homeowners can become eligible for up to $5,000 in grant funding for home improvement projects that result in energy savings of 15 percent or greater.

Due to a tremendous response by the community and the need to address all current applicants in a timely manner, the Chapel Hill WISE program is capping the soft launch phase at 125 homes. At the current rate of registration, it is estimated they will reach this milestone by the first or second week in May. Click here to learn more.

May is Bike Month!

At the April 25 Council meeting, Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt signed a proclamation declaring May Bike Month in Chapel Hill. The Town of Chapel Hill strives to be a healthy place to live and encourages residents to use bicycles for work, to run errands or for recreation. Click here for a schedule of great community events to celebrate Bike Month!

UNC Sustainability Update - Upcoming Events

Looking for an exam break? Today's UNC Sustainability Update includes a number of great local sustainable distractions! It also has information on upcoming workshops, conferences, and more!

Click here to read the full UNC Sustainability Update.

Click here to join the UNC Sustainability Listserv.

UNC Chapel Hill Featured in “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 311 Green Colleges" Created in Partnership with U.S. Green Building Council

UNC Chapel Hill is one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S.A. and Canada, according to The Princeton Review (http://www.princetonreview.com/). The well-known education services company selected UNC Chapel Hill for inclusion in the just-released second annual edition of its free downloadable book, “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 311 Green Colleges: 2011 Edition."

Created by The Princeton Review in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) (http://www.usgbc.org/), "The Princeton Review's Guide to 311 Green Colleges” is the only free, comprehensive guidebook profiling institutions of higher education that demonstrate a notable commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. The Princeton Review chose the schools for this guide based on a survey of administrators at hundreds of colleges that the Company polled in 2010 about their school's sustainability initiatives.

Today's UNC Earth Week Activities: Thursday, April 21

Calling all creative and hungry students! Earth Week at UNC wraps up today with some great activities - including a one-of-a-kind art exhibit! Click here to download and print the UNC Earth Week 2011 flier. Today's featured activities include:

SOGreen Sustainable Art Exhibit and Awareness Event

The event is a reception at which SOGreen will unveil a sustainable art exhibit. The exhibit will feature local artists (including a UNC MPA Alum) who utilizes sustainable and/or recycled products to create their pieces. Artists will be on hand to speak to the guests about their work. The reception will be catered (free to guests) by a local, sustainable caterer, and will be a Carolina Certified "Green" Event. The event will be held at the Knapp-Sanders Building.

Sponsor/Host: SOGreen and the UNC Sustainability Office

Times: 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Location: Knapp-Sanders Building (School of Government)

Fee: Free of charge. No need to RSVP. Sustainable art will be on display and for sale.

Event Contact and email: Kevin McLaughlin, mclaugkw@email.unc.edu

Event website: see attached flier

ABAN Earth Week Pit Presentations

A week-long celebration of the ways ABAN is impacting our world. Each day is represented by a different step in the process of our program coinciding with fun events and games. Come out to the pit this week to have some fun, learn more about ABAN, and check out our unique and environmentally conscious products.

Sponsor/Host: A Ban Against Neglect (ABAN)

Times: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Location: The Pit

Fee: N/A

Event Contact and email: Diana Lee, diana@aban.org, and Jenny Demarest, jenny@aban.org

Event website: http://www.aban.org/

Libba Cotten Bikeway Litter Clean-up

This service activity is part of the Town of Carrboro "Adopt a Trail" program.

Sponsor/Host: NC Institute for Public Health

Times: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Location: Carrboro (starting at 400 Roberson St.)

Fee: N/A

Event Contact and email: Bev Holt, bev_holt@unc.edu

To find more UNC Earth Week events, visit http://carolinagreen.unc.edu/!

Today's UNC Earth Week Activities: Wednesday, April 20

Today is UNC's big Campus Earth Day celebration! Be sure to join us and lots of other great organizations on Polk Place today! Click here to download and print the UNC Earth Week 2011 flier. Today's featured activities include:

Campus Earth Day

Join us as UNC partakes in its annual campus Earth Day celebration. Tables from all sustainability-related student groups, departments, and community organizations will be exhibited. UNC students and community members will answer trivia questions about sustainability in order to enter their names in a raffle for the chance to win gift cards to local and sustainable business including Weaver Street Market, Maple View ice cream, and Twig.

Sponsor/Host: Environmental Affairs Committee and the UNC Sustainability Office

Times: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Location: Polk Place (Main Quad)

Fee: Free!

Event Contact and email: Emily Chapin, e.chapin@unc.edu

ABAN Earth Week Pit Presentations

A week-long celebration of the ways ABAN is impacting our world. Each day is represented by a different step in the process of our program coinciding with fun events and games. Come out to the pit this week to have some fun, learn more about ABAN, and check out our unique and environmentally conscious products.

Sponsor/Host: A Ban Against Neglect (ABAN)

Times: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Location: The Pit

Fee: N/A

Event Contact and email: Diana Lee, diana@aban.org, and Jenny Demarest, jenny@aban.org

Event website: http://www.aban.org/

Carbon Heel Print Challenge: Weigh-off to award prizes and celebrate completion

Participants in this challenge carry a bag with all of their non-recycled, non-composted garbage throughout their daily activities for one week. The event culminates with a "weigh-off" on the Wednesday before Earth Day to honor the individuals with the lightest "garbage footprints." The top three winners will receive gift certificates. Light snacks provided.

Sponsor/Host: Sustainable Triangle Field Site and the UNC Sustainability Office

Times: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Location: The Pit

Fee: N/A

Event Contact and email: Holly Kuestner, kuestner@email.unc.edu

Event website: http://garbagefootprints.blogspot.com/

"The Big Thirst: The Business of Water"

The golden age of water - where water is unlimited, safe, and free - is over. Award-winning investigative journalist Charles Fishman reports on his three-year odyssey to uncover how the world of water is changing and the enormous implications for each of us, no matter where we live.

Sponsor/Host: Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, Center for International Business Education and Research, Center for Sustainable Enterprise, Global Research Institute, UNC Global, and Center for Global Initiatives

Times: 5:30 PM with reception to follow

Location: Kenan Center Dining Room

Fee: RSVP to rsvpkenan@unc.edu

Event Contact and email: rsvpkenan@unc.edu

Event website: http://www.kenaninstitute.unc.edu/bigthirst/

To find more UNC Earth Week events, visit http://carolinagreen.unc.edu/!

UNC Sustainability Update - Upcoming Events

Today's UNC Sustainability Update includes the following headlines:

• UNC & Local Events
• Regional & National Events
• Workshops & Classes

Click here to read the full UNC Sustainability Update.
Click here to join the UNC Sustainability Listserv.

Today's UNC Earth Week Activities: Tuesday, April 19

The countdown to Earth Day continues at UNC with activities every day this week! Click here to download and print the UNC Earth Week 2011 flier. Today's featured activities include:

Plant a Rain Garden
Come learn about rain gardens, improve campus water quality and plant some native plants. The rain garden at Kenan Stadium will provide native habitat to support biodiversity and will help remove nutrients that lead to oxygen depleting algae blooms in Jordan Lake. Volunteers who help plant the rain garden will learn about actions that they can personally undertake to reduce water pollution.
Sponsor/Host: Environment, Health and Safety, UNC Sustainability Office, Energy Services, and Grounds Services
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Location: Next to the Kenan Stadium Football Center (north side)
Fee: N/A
Event Contact and email: Sharon Myers, samyers@ehs.unc.edu
Event website: http://ehs.unc.edu/ehs/docs/rain_garden11.pdf

Carbon Heel Print Challenge: Bag distribution and festivities continue
Participants in this challenge carry a bag with all of their non-recycled, non-composted garbage throughout their daily activities for one week. The event culminates with a "weigh-off" on the Wednesday before Earth Day to honor the individuals with the lightest "garbage footprints." The top three winners will receive gift certificates.
Sponsor/Host: Sustainable Triangle Field Site and the UNC Sustainability Office
Times: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Location: The Pit
Fee: N/A
Event Contact and email: Holly Kuestner, kuestner@email.unc.edu
Event website: http://garbagefootprints.blogspot.com/

ABAN Earth Week Pit Presentations
A week-long celebration of the ways ABAN is impacting our world. Each day is represented by a different step in the process of our program coinciding with fun events and games. Come out to the pit this week to have some fun, learn more about ABAN, and check out our unique and environmentally conscious products.
Sponsor/Host: A Ban Against Neglect (ABAN)
Times: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Location: The Pit
Fee: N/A
Event Contact and email: Diana Lee, diana@aban.org, and Jenny Demarest, jenny@aban.org
Event website: http://www.aban.org/

"Defending Our Environment" Panel + Q&A
Join the Sierra Student Coalition, UNC Young Democrats, and the Roosevelt Institute this Earth Week to learn more about the history of the EPA, how current events will impact our progress on environmental issues, and what's going on now in Washington and in Raleigh as lawmakers take apart decades of bipartisan legislation defending our environment. Plus, delicious/sustainable FREE FOOD catered by Med Deli.
Sponsor/Host: Sierra Student Coalition, UNC Young Democrats, and the Roosevelt Institute
Times: 7:00 PM - 8:3 0PM
Location: Union 3205
Fee: Free, no ticket, no RSVP necessary
Event Contact and email: Evan Baker, ebbaker@email.unc.edu
Event website: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=114539651959802

To find more UNC Earth Week events, visit http://carolinagreen.unc.edu/!

UNC Earth Week Activities: Friday, Saturday & Sunday, April 15-17

UNC Earth Week Activities: Friday, Saturday & Sunday, April 15-17

The countdown to Earth Day continues at UNC with activities today and all weekend! Click here to download and print the UNC Earth Week 2011 flier. Featured activities are:

Friday

Carbon Heel Print Challenge: Bag distribution and festivities continue Participants in this challenge carry a bag with all of their non-recycled, non-composted garbage throughout their daily activities for one week. The event culminates with a "weigh-off" on the Wednesday before Earth Day to honor the individuals with the lightest "garbage footprints." The top three winners will receive gift certificates. Sponsor/Host: Sustainable Triangle Field Site and the UNC Sustainability Office Times: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Location: The Pit Fee: N/A Event Contact and email: Holly Kuestner, http://www.blogger.com/kuestner@email.unc.edu Event website: http://garbagefootprints.blogspot.com/

Saturday

An Evening Out at Forest Theater Come out and enjoy FREE locally sourced foods to celebrate spring, kick-off Earth week, and learn about sustainable eating sponsored by Epsilon Eta! We'll have plenty of food and live music free to all those who sign up ahead of time. We only ask that you RSVP via the following Google Form by Friday April 15TH @ 10 PM so we know how much food needs to be prepared. We'll have a checklist from the sign-up page at the event so be sure to reserve your spot ahead of time! Sponsor/Host: Epsilon Eta, UNC Sustainability Office, North Carolina Botanical Garden, and Fair, Local, Organic (FLO) Times: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM Location: Forest Theater Fee: Free, RSVP Required Event Contact and email: Hannah Gavin, mailto:hgavin@email.unc.edu Event website: http://tiny.cc/EveningAtForestTheater

Sunday

Celebrate Spring! Wildflowers of Nature Trail Hill Explore a Piedmont hardwood forest and find our earliest spring wildflowers including spring beauties, wild ginger, and star chickweed. We will also see if we can spot lesser-known native plants such as pennywort and dwarf paw paw. Sponsor/Host: North Carolina Botanical Garden Times: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Location: North Carolina Botanical Garden Fee: $5/individual, $10/family (free for NCBG members) Event Contact and email: Lauren Davis, mailto:laurende@unc.edu Event website: http://ncbg.unc.edu/

To find more UNC Earth Week events, visit http://carolinagreen.unc.edu/!

Yellow Pages Unveils National Opt-Out Site

http://www.yellowpagesoptout.com/
Neg Norton, president of the Yellow Pages Association, has launched a website where people will be able to end delivery of paper phone books to their doorsteps for three years. If after three years, you still wish to opt out of delivery, you must opt out on the website again.
Neg Norton believes this new method will keep environmentally-friendly customers happy, while also saving money on distribution and keeping the environment a little healthier.
Norton chose an opt-out site rather than an opt-in site, because their data shows that about 75 percent of adults use print yellow pages. Yellow Pages Association used Burke Marketing, who does work for Hewlett-Packard and Chevron. They took a representative sample of different markets across the country. They track use of their print directories. They often put in special phone numbers, only in yellow pages, that can prove to yellow page advertisers that the directories are being used.
So far it seems that less than 1 percent of households have out opted out. Norton expects that number to increase.

UI GreenMetric 2010 Ranks UNC #10 in World

The University of Indonesia created a world-wide rank system that measures each university participant in its commitment in developing an ‘environment friendly’ infrastructure.
The UI Green Metric is based on three perspectives which are Environment, Economic and Equity (3’Es). The ranking has five indicators: Green Statistics (24%), Energy and Climate Change (28%), waste management (15%), water usage (15%) and transportation facility (24%).

Today's UNC Earth Week Activities: Thursday, April 14

Today's UNC Earth Week Activities: Thursday, April 14

The countdown to Earth Day continues at UNC with activities nearly every day! Click here to download and print the UNC Earth Week 2011 flier. Today's featured activities are:

Carbon Heel Print Challenge: Kick-off and biodegradable garbage bag distribution Participants in this challenge carry a bag with all of their non-recycled, non-composted garbage throughout their daily activities for one week. The event culminates with a "weigh-off" on the Wednesday before Earth Day to honor the individuals with the lightest "garbage footprints." The top three winners will receive gift certificates. Sponsor/Host: Sustainable Triangle Field Site and the UNC Sustainability Office Times: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Location: The Pit Fee: N/A Event Contact and email: Holly Kuestner, http://www.blogger.com/kuestner@email.unc.edu Event website: http://garbagefootprints.blogspot.com/

Farmers Market Stop by the main quad in front of Wilson to buy delicious locally grown/raised/made food and chat with local farmers! Sponsor/Host: FLO Foods and Carolina Dining Services Times: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Location: Polk Place Fee: We'll be accepting cash, credit/debit, flex, and expense. Event website: https://www.facebook.com/UNC.EAC?ref=ts#!/event.php?eid=138650036206100

Pi Kappa Phi Green Empathy Dinner Sit-down three course empathy dinner where each guest will either be disabled, or taking care of guest who are disabled, and dinner will be followed by a discussion of disabilities facilitated by experienced PiKapps. Food for the event will be from sustainable local vendors (forthcoming), and will include salad/appetizer, main course, and dessert portions, but due to the formal nature of the event, the guest numbers will be capped at 200 guests. Sponsor/Host: Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and UNC Sustainability Office Times: 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Location: Pi Kappa Phi House (216 E. Rosemary St.) Fee: Guests will be able to buy tickets from PiKapps, and/or buy them in the pit April 13th & 14th. Event Contact and email: Will Leimenstoll, http://www.blogger.com/wleimenstoll@gmail.com

To find more UNC Earth Week events, visit http://carolinagreen.unc.edu/!

Summer 2011 Internships!

The Sustainability Office at UNC Chapel Hill works with students, staff, faculty, administrators, and community members to catalyze the development and implementation of sustainable policies, practices, and curricula. Interns will become familiar with the many sustainability practices, policies, and curricula at UNC, while receiving hands-on experience developing communication tools, supporting Sustainability Office initiatives, and assessing sustainable practices at UNC Chapel Hill. All internships are competitive and require an in-person interview.

2 new Summer 2011 internships have been posted - Sustainability Reporting and Peer-to-Peer Education! Review of applications will begin Monday, April 18 and continue until both positions are filled.

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Internship 1: Sustainability Reporting Internship (1 internship position available) Wage: $10/hr Hours: 40 hours/week Term: May 16 – August 19, 2011 Schedule: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM Location: Giles Horney Building (103 Airport Drive)

Are you passionate about making UNC a more sustainable university? Are you interested in learning what makes our campus so “green?” If so, this is your chance to become an expert on UNC’s green practices. Responsibilities and projects will include:

• Conduct research to update campus sustainability metrics based on AASHE STARS and existing Campus Sustainability Report criteria.


• Manage and update documentation to reflect findings.


• Draft copy for 2011 Campus Sustainability Report based on updated findings.


• Propose and implement new formats and/or layouts to make the 2011 Campus Sustainability Report more reader-friendly.

Required qualifications:

• Must be an undergraduate or graduate student at UNC Chapel Hill in good academic standing.


• Excellent research, writing, and analytical skills. Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook. Experience with print layout using Adobe InDesign is a plus, but not required.


• Excellent email and interpersonal skills to support data collection at all levels of the University.


• Demonstrated understanding and interest in sustainability. A strong knowledge of existing sustainability practices and accomplishments at UNC is highly desirable. Previous research, coursework, or internships in sustainability-related areas is a big plus.

To apply, please send the following to Brian Cain, Research and Outreach Manager, at brian.cain@fac.unc.edu:

• Cover Letter highlighting your experience, interests, and goals in this internship


• Resume


• A 1-page writing sample that concisely communicates a complex concept or interprets quantitative data.

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Internship 2: Peer-to-Peer Education Internship (1 internship position available) Wage: $10/hr Hours: 40 hours/week (10 hours/week August 22 – September 2) Term: May 16 – September 2, 2011 Schedule: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM (Flexible schedule August 22 – September 2) Location: Giles Horney Building (103 Airport Drive)

Are you passionate about helping other students, staff, and faculty “go green” at Carolina? If so, this is your chance to help shape the future of peer-to-peer sustainability education at our university! Responsibilities and projects will include:

• Primary responsibility is to serve as the representative of the UNC Sustainability Office at student orientation and select campus community events. This will include setup of informational exhibits, facilitation of activity tables, and creation/delivery of orientation presentations and “green” campus tours.


• Secondary responsibility is to work with the Sustainability Office and the emerging UNC EcoReps program to develop events, materials, and resources that will lay the foundation for future success. This will include recruiting new students to the EcoRep program, developing training materials primarily for students and also for faculty and staff, and coordinating recruitment/training events.


• Continue projects through implementation, including EcoReps recruiting event within first 2 weeks of the fall semester. The possibility may exist for continued involvement in the EcoRep program during the school year.


• Additional responsibilities will include assisting with other Sustainability Office projects and initiatives as needed.

Required qualifications:

• Must be an undergraduate or graduate student at UNC Chapel Hill in good academic standing. Must be available for all First-Year Student Orientation and Transfer Orientation sessions (http://nscpp.unc.edu/first-year-students/orientation/dates/2011-orientation-program-date-fees.html )


• Outgoing personality and excellent interpersonal skills. Must be able to establish rapport with and adapt messaging/delivery to diverse audiences.


• Excellent research and writing skills. Proficient in Microsoft Word. Experience with print layout and/or graphic design using Adobe Creative Suite is a big plus.


• Demonstrated understanding and interest in sustainability. A strong knowledge of existing sustainability practices and accomplishments at UNC is highly desirable. Previous participation in sustainability-related academics or student organizations is highly desirable.


• Ability to work independently, accept constructive criticism, and think creatively to find solutions is a must!

To apply, please send the following to Brian Cain, Research and Outreach Manager, at brian.cain@fac.unc.edu:

• Cover Letter highlighting your experience, interests, and goals in this internship


• Resume


• 1 or more work samples that highlight your ability to develop engaging educational outreach materials. This could be a PowerPoint file, brochure, case study, or pictures of a tabling exhibit.

UNC Earth Week Activities: Tuesday, April 12

Today's UNC Earth Week Activities: Tuesday, April 12

The countdown to Earth Day kicks off today at UNC with activities nearly every day! Click here to download and print the UNC Earth Week 2011 flier. Today's featured activity is:

A conversation with William McDonough, author of Cradle to Cradle
Sponsor/Host: The Center for Sustainable Enterprise at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, Cherokee Gives Back, the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise and the UNC Sustainability Office
Times: 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
Location: Koury Auditorium, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
Fee: Free
Event Contact and email: Jessica Thomas, jessica_thomas@unc.edu
Event website: http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/cse/events.cfm

To find more UNC Earth Week events, visit http://carolinagreen.unc.edu/!

UNC Sustainability Update - Upcoming Events

Today's UNC Sustainability Update includes the following headlines:

• LOTS of UNC & Local Events


• Regional & National Events


• Workshops & Classes

Click here to read the full UNC Sustainability Update.

Click here to join the UNC Sustainability Listserv.

New Student Chapter of the USGBC (US Green Building Council) at UNC

•Are you interested in green building and/or sustainable design?
•Are you interested in learning more about the US Green Building Council and its LEED Certification System?
•Would you like to pursue a LEED Green Associate Certification?
If any of this sparks an interest with you, and you would like to become a member of the student group and/or take an active role in getting the group started, please e-mail Cade Laverty at claverty@unc.edu.

In your email, please include: your name, degree program, class year, level of interest in the organization and if you would want to take a leadership role, whether you desire to pursue LEED certification, and any prior experience you have with green building or related practice areas.

State Study Shows Strong Growth in Recycling Jobs

The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources released a study today showing strong growth in recycling jobs in the state despite the effects of the recent recession.
•There are currently almost 15,200 private sector recycling-related jobs in North Carolina.
•Private sector recycling jobs have increased 4.8 percent since 2008.
•The total annual payroll for North Carolina recycling businesses is $395 million.
•Forty-eight percent of recycling businesses surveyed anticipate creating more jobs during the next two years.
•Twenty-five percent of businesses surveyed report manufacturing a product using recycled materials.
•Recycling businesses target a wide variety of recyclables for collection, processing or use in manufacturing. No single recycling commodity dominates the market.
A copy of the study can be found online here.

Environmental Affairs Committee of Student Government Creates Facebook Page & Twitter Account

The Environmental Affairs Committee of Student Government has recently created a Facebook page (UNC Environmental Affairs Committee) and a Twitter account (@UNC_EAC).
The Environmental Affairs Committee is hoping to use these social media sites in order to promote not only things that we are doing but also things that all environmental groups on campus are doing.

Pi Kappa Phi hosts a Carolina Green benefit dinner

Pi Kappa Phi hosted a Carolina Green benefit dinner called “Wingin’ It with Best Buddies and Pi Kappa Phi” on Friday, January 14 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. They served chicken wings along with sides such as vegan pasta salad and vegetarian coleslaw. The event, which took place at the Pi Kappa Phi house, had over 400 guests and raised over $1,000 for Best Buddies and Push America. Both of these organizations seek to improve the lives of people with physical and mental disabilities from across the country. This first ever fraternity-only sponsored Greek Carolina Green event earned the certification of Light Green and had 1.20% trash, 1.20% recycling and 97.60% of compost. This means that 98.80% of the waste produced was diverted from the landfill and instead, placed in the compost! The brothers of Pi Kappa Phi worked very hard to put on this Carolina Green Event, and their dedication to the environment is very much appreciated.

UNC Sustainability Update - Upcoming Events

Today's UNC Sustainability Update includes the following headlines:

• UNC & Local Events


• Regional & National Events


• Workshops & Classes

Click here to read the full UNC Sustainability Update.

Click here to join the UNC Sustainability Listserv.

"Local Food: Talk & Taste" with alternative farmer and local food advocate Joel Salatin

Join the UNC Sustainability Office for the Earth Week celebration "Local Food: Talk & Taste." Well-known alternative farmer and local food advocate Joel Salatin will discuss how his methods heal the land, the community, and the eater, while treating farm animals humanely. In thought provoking and entertaining form, Salatin will highlight the differences between his approach and today's typical, large-scale farm. The talk will be followed by a book signing and local food tastings provided by select local vendors.

Joel Salatin is a third generation farmer in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. His family's farm, Polyface Inc., has been featured in Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic, and Gourmet; in the films Food, Inc. and Fresh; and in the New York Times bestseller "Omnivore's Dilemma" by food writer Michael Pollan.

This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. RSVPs are requested to sustainability@unc.edu or call 843-7284.

UNC Sustainability Update - Upcoming Events

Today's UNC Sustainability Update includes the following headlines:

• UNC & Local Events


• Regional & National Events


• Workshops & Classes

Click here to read the full UNC Sustainability Update.

Click here to join the UNC Sustainability Listserv.

Are you planning any campus events in April related to Earth Day?

Include your event on the official UNC Earth Week 2011 schedule! This schedule will be used in coordinating and promoting Earth Week activities. It can be found online at: http://carolinagreen.unc.edu/Home/EarthWeek2011.aspx

Do you need funding? The UNC Sustainability Office is now accepting applications from departments and student organizations for co-sponsorship opportunities. Download the application online at: http://carolinagreen.unc.edu/Home/EarthWeek2011.aspx

Please share this opportunity with campus departments and student organizations that might be interested in joining this great series of Earth Week events!

Tip of the Week

This is a posting. Please feel free to ignore it. We are working on a new and improved newsletter format linked to the blog. If this works successfully, we should have a great new resource available for you soon! Click here for more information.

Internship

(This is a test post!) Demo company is now accepting applications for a demo internship. Click here for more information.

UNC Sustainability Update - Upcoming Events

Today's UNC Sustainability Update includes the following headlines:

• UNC & Local Events


• Regional & National Events


• Workshops & Classes

Click here to read the full UNC Sustainability Update.

Click here to join the UNC Sustainability Listserv.

Upcoming Events & Workshops

Today's UNC Sustainability Update includes the following headlines:

• How Community Institutions and Major Employers Are Responding to Sustainability
  


• Carolina Microfinance Initiative Workshop: CEO of Opportunity International
  


• Forum: UNC Transportation & Parking 5-Yr .Plan
  


• And more!

Click here to read the full UNC Sustainability Update.

Click here to join the UNC Sustainability Listserv.

New True Blue gowns are also truly green

Alexander Julian designed the True Blue gowns to be stylish and environmentally friendly. His son, Will; Justin Tyler, senior class vice president; and Chelsea Phillips, senior class chief marshal, show off some of the gowns.

Award-winning colorist and fashion designer Alexander Julian – Chapel Hill native and UNC alumnus – was determined that his son, Will, was not going to graduate in May 2011 wearing an aqua gown. Julian, most famous for his clothing line Colours and for putting argyle on the Tar Heels’ basketball uniform, knows a little something about color. And he knew that the regalia in use at his alma mater for the past several years was not true Carolina Blue.

“As a colorist, ever since Holden Thorp was inaugurated as Chancellor, I have been on him like a wet, dirty T-shirt to let me try to improve the true blueness of the robe color,” Julian said.

The robe also wasn’t green, as in sustainably made. With so many students concerned about the environment, the time was right for a gown that might only be worn once in a lifetime to be made from recycled materials.

At the first home football game of the 2010 season, Julian got approval from Chancellor Holden Thorp to go ahead with his idea for true blue, truly green regalia. Over the next few months, Julian worked closely (and gratis) with Oak Hall Cap & Gown, supplier of UNC regalia for decades, Carolyn Elfland, associate vice chancellor for campus services, and John Gorsuch, interim director of campus merchandising for Student Stores, to create the first designer regalia in the country. The designer added fashion details such as white piping along the yoke and two white panels in front. He also removed one of the pleats in the gown for a more flattering fit for most figures. Other extras include a tassel that is 75 percent blue and 25 percent white instead of solid blue, topped with an Old Well medallion that is colored silver instead of gold.

Most important, after many dye tests, the cloth is finally what the Tar Heel-trained eye of Carolina’s “unofficial color czar” judges to be the perfect shade of Carolina blue. “There’s a bin in my studio in Connecticut that is filled with dye tests,” Julian said.

At the same time, the team worked hard to make sure the True Blue gown was also truly green. Oak Hall offered a fabric made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. (It takes 23 plastic bottles to make each gown.) But the fabric was manufactured in Asia, which didn’t fit the UNC team’s idea of sustainable. Oak Hall was able to find a manufacturer with mills in North and South Carolina, and the fabric will be sewn into gowns at the company’s facility in neighboring Virginia. The information that tells you the gown is sustainable is suitably printed directly on the cloth, without the use of an extra label.

Julian’s son Will approves of the new look. “I think they’re awesome,” he said, after a photo shoot with his father. “He’s got some skills.”

At $54.99, the True Blue gown will cost students $5 more than last year’s aqua model. (Students with old gowns can bring them in for a $5 credit on the new gown.) Additional accessories include a 2011 tassel attachment ($5.99) and a customized white stole ($29.99), often given to a parent in appreciation after the Commencement ceremony. The new regalia will make its debut at Commencement Information Day on March 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Student Union.

For more information about Commencement, visit http://commencement.unc.edu/may.php.

Photo: http://tinyurl.com/62elrsm

News Services contact: Susan Houston

UNC Earns Silver Rating in National Sustainability Assessment

This month, UNC Chapel Hill joined charter campuses across the country in submitting its first AASHE STARS report. As the first comprehensive, objective, and transparent assessment of campus-wide sustainability, STARS enables campuses to measure their current sustainability initiatives and to track progress over time.

The Sustainability Office is proud to announce that UNC Chapel Hill has earned a silver rating. This achievement recognizes the University’s progress, and opportunities for improvement, in all areas – education, research, operations, planning, administration, engagement, and innovation. The University’s complete AASHE STARS report is now publicly available online at https://stars.aashe.org/institutions

"We are proud to be a charter STARS participant and to attain a STARS Silver rating. Sustainability is a core value at Carolina and we are committed to leading the effort to achieve a more sustainable future," stated UNC Chancellor Holden Thorp in submitting the University’s STARS report.

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) was developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) with broad participation from the higher education community. It incorporates environmental, economic, and social indicators to track relative progress in all areas of campus.

For more information about sustainability-related programs, practices, and organizations at UNC Chapel Hill, please visit the Sustainability Office's website at http://sustainability.unc.edu

For more information about sustainability-related programs at colleges and universities across the country, please visit the AASHE website at http://www.aashe.org. All members of the campus community with "unc.edu" email extensions may also register for access to "member only" resources available on the website.

Earn green for going green! Apply now for 2 PAID internships in Sustainability Office!

The Sustainability Office at UNC Chapel Hill works with students, staff, faculty, administrators, and community members to catalyze the development and implementation of sustainable policies, practices, and curricula. Interns will become familiar with the many sustainability practices, policies, and curricula at UNC, while receiving hands-on experience developing communication tools, supporting Sustainability Office initiatives, and assessing sustainable practices at UNC Chapel Hill. All internships are competitive and require an in-person interview.

Education Internship (1 internship position available)
Wage: $10/hr
Hours: 10 hours/week
Term: ASAP – April 27, 2011
Schedule: Flexible during normal weekday business hours, may require evening/weekend hours for special events
Location: Giles Horney Building (103 Airport Drive)

Responsibilities and projects will include:

• Develop exhibits and table materials that promote campus sustainability features
• Provide engaging and informative tabling outreach at select events (includes Earth Action Day on April 9)
• Assist in coordination of a university event during Earth Week (date TBD)
• Coordinate and develop promotional materials for special events, including campus-wide Earth Week events

Multimedia Internship (1 internship position available)
Wage: $10/hr
Hours: 10 hours/week
Term: ASAP – April 27, 2011
Schedule: Flexible during normal weekday business hours, may require evening/weekend hours for special events
Location: Giles Horney Building (103 Airport Drive)

Responsibilities and projects will include:

• Collect and take print-quality digital images of select campus features
• Upload, organize, and manage multiple archives of digital media
• Crop, upload, and manage images on Sustainability Office website
• Redesign and build database-driven interactive Google Maps of campus sustainability features using images and available information

Interviews will start next week, so apply ASAP! Click here to learn more and apply for these internships!

Carolina in the News

Check out the recent media mentions of sustainability-related programs, practices, people at UNC:

Waste not, want not: towns get creative with sewage disposal
The Cary News
More than a half-million gallons of brackish brown sewer water gurgle and swirl into Fuquay-Varina's largest sewer plant each day. ..."The loop is shortening," said Dr. Michael Aitken, chair of the environmental sciences and engineering department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Click here to 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

UNC Sustainability Update - Upcoming Events

Today's UNC Sustainability Update includes the following headlines:

• Microfranchising in Emerging Markets


• Nobel Laureate to Discuss Climate Change


• Green Events Certification


• 8th Annual Sustainable Energy Conference


• Finding Your Green Dream Job


• Power Shift 2011


• And more!

Click here to read the full UNC Sustainability Update.

Click here to join the UNC Sustainability Listserv.

Botanical Garden’s Education Center is N.C.’s first state-owned Platinum building

The North Carolina Botanical Garden’s Education Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has earned the highest level awarded for green buildings. The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program recently awarded the building platinum certification. LEED is the nationally accepted certification program for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. The Education Center, dedicated in 2009, is the first building on a UNC campus, the first state-owned building in North Carolina and the state’s first public museum and outreach center to earn LEED platinum status.

“The platinum certification is the culmination of the dreams and years of hard work of many individuals,” said Peter White, director of the garden. “Furthermore, the $12 million in funding that made this possible came from our donors and supporters. No public money was used for construction. It is our gift to the state and people of North Carolina. Both the Education Center and the surrounding gardens demonstrate our unique mission in environmental sustainability.”

The Education Center, designed by Frank Harmon Architects of Raleigh, consists of three major sections connected by covered breezeways. Inside are an exhibit hall, a botanical art and illustration gallery, four classrooms, a “Green Gardener” reference library and information desk, conference and seminar rooms, and an auditorium/banquet hall. Daylighting and the use of materials with little or no indoor air pollutants contribute to a healthy, comfortable atmosphere for workers and participants in the many public programs offered in the center.

The vision of a state-of-the-art green facility to house the educational and public service activities of the garden was launched in 2000 with a generous bequest from longtime garden volunteer Katherine “Kay” Bradley Mouzon. More than 500 other donors have contributed to the project. Carolina students supported the construction of the geothermal heat-exchange system through a grant from the students' own Renewable Energy Special Projects Fund.

The LEED rating system promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in key areas: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation in design. Points for achievement in these areas were awarded to the Education Center after the USGBC’s review of records kept during design, construction and inaugural operation of the center last winter.

An integrated collection of green features resulted in the Education Center receiving platinum certification:

• Most materials used to build the 31,000-square-foot structure came from within a 500-mile radius.

• Wood for the window trim and baseboards came from trees that were cut down from the original building site.
• Portions of the wooden flooring came from a house in Hillsborough that was being torn down.
• 96 percent of construction waste was recycled, leaving only 4 percent by weight for the landfill.
• Eight cisterns (seven above ground and one below) collect rainwater to be reused for irrigation.
• The elevators use no hydraulic fluid and have only energy-efficient traction motors.
• The parking lot’s porous paving cleans stormwater before it enters neighboring streams.
• Photovoltaic panels collect and store sunlight that is used to generate 7.5 percent of annual electricity needs.

Photos: http://152.2.194.2/netpub/server.np?find&site=Luminosity&catalog=catalog&template=view.np&field=itemid&op=matches&value=8162

http://152.2.194.2/netpub/server.np?find&site=Luminosity&catalog=catalog&template=view.np&field=itemid&op=matches&value=8163

N.C. Botanical Garden website: http://ncbg.unc.edu/

N.C. Botanical Garden contact: Laura M Cotterman

Carolina in the News

Check out the recent media mentions of sustainability-related programs, practices, people at UNC:

Changing Climate Means Changing Oceans
"Talk of the Nation" National Public Radio
Scientists who study the oceans say the effects of climate change are already being seen in the world's oceans. From acidification and warming temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice loss, Ira Flatow and guests look at how the oceans are changing with changes in climate. (John Bruno, marine ecologist and associate professor in the department of biology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill was a guest on this show.)
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-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

Carolina in the News

Check out the recent media mentions of sustainability-related programs, practices, people at UNC:

UNC Engineers Without Borders set benefit dinner, auction
The Chapel Hill Herald
The Daniel A. Okun Chapter of Engineers Without Borders will hold its 2nd Annual Benefit Dinner and Auction from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Feb. 5 at the Morehead Planetarium. The event will include a seated dinner, an open wine bar, live entertainment and both a silent and live auction with items such as artwork and handmade crafts from project countries, artwork and jewelry from local artists, hotel stays, airline tickets and gift cards for a variety of local businesses.
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'Building Blitz' puts up houses in a hurry
The Chapel Hill News
...More than 280 UNC students, faculty and staff spent last weekend nailing up walls, lifting trusses and putting together the pieces for two houses for lower-income UNC employees and their families. The UNC Habitat group gives each volunteer one nail painted Carolina blue to use while assembling the exterior frame. As it's used among the dozens of others, the blue nail reinforces the message of unity behind each house.
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Roses & raspberries (Editorial)
The Chapel Hill News
Roses to Habitat for Humanity of Orange County and the UNC student group that partners with it, for tackling a project even more ambitious than the ones Habitat customarily takes on. The UNC group and local Habitat chapter are in the midst of an initiative called Build a Block, a push to build 10 homes in 10 months.
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Bit of Carolina blue nails it for Habitat homes
The News & Observer (Raleigh)
When Latesha Foushee moves into her new house this spring, there will be blue nails in the beams and signatures on the studs. Her 1,100-square-foot, three-bedroom house is one of the latest built in Chapel Hill by Habitat for Humanity of Orange County and its partner student group at UNC-Chapel Hill. More than 280 UNC-CH students, faculty and staff are spending this weekend nailing up walls, lifting trusses and putting together the pieces for two houses for lower-income UNC-CH employees and their families.
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-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