Newsletter
March, 2005

In this issue:

NJHEPS Spring Roundtable on Global Warming

"Global Warming Action:
Governments, Corporations, Universities, Students"

Dinner and Lecture with Dr. Michael Oppenheimer followed by panel discussion

Wednesday, April 6, 5pm at Kean University: Downs Hall
Michael Oppenheimer
Albert Milbank Professor of Geosciences and International Affairs, Princeton University Woodrow Wilson School

Michael Oppenheimer makes the case that global warming is occurring primarily due to our over-reliance on fossil fuels, resulting in an increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. His research shows that the melting of the ice sheets is occurring at a faster pace than predicted by the models. Alternative approaches to decision-making on problems of global change and the role of the precautionary principle inform his investigations. He was Chief Scientist at Environmental Defense, a non-governmental environmental organization for two decades.

Presenters:

  • Dr. Michael Oppenheimer, Princeton University
  • Ariel Foster, Climate Campaign & Energy Action
  • Jeff Perlman, NJHEPS
  • Dr. Donald Wheeler, NJHEPS/ HECAP/Kean University - Moderator

    Everyone is invited to an earlier lecture: 3:30-5PM *Little Theater, University Center
    Dr. Michael Oppenheimer: Global Warming, The Science and Its Policy Implications

    *Participation is limited. Please RSVP by April 1, 2005, to Dr. John Dobosiewicz, Kean University (908) 737-3696 or jdobosie@kean.edu. Please visit www.kean.edu/directions.html for directions, parking, and campus map.

    Envisioning and Empowering Sustainable Campus Design
    Over sixty campus architects, planners, and design professionals met at Kean University’s newly opened Center for Academic Success, pursing a LEED gold rating, hosted the NJHEPS Green Design Workshop on March 11th. The workshop showcased the building, highlighting its environmental features, followed by presentations of building projects on other campuses, including UMDNJ, Rutgers, NJIT, Ocean County College, Stockton, Montclair, and Ramapo.

    Martha Droge from Ayers/Saint/Gross opened the day by defining the concept of sustainability and applying it to campus design. Kean University Vice-President of Facilities Eduardo del Valle and his design team then led a discussion and a tour of the Center for Academic Success. Randy Croxton from the Croxton Collaborative gave an illustrated lecture on sustainable campus design including the proposed Institute for the Environment building at Rutgers. In the afternoon, Bill Bobenhausen and the NJHEPS Green Design Team presented published copies of volume II of the High Performance Campus Design Guidelines to the audience. The NJHEPS Green Design Team then discussed with the audience the format of the guidelines, their purpose and intended use.

    *The attached links to the presenters provide a copy of their presentation.

    Montclair State University's Passaic River Institute
    Montclair State University’s Passaic River Institute (PRI) was established with the mission to further environmental research and education and to seek solutions for environmental problems within the Passaic River Basin, which encompasses remarkable diversity. The Basin contains some near pristine and very environmentally important lands (namely the drinking water watersheds and reservoirs of the Highlands) and several large exurban/suburban wetland complexes in southern Morris County and along the Essex/Morris/Passaic county boundaries, most notably the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Along the lower reaches of the River, however, one will find some of the most densely populated land in the nation and severe environmental contamination.

    Dr. Kirk R. Barrett joined MSU as the PRI’s first director in September 2004. CSAM Dean Robert Prezant said “Dr. Barrett has outstanding qualifications as a researcher and administrator, and I am confident that he will help establish the Institute as a respected source for scientific information, research and community outreach.” As director, Barrett brings a wealth of environmental knowledge and experience to his new position. Prior to being named PRI director, Barrett served for five years as the research director of the Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute of Rutgers University, in collaboration with the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission. He holds a doctoral degree in environmental engineering from Northwestern University and is a registered professional engineer and certified professional wetland scientist. He serves on the Environmental Commission of Essex County.

    A high priority for the Institute is the cooperative establishment of an environmental center for field research and education on the River, complete with boat docks, laboratories and educational programs. More information is available on the PRI web site at: www.csam.montclair.edu/pri

    RUSustainable: Retrofitting Success


    Through donations Rutgers' RU Sustainable purchased 500 energy-efficient light bulbs to replace the desk and tree lamps for the 325 students who live in Campbell Hall on the College Avenue campus. This pilot program was created in conjunction with the offices of housing services and facilities and maintenance to focus on reducing the high-energy demand from the residence halls. The bulbs are being replaced with Compact Fluorescents which consume a quarter of the electric load compared to standard bulbs, providing the same amount of light, with a longer lifespan!

    Campbell Hall was chosen as the site of the pilot project because it is metered separately from the other buildings and provides housing for mostly first-year students. Facilities and maintenance will help to meter the buildings so that the power savings can be documented. It will use the findings to make further recommendations to save money and energy at the University.

    Funding for this project came in part from NJHEPS! Please visit The Daily Targum for the complete story.

    Celebrate Fossil Fools Day
    Please join     Energy Action, along with thousands of people across the U.S., Canada and the U.K., on Friday, April 1st for the Second Annual Fossil Fools Day! Last year, some 130 actions were organized to demand clean and renewable energy. This year Energy Action's goal is 360 events. Some ideas of what you can do are:
    • Adopt a Ford Dealer Near You: Ford Motor Company has the worst fuel economy in the automakers industry. By enlisting local Ford dealers as allies, we can convince corporate decision makers that there is a demand for fuel-efficient and zero-emission vehicles.
    • Expose a Fossil Fool: There are so many people holding back progress, it's hard to pick just one. Will it be Dick Cheney? Peabody Coal? John Efford? Kenneth Lay? Organize an action on your campus that will expose a local or national Fossil Fool.
    • Tell Automakers to Innovate, not Litigate: Car companies are foolishly fighting progress when they could be reaping the benefits of technological innovation. The auto corporations are trying to block a landmark policy in California that would require a reduction in carbon emissions.
    • Pass a Green Fleet Resolution On Your Campus: You can launch a campaign on your campus to green the vehicle fleets of your university. Campuses can replace old dirty cars with hybrid, electric, and Biodiesel vehicles to show how cost efficient and easy it is to be an energy innovator.
    Please visit www.energyaction.net and don't be a Fossil Fool!

    Oil On Ice
    Congress moves one step closer to allowing drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. But there's another battle in the state. Inupiat Eskimos, who have supported drilling, are opposing the administration's plans to expand leasing in a section of the National Petroleum Reserve.

    Oil on Ice is a one-hour television documentary/WebDVD that examines the battle over oil development within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This is a classic struggle in a stunning place, featuring the dramatic wildlife that adapted to this environment and the cultures of the Gwich’in Athabascan Indians and Inupiat Eskimos that rely on this wildlife for their subsistence.

    Please visit the Oil On Ice site for more information and to view the film, and voice your opinion on the proposed artic drilling.

    Kyoto Accords Take Effect
    Negotiated in 1997; entered into force on Feb. 16, 2005, 90 days after nations accounting for 55 percent of total carbon emissions ratified the agreement. Major industrialized nations that have signed but have not ratified the protocol include the United States and Australia; they are not bound by the agreement. Kyoto:
    • Sets mandatory targets on emissions of six gases that contribute to global warming: Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N20), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
    • Most industrialized nations are required to cut emissions below 1990 levels, although some will be allowed to increase emissions by up to 10 percent over 1990 levels.
    • Countries have flexibility in deciding how they will meet their targets. Many are moving toward emissions-trading systems, in which nations set caps on greenhouse gas emissions that decline over time.
    • Countries can also compensate for their emissions by helping developing nations develop less polluting energy sources.
    Complete list of Kyoto Countries.
    National Kyoto Targets

    New York State Funds Two Wind Power and Three Hydropower Projects
    The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced last month that it selected five power generation producers to provide renewable power for the first phase of the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) Program. Two of the five projects are wind facilities: the 300-megawatt Flat Rock Wind Project near Lowville in Lewis County, about 25 miles southeast of Watertown, and the 7.5-megawatt Atlantic City Wind Farm (also called the Jersey-Atlantic Wind Farm) in New Jersey, both of which are expected to be at least partially complete by year-end. The remaining three projects are recent upgrades of existing hydropower projects owned by Brascan Power: the 17-megawatt Browns Falls hydropower plant and the 6.1-megawatt Higley hydropower plant, both in St. Lawrence County, and the 56-megawatt Spier Falls hydroelectric plant in Saratoga County. In 2006, NYSERDA expects to pay $15.7 million for the renewable energy attributes of the power generated by the five projects, estimated at 700,000 megawatt-hours.

    Please visit the press releases from NYSERDA and Brascan Power.

    China Passes It's First Renewable-Energy Law
    China's top legislature, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, approved a law battling the nation's acute energy shortages and heavy pollution brought on by its rapid economic development. The law, which takes effect next year, requires power grid operators to purchase resources from registered renewable energy producers, the China Daily said. It also encourages oil distribution companies to sell biological liquid fuel, and offers financial incentives, such as a national fund to foster renewable energy development, and tax preferences for renewable energy projects.

    At the Bonn conference on renewable energy last June, China pledged to increase its installed renewable energy generating capacity to about 60 gigawatts by 2010, about 10 percent of total power capacity. The amount of renewable energy it currently generates is less than one percent of the total. Currently, the world's most populous country relies on coal for about 75 percent of its energy and coal-fired plants account for most of its pollution. China is now the world's second biggest producer of carbon dioxide accounting for a seventh of the global total. Only the United States is worse, according to the International Energy Agency.

    Please visit Terra Daily for the complete article.

    Mount Kilimanjaro Photographed Without It's Snow Cap
    Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, has been photographed stripped of its millenia-old snow and Glacier Peak for the first time. The picture is the first time anyone has caught the Tanzanian mountain's dramatic change, according to the Climate Change group which led a project to document the effects of global warming across the world.

    Mount Kilimanjaro's crowning snow and glaciers are melting and likely to disappear completely by 2020, triggering major disruptions to ecosystems on the dry African plains that spread out at its feet below, scientists have warned. The forests on Kilimanjaro's lower slopes absorb moisture from the cloud top hovering near the peak, and in turn nourish flora and fauna below. "Rising temperatures threaten not only the ice-cap, but also this essential natural process," Climate Change warned. The loss of snows on the 19,330-foot (5,892-meter) peak, which have been there for about 11,700 years, could have disastrous effects on the Tanzanian economy, US researchers warned in a 2001 Science article warning about the melting.

    Please visit Terra Daily for the full article.

    UPCOMING EVENTS

    Photovoltaics Installer’s Course
    March 28 - 31, Rowan University (8:30 to 4:30)

    Instructor: Dr. Gay E. Canough,
    NABCEP*-certified PV Installer, ISP**-certified Master Trainer. Gay has taught over 40 PV installer courses and installed over 350 kW of PV.

    This course will look at the basics of how to site, design and install photovoltaic (PV) systems. The course includes sizing systems for both grid-connected and off-grid PV systems. We will look at the solar resource, the problems associated with shading and what is the best orientation and tilt for PV arrays. We’ll discuss the basic sizing and design of systems to serve a given electrical load. We’ll go over safety practices for installers and study the electrical code for PV systems in some detail. We will study various mounting systems for PV arrays and how they affect roofs. We will install a PV system. This course can be applied toward your NABCEP prerequisites. AND for licensed electricians this class counts for 27 hours of Continuing Education Credit.

    Registration DEADLINE March 14, 2005. Tuition: $550
    Visit www.etmsolar.com for registration form and syllabus or call Lori at 877-785-6498

    High Performance Building Academy
    April 4 - 8, New York City

    The Graduate Center of the City University of New York and the Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership, Inc. (CEEP) announced the first annual High Performance Building Academy. "The purpose of the Academy is to provide education to all segments of the building industry - from design and construction to building management, from development to brokerage - so that people in each segment are able to participate in the emerging high performance building marketplace."

    For more information, contact David Levine DLevine@gc.cuny.edu at the CUNY Graduate Center (212-817-7292), http://web.gc.cuny.edu/cepp, or Donna Denley donna@eba-nys.org at the Environmental Business Association of New York (518-432-6400), http://www.eba-nys.org

    Labs 21 High Performance Design
    April 7, Titusville, NJ

    The Labs21 High Performance, Low-Energy Design Course is a full-day workshop that introduces strategies for designing and constructing sustainable laboratories in both new and existing facilities. While designed as an introductory course, those familiar with sustainable laboratory design are also welcome to attend and contribute to the discussion.

    Course topics include:

    • The Architecture of High Performance Labs
    • The Energy Efficient Design Process
    • Air Supply and Distribution Systems
    • Laboratory Exhaust Systems
    • Direct Digital Controls
    • Commissioning
    • Lighting
    • Case Studies
    • Resources and Tools
    Please visit http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=80110 for registration and further conference details.

    The Celebration of the Earth Festival
    May 15, Paramus, NJ

    The Celebration of the Earth Festival is a yearly event, designed to educate the public about ways to celebrate and protect our planet. It is New Jersey's largest Earth Day related event. In our eighth year, it is hosted by The Paramus Environmental Commission and The Learning Center For Exceptional Children. The event’s goal is to reach out to people who normally would not be attending typical environmental fairs. It is our opinion that these people are the ones that most need to be educated and enlightened about environmental issues facing us.

    We achieve this by creating a fun atmosphere, one of celebration, filled with entertainment for young and old. The entertainment leans toward children because we realize that children cannot come without their parents, so it is a great way to attract adults. While they are getting entertained, it is our intention that people will walk through the tent and gather the vast amount of information that is available to them about our planet.

    The Paramus Environmental Commission and The Learning Center for Exceptional Children would be honored to invite you to attend this coming CELEBRATION OF THE EARTH FESTIVAL, being held on Sunday May 15, 2005 at Van Saun Park, Paramus, New Jersey, from noon till 5PM. Please contact Ivan Salinas for more information.

    Upcoming AEE Telecourses

    Complete Course Offerings (including sessions on Next Generation DDC Open Systems and "DG for Free" Analyzing Onsite Distributed Generation Contracts & Proposals): 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 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 monthly 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 Assistant.