In this issue:
FREE admission
FREE breakfast and lunch
FREE lodging for presenters, technical experts and faculty that live far away
Sponsored by Middlesex County College and the New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability
(Click here for Registration Form.)
A new New Jersey higher education curriculum project, funded by the National Science Foundation, is underway, and will soon produce sustainability-infused course modules. Through engaging WebQuest curricula, students will learn about real-life sustainability scenarios and will play the roles of real-life actors participating in resolving each scenario's issues. The first 4 modules will focus on green energy, the Hackensack-Meadowlands Commission, the Highlands Protection Act, and sustainable development in Highland Park.
Sustainability in the Garden State is being offered to educate the general public, to help New Jersey educators touch base with local sustainability issues and sustainability education methodologies, and to inform the project's technical experts and faculty curriculum writers about the issues to be explored in the modules.
July 12th, PM: Green Energy in New Jersey and New Jersey Higher Education
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July 13th, AM: Watersheds in Public Policy and Higher Education
July 13th, PM: Making Sustainability Relevant and Meaningful through WebQuests
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July 14th (AM & PM): Sustainable Development in New Jersey
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July 15th and 16th: Research and Curriculum Development Days for technical experts and faculty curriculum writers producing the sustainability modules.
REGISTER by filling out an online Registration Form, or contact Andre Sharrief (973/596-5850, sharrief@njit.edu) with:
August 10th-18th in New York City, The Climate Campaign is bringing together the best northeast student organizers to build the energy/climate movement for the coming year. These 9 days will have: skills and issue trainings (involving visits/presentations from New York Times editors, professional activists, foundation directors, energy advocates), campaign planning sessions (refining state network goals, planning state summits, doing outreach to new groups, building the coalition) and fun activities in New York.
NO REGISTRATION FEE - FREE HOUSING WILL BE PROVIDED. Additionally, NJHEPS will offer a small stipend (up to $200) to cover meals and transportation expenses for students who can attend this event for at least a few days.
Contact Billy Parish (bparish@climatecampaign.org; 203/887-7225) for more information and to register. Contact NJHEPS (drdwheeler@njheps.org; 973/642-4881) to request a stipend.
Stay Tuned: The Climate Campaign is also organizing a New York/New Jersey Student Climate Workshop/Retreat for mid-October (October 15 - 17). Contact Bill Parish (contact info above) if interested.
Two recent conferences at New Jersey higher education institutions presented clear, practical information on greening purchasing decisions and energy choices. They offered opportunities to speak with vendors and installers, and demonstrated the ever-increasing affordability and convenience of becoming "green" homeowners and facilities managers.
The Buy Green and Save Green 2004 Purchasing Conference for New Jersey Local Governments and School Districts took place on June 11, 2004, at the Busch Campus Student Center of Rutgers University. The conference goal was to introduce Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP), or how to purchase goods and services that benefit the environment and at the same time reduce costs. EPP in building materials and design was a particular conference focus, with presentations on Energy Star products, energy-efficient building technology choices, and green construction practices. Mike Winka, the BPU's Clean Energy Program Director, presented extensive information on state support for green energy choices, especially for public institutions. Speakers from INFORM gave scientific background and practical tips to reduce mercury and other toxins through purchasing decisions; Claire Homitzky (Rutgers Cook College) shared sources of support and strategies for purchasing local New Jersey produce. Other presentations offered strategies for buying and specifying recycled products (paper, printer cartridges, benches made from plastic lumber, among others). Conference organizers Priscilla Hayes and Kevin Lyons (Rutgers University) offered clear guidance for broadly and successfully implementing environmentally preferable purchasing as a cost-effective institution-wide policy. Conference presentations are available online as either web pages (HTML) or PowerPoint presentations (PPT).
On June 18th, Rowan University offered a free Clean Energy Symposium, intended to inform citizens and business owners in southern New Jersey about advances and developments in clean energy technology and its increasing affordability. Bergey Windower outlined the latest options for small and medium-sized wind technology; Alice Gitchell, representing the Stockton Geothermal Project, gave an overview of geothermal technology and practical considerations for its deployment and use. A New Jersey Audubon Society representative spoke about the organization's views and activities related to wind power and bird/bat conservation, and the BPU Clean Energy Program's Scott Hunter gave an overview of state programs offering support for renewable energy. Al Lutz, who has trained Rowan students to audit Rowan buildings, gave an overview of energy-efficiency options for homes and businesses. A Conectiv utility representative gave some "nuts and bolts" tips on the logistics of installing solar panels on a home or small business, and a solar installer gave pragmatic advice to home and business owners about various solar technologies. Over a dozen clean energy companies were available to provide information and answer questions, and over 140 people signed up to attend this BPU-sponsored event. Contact cleanenergy@rowan.edu for further information or to request presentations.
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Faculty Profile:
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In this new newsletter feature, NJHEPS seeks to highlight the groundbreaking sustainability-related research that New Jersey faculty members are producing, and to disseminate knowledge about the many sustainability-related courses and programs currently offered in our state's higher education institutions.
We begin with NJIT Professor Maurie Cohen. Professor Cohen received his Ph. D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993 in the field of regional science. His research focuses on the role of the social sciences in helping to understand the causes of environmental problems and societal responses to address them. He thus takes a broadly interdisciplinary posture that draws on several fields, including sociology, politics, economics, and history. Much of his work over the past decade has been on the theory of ecological modernization, which provides a background for assessing current developments in fields such as industrial ecology, ecological design, green chemistry, and environmentally-conscious manufacturing. A related area of inquiry examines the policy arena emerging around the issue of sustainable consumption as a means of reducing the environmental impacts of provisioning practices in affluent countries.
Looking into the future, Dr. Cohen is increasingly interested in understanding what motivates people to enhance the sustainability of their lifestyles. He is currently exploring ways to foster more sustainable choices by forging connections to the more-widespread quest for improved personal health and financial well-being. "Biodiversity and climate change may just be too abstract for many Americans to understand in a way that motivates changes in fundamental attitudes and behaviors," he speculates. "Earlier activists and scholars understood the need to connect global and environmental issues to the lives of ordinary people and to their personal, tangible experiences. The sustainability and environmental movements seem to have forgotten this basic requirement, and perhaps would be more successful if they focused their efforts on the many ways that a choice for health and well-being can also be a sustainable choice. Global sustainability is inseparable from individual sustainability." This strategy, Dr. Cohen advises, could also forge links between the environmental movement and the welter of organizations and government entities concerned with various pressing health problems (especially our obesity epidemic) and the creeping financial crisis affecting America's middle class (now experiencing a record number of bankruptcies). Efforts to find fulfillment through personal development and communal ties, rather than through the accumulation of ever-larger masses of material goods, is good both for individual checkbooks and our planet's resources. The consumption of less-processed, locally-grown foods can contribute to a more sustainable agricultural system as well as a healthier and more nutritious diet. We await Dr. Cohen's research on this intriguing possibility and potential new social-change strategy.
At NJIT, Dr. Cohen teaches an introductory environment and technology studies course at the undergraduate level that all engineering students at the university are required to take. At the graduate level, he teaches courses on domestic and international environmental policy and sustainable development, and advises several PhD students working in these areas. Dr. Cohen also holds a joint affiliation with the Center for Global Change and Governance at Rutgers University and is the faculty adviser to CEAG, Community Environmental Awareness Group, NJIT's primary environmental student organization. He is currently working with this group of student-activists to complete a comprehensive campus solid-waste audit and to improve waste management and recycling at NJIT. He is also a member of the NJIT Sustainability Team and the NJHEPS Education Team, and contributed to the new NJHEPS 5-Year Plan. We thank Dr. Cohen for his many contributions to sustainability through his research, work with students, and campus greening efforts.
Some recent publications:
Penn State Offers Exemplary
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NJHEPS extends its warm congratulations to Penn State for this excellent resource, and we urge all college orientation programs to utilize and benefit from Awaken!
Believing that finding sources of clean energy is a global necessity beyond dispute, the college has thoroughly investigated all possible power options. Of the options, wind power stands out as the cleanest and most accessible power source on the horizon. On Earth Day, the college is signing two contracts to effectively eliminate its production of CO2 and other pollutants. The first contract is with NativeEnergy, LLC of Charlotte, VT. By purchasing enough renewable energy credits, or "green tags" from NativeEnergy to match one year of its electricity use, the college will help build the first Native American wind farm, being developed on the Rosebud Sioux reservation in South Dakota. This is an interim contract because there is still no wind power available in the Maine electricity grid.
Concurrently, the college is signing a 20-year commitment to purchase all of its electricity from Endless Energy Corporation, a wind power provider planning a facility in Maine. COA will purchase all its energy directly from Endless Energy as soon as it is available.
Previous to today, the college's share of polluting emissions has been typical of any Maine power user of its size: 945,000 lbs. per year of greenhouse-gas pollutant carbon dioxide (), CO22,400 lbs. of acid rain-creating sulfur dioxide (SO2) and 1,900 lbs. of smog and asthma-creating nitrogen oxide (NOx). The college's electricity use, through its green tag purchases, will be responsible for creating absolutely no pollution, equivalent to "greening" 167 Maine households.
This strong commitment to environmental sustainability has not gone unnoticed. This month, in recognition of the college's environmental efforts, College of the Atlantic has received a gift from a longstanding friend for one million dollars, plus a $250,000 matching fund, to potentially reach $1.5 million. This money will establish an office of sustainability at the college and support an educational program focused on training leaders for environmentally aware businesses and organizations.
For more information, contact Donna Gold, Director of Public Relations at 207/288-5015, ext. 291.
The areas featured include an arts/theater facility, a cafeteria, a dormitory, drains and sewers, a grounds/vehicles maintenance facility, a laboratory, a medical area, a power plant and a waste storage facility. By organizing the information by campus area or department, the EVC allows users to focus on those issues and regulations most applicable to them.
"MIT intends the EVC to be a reflection of MIT's commitment to environmental education, innovation and stewardship," said Jamie Lewis Keith, MIT's managing director for environmental programs and senior counsel, in accepting the Environmental Business Council of New England's 2003 Achievement Award in Environmental Education for the EVC. The site is hosted by the Campus Consortium for Environmental Excellence, a consortium of colleges and universities dedicated to improving their campuses' environmental performance through environmental professional networking, information exchange, the development of professional resources and tools, and the advancement of innovative regulatory models.
To request an application e-mail us at: population@nwf.org.
They offered this Webcast because new research and practical experience about the overall costs and financial benefits of "green" or "sustainable" buildings is changing the perception that building green is considerably more expensive and perhaps not worth the extra cost. Now, introducing green building practice into the planning, design, construction, and operation of higher education facilities not only demonstrates stewardship of the environment and promotion of a healthier indoor environment -- it’s becoming good business sense and a sound financial investment.
Research consistently shows the correlation between the benefits of a comfortable environment and worker productivity and health. Many additional benefits are easy to measure, such as energy and water savings, recycled content, and improvements in the quality of the indoor environment. But until recently, there has not been a comprehensive analysis of the financial ramifications and benefits of sustainable design in facilities. The recent report, The Costs and Benefits of Green Buildings, found that the upfront investment of about two percent of construction typically yielded life-cycle savings of over 10 times the original investment.
The presentations and discussions aimed to make participants more knowledgeable on how sustainability initiatives are judged, and better able to understand the financial ramifications of the decision to build environmentally sensitive buildings.
The Webcast's Learning Objectives:
Panelists:
Comments will be received at the following URL: http://www.usgbc.org/LEED/Drafts/drafts_main.asp.
Following the second round of public comments and upon review and acceptance by LEED-EB and LEED Steering Committee, the LEED-EB Rating System will go to final ballot approval by the USGBC membership. Substantive and structural changes have been made to the current LEED-EB draft based on comments from the first Public Comment period held earlier this year. Only comments based on the current LEED-EB draft will be accepted. Posted with this version is a list of those substantive and structural changes as well as a summary document which represents the responses to comments received during the first public comment period. The official public release of the LEED-EB Rating System is scheduled for September 2004. It is strongly encouraged that organizations and especially USGBC member companies take advantage of this opportunity to contribute to the evolution of the LEED Green Building Rating System™.
The Catto Charitable Foundation established the American Land Conservation Award in 1996 to recognize outstanding volunteer leadership in land and water conservation. The award's $50,000 prize is administered by the Conservation Fund (www.conservationfund.org/).
The award honors a citizen conservationist for his or her outstanding individual leadership and distinguished service to preserving and protecting the nation's natural and historic resources for the benefit of their communities and future generations. Recipients of the award are recognized for building partnerships that lead to the preservation of open space, wildlife habitat, and sites that preserve a sense of place. Recipients are honored for their work to protect coastlines, river corridors, forest lands, farmland, rangeland, and historic sites.
Applications may be submitted from January 1 to July 21 of each year. For further information, see the Conservation Fund Web site (above).
More information: The New York Times, Henry Fountain, 22 Jun 2004, www.nytimes.com/2004/06/22/science/22obox.html.
A Whole New World by Design: lecture by William McDonough
July 13, at the Museum of the American Indian, One Bowling Green (NYC)
Sponsored by Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
Cooper-Hewitt and Architectural League Members $ 10, Nonmembers $15
William McDonough presents the "Cradle to Cradle" design framework he and Michael Braungart developed, showing how sustainable design strategies can help on the local and global scale; focusing on renewable energy, biological and technical nutrient materials development, and regenerative building practices. McDonough and Braungart have recently launched a non-profit, GreenBlue, dedicated to "making commercial activity an ecological and socially-regenerative force." To register or for more information call 212/849-8380 or visit ndm.si.edu/EDUCATION/poster.html.
This lecture is part of a week-long Summer Design Institute (information available at the above link).
SCUP 39 -- Hard Choices, Smart Planning
July 17 - 21, 2004
Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
Further info: www.scup.org/annualconf/39/, www.scup.org/annualconf/39/sessions.html
Among the many sustainability-related sessions at this conference, offered by the Society for College and University Planning:
BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE CITY THROUGH SUSTAINABLE ENTERPRISE
July 22-24, 2004; Stewart Graduate School of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago IL)
Sponsored by: World Resources Institute and Stuart Graduate School of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology
WRI's annual BELL Conference brings together leading international business college faculty, business leaders, NGOs, and government officials in panel discussions and presentation of emerging sustainability topics, including case studies and research. Based on the idea that a city can serve as a living laboratory, the 2004 BELL Conference, Building a Sustainable City through Sustainable Enterprise, will be an opportunity for academic, business and community leadership to work alongside government and community organizations, in order to explore, develop and support enterprise models based on the tenets of sustainability. This event will support integration of sustainability issues into business school curricula by linking the current needs of business with contemporary education. Speakers will present and examine sustainable enterprise models that BELL member schools, and the cities where they operate, can further develop, test and replicate throughout the BELL network.
Sustainable Built Environments
Liberty Science Center
Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ
September 14th, 2004, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Join a coalition of 6 major companies (Johnson Controls, Environmentalists, Philips, Johnson Diversey, Forbo, and Miliken Carpet) for a full day of informative and interactive presentations featuring:
For more information, and to register: www.sustainablebuiltenvironments.org
Mid-Atlantic Sustainability Conference
September 29 - October 1, 2004
War Memorial and Marriott - Trenton, New Jersey
Sponsored by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA)
Make plans now to attend the 2004 Mid-Atlantic Sustainability Conference in Trenton, NJ on September 29-October 1. This exciting conference will combine the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association's annual Mid-Atlantic Sustainability Conference and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Green Building Conference. This one-of-a-kind event will bring together professionals in the areas of clean energy, high-performance building, sustainable business, and more. Don't miss the opportunity to attend!
Information about conference registration, including prices: www.nesea.org/buildings/be/midatlantic2004/registration.html. The conference will feature five tracks designed to deliver practical advice and real-world knowledge:
The conference will kick off on Wednesday, September 29 with a full day of workshops. On September 30 and October 1 we will feature provocative and informative keynote speakers; 20 break-out sessions led by the region's best experts in green building, clean energy, smart growth, and more; numerous networking opportunities; a full trade show; and a buildings tour. See "Conference at a Glance" for an overview of each day's activities. Sessions, speakers, workshops, and special events will be posted in early July. Conference registration will open in late July. If you have any questions, please call (413) 774-6051 or email nesea@nesea.org. Visit the MASC website (www.nesea.org/buildings/be/nj/) for frequent updates.
Upcoming AEE Telecourses
Complete Course Offerings: www.aeecenter.org/realtime/ (includes courses on fuel cells, microturbines, HVAC Performance, and many other topics).
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NJHEPS
Dr. Donald Wheeler, Executive Director
Dr. Daniel Watts, President
Want to share progress towards sustainability on your campus? Please send news items to Carmela Federico (973-596-2938; cfederico@njheps.org) for inclusion in our newsletter.
NJHEPS gratefully acknowledges the support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the Educational Foundation of America, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, the AT&T Foundation, AT&T, Inc., and the NJHEPS 39 Member Institutions.
This newsletter is available online (from www.njheps.org/press.html). This newsletter is sent out twice a month by NJHEPS via an announcements-only listserv, NJHEPS-news@listserver.njit.edu. If you no longer wish to subscribe to this listserv, please use the tools available on the listserv's homepage, at http://listserver.njit.edu/mailman/options/njheps-news/* (replace the "*" with your email address), or notify Carmela Federico, NJHEPS Program Manager.