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This category covers a broad range of aspects including maintenance, renovations, landscaping, lighting, water usage, heating/AC, appliances and equipment, LEED certification, Information Technology, utility rebates.
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Strategies for Success and Some Advice for Sustainability LeadersMarch 20, 2013In last week’s blog, GWG featured the University of Connecticut’s (UConn) internationally recognized climate action plan and strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and attaining a carbon neutral campus by the year 2050. This week continues the conversation with the UConn’s Office of Environmental Policy(OEP) Director Richard Miller who shared his thoughts with GWG about why UConn’s program is successful. GWG also asked Rich what advice he might give to a new sustainability officer.
At UConn, the commitment to addressing the effects of climate change has been in place for a decade, beginning with a policy statement that bound the university to principles of environmental stewardship across operational, academic, and community interests and acknowledged the university’s extensive physical holdings and natural resources. UConn adopted a comprehensive Climate Action Plan in 2010 and last year augmented and updated the plan to include a section on adaptation. Rich Miller explained that this reflects the realization that climate change is already underway and its effects are being felt.
Most visible of late is the association between climate change and emergency preparedness. For example, a series of severe storms in the Northeast elevated sea levels, overwhelmed municipal drainage systems, and all but shut down public transit in cities and towns impacted, including New York City. Adaptive strategies are needed to answer the question-- what resilience do we have to be able to manage and respond to climate change? To illustrate, UConn is engaged in planning a “micro grid” for its depot campus, adjacent to its large campus in Storrs. When built, it will provide all the electricity and heat needed for selected “critical needs” facilities at the depot campus and will be capable of acting as an independent island of power in the event of an emergency and widespread power outage of area utilities. These critical needs facilities at the depot campus will be able to temporarily shelter area residents at facilities with kitchens, bathrooms and means for recharging electric vehicles, phones and other electronic devices, while also providing a command center for emergency personnel and staging areas for storm recovery and utility restoration efforts.
UConn’s commitment to climate action is demonstrated, too, by growing its environmental academic offerings, including the university’s first general education course in sustainability, which Miller helped develop with two engineering faculty members, and new B.A. degree program in environmental studies to complement strong environmental science and engineering degrees. Beginning next fall, the new B.A. program will attract students in the humanities, social sciences and fine arts, who have a desire to pursue a less technical career in the environmental field. UConn also provides students with strong experiential learning and leadership opportunities through co-curricular residential communities, such as the EcoHouse dorm and Spring Valley Student Farm. Residents from these living and learning communities, together with dozens of active members of a thriving EcoHusky student group, form the core of students who volunteer their time and energy to work on the many sustainability outreach events and activities held throughout the school year.
Rich Miller acknowledges that his ten years as UConn’s first environmental and sustainability officer have allowed him to forge strong working relationships that facilitate understanding and steady progress toward meeting Climate Action Plan goals and objectives. No doubt mutual trust and respect enhance the effectiveness of the Environmental Policy Advisory Council, a 25-30 member group appointed by the school’s President and Provost, and its various work groups and task forces. This participatory approach affords students, faculty, and staff members from across the university the opportunity to become involved in exchanging ideas on issues and alternative solutions that have university-wide or community impact as well as positive benefits toward a greener campus beyond the scope of their day-to-day work. According to Miller, “an important aspect of my job as a campus sustainability professional is to build bridges between the academic and operational sides of the university and engage a broad spectrum of the UConn community in our sustainability initiatives.” So far, it seems to be working.
I asked Rich what advice he would give to new sustainability officers. He preceded his response by emphasizing the crucial importance of gaining and maintaining top level support for climate action and sustainability. Then, he offered these pointers:
For details, please go to the website of UConn’s Office of Environmental Policy which has links to many additional resources and information.
GWG NOTE ABOUT EARTH HOUR 2013--March 23, 8:30 pm. Turn out the lights and change the world beyond the hour.
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What We Can Learn From the World's #1 Green UniversityMarch 13, 2013How does your green program go from good to great? Here are a few hints—a steady commitment to a vision of environmental stewardship that is measurable, an openness to leveraging many ways to create and build consensus, and strong working relationships at all levels across the organization that are fueled by communication and shared responsibility for success. At the University of Connecticut (UConn) these are some of the reasons contributing to stunning progress toward achieving a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. UConn’s vision includes building resilience for the institution, neighboring communities, and the state to manage and respond to the contemporary effects of climate change.
As regular readers of GWG know, I like to write about the wealth of knowledge and resources available from colleges and universities around the US and world. What a boon for their nearby communities and green teams seeking to learn about the many aspects of environmental issues and climate change, and about successful sustainability strategies to apply in their own work settings. I track institutions of higher learning and organizations that recognize their work and achievements in advancing sustainability, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigating the effects of climate change.
The latest ranking of colleges and universities comes from the University of Indonesia Green Metric World University Ranking. The University of Connecticut (UConn) is ranked #1 among 215 colleges from 49 countries. Four other US universities make the top ten list—Northeastern, UCLA, University of North Carolina, and UC Merced. The other colleges making the top ten are in England, Ireland, and Canada. The schools were judged based on a number of factors including green statistics, energy and climate change, waste management, water usage, transportation, and education. More information about the rankings can be found in an article that was published in "University Business".
I contacted UConn’s Office of Environmental Policy (OEP) to find out what UConn is doing that has earned this distinction and what are the keys to the university’s success. I spent an hour with Richard Miller, the Director of the OEP. One thing UConn does, which is also a key to their success, is that it employs the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Reporting System (STARS) that was developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The STARS reporting format is used by groups like the Sierra Club and the Princeton Review to ensure more uniform standards for campus sustainability rankings. I commented to Rich that one of the challenges green teams face is having the resources and processes in place to collect, report, and analyze data. UConn relies on student interns to augment a lean staff complement. This allows the OEP not only to amass information from the operations and academic arms of the University, but, in addition, to do a gap analysis and assess where the University is on schedule and meeting the goals and objectives in its commitment to sustainability and Climate Action Plan, and where more attention is needed.
Connecticut is one of the more progressive states that has adopted a statutory and policy framework of strong energy conservation, clean air, protection of natural resources, and environmental stewardship. The University’s leadership in research and development of innovative solutions and adaptations to address the effects of climate change and to undertake demonstration projects on campus that save energy, resources, and reduce costs combine to elevate UConn’s reputation as a leading green university.
One major capital project is a new water reclamation facility at the main campus in Storrs, slated for completion this month. It is the first of its kind in Connecticut. UConn anticipates saving as much as 500,000 gallons per day of drinking water during months when air conditioning demand goes up and river water flow is at the lowest by reducing pumping and redirecting reclaimed water to irrigation and other “grey-water” uses such as using it for cooling water in co-generation facilities. This conservation strategy will work to ensure water supplies are sufficient for the campus and neighboring communities.
Other significant accomplishments include the first LEED certified training facility in the NCAA and a commitment to achieve LEED silver certification for all new and retrofitted buildings.
In next week’s blog—Office of Environmental Policy Director Rich Miller discusses the essential ingredients that have contributed to UConn’s successful sustainability efforts. Don’t miss the next chapter. UConn’s experience and leadership have much to offer green teams in any work setting.
For more information about environmental management in higher education, see the Campus Consortium for Environmental Excellence, (C2E2).
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Putting a Scent-Free Policy on Paper--ExamplesFebruary 20, 2013This is the fourth blog this year in the series about fragrance in the workplace. In the last blog on this topic, I provided some resources of recommended steps an office should take when considering adopting a policy. The steps include collecting information and input from employees, conducting educational outreach to explain the issue and how scent-sensitive people react to chemicals and odors in some scented products. I also recommended that green teams and HR professionals exercise due diligence to maximize understanding and support from staff.
In the examples below, the policies range from requesting employees to refrain from wearing scented products to outright prohibition. But all of them set forth a clear direction. The trend to acknowledge and address scented products and their chemical ingredients’ impact on indoor air quality is a breath of fresh air. Up to now, an enlightened office has been one where complaints or medical conditions have been addressed on a case by case basis. What we are beginning to see is a trend for employers to recognize the potential harm to the health of the workforce generally by uncontrolled and multiple exposure to scented products and to take action to minimize the risk. Chalk one up for indoor air quality!
The City of Portland—employees are requested to refrain from the use of scented products and managers and supervisors are expected to enforce the rule and ensure compliance.
State of Missouri Council on Disabilities—staff and visitors are requested to avoid using scented products. The policy specifically mentions air fresheners and that it includes the use of the least toxic cleaning products.
The Society of Human Resource Management—provides a short template policy for members.
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety—offers a sample policy and much more. The site is an excellent roadmap for developing a successful scent-free program.
The Canadian Lung Association—another excellent resource with suggested policy options for a complete prohibition or one that sets certain areas out as scent-free.
The University of Washington—saving the best for last. This site has links to many public agencies, hospitals, and colleges and universities in the US and Canada that have adopted scent-free policies.
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Steps to a Scent-Free Workplace--This is Not a DIY ProjectFebruary 6, 2013This is the third blog on the topic of fragrance in the workplace. The first two set the foundation for why this issue should have the attention of green teams. See Clean Air--Indoors and When Scents Don’t Make Sense. If your green team wants to pursue a scent-free policy or guidelines for your office, there are some key steps that should be taken first. I think it’s important to proceed with care because the issue intersects environmental science, health and safety programs and potentially labor agreements; and some employees will have strong opinions. Far better to take the time to gain the informed input and support from management and employees in advance to smooth the way for the policy or guidelines that are ultimately recommended for adoption.
I found two excellent “roadmaps” to share with you. The first is from the Canadian Lung Association, and the second is from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). The US National Institute for Safety and Health’s Centers for Disease Control offers a solid foundation for what to do today with respect to chemicals and odors in the workplace generally. As we are narrowing our focus on scented products, e.g. cologne, perfume, air fresheners, and how to go about developing a policy to address multiple concerns, I favor the planning process outlined by the Lung Association and the CCOHS.
The Lung Association has published a white paper, “Policy for Developing a Scent-Free Workplace.” It is a step by step outline. Educate the workforce on the issue of scented products in the workplace, survey all staff to collect information and opinions, and include all stakeholders in the formulation, revision, and final draft of a policy. What’s great about the white paper is that it includes suggested survey questions and sample policies.
The CCOHS website covers many of the same points as the Lung Association paper but includes some additional reminders, such as not limiting the policy to perfumes and colognes, noting that many cleaning and personal care products contain scents. This resource also includes suggested questions and actions.
In the future, I will revisit this topic by including sample policies I come across and expanding the series to include other aspects of indoor air quality. Meanwhile, I leave you with the scent-free policy adopted by the City of Portland.
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Required Reading: The National Climate Assessment ReportJanuary 30, 2013The latest report on global climate change was released in mid-January by the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), which “coordinates and integrates federal research on changes in the global environment and their implications for society.” The report is more than 1,100 pages long, thirty chapters, and covers water, energy, transportation, agriculture, forestry, ecosystems, human health, land use, urban systems, rural communities, regional impacts, oceans, and mitigation and adaptation strategies. The report includes a comprehensive executive summary, an agenda for the future, and a summary description of the science of climate change.
I have read portions of the report and true to its billing as “scary to read”, it is. In short, and this does no justice to the report, it’s getting hotter, rainfall is more intense and erratic, sea levels are rising and vital arctic ice is melting (summer sea ice loss is equal to half the size of the continental US). The changes are part of a pattern of global climate change, which is being driven largely by human activity. The effects of the changes are impacting Americans’ health, livelihoods and the ecosystems that sustain us.
It’s not pretty, but face it we must. I strongly urge green teams to make this report required reading among your committee members. It’s vital. Sustainability programs exist for any of several reasons—to be eco-friendly, to do no harm to the environment, to support green building projects, to save money, to reduce paper waste and improve recycling, to reduce our carbon footprint, and to comply with laws and ordinances, etc. But the context in which we have mobilized our efforts is climate change. This new report presents an opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the current status of the challenges we are facing as a nation and stewards of planet Earth.
The new National Climate Assessment report underscores the importance of the work of green teams. Share its contents with your employees. Help inform people about what’s happening to our world. Use the information to champion new and stronger policies to lower greenhouse gas emissions caused by the products and materials your office purchases, the paper and print toner consumed, the equipment and energy used, and the vehicles staff use to travel. Use the regional impact information to inform employees on how climate change is impacting your communities and economies, and to increase their interest and attention to local planning issues on land use, agriculture, water, fish and wildlife. Link to the report on your office Intranet, and make individual chapters the topics of monthly green bag lunch groups. Help your employees to live and work more sustainably by educating them.
Access the full report from the US Global Change Research Program which includes the executive summary, table of contents, and appendices: http://ncadac.globalchange.gov/
Climate Science Watch monitors US national policy developments on climate change: http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/ |
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