Greetings From Iowa! (Update from former Sustainability Intern, Robyn Fennig)

Greetings UW-Eau Claire! I am writing from the University of Iowa, where I am currently a graduate student in the Urban and Regional Planning Master's Degree Program. Working at a Big 10 school certainly differs quite a bit from UW-Eau Claire.

The Office of Sustainability is housed directly within the University Service Building, to aide in cooperation between the Office and Facilities Planning and Management. The picture on the right is a snapshot of the UIowa Energy Control Center. In this room, the energy usage of any building on the UIowa campus can be pulled up and dissected from a variety of levels. The first screen on the left is a mini-map of campus buildings. The middle two screens are examining the usage in the Pharmacy School building (on Thursday August19 at 10:05 am), while the third compares energy use in several buildings on campus. One of the largest ongoing projects at UIowa is to reduce energy usage across campus. 

The Office of Sustainability employs several student interns who all work independently on projects of their interest. This semester I look forward to finishing up the 2009-2010 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report and working on an ongoing project with environmental/sustainability indicators on campus. The first project differs a bit from my work at UWEC, as UIowa has not become an official signatory of the President's Climate Commitment. The second project is working on a project modeled after a project at the University of Michigan, called "Environmental Metrics." (To read more about the project at Michigan, click HERE)

I just returned from the Freshman Convocation, where the Office of Sustainability sponsored the event as a "zero-waste" event. All organic wastes and corn-plastics were deposited in compost bins, while all the remaining materials were 100% recyclable, in theory generating zero waste going to landfills. Maybe some of these practices can be implemented at UW-Eau Claire in the future. (Picture to the right, I am sorting through compost with Devin, another sustainability student).

Cardboard Corrals

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Office of Housing and Residence Life is working to make campus more sustainable every day. This year during student move in they will be running a program that aims to prevent cardboard from ending up in the landfills. Students can bring their cardboard to the Cardboard Corrals, where it will be broken down by housing staff, stored, and taken away to be recycled. The Corrals will be located in tents near residence halls. There will be tents set up from August 23rd to September 1st, with five tents located on upper campus and one on lower campus. Cardboard Corrals will be staffed August 29th and 30th during designated move in times; however that doesn't mean students can't bring their cardboard to the corals when no one is present. Housing staff will be monitoring the tents and breaking down cardboard as necessary. In 2009 the University was able to recycle over twelve tons of cardboard and would like to further our success this coming year!

New Publication in Sustainability Education

I've added a link for a new publication, The Journal of Sustainability Education.  According to the on-line journal's home page, it "serves as a forum for academics and practitioners to share, critique and promote research, practices, and initiatives that foster the integration of economic, ecological, and social-cultural dimensions of sustainability within formal and non-formal educational contexts."

You can find more about their policies for publishing at their "About Us" page.

Earth Week/Global Youth Service Day Opportunity

 In honor of Earth Day and Global Youth Service Day, the Campus Kitchen Project at UWEC and the Phoenix Garden are holding a volunteer work day at the new downtown Phoenix community garden.  We will be working in the garden to prepare the soil, build beds, and do a little planting!  No experience needed, just be prepared to get a little dirty. 

Friday, April 23rd from 1:00pm-4:00pm
 

Sustainability Showcase - Green Careers Forum

On Tuesday, April 20th UW-Eau Claire will host a Green Careers Forum. In light of the recent economic slowdown, many point to the emerging "Green Collar" jobs market to provide the careers of tomorrow.

Four, industry specific, guest speakers will be shedding light on the “Green Collar” jobs of the future. Speakers include:

Eau Claire Transit to Participate in Sustainabilty Showcase

The Clean Cummute Initiative has received confirmation that Eau Claire Transit will be taking part in the Sustainability Showcase to be held on the Campus Mall April 22. They will have bus route maps and other goodies to hand out, as well as offer assistance in scheduling rides around campus and throughout the city! This will be a great opportunity for students, faculty and staff to learn how easy and convenient it is to use this "no-cost-with-an-ID" service!

Clean Commute Initiative Plans Future Undertakings

The Clean Commute Initiative had a meeting on March 11th and developed a list of possible undertakings to be pursued in the upcoming months. These efforts are aimed at improving opportunities for students, faculty and staff to utilize transportation methods outside of automobiles.

Ideas discussed include 1) contacting local bike shops to perform bicycle tune-ups at reduced prices or at free clinics on campus, 2) develop methods for weatherized (read "dry") storage and parking for bikes, 3) bike lockers for secure bike storage, 4) integrate alternative transportation ideas with any new building design and siting, 5) improve pedestrian/bike/board/blade friendliness around campus to allow for safer use of existing facilities. Discussion also included alternative transportation promotional poster campaigns and bicycle loaning programs.

While these ideas are formulative, our enthusiasm is buoyed by the success of our Clean Commute brochure which outlines the transportation alternatives available in our community and the letter to incoming freshman signed by the Chancellor in which he promotes a car-less stay while here in Eau Claire. Both of these items are included in the packets sent to new students upon their acceptance to the University.