Newsletter
Late October, 2004

In this issue:

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Sustainability in Higher Education Takes Off! A Note From Dr. Donald Wheeler



Dear Colleagues and Friends of NJHEPS:

After participating myself or hearing reports from six major events on sustainability in higher education held across the country in October, I think I can safely say that the sustainability movement in higher education is finally taking off.

Tony Cortese, President of Second Nature, expressed it well. “I used to have a handle on the major campus activities for sustainability, but today new and interesting things are popping up every day, and I don’t have a clue.”

Out of all these meetings, some lessons/conclusions are emerging that we need to take seriously in NJHEPS:
  • All our earth ecosystems are in increasingly rapid decline
  • We have about 20 years to turn it around through implementing a new sustainability paradigm, but we have hardly started
  • Momentum for change is increasing significantly on campuses, in academic disciplines, and professional associations across the country --- but nowhere near the level as in Western Europe
  • Global climate change is a galvanizing issue with great potential especially when learning across campus is combined with energy/emissions reduction and green building design
  • Students are major drivers in instances where sustainability is really taking off
  • A combination of leadership from the top, the university administration, and the students with their faculty champions brings the best results
  • Influential faculty, staff and administration champions are making a difference on hundreds of campuses usually in addition to their formal job duties
  • Full time campus Sustainability Coordinators are popping up with increasing frequency, mostly but not exclusively in facilities and with varying degrees of access to decision-makers
  • Where campus greening efforts are not linked to learning, 70% of the value is not realized (Cortese)
  • Many campus-community collaborations are bringing good results for both
  • Sustainability across the curriculum, team-teaching, interdisciplinary approaches are taking sustainability beyond environmental studies departments.
  • Campus sustainability projects can bring facilities people, faculty, staff and students together in ways that generate great enthusiasm and break down barriers between sectors
  • Sustainability needs to be incorporated into the overall mission and strategy of institutions and higher education systems
  • Even on campuses where sustainability efforts are most advanced, the thinking and practices of sustainability are only beginning to be integrated into the fabric of the institutions--- we are just beginning!
    • Thanks to David Orr, Oberlin College, Tony Cortese, Second Nature, Wynn Calder, University Leaders for a Sustainable Future, Judy Walton and hundreds of others for information!

    HOW DOES NJHEPS AIM TO MOVE FORWARD?

    Our NJHEPS Convocation with David Orr was designed to build support for a plan to move campus sustainability forward in New Jersey. Jeff Perlman, our new Program Manager, reports below on the results of the student pow-wow. Orr’s keynote speech and talk on the on the Lewis Center for Environmental Studies at Oberlin set a context for the presentation of NJHEPS THEME AND EMPHASES FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS. The participants voted unanimously to support the following items:

    These action items came out of discussions of the NJHEPS Steering Committee in November 2003, several Executive Committee meetings and a summer workshop on Sustainability in the Garden State.
    1. We resolve to carry out the following initiatives as described in A New Wave of NJHEPS Initiatives: Higher Education for Sustainability in the Garden State
    a. Sustainability Research Agenda for New Jersey and the Region
    b. Goal, Indicator and Target Setting for Sustainability in New Jersey
    c. Teaching Materials and Educational Strategies Focusing on New Jersey Sustainability Issues
    d. Sustainable Campus Initiative
    i. Energy/Emissions Reduction
    ii. High Performance Green Building Design
    iii. Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
    2. We support the participation of a representative of each of these initiatives in the NJHEPS Executive Committee.

    3. We support the establishment of a committee to establish specific targets for campus greenhouse gas reduction in New Jersey to be put in place in 2005.

    4. We support the exploration of the possibility of a New Jersey Student Summit on Sustainability in 2005.


     

    Student leaders strategize with David Orr at NJHEPS Convocation, By Jeffrey Perlman, Program Manager

    NJHEPS and RUsustainable co-sponsored an hour-long powwow with Environmental Studies professor David Orr that preceded the NJHEPS convocation on October 11th. Student leaders from Rutgers, Drew, Seton Hall, and NJIT participated in the discussion, asking David Orr how students can promote sustainable practices on their own campuses.

    David Orr explained that too often, universities and colleges engage in the physical changes first while putting off the cultural changes to some later date. In fact, according to David Orr, it’s the cultural changes that have to come first if any long-term sustainable changes at the University are to happen. What universities and colleges have to do is to become “Laboratories of Learning” and this requires a wholesale recalibration of what it means for students to become educated. According to Orr, students will need to be taught how to think critically and creatively around the issue of sustainability and that this necessarily requires an interdisciplinary approach.

    Students themselves can play an important role in promoting institutional changes that focus around sustainability. Firstly, students need to organize. Not only should they organize other students, but should also reach out to faulty, staff, and mid-level administrators who understand the issues. It not necessary, according to Orr, to have a majority of students, but simply a dedicated core of student leaders who can reach out to other segments of the university community. Students also need to create an organizing framework for how to look at their College or University. Once a framework has been created, the second step is to get the data, such as energy use. The third step is to publicly report the data in the campus and local newspapers, to hold lectures and conferences, and state the goals for sustainability for the university. David Orr told students that they have several tools at their disposal. One very powerful tool is that of embarrassment. By obtaining data for such things like energy use and the amount of waste going to landfills, and demand that the university leadership do better. The fourth step that students can take transition their campus to one that is more ecologically friendly is to map those university administrators who are the decision-makers. For example, David Orr encouraged students to find out who resides on their Boards of Trustees and Boards of Governors, and to reach out to these individuals.

    But most importantly, this work has to be fun. As students labor towards sustainability on their campuses, they must endeavor to create a culture of sustainability among the student body. Orr suggested that students invite artists and musicians to campus, bring in outside experts who can speak to various aspects of sustainability, and that students be willing to experiment with innovative workshops and projects. As in any learning experience, it’s OK to make mistakes.



     

    Upcoming NJHEPS Events:
    Green Design (November 12th) and Energy (December 3rd)


    Ocean County College's Model High-Performance Technology Building     		Pulling Off a High Performance Building:
    Integrated Design Process, Saving Money, New Design Guidelines

    Friday, November 12, 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
    Ocean County College (Toms River NJ)

    Program Includes:

    Complete workshop schedule and speaker information soon!

    Questions/Suggestions? Contact Terra Meierdierck (tmeierdierck@njheps.org; 973/642-7848).

    Please register through acteva.com. Pricing as follows:

    NJHEPS Energy Workshop:
    December 3, 2004
    8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
    Brookdale Community College (Lincroft, New Jersey)

    NJHEPS presents a Fall Energy Workshop: Optimizing Energy Performance & Funding Opportunities. The workshop will focus on the BPU and other funders, new energy technologies (including energy management systems), and the opportunities present in LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB).

    Special Feature: Gerald Portee will present Energy Progress, Energy Plans (PowerPoint presentation), a report on UMDNJ's energy achievements and projects.

    Other topics include:

    • Aquifer Thermal Storage
    • Purchasing and Using Biodiesel Fuel
    • Energy Management Systems
    • Nuts and Bolts of LEED EB
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Submetering, load shedding, and managing peak demand

    Questions/Suggestions? Contact Terra Meierdierck (tmeierdierck@njheps.org; 973/642-7848).

    Please register for this FREE event through acteva.com.



     

    AROUND THE CAMPUSES

    Faculty Profile:
    Dr. William Makofske, Ramapo College of New Jersey

    Professor of Physics and Environmental Science
    Ramapo College

    Tel: (201) 684-7752
    bmakofsk@ramapo.edu

    Dr. William Makofske received his Ph.D. in physics from Rutgers University and has been a faculty member at Rutgers University, University of Minnesota and Columbia University. He has focused on the environmental impacts of energy production, computer modeling of environmental systems, alternative energy sources, radon, and global climate change. He was a 1999 Fulbright Fellow in alternative energy and environmental protection in Germany. At Ramapo, he teaches courses in physics, environmental science and environmental studies.


    Extensive south-facing windows admit natural light and (together with tile floors) create warmth in the Makofske living room.

    Dr. Makofske not only researches and teaches about alternative energy and society -- he also has been a major leader in creating cost-effective and successful green buildings. His Orange County home, a regular site on NESEA's Green Buildings Open House, is a model of affordable and effective green home design and productive small-scale organic farming practices (follow this link for a detailed description of Dr Makofske's inspiring green home). As a member of Ramapo's new Sustainable Buildings and Grounds Committee, Dr Makofske applies his extensive experience and expertise to the design and management of Ramapo's buildings. He also has frequently contributed to NJHEPS energy events and educational offerings.

    Photovoltaic panels provide 100% of the Makofske's electrical load. A new market in green tags now provides additional financial rewards for going solar.


    Campus Sustainability: Short Takes

  • Score of Campuses Gather at Northeast Campus Sustainability Summit to Explore Sustainability and Learn from Bioneers: Thanks to the sponsorship of the University of New Hampshire's Office of Sustainability Programs and Clean Air, Cool Planet, representatives of 20+ campuses gathered to share strategies, develop new models for campus sustainability, and seek peer guidance in overcoming obstacles. The trend among campuses to pursue campus sustainability as a clear mission, through official staff designations and duties, was clear and heartening. The conference also began a process to decide how Northeast Campuses concerned with sustainability can best work together in the future. Following the higher-ed gathering, regional sustainability activists gathered to learn from a simulcast of the annual Bioneers convention, featuring global sustainability leaders.

  • Harvard Adopts Sustainability Principles for Campus Development: As of October 15, 2004, all future Harvard development projects will be reviewed for compliance with six broad sustainability principles, including promoting sustainability through institutional practices (e.g., resource efficiency), ensuring health and productivity through high-performance buildings, improving the campus eco-system, encouraging environmental awareness, and monitoring progress towards sustainability. These principles have been recommended by a University-convened sustainability committee, comprised of students, faculty and administrators; the University formed the committee in response to issues raised by Sustainable Allston, a Harvard student group concerned about development in a new 341-acre Allston campus. A new committee will be formed, says the Associate VP for Facilities and Environmental Services, to translate these broad principles into specific decisions and actions. (More information: www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=503851.)

  • Dartmouth Seeks Sustainability Coordinator: Dartmouth College is seeking a new Sustainability Coordinator. As a member of the Provost's staff, the Sustainability Coordinator will work with college administrators, faculty, and students to educate the campus about sustainability issues, to help Darthmouth educate future leaders who are committed to the value of sustainability and to sustainable practices, and to help the College conduct its affairs in a sustainable manner. Applicant should have a relevant educational background and demonstrated success in implementing sustainability programs. More information: www.dartmouth.edu/~hrs/employment/jobflyer/admn/ (see position 10000779). Salary range: approximately $47-79K. Send letter of application and resume to Brenda Lindblade, Dartmouth College, Box 6008, Hanover NH 03755. Applications will be reviewed beginning November 1st.

  • Sustainability on Campus: Stories and Strategies for Change: A new book from MIT Press which contains 16 personal accounts of campus progress towards sustainability -- each account written by an important actor in the change process. Topics range from strategies for ensuring broad and sustainable progress, infusing sustainability into campus curricula, and engaging communities and students in making progress towards sustainability. Michael Edelstein's chapter on sustainability at Ramapo provides some background information on the founding of NJHEPS. A must read!

  • 12 Steps Toward Sustainability: from the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University, offers clear guidance in 12 specific areas of campus greening.



    Energy: Short Takes

    • NESEA's Mid-Atlantic Sustainability Conference Spotlights Local Energy Achievements and Opportunities: On September 29 - October 1, NESEA hosted a regional gathering to highlight ways to implement sustainability through green buildings, green energy, green schools, and sustainable communities. The conference featured an inspiring presentation by L. Hunter Lovins (memorable quote: "The market is an excellent servant, a bad master, and a terrible religion."). Princeton's Tom Nyquist (Director of Engineering and campus leader for many green campus initiatives) represented higher education in a multi-stakeholder panel discussing climate action.

    • Carleton College Builds Wind Turbine: In late September, Carleton College dedicated a major construction project: a $1.8 million wind turbine. The turbine will generate more than 5 MW of electricity per year -- 40% of Carleton's needs. Carleton also plans to sell some electricity to Xcel Energy, and expects the project to pay for itself (simple payback) in 12 years. The initiative was largely student-driven. The Carleton project has inspired plans for turbines throughout Minnesota educational institutions: St. Olaf College, Gustavus Adolphus College, and the Wayzata public school system.

    • Anaerobic Digester comes to Rutgers Eco-Complex: The Earth Pledge Foundation has begun construction of the first North American small-scale anaerobic digester this fall at the Rutgers University EcoComplex, a living laboratory dedicated to modeling technologies that promote sustainable development. The digester is funded by the US EPA, Mitsubishi International Corporation, and the Ittleson Foundation. Anaerobic digestion makes use of organic waste such as food scraps that would otherwise go into landfills. Beneficial bacteria break down waste to produce fertilizer (which becomes a soil enhancer) and natural gas (which will fuel microturbines to power and heat the Eco-Complex's greenhouse). The Earth Pledge anaerobic digesters are unique because at only six to eight feet in diameter, they are compatible with small urban spaces.

    • Biodiesel Developments: Chrysler will use B5, a 5 percent blend of biodiesel, for the first tank of fuel in each new Jeep® Common Rail Diesel (CRD) sport-utility vehicle. Chrysler Group President and CEO Dieter Zetsche called the decision an important first step in encouraging wider use of clean, renewable fuels. Biodiesel, moreover, just received a federal excise tax credit of one penny per percentage of blended biodiesel (e.g., 20 cents per gallon for B20); the credit will benefit all consumers including tax-exempt users (www.biodiesel.org).



    Climate in the News

    The evidence that climate change is real and damaging continues to mount. World Wildlife Fund has just released its Living Planet Report 2004, and asserts that "humanity is now consuming over 20 percent more natural resources than the Earth can produce, causing rapid declines in wild animal populations." WWF says our energy footprint, dominated by the use of fossil fuels, is "particularly alarming...putting the whole of humanity under threat from climate change."

    Climate scientists are currently especially concerned about a sharp rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for the second year in a row. Carbon dioxide has, in recent decades, risen by about 1.5 parts-per-million each year, but last year and this year that figure has jumped to an increase of more than 2 parts-per-million each year. Scientists have no clear natural phenomena to explain this increase, and Dr. Charles Keeling of the Mauna Loa observatory label it a "case for concern." This increase, however, was not uniform across the globe, and may have been caused by northern forest fires. The rise did cause Dr. David King, Great Britain's chief scientific adviser, to say that if 2ppm indeed becomes the annual atmospheric carbon increase, we are just 60 years away from triggering an irreversible climate disaster.(The Guardian, October 11 2004; BBC News)

    At an October press conference, members of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that the recent disastrous hurricane and typhoon season is consistent with the extreme weather events that global climate change is expected to make more frequent in the future. Swiss Re reported insurance claims of $150 billion, up from a yearly average of 4 billion in the 1980's (Duluth News Tribune, Cox News Service, October 22 2004).

    The Working Group on Climate Change and Development, a coalition of aid agencies including Christian Aid, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Oxfam and WWF, has released a new report, Up in Smoke, that calls for urgent action to avert the impact of global warming on developing countries, as well as an intensified effort to help these countries adapt to climate change and mitigate its impacts. The report states that global warming threatens to reverse human progress and make the UN's Millennium Development Goals unattainable. (New Economics Foundation, BBC News)

    The news is particularly grim for Arctic regions. Climate change will soon make the Arctic regions of the world nearly unrecognizable, dramatically disrupting traditional Inuit and other northern native peoples' way of life, according to a new report that has yet to be publicly released. The dire predictions are just some of the findings by the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), an unprecedented four-year scientific investigation into the current and future impact of climate change in the region. "This assessment projects the end of the Inuit as a hunting culture," said Sheila Watt-Cloutier, chairwoman of the group that represents about 155,000 Inuit in the Arctic regions of Canada, Russia, Greenland, and the United States. The report predicts the depletion of summer sea ice, which will push marine mammals like polar bears, walrus and some seal species into extinction by the middle of this century, Watt-Cloutier stated. The assessment was commissioned by the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental body involving the eight Arctic nations -- Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Russia, and the United States. The Inuit and other Arctic peoples also participate in the Council and contributed to the ACIA report, along with over 600 hundred scientists from around the world. Although complete, it will not be made public or presented to governments until after the U.S. presidential elections at a conference in Reykjavik, Iceland, Nov. 9-12. (Inter Press Service, September 10, 2004)


     

    Awards Honor Green Innovators

    This year's Goldman Prize winners (known as the "Environmental Nobel") present an inspiring array of accomplishments Ghana's Rudolf Amenga-Etego has worked against the privatization of water in developing countries, seeking alternative management models that better secure the rights of the poor to safe, adequate, affordable water. Rashida Bee and Champa Devi Shukla of India struggle for justice in the wake of the Bhopal tragedy. Manana Kockladze of Georgia has involved citizenry to make the construction of an oil pipeline in her country less environmentally damaging. Demetrio do Amaral de Carvalho of East Timor is leading his new country on a path of sustainable development and environmental protection, based on his country's native tradition of Tara Bandu--acting in harmony with nature. In the US, Margie Eugene-Richard has been honored for pressuring shell to advance environmental justice in Norco, Louisiana. Finally, Libia Grueso, of Columbia, has secured territorial rights for Columbia's black rural communities.

    The Brower Youth Award winners, given to youth aged 13 - 22, can inspire your students! Lily Dong succeeded in creating Arroyo Seco Woodland and Wildlife Park from the last remaining undeveloped land in Pasadena. Hannah McHardy saves trees, through recycled paper victories, protesting Weyerhauser's logging practices and achieving logging reform on state land. Billy Parish (hopefully by now familiar to readers of this newsletter) started The Climate Campaign to help campuses reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Eugene Pearson and others on the University of Colorado student council have secured a commitment from the University that all new buildings will be powered 100% by renewable energy. Shadia Wood founded Kids Against Pollution. Christina Wong works in California to achieve environmental electoral victories.

    Finally, every environmentalist has to celebrate the selection of Wangari Maathaim founder of Kenya's Green Belt Movement, for "her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace. The Green Belt Movement has become an Africa-wide effort to involve women's groups in the planting of trees in order to conserve their environment and improve their quality of life. She has also campaigned against land grabbing and rapacious use of forest lands. This is the Nobel's committee first clear recognition that environmental conservation and restoration are crucial components in creating the necessary conditions for peace to reign.



     

    Education for Sustainability: New Resources

  • New AWEA Wind Tutorial Available: AWEA has updated and expanded its Frequently Asked Questions publication, and made it available in a user-friendly, on-line tutorial (at www.awea.org/faq/index.html). The new tutorial provides answers to a broad range of questions about the technology, environmental impacts, utility integration of wind, sitting and safety, and many other issues. It also provides links to studies elsewhere on the Web and to other areas of the AWEA Web site, and therefore serves as a convenient information and research tool.

  • Canadian Environmental Literacy Project Offers Educational Resources: The Canadian Environmental Literacy Project (CELP) is a new entity, funded by a private foundation for three years, with a mandate to develop materials to support the teaching of environmental studies in Canada. To achieve this objective, they are developing a series of Canadian-focused materials, available free of charge to educators, to assist in teaching environmental studies to introductory classes at the university, college, and senior high-school levels. They have recently launched a website, where educators can examine and download the first of the available modules. Content includes presentation materials, experiential activities, and readings in support of the discussion of controversial and strategic topics. The CELP programme also is seeking experienced educators interested in using the modules, developing and/or reviewing modules, and critiquing the programme, including suggestions for format and for module topics of potential use in your region or elsewhere. Please visit the CELP website at www.celp.ca and feel free to email comments and queries to celp@dal.ca.

  • EPA Offers New Global Library of Environmental Policy Solutions: A new EPA website offers environmental policies and best practices from countries around the world including Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Australia. It provides links to journals, databases, guidelines, programs and case studies involving innovations in air, toxics, waste and water issues, as well as multi-variate approaches such as environmental management systems, sustainable transport, smart growth and industrial ecology. The site also lists fellowships for group and individual exchanges, and resources for evaluating international initiatives. The library is intended to help state and local governments, federal agencies, and nongovernmental organizations in the United States as well as in other countries learn from these experiments. Explore the website at www.epa.gov/innovation/international.

  • New Book from Bioneer Jason Clay: At the recent Bioneers conference, Cultural Survival founder Jason Clay summarized case studies from his work as Vice President of the Center for Conservation Innovation at the World Wildlife Fund. Gathered in a monumental book, World Agriculture and the Environment, these innovative case studies (set in both industrialized and developing countries) reveal some clear directions for progress and some surprising challenges to conventional assumptions about how to sustainably feed the world and preserve biodiversity.



    Student Opportunities

    • Call for NWF Fellowship Proposals! Due December 15th! National Wildlife Federation is now accepting applications for its 2005 Fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students interested in enhancing the environment. Fellows receive a modest grant, project support, recognition of their accomplishments and other benefits. They assist with the research, design and implementation of projects to help reduce consumption and pollution, restore habitat and other environmentally helpful initiatives. Fellows also attend NWF's annual meeting in March of 2005 in Washington DC. Fellowship grants will be awarded in the following areas: Campus greening, civic engagement and research projects addressing global warming, water policy, Native American and Alaska Native communities, volunteerism and greenspace protection. Last chance for early review is December 1, 2004! Application deadline is December 15, 2004. To learn more about the Fellowships go to www.nwf.org/campusecology.Become a Greenpeace Organizer! Applications due Nov. 1st.

    • This Spring, Greenpeace will train ten students. You will play a crucial role on a critical Greenpeace campaign, receive training from the nations best and most experienced campaigners and travel to Europe for a week to be trained by international environmental leaders and meet students working on similar issues around the world. They are looking for the best college students-- primarily freshmen or sophomores -- who are passionate, bold, smart, visionary, strategic, savvy, and ready to join us in the trenches. You can learn more about this program at www.greenpeaceusa.org/goa/ Better yet, give Phil Radford a call or email: (202/319-2401; phil.Radford@wdc.greenpeace.org.



      LEED-EB Grant; Deadline December 15th!



      The BPU has allocated up to $250,000 in funds (maximum grant:$25K) to help colleges, universities and K-12 schools investigate attaining the new LEED for Existing Building standards ("LEED-EB") in planned retrofits.

      The grant will support an institution in the information-gathering and research needed to complete a report format, which evaluates both the energy aspects of a building to be upgraded (as per the older BPU "Technical Assistance" report format), and also its ability to comply with the standards and practices of LEED-EB:

      "The TA LEED-EB report format is intended to help schools and colleges identify and evaluate potential savings in the areas of energy and atmosphere, water efficiency, sustainable sites, material resources and indoor environmental quality. The proposed end result of the TA-LEED-EB analysis is to achieve the most cost effective, healthy and productive building possible."

      **
      Schools with definite plans to retrofit a pre-1990 building are urged to apply. A LEED-Certified Professional (could be an architect, an engineer, a specialist LEED consultant, or a staff member) must sign off on the report.

      Detailed information on the building's energy usage and near-future retrofit plans are required.

      Grantees must keep track of how much work was involved in completing the report, as the BPU is seeking field input on the costs and logistics of implementing LEED-EB.

      Please read the full solicitation for complete info, including scoring criteria and other information/requirements, etc. The application is available at:
      http://www.state.nj.us/bpu/tmp/TA-LEED-EB%20APPLICATION.pdf

      Questions? Please Contact: Ms. Alma Rivera (973) 648-7405 or alma.rivera@bpu.state.nj.us





      UPCOMING EVENTS

      Mid-Atlantic Energy Star Group Meeting
      November 5; Crown Plaza Hotel (GSP Exit 135), Clark NJ
      8:30 AM - 1 PM

      Agenda:
      8:30 am Registration & Continental Breakfast
      9:00 am Welcome - NJDEP and L'Oreal USA
      9:15 am Reduction of Greenhouse Gases with Increase in Production, Ken Kraly, Director of Engineering, Clark Mfg.
      10:15 am Energy Management System, Franklin Facility Marcello Camponogara, Director of Engineering
      10:30 am BREAK
      10:45 am Pilot Program - USGBC's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System Jeff Kroessig, Director of Corporate Engineering
      11:15 am Corporate Sustainability Programs & Environmental Indicators, Ed Dolegiewitz, Director of Engineering
      11:45 am Water Conservation Programs, Piscataway & W. Caldwell Mfg. Facilities, Tom Zollo, Director of Engineering and John Lopez, ETNSE Manager of W. Caldwell
      12:15 pm Lunch 1:00 pm Tour of Clark Mfg. Facility (Approximately 1 mile from the Crown Plaza Hotel)

      For more information on this meeting, contact Athena Sarafides, NJDEP (609/633-1161; athena.sarafides@dep.state.nj.us).



      Earthwatch Annual Conference & Educator Track
      Nov. 5 & 6, 2004
      New England Aquarium (Boston MA) and Hyatt Regency (Cambridge MA)

      Renowned marine biologist and conservationist Dr. Sylvia Earle will be speaking.

      Conference provides sessions on hands-on learning in the classroom, community action for local conservation, and increasing environmental awareness in the workplace.

      Registration is $100, but there are stipends available for New Jersey educators! Contact Phoebe Morad for details (pmorad@earthwatch.org; 978/450-1264), or visit the "Educational Resources" link at www.earthwatch.org.



      London Sustainability Intensive
      featuring Alan Atkisson and L. Hunter Lovins Nov. 5-6; Imperial College, London, UK (reception on the evening of Nov. 4th)
      Fees: $1250 Standard Registration, $750 NGOs and Non-profits, $350. Student Meals included; accommodation is not included but is available in local hotels. Some scholarships available.
      Further information and a brochure: www.atkisson.com/workshop/index.html. To pre-register, please send an email with your complete contact information to: Workshop@AtKisson.com.

      The AtKisson Group is partnering with Natural Capitalism Inc., The Natural Edge Project, and Imperial College London to offer a two-day Sustainability Intensive, 5-6 November 2004. The workshop will open with a reception on the evening of 4 November. Two days of intense, hands-on exposure to some of the best tools and methods available for making sustainability happen ... in corporations, in government, and in communities around the world.

      The workshop will be led by Alan AtKisson, author of Believing Cassandra: An optimist looks at a pessimist's world and strategic advisor to many sustainability initiatives in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the United States. The AtKisson Group's clients include global companies, venture capital funds, new business incubators, UN training programs, international and regional development efforts, governments, major cities, and small communities. Alan is lead developer of the Accelerator, a widely-used set of sustainability tools that help change happen faster, better, and far more effectively. Co-presenting will be Hunter Lovins, co-author of Natural Capitalism, co-founder of Rocky Mountain Institute, and President of Natural Capitalism, Inc. Joining the workshop as a special guest will be Junko Edahiro, founder of Japan for Sustainability, a leading organization in Japan with over 50 major corporate sponsors.





      Geothermal Training
      Presented by Richard Stockton College Geothermal Project

      GEOTHERMAL TECHNOLOGY II: FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONALS November 10, 2004, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
      Edison, NJ
      Registration begins at 8:30 with a Continental Breakfast

      COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course will review Geoexchange Technology giving overviews of two case studies. Life cycle cost analysis will be discussed in detail. Project design details will be taught: Heat/Gain Loss Data; Test Bore & Thermal Conductivity Test; Borehole Layout; Software Applications and Ventilation Issues. NEW Includes computer design software updates.

      (Suggested Perquisite: Some knowledge of Geothermal Technology is assumed. Quick overview will be given.

      INSTRUCTORS: Lynn Stiles, Ph.D. Richard Stockton College of New Jersey; Howard Alderson, P.E. Alderson Engineering, Inc.

      Architects earn 3 AIA Learning Units
      Early Registration Fee
      Special Group Discounts

      Please contact Diane Hulse-Hiller to register (Diane.Hulse-Hiller@stockton.edu; 609/652-4677)
      Registration Instructions



      City That Drinks the Mountain Sky
      Puppet Theatre presentation of Arm of the Sea Theater
      Nov. 10, 10 AM and 11:45 AM (one hour in length)
      Tribeca Performancing Arts Center, Borough of Manhattan Community College, NYC
      Tickets: $5 each (call 212/220-1459 for reservations.

      Through a shimmering tapestry of poetry, puppetry and music, City that Drinks the Mountain Sky brings alive the lyrical landscape of the Catskill Mountain communities to portray the ongoing struggle to protect this flowing treasure. Suitable for students grade 2 through college.



      Greenbuild Expo
      Portland, Oregon
      November 10 - 12, 2004
      $450 - $750 ($99 for students)
      www.greenbuildexpo.org

      Join others interested in green building and design at the US Green Building Council's yearly national conference.


      4th Annual New England
      GRASSROOTS CLIMATE ACTION CONFERENCE
      Sunday, November 14, 9 am - 5:30 pm
      M.I.T.'s Stata Center, 32 Vassar St, Cambridge, MA

      Full Program & Registration Info at http://www.massclimateaction.org/

      • Share what you, your town, company, university or state can and are doing
      • Learn from, network with, climate activists, technical & policy experts from MA, N.E. & beyond.

      Keynote: "The Next Four Years...What do we do now?"
      Mindy Lubber, Exec. Dir., CERES (Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies), & former US EPA NE Regional Admin.

      20+ Workshops:

      • Local climate action plans & GHG reduction strategies
      • Climate change science & impacts
      • Transportation challenges
      • Campus sustainability & climate activism
      • What’s RGGI?
      • School energy curricula & projects.
      • Efficiency Fund Dialogue
      • Regional Climate Plan & Realities
      • Green Power Outreach
      • Boston’s Green Building Initiatives
      • Social Marketing
      • Cape Wind Environmental Impact Report
      • Allied Efforts
      • Framing the Climate Message
      • Anti-idling campaigns
      • Pushing state & regional policy & action
      • Organizing skills

      Registration: $35 by Nov 8, $45 at door; includes breakfast & lunch. Group & student rates, exhibit tables, available. Checks payable to: Commonwealth Foundation. Mail to: Michael Charney/MCAN Conf., PO Box 390554, Cambridge, MA 02139. (Note: Please mail checks & pre-registration prior to Nov 8; Please email in pre-registration or RSVP thereafter to reserve your place while paying at the door.) Program/Registration: http://www.massclimateaction.org/
      Info: (CambClimAct@aol.com; 781/643-5911)

      Organized & hosted by Mass. Climate Action Network & MIT Students for Global Sustainability with Tufts Climate Initiative, MASSPIRG, Clean Water Action, The Climate Campaign, HealthLink, Clean Air - Cool Planet, The Green Roundtable, HealthLink, Mass Energy & the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association.

      View MCAN's 2003 Conference program and presentations through the Links and Resources link at http://www.massclimateactionnetwork.org/.



      The Restoration of Urban/Suburban Green Space
      November 18, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
      Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Philadelphia PA
      Registration: $50 before Nov. 1st, $60 after. Call for student rates.

      Specific conference goals are the explore the practical methods of restoration; identify the needs of urban/suburban greenspace restoration; provide a forum to discuss teh issues of restoring urban/suburban green space.

      Call 215/482-7300, x. 118 with questions or to register.



      ANJEE (Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education) Annual Conference
      Jan 6-8, 2005
      Rider University, Bernardsville NJ
      Further information: www.anjee.net/conference/

      Includes workshops on"EE in College," "The New Jersey Farmer," highlighting use of local farms for educative purposes; "Native Plants for Schools and People;" and "Exploring Environmental Issues in the Places We Live," the latest Secondary Module from Project Learning Tree (with a focus on sustainability, community planning, and sense of place).


      International Conference on Education for a Sustainable Future
      January 18 - 20, 2005
      Center for Environment Education (seec@ceeindia.org, www.ceeindia.org)
      Ahmedahad, Gujurat, India

      See http://www.ceeindia.org/esf/index.htm for more information and to register!



      Global Warming Solutions 2005: Leadership, Opportunities and Emerging Issues
      Clean Air, Cool Planet Conference
      June 8-9 2005, NYC

      Save the Date! Global Warming Solutions 2005 will be a very uesful regional conference on global warming solutions for high-level decision makers from the public and private sectors. Global Warming Solutions 2005 will provide leaders in the business, university, nonprofit and government sectors an opportunity to network with other leaders, discuss climate economics and public policy, and learn about emerging solutions, including new energy technologies.

      Watch the Clean-Air, Cool Planet website for further information (www.cleanair-coolplanet.org), or contact Roger Stephenson for further information (603/770-9484; rstephenson@cleanair-coolplanet.org).



      Upcoming AEE Telecourses

      Complete Course Offerings (including sessions on Strategic Energy Planning and Performance Contracting): www.aeecenter.org/realtime/.


      ***
      NJHEPS
      Dr. Donald Wheeler, Executive Director
      Dr. Daniel Watts, President

      Want to share progress towards sustainability on your campus? Please send news items to Terra Meierdierck (973-642-7848; tmeierdierck@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 40 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 Terra Meierdierck, NJHEPS Program Intern.