Saturday, December 5, 2009

Carbon Footprint Reality

While working on my Best Practices Report, I came across a link on the TAMU website that calculates your carbon footprint.  I like to think that I'm below average on my carbon footprint, but I took the test to make sure!  Turns out... I really am a little below the national average!  What I thought was really cool about this site was that it showed you the state average and how you compared also.  Also, I've been reading about the inconsistency on self reported surveys, and I found myself doing the very thing that I had been reading about...giving the answers that I thought were socially desired, not the what I was actually doing!  So click go to the Nature Conservancy Website and see what your carbon footprint is!  I challenge you to be brutally honest and don't over/underestimate your impact!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Identify Top Schools? Check!

I finally located the Visions 2020 Peer Institutions for Texas A&M!  Using this information I came up with a list of the top schools that are similar to Texas A&M.  I marked off all of the schools on the Vision 2020 list that appeared on the previous rankings that were posted.  I then cross referenced the previous ranking against each other to determine which schools had appeared more than once.  Once I had the top Vision 2020 schools and the repeating schools listed, I checked to see if the schools were public or private.  I included only public schools that would have similar funding and opportunities to Texas A&M.  My end ranking includes 8 schools.  They are listed below in alphabetical order.

TOP SCHOOLS
Arizona State University - Tempe, AZ
Georgia Institute of Technology - Atlanta, GA*
University of California - Berkley, CA*
University of California - Los Angeles, CA*
University of California - San Diego, CA*
University of Colorado - Boulder, CO
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, NC*
University of Washington - Seattle, WA

*Vision 2020 Peer Institutions

Saturday, November 21, 2009

But it's MY choice!

It's not a secret that we don't move as much during our daily activities as we used to, the popular question is why not?  Active Living Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, produced a summary of a portion of their research called Active Living Among Adults. Below, I cover the topics that pertain to my project.

Over the past five decades, people have begun to use less energy on work, transportation, and household activities. And in turn, sedentary habits, such as driving and screen entertainment, have become more prominent in today’s society. More that 95% of adults do not meet the recommended amount of daily physical activity, and 66% of American adults are overweight or obese.

Personal choice is not the only factor in the level of personal physical activity. Design of the built environment can either enhance or inhibit physical activity in a community. According to the CDC, “creating, improving and promoting places to be physically active can result in a 25 percent increase in the percentage of residents who exercise at least three times per week.”

In addition, if changes were made in zoning and development regulation and there was more of an investment in transportation, more walkable communities would be encouraged, despite social trends that have caused a decrease in physical activity. Communities with sidewalks, bike lanes, and trails have also seen a definite increase in physical activity than those without. Also, people are more likely to walk or bike to their destination if they have a variety of destinations close to their home. These connections are seen more often in low income areas than in areas with high socioeconomic standing.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

The New 3 R's.

When I was younger I spent a lot of time at my grandparents.  We would do all of the typical grandparent/grandchild activities like coloring, checkers, and reading.  When my grandpa would read to me he would always throw out there that back in his day all he needed to know were the three r's, reading, riting, and rithmetic.  I know it's a cliche and that everyone has heard it, but that memory got me thinking about how we have a new 3 R's in our society, reduce, reuse, and recycle.  Reading, writing, and arithmetic have become the norm and being able to go above and beyond in your life now includes being conscious of your impact on the environment.  Just a thought.

After the Texas Recycles Day event at Texas A&M, I was researching recycling in Bryan College Station to see if curbside recycling (super convenient...just my style!) was possible for my apartment complex.  From what I can tell, it's not.  There are recycling options in BCS though.  Curbside recycling, drive in recycling, cash for trash, and multiple places to drop off used books are just a few examples around town.  For more information, check out the Bryan or College Station websites!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Kid Tested, Student Approved!

The green practices at the top ranked universities work because they are unique to the individual cultures. But how can we change the behavior of a culture that is not already in favor of environmental issues? The Fun Theory, created by Volkswagen, is an example of how communities all over the world are using fun to “change people’s behavior for the better.” A piano staircase to increase use of stairs, bottle bank arcade to increase recycling of glass bottles, and the World’s deepest trash bin to reduce littering are a few examples of how fun can change behaviors. These techniques could easily be implemented at Texas A&M to further promote green behavior in students. My research will explore what students require on a college campus to ensure environmentally responsible behaviors.


Currently on Campus

Texas A&M was among the schools that participated in the College Sustainability Report’s survey. This survey asks about the President’s Climate Commitment, but Texas A&M is currently not a part of it. At this time, Texas A&M diverts only about 10% of trash and only recycles paper, cardboard, aluminum, and some plastics. Although 99% of landscape waste is composted on campus, there are no other bins for combustibles. Single stream recycling is one way to improve this statistic. The three bin recycling collection system makes “recycling almost as easy as using the trash can”.  One bin is for all recyclables, one is for combustibles, and the last one is for the remaining trash. By combining bins and reducing the amount of sorting, it increases the ease and convenience of recycling.

There are no sustainability themed residence halls, but there is a Residence Hall Energy Challenge in which resident halls attempt to decrease energy use by 5%. There are no internship positions available, but there are several student organizations that provide opportunities for students to take a stand for sustainability. They are: Association for Social Entrepreneurship, Environmental Issues Committee, One Love, Community Garden and Sustainability Council. Texas A&M has 727 buses in their transportation fleet, 79 of which operate on biofuels, 10 are hybrid, and 39 use Flex Fuel. While there is no bike-sharing program, there is a car sharing program that is made up of 10 cars, and 45% of people use environmentally friendly transportation to campus.

Overall we have improved our grade from a C+ in 2009 to a B- in the 2010 report. Two of the eight goals in Texas A&M’s master plan goals have to do with sustainability. They are to “establish an accessible, pedestrian campus” and to “promote sustainability by teaching and acting in an environmentally sustainable manner”. These goals are being worked toward, but based on the sustainability ratings, there is still a lot to be done before they are achieved.

The second annual Campus Sustainability Day is one step toward reaching them. Student organizations at Texas A&M came together to promote sustainability on campus. Many organizations passed out fliers and pamphlets to raise awareness about energy, water, and recycling efforts on campus among students. Students were also given the opportunity to purchase fresh produce at this event. In Ann Littmann's article in the Battallion, Campus Sustainability Officer Kelly Wellman said, "This is part of our culture and we have sustainability integrated into our curriculums. These issues are important and we are preparing our future leaders to address them." She also said "Sustainability is so much more than going green. It's about making choices that respect our resources and the financial impact of our decisions… Sustainability is about finding the balance between a healthy environment, social equity and economic growth”. This shows that there are people at Texas A&M that are dedicated to improving our environmental culture.

Accountability anyone?

Many of these schools are involved in national organizations that hold them accountable for their sustainabile practices. One of which is the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. This organization is dedicated to reducing or neutralizing greenhouse gas emissions at universities and colleges in America. The requirements for commitment are:

-an emissions inventory
-set a date for becoming climate neutral with in 2 years
-take immediate steps to reduce green house gas emissions by choosing from a list of short-termactions
-integrating sustainability into the curriculum and making it a part of the educational experience
-make an action plan.

Most relevant to my research is the commitment’s requirement of a university to prepare students to understand and deal with environmental issues in any line of work. The ACUPCC believes that universities are a role model in a community. Although they only make up “2-3% of our carbon footprint...they are 100% of our educational footprint”. 

And now, a word from the students!

The sustainability ranking cites I posted yesterday also discuss individual practices at the universities. For example, the Sierra Club published a compilation of student written reports on sustainable practices at their individual schools. Each one of their judging criteria for ranking the schools is highlighted in a particular school.

University of Colorado, Boulder has a student directed recycling program and was the first university for students to implement the Green Fund Fee in order to provide bike sharing, a better bus system, and biofuels in vehicles.

Yale is known for their sustainable food practices. They have a garden market that sells goods locally and is used on campus. 49% of the food used at Yale is local, seasonal and organic. The negative aspect of this is that some students complain it costs too much and there is not enough variety.

Harvard is known for their efficiency. They have implemented moisture sensing water sprinkler systems, compact fluorescent bulbs, solar panels on roofs of buildings, and have 17 LEED certified buildings. Although students do not fully appreciate LEED certified buildings, it raises awareness for sustainability with students. They also have the “Environmental Action Committee”, which is an organization that conducts student run sustainability projects.

UCLA is known for their waste management. They have come up with a “Waste Watchers” program that weighs the dining hall leftovers to educate students on the amount of food that is wasted.


Georgia Tech excels in academic sustainability. They provide many choices of good courses on renewable energy, and have clubs that raise awareness and have unique opportunities. Students participate in projects such as improving recycling bins, making jewelry from waste, and studying the environmental impact of vegetarianism. Students have also won an award for their design of a play pump to pump water in a village.

The New York Times has also published an article related to green practices on college campuses. In the article "Without Cafeteria Trays, Colleges Find Savings" Skidmore College is highlighted. Skidmore went trayless to “save water, cut food waste, soften ambiance, and save money”. Going trayless is a part of an environmental trend and has been described by Joseph Spina of the National Association of College and University Food Services as “a hot thing right now”. In trayless cafeterias, students tend to take less food, which means there is less food waste and a lower cost in food and disposal service for the university. The negative side of this is that students have to go back in line for seconds, so there is an decrease in turnaround.

Universities are also using sports to educate their fans on sustainability. The University of Florida paired with a non-profit organization, Earth Givers, to offset game day emissions. Their program is called “Neutral Gators”. The University of Colorado has a zero waste program at their games. They use only biodegradable containers, wrappers, and other packaging. They also have recycling bins through out the stadium. The University of Colorado has seen an 8% decrease in trash.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Ready? Set. RANK!

There are several sustainability rankings for universities that are universally used for comparison. The first is the College Sustainability Report Card at greenreportcard.org. This ranking is made on a 4.0 scale. The highest score for the 2010 report card was an A-. The following schools ranked overall an A- and had an A in the categories of Recycling and Food, Transportation, and Student Involvement. Each of these Universities and many more have their surveys posted online. This provides incite on the common sustainable practices and goals to the general public.

Arizona State University- Temple
Brown University
University of California- San Diego
Carleton College
University of Colorado
Middlebury College
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Oberlin College
Pacific Lutheran University
University of Pennsylvania
Pomona College
Smith College
Stanford University
Williams College
Yale University

The next popular rankings cite is the Sierra Club. This organization is the “most influential grassroots organization in the United States.” They rank sustainable universities by the following eight categories: efficiency, energy, food, administration, purchasing, transportation, waste, and administration. Their top ten universities and colleges are (in order of rank):

A+   1) University of Colorado
A+   2) University of Washington
A+   3) Middlebury College
A+   4) University of Vermont
A+   5) College of the Atlantic
A+   6) Evergreen State College
A     7) University of California, Santa Cruz
A     8) University of California, Berkeley
A     9) UCLA
A    10) Oberlin College

The Princeton Review is known for helping prospective students select and get into a school, and because of the growing desire for sustainability in a university, they came out with a Green Honor Roll. The Green Honor Roll measures how “environmentally friendly” a school is. Surveys for this ranking were developed with ecoAmerica and are considerably shorter than the College Sustainability Report. For 2010, 697 schools were surveyed and 371 were published in the three Princeton Review books. The following schools are the top 15, all with the highest possible score of 99:

Arizona State University at the Tempe campus
Bates College (Lewiston ME)
Binghamton University (State Univ. of New York at Binghamton)
College of the Atlantic (Bar Harbor ME)
Colorado College (Colorado Springs CO)
Dickinson College (Carlisle PA)
Evergreen State College (Olympia WA)
Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta)
Harvard College (Cambridge MA)
Middlebury College (Middlebury VT)
Northeastern University (Boston MA)
University of California - Berkeley University of New Hampshire (Durham)
University of Washington (Seattle)
Yale University (New Haven CT)

After reviewing these surveys and comparing them with Texas A&M's benchmark schools, I will post a best practices report. This report will be the basis for the surveys I will conduct with students here at Texas A&M.

Publicity Matters!

Many universities are beginning to embrace sustainability and use the green practices surveys for sustainability rankings. This makes their practices known to the public. However, most of the publicity focuses on energy use such as wind power, renewable energy, and carbon emissions. Many universities still lack an environment that promotes green behavior in students (“Higher Education Moves Toward Sustainability”).

My research proposes that convenience, incentive, awareness, and ethics are all factors in students' green behavior.  Universities should create an environment that not only physically reduces our impact, but provides students with easy ways to implement more green practices into their everyday life, such as recycling, food waste, and transportation methods. 

Margaret Trott discusses the trendiness of going green in her article in Messiah College’s Student Newspaper, “The Swinging Bridge”. She promotes the “reuse” aspect of sustainability over purchasing new “green” items, such as the new hybrid cars recently purchased for the college and questions if green purchasing is a worthy investment.  Margaret provides an example of how some sustainable actions are not translated into the student body’s behavior.




Tuesday, November 10, 2009

And it's important because??

So one of the big questions in the sustainability trend is "why is it important to be green?" or "Is global warming really happening?" Below is a section of my literature review that shows the history and importance of the current changing environment. Check it out, it's actually pretty interesting!

Prior to the Industrial Revolution, our carbon output was harmonious with the amount of unnatural emissions that the earth could handle. Once we began urbanizing the earth and burning more fossil fuels, the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse emissions being released into the earth’s atmosphere became too high, and an “extra- thick heat blanket” formed around the world (Environmental Defense Fund).

It is now widely accepted that the earth is experiencing a worldwide climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that the “increase of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations leads to an average increase of the temperature.” Temperatures have climbed about 1 degree Fahrenheit since 1880, and according to the IPCC, “11 of the past 12 years are among the dozen warmest since 1850."An article in the National Geographic's News reports an increase in temperature is believed to contribute to the melting of polar ice caps and the rise of sea level. The recent increase of extreme weather conditions and a increase in coral reef bleaching has also been attributed to the changing climate.

The American Geophysical Union states in its position on climate change that "natural influences cannot explain the rapid increase in global near-surface temperatures observed during the second half of the 20th century". Natural influences cannot prevent these effects either. However, we can. By living a “low-carbon” lifestyle, we can help reduce the rate temperatures are rising. According to the National Recycling Coalition, Americans put enough aluminum cans into a landfill to recreate our entire commercial air fleet. Further, the United States is the “number one trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year. This means that 5% of the world's people generate 40% of the world's waste” (“Recycling Revolution”).

According to US Today, eighty percent of Americans today have a high school or higher education. Thus, it is logical to conclude that many of the ideas and changes that need to be implemented in the world should start being incorporated at this level. Environmental responsibility should not be an exception. In addition, high school students are becoming increasingly aware of green practices in schools and are factoring this into their college selection process.  

Creating an Environmentally Responsible College Campus

The main reason for this research project is to determine if there is a way to encourage sustainable student behavior on a college campus.  Lots of campuses are moving toward more sustainable practices, such as energy efficient buildings, but these practices aren’t always translated into a more environmentally responsible student body.  Over the course of the next two semesters, I will develop and conduct a survey with students at Texas A&M.  It will focus on their attitudes toward general green behavior and the best green practices on a college campus.  I believe a compromise can be reached between the student responses and green practices to creates a campus environment that encourages a more sustainable student body.