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News from the University of Vermont Office of Sustainability
April 2009
Office of Sustainability
Newsletter
University of Vermont
In This Issue
UVM and Global
Climate Change
The President's
Climate
Commitment and
Climate Action
Planning
Powershift Follow
Up
Environmental
Forum Update
Director's Corner
Way to Go!
Commuter
Challenge
Events and
Announcement
Quick Links
Office of
Sustainability
Website
Email us
Subscribe to
GreenUVM
NEWS FLASH!
The Office of Sustainability has just moved its office to the fourth floor of
Billings (next to the CUPS Office)!
Trouble viewing this newsletter?
A pdf version is available here.
See past newsletters on the Office of Sustainability website under "news."
UVM and Global Climate Change In response to the problem of global climate change the University of Vermont
has made a commitment to become a carbon neutral institution. That means
that our ultimate goal is zero net emissions of greenhouse gases such as
carbon dioxide and methane from operating campus buildings and
transportation systems, topics we'll explore in future newsletters. This month
we take a look at the second aspect of that commitment: addressing climate
change through teaching, research and outreach.
As you may be aware, global climate change does not necessarily mean that
we will be suntanning in January. What we do know is that even the slightest
increase in temperatures results in a chain reaction of weather events such as
droughts, floods, hurricanes, and ice storms. Several UVM faculty are doing
research to better understand the effects of climate change. Professor Leslie
Morrissey (Natural Resources) uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to
study the effects of global climate change on water resources and wetlands. Professor Paul Bierman (Geology) has studied the timing and distribution of
major storms and floods in New England over the last 10,000 years. UVM
faculty are also helping us to understand and address climtae change
representing fields as diverse as geography, economics, and plant biology. Please click here to see a list of climate change "experts" at UVM.
In addition to faculty research, climate change is addressed through UVM
classes for both graduate and undergraduate students. One example is The
Vermont Climate Collaborative Practicum, a course for graduate students
offered through the Rubenstein School. This class teamed up with the statewide efforts of the Vermont Climate Collaborative, which came out of
Governor Douglas's Commission on Climate Change. Stay tuned to the May
newsletter to hear about the results of the class' semester-long study of the
potential for sustainable biomass energy production in the Vermont. UVM is lucky to boast an engaged student population, and there is plenty of
student activism around climate change. More than 200 UVM students took
part in Power Shift 2009 and the protest at a coal power plant in Washington,
D.C. Closer to home, UVM students have initiated educational efforts like
Focus the Nation, created a Clean Energy Fund, and successfully lobbied the
UVM Board of Trustees to vote proactively on climate-related shareholder
resolutions. UVM also has an vibrant Eco-Reps program in which select
undergraduate students work to educate their hall mates about environmental
issues. Eco-Reps distribute information, and create, coordinate, and host
activities in their residence halls, operating on the philosophy that we can
reduce our harmful impact on the enviornment by making simple changes in
our lifestyles. At the Office of Sustainability, we help support many of these efforts. Currently, our big project is the UVM Climate Action Plan, which is intended to
set the path for the 'how?' and 'when?' of UVM's commitment to carbon
neutrality. The office staff is drafting a plan to be presented to the President
and Board of Trustees in the Fall of 2009 for approval. Continue reading to
learn more about the details of UVM's Climate Action Plan. -Tatiana Abatemarco http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs024/1101916488629/archive/1102507292085.html[2/15/2011 8:39:51 PM]
News from the University of Vermont Office of Sustainability
The Presidents' Climate Commitment and
Climate Action Planning
The University of Vermont is one of several Vermont colleges and universities
that have signed The American Colleges and University Presidents Climate
Commitment (ACUPCC). This commits the
institution to charting the path to carbon neutrality with a Climate
Action Plan. But what does that mean? Here's a very brief primer.
According to ACUPCC, climate actions plans should address scope 1
and scope 2 emissions, as well as teaching, research and outreach. Scope 1 emissions are from the direct activities of the campus. This
includes fuel combustion that happens on campus and university-owned
vehicles. Scope 2 emissions come from utility production not at the
institution. This includes purchased electricity for campus use. Teaching,
research, and outreach include all the activities by the institution to educate
the community about climate change and help increase knowledge about how
to achieve carbon neutrality. The ACUPCC website has an overview and links
to examples of climate action planning. Charter signatories of the Presidents'
Climate Commitment are due to submit their climate action plans by
September, 2009. Whether an institution has signed the commitment or not, many are now
initiating plans to address climate change. Interested in hearing more? For
guidance check out The World Wildlife Fund's Guide to Climate Action Planning
and the Education Facilities Professional's Practical Guide to Reducing the
Campus Carbon Footprint. -Tatiana Abatemarco
Powershift Follow-Up
After an inspirational
weekend in
Washington, DC, the
power-shifters return
to UVM full of energy
and ideas for
change. With support
from all over of
campus, including
Walt Poleman the
greenhouse director,
the team of 204
students was able to
pull everything
together and rally in
DC.
After a shout out for UVM from Democracy Now for being the largest group in
attendance, the conference kicked off on Friday with panels for students to
attend based on interest. Saturday consisted of a series of panels, workshops
and caucuses preparing for lobby day on Monday. On Sunday the students
from Vermont schools gathered together to discuss issues regarding the state
and tangible local changes that can be implemented by students. Food equity
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News from the University of Vermont Office of Sustainability
and the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant were among two of the more
heated issues. The students banded together to create the Vermont Student
Environmental Coalition to focus on broader issues besides coal and energy.
The group plans to work with Greenpeace and VPIRG to focus on several key
issues.
On Monday, after meeting with representatives from Vermont, a separate
action timed specifically to coincide with Powershift called the Capital Climate
Action took place. The action involved five groups (coordinated by color) to
block the gates of the coal plant in DC and prevent people from coming in or
out. For two and half hours the groups protested in a beautiful and powerful
statement. "It was symbolic to protest at the coal plant that literally powers
the offices of our elected representatives," says Jess Serrante, Greenpeace
peacekeeperone of the head organizers at UVM. In what was considered a
courageous act of "Mass Civil Disobedience" UVM students took over the Istreet gate in a peaceful yet energetic protest. The students were face to face
with a line of police officers standing up against the gate. Students engaged
in non-violent tactics to demonstrate the seriousness of harmful effects of coal
and their commitment to mass social change. Overall Serrante and the group feel that the weekend was a success. While
the event did not receive much mainstream media attention, the group did a
fantastic job advertising and spreading their message around campus and the
Burlington community. "If one person is looking at the world differently, I
achieved my goal." Poweshift has almost doubled since the 2007 protests.
-Katherine Devine
Environmental Forum Update:
Climate Action Planning at UVM
The February Environmental Forum meeting took a look at climate action
planning at UVM.
Gioia Thompson, Director of the Office of Sustainability, gave an update from
the Office of Sustainability outlining the current thinking for the plan, as well
as proposed targets for reducing the campus' greenhouse gas emissions.
A look at UVM's green house gas emissions has revealed the 2007 emissions
are close to those calculated in 1990. About 70% of the University's emissions
are from burning fuels for heating and cooling. About 13% is from using
electricity, and 11% from commuting and 1% from using fleet vehicles.
The group at the forum discussed proposed targets. One is fairly easy for us:
that the campus' sources of electricity be 100% renewable by 2012, in
alignment with Burlington Electric Department's goals. Since most of the
campus is in Burlington, this is achievable at fairly low cost.
The overarching proposed target is becoming 100% carbon neutral for both
UVM buildings and transportation services by the year 2020. It was suggested
that money saved from energy efficiency expenditures could be put aside into
a fund which will go towards cleaner and more
renewable energy for the future. An important point of agreement was that
we must focus on reducing the amount of energy used before we look toward
introducing new energy systems. Other ideas proposed by those in attendance
at the meeting included metering student dorms and creating a billing system
dependent upon energy expenditures, as well as establishing partnerships
with Fletcher Allen Heath Care to include them in energy saving efforts.
In addition to presentation and discussion on UVM's Climate Action Plan, there
were some additional announcements:
Gioia Thompson will be attending a three-day workshop in June with
the Rocky Mountain Institute to discuss the barriers and opportunities
for achieving climate neutrality. She expects this workshop to
contribute to the development of UVM's climate action plan.
Bob Herendeen gave an overview of plans for Focus the
Nation/Earth Week, which will take place the week of April 20. There will be a panel discussion on Local and National Initiatives on the
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News from the University of Vermont Office of Sustainability
Green Economy featuring Rachel Weston, Kesha Ram, and Mayor Kiss. For a full list of events, click here.
-Colleen Schmitt
The Next Environmental Forum Meeting is
Thursday April 23, 1-4 pm
Chittenden Bank Room, Davis Center
The theme of the meeting is: "Undergraduate Research"
We hope to see you there!
Director's Corner
Our university's climate action plan needs to include
a target date and interim milestones for achieving climate
neutrality, a concept that is sure to change over time as
carbon markets evolve. How to select dates and milestones?
First, what activities are we talking about? Primarily energy
use by buildings, with a very small amount for fleet fuel
use. For now we'll focus on buildings.
So, what's feasible to make our buildings carbon neutral? Clearly it's not
feasible in the short term for our campus to switch easily and inexpensively to
renewable sources of heating and cooling fuel, which is responsible for most
of our emissions. However, it's quite possible that Burlington Electric
Deparment will achieve its goal of 100% renewable power sources by
2012. Green Mountain Power provides electricity for university buildings
outside Burlington, and it too will likely have an option for UVM to choose
renewable sources. If we can't switch sources of energy, we could use
market mechanisms to buy carbon offsets.
The carbon offsets idea quickly takes us to the second criterion: what's
desirable? Reactions from the UVM community in various venues where we've
discussed market mechanisms have almost unanimously been that people are
uncomfortable with the idea of using tuition dollars to buy carbon offsets.
People keep saying they'd prefer to spend money on real changes on our
campus. And although it we might like to switch to renewable sources of
energy rather than relying on fossil fuels, even renewable sources of energy
have negative effects on the environment. It's clearly desirable that we reduce
the amount of energy we "need" through conservation and efficiency as we
explore ways to switch to renewables. And it's desirable to offset only after
we've done our best to reduce emissions.
After many conversations with students, faculty, and staff on campus, with
colleagues at other institutions, and will community energy experts, here's my
suggestion for UVM's goals and milestones:
SUGGESTED GOAL: CARBON NEUTRALITY BY 2020.
Rationale: Scientists' estimates about the rate of climate change indicate that
we need to wean ourselves from fossil fuels as soon as possible. The major
constraints at UVM are the limits of current technology and the amount of
time and money it takes to undertake major changes in infrastructure. On the
other hand, new carbon accounting and markets are changing very rapidly,
which bring new incentives and opportunities. A ten-year horizon would give
us time to focus intently for the first five years on increasing efficiency while
exploring options for the next five years to switch to renewables and learn
about market mechanisms.
SUGGESTED MILESTONES: -BY 2012, 100% RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ELECTRICITY FOR MAIN CAMPUS.
-BY 2025, A 25% REDUCTION BELOW 2009 LEVELS OF HEATING &
COOLING ENERGY USE. -BY 2020, a 50% REDUCTION IN TOTAL BUILDING ENERGY USE
-BY 2020, 80+% RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY FOR BUILDINGS, WITH
THE REMAINDER OFFSET USING MARKET MECHANISMS.
How do this goal and milestones sound to you? We'd like to hear your
thoughts--please email us at [email protected] with your reactions and
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News from the University of Vermont Office of Sustainability
suggestions.
--Gioia Thompson
Way to Go! Commuter Challenge
May 4-8, 2009
Registration for the 6th annual Way To
Go! Commuter Challenge is now open at
www.waytogovt.org with some fantastic
prizes! This event encourages everyone
in Vermont to explore options for
healthy, sustainable and cost-effective
transportation during the challenge week
and beyond. All UVM employees, faculty,
staff and students can register. Let's
reduce the single occupant vehicles on
the UVM campus by finding a carpool
partner; hopping on your bike, scooter or
rollerblades; lacing up those walking
shoes; or riding the CCTA bus for FREE with your valid UVM ID. For those who
already use alternative modes, be sure to register in the challenge and, more
importantly, encourage and assist your fellow co-workers and friends with
trying an alternate mode at least one day during the
challenge.
UVM will also compete in the Workplace Commuter Challenge, which is a
friendly business competition that awards employers who achieve the highest
percentage of employees to walk, bike, carpool or take the bus during the
week of May 4-8. In 2006
and 2007, UVM won the 1st place award in the major employer category and
in 2008 UVM received an honorable mention with Fletcher Allen Health Care
receiving the 1st place award.
Check out the Way To Go! website at www.waytogovt.org for further
information and promotional materials. UVM employees should also visit the
CATMA website at www.catmavt.org for alternative commuter programs,
services, incentives and resources.
Events and Announcements
Have an environmental event you would like to announce in this newsletter? Email Tatiana Abatemarco ([email protected])
Radical Stimulus- Cycling for a Sustainable Future. Thursday April 16th,
3:30-5pm, Waterman Memorial Lounge. This tour-de-force covers 350
people-powered miles through Vermont and New York, arriving for the North
Country Sustainable Energy Fair in Canton, NY.
Focus the Nation/ Earth Week at UVM. Solutions for global warming for
America. Saturday April 18th - Friday April 24th. The mission of the Office of Sustainability is to foster sustainable development
and promote environmental responsibility at the University by strategically
bridging the academic activities of teaching, research, and outreach with the
operations of the University.
The newsletter is designed to give readers the monthly pulse of the office.
Every issue will include an update on the Environmental Forum, a message
from the Director, and updates on other sustainability activities happening at
UVM.
You can receive this newsletter by subscribing to the GreenUVM listserve. Subscribe to the listserv (GREENUVM) by sending "SUB GREENUVM" to
[email protected] or by contacting the Office of Sustainability at
[email protected].
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News from the University of Vermont Office of Sustainability
Questions? Comments? Anything else you would like to see in here?
Office of Sustainability
The University of Vermont
401 Billings Center
48 University Place
phone: (802) 656-0906 fax: (802) 656-1075
email: [email protected]
Email Marketing by
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