Read Science this week and see what Erle Ellis, professor of geography and environmental systems at UMBC, had to say about the Anthropocene.  Ellis also participated in a chat on Science Live hosted by Gaia Vince.

Thanks to Katherine Fink for transcribing this session! Join the AASHE 2011 Transcription Project and help spread the great ideas presented at the conference!

Presented by Susan Powers

Vision for year-round sustainable food

• Aeroponic system
• heating and electricity from renewable resources
• anaerobic digester

Achieving this vision

• lab testing
• pilot scale facility
• business established
• larger pilot
• full scale implementation

Aeroponic

• less total mass
• water sprayed on roots

Efficient Lighting system

• maximizing day lighting
• need supplemental lighting
• no over lighting

Food waste digester

• energy cabin
• wood pellet boiler
• solar thermal supplemental hot air heating

Integrated system
cheel->foodwaste-->anaerobic digester-->effluent/nutrients-->greenhouse-->food

Key points

• need new ideas for feeding our world
• high tech solutions
• enabling students to do projects

Thanks to Katherine Fink for transcribing this session! Join the AASHE 2011 Transcription Project and help spread the great ideas presented at the conference!

Campus Greenhouse Provides Local Food and Research on Vegetable Production in Cold Climates
Presented by Susan Powers
AASHE 2011

Vision for year-round sustainable food

• Aeroponic system
• heating and electricity from renewable resources
• anaerobic digester

Achieving this vision

• lab testing
• pilot scale facility
• business established
• larger pilot
• full scale implementation

Aeroponic

• less total mass
• water sprayed on roots

Efficient Lighting system

• maximizing day lighting
• need supplemental lighting
• no over lighting

Food waste digester

• energy cabin
• wood pellet boiler
• solar thermal supplemental hot air heating

Integrated system
cheel->foodwaste-->anaerobic digester-->effluent/nutrients-->greenhouse-->food

Key points

• need new ideas for feeding our world
• high tech solutions
• enabling students to do projects

Thanks to Katherine Fink for transcribing this session! Join the AASHE 2011 Transcription Project and help spread the great ideas presented at the conference!

Presented by John Edmund Peterson and Andrew deCoriolis

Overview of Campus Conservation Nationals 2010

• resource use reduction
• engage, educate, motivate, and empower
• 3 weeks
• common web platform
• dorm v. dorm
• school v. school
• manual data entry v. real-time
• common baseline

Key features of technology

• intra campus
• inter campus
• commitments on facebook
• twitter feed
• Unite equivalents
• more accessible to all students

Summary

• total savings
• dorm statistics
• best performing schools

Evaluation process

• recorded energy and water consumption in competing dorms
• percent change between periods
• tracked use of the website
• post competition participant survey
• post competition organizer survey

Participant survey response statistics

• diversity of institutions that responded
• mostly freshmen and sophomores
• mostly female

Resource use consciousness

• generally people were very aware of their resource use
• making decisions to minimize
• they believe their resource use has impacts
• feel they have limited control over dorm wide consumption

What concerns motivate conservation?

• future generations
• my own well being
• concern for people
• concern for animals
• concern for country
• well being of others
• financial well being of my college

Competition: awareness and participation

• students who knew their dorm wast participating
• students who felt their hall mates knew about the competition

Empower and motivate?

• felt motivated to compete, but less empowered by it

what aspects were motivational

• dorm v. dorm is most important
• a multi-school event made me feel part of something larger
• floor v. floor but this is hard to do
• schools in athletic conference
• peer institutions
• it is demotivating to be a loser

Conservation strategies

• turning off lights
• turn off faucets
• shorter showers
• use power strip
• talked to hall mates about conserving resource
• got engaged in environmental activism
• swapped out an incandescent light bulb for cfl
• got ride of mini-fridge
• electricity reduction in dorms significantly related to residents who turned off lights
• water reduction in dorms significantly related to residents who took shorter showers

web interface

• page views
• unique visitors
• viewing time
• all increased during competition
• reduction commitments

performance of dorms
has to do with organization effort

Are reductions sustained?

• was not measured for the last CCN
• but their was intent to continue to conserve

Connectedness with nature

• positively correlated with many measures
• strong predictor of behavior
• highest connectedness
• significantly lower baseline use
• significantly lower electricity reduction
• less page views

Barrier and benefit research

• what makes it difficult to conserve electricity
• what makes it difficult to conserve water
• what are the benefits of reducing your water and electricity use
• needs v. desire
• apathy
• things outside of personal control
• scale of impact

organizers

• posters
• social networking sites
• email
• articles in college newspaper
• tabling
• ads on college website
• events during competition
• guerilla marketing
• articles online
• kick-off event

take home points

• environmental motivation skewed toward global and future concerns
• social motivations are more local
• competition links local and global motivations
• students feel more motivation than empowerment
• competition has potential to reach beyond the choir
• social diffusion
• best at engaging those that are least connected with nature

Campus conservation nationals 2012
race to a gigawatt

Thanks to Katherine Fink for transcribing this session! Join the AASHE 2011 Transcription Project and help spread the great ideas presented at the conference!

Campus Conservation Nationals: Lessons Learned by Competing to reduce Dormitory Water and Electricity Use
Presented by John Edmund Peterson and Andrew deCoriolis
AASHE 2011

Overview of CCN 2010

• resource use reduction
• engage, educate, motivate, and empower
• 3 weeks
• common web platform
• dorm v. dorm
• school v. school
• manual data entry v. real-time
• common baseline

Key features of technology

• intra campus
• inter campus
• commitments on facebook
• twitter feed
• Unite equivalents
• more accessible to all students

Summary

• total savings
• dorm statistics
• best performing schools

Evaluation process

• recorded energy and water consumption in competing dorms
• percent change between periods
• tracked use of the website
• post competition participant survey
• post competition organizer survey

Participant survey response statistics

• diversity of institutions that responded
• mostly freshmen and sophomores
• mostly female

Resource use consciousness

• generally people were very aware of their resource use
• making decisions to minimize
• they believe their resource use has impacts
• feel they have limited control over dorm wide consumption

What concerns motivate conservation?

• future generations
• my own well being
• concern for people
• concern for animals
• concern for country
• well being of others
• financial well being of my college

Competition: awareness and participation

• students who knew their dorm wast participating
• students who felt their hall mates knew about the competition

Empower and motivate?

• felt motivated to compete, but less empowered by it

what aspects were motivational

• dorm v. dorm is most important
• a multi-school event made me feel part of something larger
• floor v. floor but this is hard to do
• schools in athletic conference
• peer institutions
• it is demotivating to be a loser

Conservation strategies

• turning off lights
• turn off faucets
• shorter showers
• use power strip
• talked to hall mates about conserving resource
• got engaged in environmental activism
• swapped out an incandescent light bulb for cfl
• got ride of mini-fridge
• electricity reduction in dorms significantly related to residents who turned off lights
• water reduction in dorms significantly related to residents who took shorter showers

web interface

• page views
• unique visitors
• viewing time
• all increased during competition
• reduction commitments

performance of dorms
has to do with organization effort

Are reductions sustained?

• was not measured for the last CCN
• but their was intent to continue to conserve

Connectedness with nature

• positively correlated with many measures
• strong predictor of behavior
• highest connectedness
• significantly lower baseline use
• significantly lower electricity reduction
• less page views

Barrier and benefit research

• what makes it difficult to conserve electricity
• what makes it difficult to conserve water
• what are the benefits of reducing your water and electricity use
• needs v. desire
• apathy
• things outside of personal control
• scale of impact

organizers

• posters
• social networking sites
• email
• articles in college newspaper
• tabling
• ads on college website
• events during competition
• guerilla marketing
• articles online
• kick-off event

take home points

• environmental motivation skewed toward global and future concerns
• social motivations are more local
• competition links local and global motivations
• students feel more motivation than empowerment
• competition has potential to reach beyond the choir
• social diffusion
• best at engaging those that are least connected with nature

Campus conservation nationals 2012
race to a gigawatt

Thanks to John Kester for transcribing this session! Join the AASHE 2011 Transcription Project and help spread the great ideas presented at the conference!

A Service Learning Course that Engages a Student Workforce to Help Implement Stanford's Sustainability Programs

Jiffy Vermylen, representing Sustainable Stanford, kicked off the afternoon session describing an interactive class at the university entitled, Greening Buildings and Behavior (Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Systems 109). This course exemplifies the collaboration of academic and institutional efforts for sustainability.

The climate action plan of Stanford points out a significant wedge for achieving goals of carbon neutrality is through behavioral change. In this engaging service learning class, Cardinal students conduct audits as part of practitioner labs visiting buildings around campus assessing environmental impacts and producing actionable recommendations. Incorporated into the physical audits is observation of behavior, which ties into the climate action plan?s acknowledgment of socially-driven change.

Students interact with both operational staff and academic professors to encounter a range of topics regarding sustainability at Stanford. With such strong interests in the course, internships for the office of sustainability are competitive drawing on much of the work in the Greening Buildings and Behavior class to contend for the positions. The ability of Sustainable Stanford increases with these students? efforts.

Once the classroom?s knowledge is translated to action in the school?s building retrofits, students connect their impact to empowerment. Interns driving this action follow up their year-long appointments to train the next year?s cohort. The cycle continues as more people gain experience, and more tangible results are gained for sustainability at Stanford.

Reports and updates can be found at Sustainable Stanford?s website (http://ssu.stanford.edu/) and Jiffy Vermylen encourages contacting her with any further questions (jiffy.vermylen@stanford.edu).

John Kester
PhD Student, Environmental Dynamics
University of Arkansas
573-286-4482

Thanks to Benjamin Newton for transcribing this session! Join the AASHE 2011 Transcription Project and help spread the great ideas presented at the conference!

The Power of Community Colleges to Create the Green Economy: Leadership- A Key to
Success
Session B Partnerships, Sustainable Jobs 11:00-12:00
Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN)
Jerry Weber President College of Lake County

Presented by:
Julie Elzanti Executive Director IGEN
Robert Hilgenbrink Treasurer and Financial Advisor IGEN

First Speaker: Allessandra Cairo Manager Communications IGEN

I. What is IGEN?
Almost half of all undergraduate students are now studying at community
colleges.

President led consortium of all 48 Illinois Community Colleges

Provides a platform for collaboration among all colleges to identify,
establish, share best practices and promote sustainability projects and
initiatives

Financial support from Illinois Governor’s office, Illinois Dept. of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and United States Dept. of
Education, Energy, and Labor.

Vision: to position the Illinois community college system as a global
leader in transforming education and economy for a sustainable future

Second Speaker: Alessandra Cairo

II. History and Success of IGEN

i. Funding History Timeline
2008-2009 develop community college sustainability center (10
colleges)

November 2009 12 college sustainability centers

July 2011 20 College sustainability centers

3 months ago received 19 million in funding

Third Speaker- Robert Hilgenbrink

Bottom up approach from students and faculty
Administrative master planning of the network
ii. Presidents Steering Committee
iii. Network Success
Leadership and collaboration across all community colleges and
communities in the network is the key to IGEN success

Virtual and physical centers
- Database developed to enter in all activities in the
Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN)
Green Jobs training programs
200 community members participate in College of Lake County
Community Partners for Sustainability

Many buildings LEED certified or any new development at campuses.

III. Future of IGEN- Alessandra Cairo
12 sustainability centers will expand to 20 centers

4 green economy centers

1. Community Colleges drive green economy
2. Lake County- Green County event
   Lake County discussions of Greening of Lake County
   Green Business Website for networking
   Weatherization program for upper and middle class homes

Chicago example- Julie Elzanti
The Plant
90% of the materials are recycled in the building
Waste to energy process of tilapia fish farm, brewery, and other sustainable
food companies such as 321 in Chicago at The Plant, which grows fresh herbs
in modular units

Enables colleges to partner with community
Community gardens- Local Food Economies- Food Hubs 95% food dollars
sent out of state, even though Illinois is a huge agricultural state

SEED funding
Green Career Pathways consortium
Energy Efficiency Equipment Bulk Purchasing
Energy Efficiency and training program
Task Force and Work Groups

Best Practice Packages- local foods, equipment loan programs to contractors,
electric vehicles

Collaboration among community colleges in IGEN is KEY to success

Website
IGEN members only section
www.igencc.org

IGEN Network news
www.igencc.org/Network-News

IGEN Communication preferences- email communication system from all
colleges across Illinois

IV. Report Database System
Activity reports and sustainability initiatives- can submit as you go within a
date range with all colleges
Can see what other colleges across state have submitted
Upload marketing materials
Invoices- fiscal agent SWIC, summary reports can be pulled up

V. Career Pathways Consortium
Dept. of Labor TAACCCT Grant

IGEN one of 32 grantees nationwide
- architecture and construction
- STEM
- Manufacturing

NTER System- Open source platform, Build 3D simulations, Performance based
testing,

-serves instructors
provides full range of instructional tools
-serves learners

-serves institutions

SEED- Sustainability Education and Economic Development

Question and Answer

1st question: How did you secure funding for IGEN?

Congressional Aides helped get funding Congressman and Senators to help get
earmarks (which are now more difficult to get)- locating a funding stream in a
political system through donations.

Younger generation lobbyists in Washington, D.C. helped in proposing ideas to
their state and federal representatives.

2nd question: How is the funding divided up between the community colleges in the
network?

Projects that are in the pipeline in the database will get initial consideration,
but overall collaborative administrative committee determines where funds are
allocated.

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development has a major role
particularly in the area of Green jobs creation

Thanks to Katherine Fink for transcribing this session! Join the AASHE 2011 Transcription Project and help spread the great ideas presented at the conference!

Campus Sustainability Programs as a Tool for Building Student Leadership
David Whitman
Room 413
11:30-12:00

• Green values
• Grassroots democracy
• Decentralized

• Equality

• Sustainable Living Communities

• Inspirations
• Sustainable Carolina
  • Office of Sustainability
  • Learning Center for Sustainable futures
  • Green Quad
• Project teams
  • three campaigns
  • participants
    students
    grads
    faculty
• education team
• curriculum
• eco reps
  • restructured this year
  • was under hall government
  • program was dependent on one person
  • appointed
  • now a team
• green quad
• transformation team
  • planning
  • leadership
• traditional team
  • food
  • built environment
  • transportation
• Responsibility
  • set goals
  • train and mobilize others
  • recruit
  • STARS
  • previous years standards
• Labor Credits
  • required amount of hours
  • putting environmental club leaders in green teams

Thanks to Rachna Sharma for transcribing this session! Join the AASHE 2011 Transcription Project and help spread the great ideas presented at the conference!

Different Session – Hoping to get inputs from participants for Rio+20
Presented by Paul Rowland, Executive Director, AASHE
AASHE 2011

· US pays relatively less attention to UN Processes

· We have not taken up the opportunities available to us/responsibilities as a world citizen

· Original Rio meeting was focused on sustainability in education – outcome – Agenda 21

· Outside US, Agenda 21 is used for benchmarking / grant funding – paid attention to – not so much in states

· Chapter 36 – Talks about education, not much on higher education (~ 2 sentences on tertiary education)

· What do we expect to come out from Rio+20 – June 4 -7 coming year?

· Concern – It may leave out tertiary education’s (TE) role in education for sustainable development again.

· How do we move forward on making sure this does not happen?

· What are the deadlines for providing inputs/ ways to provide inputs?

· How can we make sure that there is language in the outcome document that would provide some leverage for tertiary education?

· Rio20 website - www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/ - Interesting information

· Framework for discussing the role of tertiary education in Sustainable Development at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) – At the AASHE website

· Compilation Document – November 1 (Deadline) – Public comments/ UN agencies/ others

· Trying to engage different groups – so that their inputs can reach the compilation document before the deadline in a collective manner – foundation to show that we need to make contributions to EST

· US Position is relatively secure

· If you were a delegate at Rio+20, what would you say about TE?

· How to provide inputs – on AASHE website (www.aashe.org/node/54492)

· 4 sets of questions as sort of a guideline on what to provide input on -

· What are the expectations from the outcome document/ its structure?


· What are the comments if any on existing documents -

· Sustainable development goals

· Revitalizing global partnerships

· What are the views on implementation and how to close the implementation gap? Which relevant actors are envisaged as being involved (Governments, Specific Major Groups, UN Systems)

· What specific cooperation mechanisms envisaged – relevant timeframes?

· Stated focus – Discuss and refine

· Green economy in context of sustainable development and poverty eradication

· Institutional framework for sustainable development

How would it help?
· Declarations and statements – remain just statements

· Institutional framework will help translate them – asking questions on efficiency and effectiveness, millennium development goals, who takes responsibility of what comes next

· Which UN agencies will be expecting to report which institutions on what – Accountability

· Content, focus, ambition and how they are translated to action

· Processes much too long and restrictive – thus hope of providing inputs directly to the compilation document and impress upon the fact that it’s not just individual/ AASHE but multiple international institutions

· US partnerships in this realm? – Not so much

Audience Interaction:

Question – What is the timeline to contribute in TE framework documents?
· Getting into compilation process is important.

· Delegates would then be taking the compiled version of draft documents obtained from during the compilation process

· March – International gathering to discuss before the Rio+20

Question – Is there a relationship between Rio-21 and UNFCCC/ other such UN Groups?
· 3 Major corps

· Texts don’t refer much to this relationship

· Lobbying groups attending – much stronger presence

· Good time to enter global conversation

Question – Are there any secondary resources helpful for people trying to understand UN processes for the first time?
·

Suggestion – Most effective way to ensure comments reach UN/ Summit is to – reach delegates
· Once the US delegates list is announced, send relevant documents to them

Challenges –
· Educators have no official voice in how these things take shape.

· Recognized list of stakeholders – education not a part of this list, YOUTH is

· Address the gap – What is the role of educators in this whole process?

· There is a huge difference between how educators view sustainable development and how the rest of the world views it; the hinge being poverty

· There is no reference to poverty alleviation in any of the AASHE documents

· Why do we only talk about green technology/ green jobs?

· Could include poverty alleviation as a clause in the compilation document.

Suggestion – UN is a huge organization – Many other groups may also be working on similar programs
· Example – Global compact signatories – introduce section in Rio+21 – addresses management education

· UNU – United Nations University – opening the doors of better economic participation – some leverage there.

· Connection to sustainability commitment coming out of UN in next 2 - 3 weeks?

· UN Global Compact Academia Group – Pilot schools to be involved in signatories to this declaration

Suggestion – (From Green Campus Initiative – Korea)
· Since the Focus of Rio+20 is on two different aspects - we should decide on what aspect can we provide some suggestions/ comments

· When discussing about Green Economy – Sustainable Development – education+ technology+ economics, thus educators can contribute comments here too.

· Institutional Framework – We have to change tertiary education fundamentally

· Our university education system is based on industrial age – growth oriented

· We are living in doomsday age – consuming more than what we have now

· Thus our education should be changed fundamentally – sustainability oriented education

How to provide inputs?

www.aashe.org/rio-comments

· Web Form

· Name

· Email

· Country

· Input on UNCSD Compilation Document

Why should we be doing this?

We should be dealing with such UN processes
We have the resources
· to understand these issues

· help others understand these issues

· act on these issues

These outcomes can influence how resources are deployed in countries.
Just waiting to see what happen is not being ‘globally responsible citizen’