Newsletter
July, 2004

In this issue:



 

Save the Date!
October 11 (Columbus Day):
NJHEPS Fall Convocation
  • David Orr
  • Steering Committee
  • USGBC presentation on Oberlin's Lewis Building

 >
NJHEPS proudly welcomes David Orr, who will offer his extensive wisdom on education for sustainability at our October 11th Fall Convocation and Steering Committee meeting, to be held at Rutgers on the afternoon of Columbus Day (Monday). We invite all interested students, faculty and staff to join us for lunch at noon, to be followed by David Orr's presentation, some input and feedback on sustainability in New Jersey higher education, and an open Steering Committee meeting. The US Green Building Council will follow this in the early evening (5:30 - 7:30) with dinner and a presentation from David Orr on the visionary Adam Joseph Lewis Environmental Studies Center.

For a profile of the well-known sustainability author and activist, see www.oberlin.edu/news-info/98sep/orr_profile.html or www.oberlin.edu/envs/orr.htm.

Check your email and future newsletters for further details...



National Science Foundation,
Middlesex College and NJHEPS
Offer Week-Long Exploration of
Sustainability in the Garden State
Speakers gather on deck to visit egrets during a conference break.

On July 12 - 14, Middlesex County College and NJHEPS offered a three-day public forum on Sustainability in the Garden State, as a "kick-off" event for a new National Science Foundation-funded project that will develop curriculum modules focused on local sustainability issues. Over 40 attendees gathered at the Meadowlands Environment Center to hear presentations from:

Participants included members of the public as well as technical experts and faculty who will be involved in writing the funded curriculum units, which will culminate with students playing roles in scenarios modeled on actual New Jersey sustainability issues. These engaging, and effective interdisciplinary modules will provide quality instruction in science, government, and planning, offered in a meaningful interdisciplinary context, and will also help students understand current obstacles and potential for sustainability in New Jersey. The first 4 modules will focus on green energy, the Hackensack-Meadowlands Commission, the Highlands Protection Act, and sustainable development in Highland Park.

NJHEPS and Princeton Offer Energy Management Workshop

August 11th, 2 PM - 5 PM (Wednesday)
Princeton University: Frist Campus Center, Multi-Purpose Room

We invite all facilities management staff to attend this FREE event, which will focus on energy management issues and options. Michael Fischette (Concord Engineering) will present an overview of energy management systems, and Princeton and the staff of Icetec will give an in-depth presentation on their energy management system, which utilizes fuel/electricity costs and weather to efficiently operate Princeton's cogeneration plant. Participants will have an opportunity to share information about their experiences with energy management systems.

Agenda:

2:00NJHEPS Introduction
2:10Michael Fischette, Concord Engineering Group
Energy Management Overview
2:30Open Discussion: Energy Management Systems
2:50Break (refreshments will be provided)
3:00Mike Webster, Icetec
Icetec Energy Management Systems
3:20Ted Borer, Princeton University
Operational Impacts of Energy Management
3:40Tom Nyquist, Princeton University
Financial Results from Princeton University's Energy Management Program
4:00Break; travel to Princeton University Plant
4:15Princeton University Plant Tour (including demonstration of Energy Management System)

Princeton campus map: www.princeton.edu/pr/facts/map+key.pdf
Parking: Park in Lot #21, and take shuttle to Frist -- or you can try for a spot in the nearby parking deck, Parking Lot 7. To register, please contact Andre Sharrief (sharrief@njit.edu; 973/596-2938)




NJHEPS Offers Stipends for August NYC Student Climate Conference

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.



Green Building Workshop Offers In-Depth Looks at Green Energy and Materials Options

The Stockton Geothermal Project and NJHEPS, on June 9th, presented a green building workshop. Over 30 attendees received in-depth explorations (not just quick overviews) of important green building issues: integrated green school design and comprehensive green building budgeting; strategies for finding and using recycled/sustainable materials; reducing toxins in lighting and other building materials; writing green specifications; building and managing energy-efficient labs; and balancing heating and cooling loads in commercial geothermal systems. Find links below to Adobe Acrobat Files (PDF's) of conference presentations:



AROUND THE CAMPUSES


Faculty Profile:
Priscilla Hayes, Rutgers Cook College

NJHEPS welcomes Priscilla Hayes as a new NJHEPS Vice-President. She received her J.D. from Duke University in 1979 and her A.B from Princeton in 1975. She has been doing environmental and agricultural policy work at Rutgers University since 1996, and teaches a section of Perspectives on Agriculture and the Environment, a required course for all first-year students at Rutgers' Cook College. Ms. Hayes section of this course relies heavily on experiential learning, asking students to do investigations and to think about the environment and agriculture close to home as it relates to their own activities.

Much of Ms. Hayes' work has been in the area of solid waste policy, and particularly the areas of solid waste minimization and use of solid waste as a resource. In 1998, she helped form the Solid Waste Policy Group at Rutgers University, whose aim is to coordinate resources at Rutgers University and across the State to address real life solid waste issues. Another ongoing project has been in the area of food waste recycling, and Ms. Hayes has used the on-site collection system at Rutgers as a teaching device. Ms. Hayes and the SWPG staff have just completed a major policy report on food waste recycling, which examines the approach of states which have been most successful in achieving food waste diversion away from disposal. The report concludes that there are many benefits to food waste recycling beyond the obvious improvements to recycling and landfill use: green energy production, production of organic soil amendments, and reduced greenhouse gas production.

Perhaps the most important recent project has been in the area of Environmentally Preferable Purchasing, which uses the power of purchasing to reduce waste, decrease toxins, save energy, and protect ecosystems. "This is an exciting time to be implementing EPP," says Priscilla. "EPP products are often now cost-neutral and cost-saving, particularly when examined over the long-term, and thus they offer cash benefits in addition to environmental benefits."

Priscilla Hayes is eager to work with campus staff, student groups and faculty to assist them in campaigns to make EPP (in paper products, toner cartridges, cleaning products, building materials, and a host of other items) a reality on their campus (hayes@aesop.rutgers.edu; 732/932-9155, x. 233).



SCUP Sustainability Day in October --
All Month Long!
In October 2003, SCUP brought about the first annual Campus Sustainability Day. Students, faculty, and staff at more than 100 higher education institutions (including 5 New Jersey campuses, working through NJHEPS) enjoyed a SCUP web/telecast presentation as part of their campus' special day to focus on understanding and implementing sustainability on campus. In 2004, SCUP invites you to choose an October day for your Campus Sustainability Day that coincides with any of four "no-travel" events they offer (all are at 1 pm Eastern time):

SCUP also asks that you contact them with details about whatever Campus Sustainability Day you organize, so they can place the event on their website calendar -- and contact NJHEPS also (cfederico@njheps.org; 973/596-2938)! We'd like to help campus organizers inspire each other with their ideas and plans.

You can select to license all four audiocasts, or you can license the one that works best for your campus, based on either the topical focus or the timing. Be sure to share this event with those on your campus who are teaching related classes in the fall term. Registration will open soon, but you can register your interest through contacting csd@scup.org.

In addition to the live, interactive audiocasts planned for October 2004, SCUP's library of resources on campus sustainability includes: Sustainability: Taking the Long View (book); videotapes of our October 2004 telecast; CDs of our recent webcast; and our Sustainability Knowledge Community (email discussion list), which is open to anyone with an interest in sustainability and higher education. Sustainability issues are often the topic of presentation at SCUP's several regional and annual, international conference - all of which can be found at SCUP's Calendar.



Middlebury Trustees Endorse Climate Resolution

In May 2004, the Trustees endorsed Middlebury College's Commitment to Carbon Reduction, a resolution establishing an initial target goal of reducing College greenhouse gas emissions by 8% below 1990 levels by 2012, adjusted on a student (per capita) basis. The resolution recognizes that "Long-term sustainability is a wise investment" and states that henceforward, "In developing strategies for reducing carbon emissions, the College commits to investing in a portfolio that, when considered as a whole, is cost neutral including capital costs." It also states clearly that "The Trustees of Middlebury College...support carbon reduction as a priority of the Middlebury College community, recognizing that it will require a commitment of resources to achieve necessary technological and behavioral shifts. We join with the College’s administration, students, faculty, staff, and alumni in the dedication of intellectual and fiscal capital to responsibly engage in this paradigm shift away from our fossil fuel dependency."

This resolution was advanced through the work of Middlebury's Carbon Reduction Initiative Working Group, a multi-stakeholder group formed to advance emissions reductions at the college. In synchrony with the launching of the CRI Working Group, a short "winter" class was offered: "Scientific and Institutional Challenges of Becoming Carbon Neutral." Students quickly became consultants to the Working Group, assessing available and emerging technologies and economic instruments that could create reductions in campus Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (CDE) emissions or enhance the rate of CDE sequestration, thereby offsetting some fraction of the college’s emissions. Several times during their month-long class, members of the Working Group attended class meetings and presentations to learn more about specific strategies and the students’ entire recommendation. Their 200-page report, Carbon Neutrality at Middlebury College, provides a portfolio of strategies deemed most likely to:

The students concluded that various combinations of the strategies outlined in their report could bring Middlebury to a net CDE emission of zero (carbon neutrality). This report, coupled with the emissions inventory completed by Doug Dagan ‘03, was used extensively by the CRI Working Group to begin to develop Middlebury College’s Climate Change Action Plan. The CRI Working Group began its mission in January 2003 meeting bi-weekly during the spring semester. Several students from the winter term class continued on with the process as members of the Working Group. The CRI Working Group, using the class' recommendations, developed preliminary goals and then evaluated individual strategies using a well-established economic model. In preparation for developing a plan for implementing such strategies, the Working Group invited the Vice President of College Advancement and the Director of Grants to a meeting to discuss fundraising potential. Ultimately, the Working Group was able to generate a draft portfolio of strategies that would enable the College to meet its initial carbon reduction goals.

Middlebury's initial target goal, endorsed by the Trustees, is to reduce the College's greenhouse gas emissions by 8% below 1990 levels by 2012, adjusted on a student (per capita) basis, predicted to require attaining carbon emission levels of at least 35% below FY 00-01 levels by 2012. They stand ready and able to achieve or exceed this goal, and we send them our congratulations and best wishes!

For further information: Overview and Carbon Reduction Resolution.



 

The first U.S. Northeast Campus Sustainability Summit (NECSS) is designed to convene the growing network of higher education institutions, non-profits, activists, and community members working to advance campus sustainability in the northeast region. The NECSS Summit will be held in collaboration with Beaming Bioneers, the simultaneous satellite telecast from the 15th annual Bioneers conference in San Rafael California. The NECSS Summit will also actively anticipate the launch of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, which begins on January 1, 2005. The Decade offers us an opportunity to think ahead 10 years, to envision where we would wish to be, and to further implement the principles of education for sustainability. The Summit goals are to:

Follow the links below to:

The NECSS is hosted by the UNH Office of Sustainability Programs in collaboration with the U.S. Partnership for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, Yale University, Harvard Green Campus Initiative, Brown University, Keene State, Maine Green Campus Consortium, University Leaders for a Sustainable Future, and the National Wildlife Federation Campus Ecology Program. To learn more about Bioneers, visit The Collective Heritage Institute and its 15th annual Bioneers conference. For more information, contact Adam Ward, conference coordinator at The Office of Sustainability Programs (603/862-8564, adam.ward@unh.edu), and visit the conference website at www.sustainableunh.unh.edu/culture_sust/NECCS_Bioneers/bioneers_evnt.htm for a soon-to-come registration form.



Harvard Chooses
Biodiesel
On February 20th, 2004, Harvard University’s Transportation Services officially opened Harvard University’s first onsite bio-diesel fueling station. Harvard’s fleet of over 25 shuttles and maintenance trucks now fuel up and run on bio-diesel, a cleaner-burning and cost-cutting alternative to regular diesel fuel -- joining a nationwide army of over 400 biodiesel fleets. Bio-diesel, primarily produced from soybean oil, is cleaner-burning and produces fewer greenhouse gases. Harvard University’s Transportation Services is now able to use a mix of 80% standard diesel fuel with 20% bio-diesel(a commonly-available mix known as "B20") all year around.

Work first began on this project in the summer of 2001 when the Harvard Green Campus Initiative secured funding from the Ford Foundation to research alternative fuel sources and to assess their appropriateness for Harvard’s fleet of vehicles. The HGCI structured the research project into 3 summer internships, employing David Thompson, graduate student at Harvard’s Department of Physics, and undergraduates John Hsu ’02 and Kelly Seary ’01. By the end of their summer research project, the team had uncovered that bio-diesel out-performed conventional gasoline, diesel fuel, compressed natural gas and electric vehicles in relation to net environmental impact and cost. The students used research from the Argonne National Laboratory to make their case. See (www.transportation.anl.gov/greet/).

University Operations Services, Transportation Services was so impressed by this research that they became seriously committed to bringing bio-diesel to Harvard University. Over an 18-month period, a trial was undertaken, an assessment of fuel access and storage options was conducted, all necessary approvals were gained and an onsite facility was established. "We researched many options, and biodiesel was clearly the least cost of entry to the cleaner burning alternative fuel market," said David Harris Jr., general manager of fleet management services and shuttle services for University Operations Services.

The University used $60,000 in fleet management reserve funds to purchase the necessary fuel pumps earlier this year. The University will save an estimated 15 cents per gallon with bio-diesel over the cost of diesel fuel at retail pumps, enabling Harvard to recover the installation cost over the next five years. Additionally, as Harvard procures new vehicles, UOS will also look to replace gasoline vehicles, which compose roughly 65 percent of Harvard’s fleet, with diesel vehicles that can utilize the new fueling technology. The full story: www.uos.harvard.edu/transportation/soybean_fuel_crimson.pdf



 

The Corporation: Class-worthy Look at a Major Modern Institution

This award-winning, engaging, and visually pleasing 2 1/2 hour documentary presents a comprehensive overview of the role and consequences of corporations to societies, people, and ecosystems. The film is written by Joel Bakan, professor of law at the University of British Columbia and author of the book The Corporation, and produced by Mark Achbar, co-producer of Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media. Case studies, anecdotes and true confessions reveal behind-the-scenes tensions and influences in several corporate and anti-corporate dramas. Each illuminates an aspect of the corporation’s complex character. Among the 40 interview subjects are CEOs and top-level executives from a range of industries: oil, pharmaceutical, computer, tire, manufacturing, public relations, branding, advertising and undercover marketing; in addition, a Nobel-prize winning economist, the first management guru, a corporate spy, and a range of academics, critics, historians and thinkers are interviewed.

This film would be a worthwhile inclusion in any class that looks systematically at modern connections between people, economies, and ecosystems. It is currently showing at The Film Forum (NYC), and will open at the Rutgers Film Coop on October 15th. The film (in VHS format) will be available for purchase in October ($195 + $6 shipping for a single copy; but contact NJHEPS (cfederico@njheps.org; 973/596-2938), as we have arranged for a discount rate of $162 should we be able to put together an order of 5 or more). To rent the film at any time (or to purchase single copies), contact Clemence Taillander (Head of Non Theatrical Marketing and Sales. Zeitgeist Films Ltd., 247 Centre Street, 2nd Floor, New York NY 10013, clemence@zeitgeistfilms.com, Tel 212/274.1989, Fax: 212/274.1644). Film rental price varies, depending on a variety of factors.

The film's website: www.thecorporation.tv.



Democratic National Convention Goes Green

The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) and Boston 2004, Inc., the host committee for the 2004 Democratic National Convention, have made the Democratic National Convention the greenest political convention in American history. To reach this goal, the DNCC and Boston 2004, Inc., have conducted all-department meetings focused on environmental issues, have worked extensively with the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Conventions (CERC), and have collaborated with other organizations to design a multi-faceted plan to ensure an environmentally friendly Convention.

Convention organizers have launched the following environmental initiatives:

Even balloons and confetti have been made from biodegradable materials!

Further information:



Senate Introduces "Green Buildings" Bill

On July 8, 2004, U.S. Senators Jim Jeffords, (Ind., Vt.) and Frank Lautenberg, (Dem., NJ) introduced legislation to promote the development and construction of environmentally friendly federal buildings and schools. The "High-Performance Green Buildings Act of 2004," authorizes $35 million over five years to support federal buildings and schools that are designed and operated to boost environmental, economic, health and productivity performance above that of conventional buildings.

The legislation:

We congratulate Sens. Jeffords and Lautenberg, and eagerly await the bill's passage into law.



Connecticut Commits to Green Energy

On April 22, Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland ordered the State of Connecticut to commit to the largest state purchase of clean energy in New England by purchasing 20% renewable energy for state government's total electricity needs by the year 2010. Further, the Governor launched Connecticut as a true national leader of clean energy by committing that the state will be running on 100% renewable energy by the year 2050.

Specifically, Executive Order 32 calls for the state to purchase 20% clean energy by 2010, 50% clean energy by 2020, and 100% clean energy by 2050. At a minimum, this will result in the removal of 420 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2020. That's the equivalent to removing 45,455 passenger cars from Connecticut's roads for one year or the amount of pollutants emitted from 26,958 homes in a given year.

The 20%-by-2010 initiative is one of over three dozen recommendations the Governor accepted last month from a year-long climate change committee's report that will help significantly reduce the state's emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG). New England was the first region to tackle GHG as a shared concern, beginning with the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers (NEG/ECP) climate change workshop, held in March, 2001. Last fall, the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers passed a resolution calling on the federal Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider its proposed revisions to the New Source Review provisions of the Clean Air Act.

"The climate change problem requires leadership," concluded Governor Rowland. "Over the past four years, Connecticut has shown unparalleled leadership through our work with the New England Governors and now our actions today to purchase 20% clean energy, and ultimately 100% for our state's electricity needs, [are] the culmination of this leadership. I encourage other governors in the Northeast to take similar steps and take a truly bold strike against climate change."



Environmental Leadership Fellowship Program Seeks Applicants

The ELP Fellowship targets newly established environmental and social change practitioners eager to connect their specialized work to larger environmental and social concerns. ELP promotes diversity of race and ethnicity, gender, sector, professional background, values and traditions, and environmental issue expertise. In choosing each class of fellows, ELP seeks individuals from across these broad spectrums. Applicants must:


In addition, ELP looks for applicants that demonstrate:


What are the benefits of the ELP Fellowship?
As an ELP Fellow, you can expect to gain:

How to Apply:
ELP selects a group of fellows every year. Applications are available on the ELP web site starting in June of each year, and must be submitted to ELP by October 1st.

Further information: www.elpnet.org



Recycling Award Nominations Due

On Wednesday, October 20, 2004, the New Jersey Recycling Forum and ANJR will sponsor its annual Symposium and Luncheon at the Forsgate Country Club in Monroe Township. At the Luncheon the Department of Environmental Protection will once again present awards to honor major achievements attained by individuals, businesses, schools, other institutions, organizations, and the recycling industry in the recycling and source reduction field. I am happy to announce that the award process will be a collaborative effort again this year between the NJ DEP, NJ Recycling Forum, and the Association of New Jersey Recyclers.

We are asking your help in submitting award nominations. Submit nominations for yourself or others and ask other organizations, business, government agencies, schools etc. to submit nominations if you think they qualify and should be submitted. Nomination forms are available online at www.state.nj.us/dep/dshw/recycle/04awards.pdf. If you have any questions, please contact the ANJR office (anjr@verizon.net; 908/722-7575). Nominations must be received by August 9, 2004.



NJ Greenhomes Office Seeks Program Development Specialist

The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs' Green Homes Office seeks a Program Development Specialist (full-time position) to work in their Residential and Energy Efficiency programs. Contact Darren Port of the Green Homes Office (njgreenhome@dca.state.nj.us; 609/292-3931) for more details and a full job description. Applications are due Aug. 2!



Population Connection Facilitator Training

September 18, 2004 - New Brunswick, New Jersey

Population Connection’s Education Program will be training educators interested in leading workshops for educators at schools, universities, conferences and other education settings. Open to educators throughout New Jersey, New York City area, and eastern Pennsylvania. No cost to attend; lunch will be provided.

Application deadline: August 1, 2004. For information, contact: Melissa Holmes, (800/767-1956, Melissa@popconnect.org, www.populationconnection.org/education/features/feature4.html.




UPCOMING EVENTS


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:

Agenda

Keynote Speaker: David Gottfried, Founder of the US Green Building Council

For more information: www.sustainablebuiltenvironments.org/sem_newyork.htm.
To register: www.provendirect.com/asbe/index.asp



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.



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.



Upcoming AEE Telecourses

Complete Course Offerings: www.aeecenter.org/realtime/ (includes courses on fuel cells, microturbines, HVAC Performance, and many other topics).




***
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.