Greening ENV archives

York establishes sustainability council: York University president Mamdouh Shoukri has introduced a new Sustainability Council at the institution, with board representation from various levels of the university community, including students. Reporting to the president, the council will discuss initiatives to better address sustainability issues on a pan-university level. The council is expected to convene in September. Y-File

The future in campus sustainability planning: At this week’s 2008 SCUP Conference in Montreal, attendees discussed some of the barriers in achieving sustainability on campus, and what institutions are either planning or already doing. Conversations pointed to considerations of space utilization, “net-zero” building standards, and climate neutrality. One roundtable discussion concentrated on the adoption of experimental energy technologies. Some initiatives underway to conserve energy include 4-day work weeks and “no-tray” zones at campus cafeterias. One attendee said current strides ! in attaining sustainability are “not good enough.” The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription required) | Inside Higher Ed | USA Today

Higher Learning Adapts To a Greening Attitude, Students Lead Drive Reshaping Curricula

By Susan KinzieWashington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 22, 2008; Page A01

The environmental fervor sweeping college campuses has reached beyond the push to recycle plastics and offer organic food and is transforming the curriculum, permeating classrooms, academic majors and expensive new research institutes. Read the article

UBC launches public energy monitoring project
The University of British Columbia has launched a public monitoring research project to make its buildings more comfortable and energy-efficient. The university has partnered up with a Vancouver-based energy management software company to track energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions savings in 5 campus buildings. UBC is apparently the first Canadian university to make such information public, in real-time online, thanks to meters installed across campus during UBC’s recently completed 5-year, $38.5 million ECOtrek project. http://dashboard.smallenergygroup.com | UBC News Release

NSCC launches Energy Sustainability Engineering Technology program: On Friday, Nova Scotia Community College announced a new program in Energy Sustainability Engineering Technology. The two-year diploma, focusing on creating sustainable buildings, is among the first of its kind in Canada. Students in the program will master the art of creating customized energy systems that include solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and tidal. The program is part of “The Greening of NSCC,” an initiative involving constructing environmentally-friendly buildings, establishing ecological-themed curricula, and developing leading-edge environmental knowledge and sustainable practices. http://www.nscc.ca/sites/CBE/

Atlantic colleges sign Environmental Stewardship pact: Leaders from Atlantic Canada’s 4 public colleges (College of the North Atlantic, Holland College, Nova Scotia Community College, and New Brunswick Community College) signed a common Environmental Stewardship Agreement on Wednesday during meetings of the Atlantic Provinces Community College Consortium. The consortium’s Climate Change Action Plan Advisory Committee was intended to help the colleges embrace best practices in “greening” campuses, but the signing of the agreement is a public commitment to sustainability. More info.