Web-based Environmental Compliance Tool Available for Colleges

This from the U.S. EPA:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing a new Web-based compliance assistance center that provides comprehensive environmental compliance assistance and pollution prevention information for colleges and universities. The center was developed by the National Association of Colleges and University Business Officials with support and funding from EPA.  

The Web site makes it easier for school officials to learn more about applicable environmental regulations and ensure a safe and sustainable environment for their students, faculty and staff. The online center provides information on topics including waste management, air and water resources, drinking water, and public safety. Viewers can find out what types of campus activities are regulated by EPA, see how best to comply with environmental regulations, query federal enforcement and compliance data, learn how to apply for federal grants, and e-mail comments to EPA on regulations under development.

Go to Campus Environmental Resource Center: www.campuserc.org

Comment for CleanAIR on Campus: lots of cool tools on this site and tons of information. If you’re interested in finding out more about state and federal regulations that affect your school, spend a little time reading through the info on this site.

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Whole Foods Launches Online Video Series to Celebrate Earth Day

Casting Call Begins for Eco-conscious Youth Ages 8-17 to Host New ’Whole Earth Generation’ Show

Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket, announced on March 6 it is launching Whole Earth Generation, a video podcast series dedicated to raising environmental awareness among today’s youth.

The initiative kicks off with a search for six fresh-faced personalities ages 8 to 17 to be considered as hosts of this green-themed series. Children from all over the United States and Canada have a shot at becoming the face of the original online series, premiering March 11, 2008 and running through April 29, 2008.

"We are excited to celebrate Earth Month this year at our 270 stores and also online with this series aimed at encouraging green-minded youth to spread the word about eco-friendly actions and how they can make a difference," said Heather Kennedy, Senior Coordinator of National Marketing for Whole Foods Market. "So many shoppers tell us they have learned how to be more environmentally conscious by listening to their kids. We hope this program takes that trend to an even broader audience via the Internet."

Episodes of the Whole Earth Generation video podcast series will address topics generated by Generation Y and Z. Highlights of the series include interviews with celebrities and peers, ideas for a sustainable future, cool green products, and how to convince skeptical families and friends that green is the way to go.

The Whole Earth Generation youth host casting call kicks off March 6, 2008 on http://www.youtube.com/WholeFoodsMarket. Additionally, casting calls will be held throughout the month of March in select Whole Foods Market stores to offer hopeful green-minded youth a live audition opportunity.

"Eligible contestants will have the opportunity to express their green selves and tell their stories to a panel of eco-minded judges on topics like ’how they plan to green their family, neighborhood, school, and more," said Kennedy. "Kids who think they have what it takes to make a world of difference should check it out."

Submissions can be uploaded to http://www.youtube.com/WholeFoodsMarket or kids ages 8-17 can show up at one of the designated Whole Foods Market stores for a special one-day event in New York, Chicago and Austin, for auditions.

Ultimately, six winners -- three from the YouTube entries and three from the in-store auditions -- will be selected. In addition to winning the role for becoming the Whole Earth Generation online talent, each of the new hosts will be awarded select prizes from some of the program’s participating green sponsors.

"The Whole Earth Generation online series will be used to engage viewers with fresh environmental ideas and all things green. The six young hosts will be the on-air personalities with the charge of engaging their peers and showing that tweens and teens can really influence how we protect our planet," said Kennedy.

In addition to its weekly series, participating Whole Foods Market stores across the country and in Canada will engage the community in a special "Green Your Home" program during Earth Month where shoppers will learn the benefits of making their home a little greener from the inside out. From the kitchen to the laundry room to the bathroom, Whole Foods Market demonstrates the easy things you can do in each room to make your life and our planet a little more environmentally safe. By bringing their own reusable shopping bag, using green energy or simply recycling more shoppers are encouraged to participate in just one easy thing a day.

To further communicate the message of green in the home and among the Whole Earth Generation, Whole Foods Market will feature eco-conscious insights from some of their greenest vendor partners including: Seventh Generation, Organic Valley, Recycline, The Hain Celestial Group, Nature’s Path, Odwalla, Ecover, Annie Chun’s and White Wave.

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Students Nationwide Set Out to Change the World and Share $1 Million Award

Throughout this school year, more than 3,500 middle and high school students nationwide have learned first hand that improving the environment is within their control and real change can take place -- one step at a time. These students participated in the Lexus Environmental Challenge, a program designed by Lexus and Scholastic to educate teens about the environment and empower them to create a better world.

"This program was meant to drive action, and that's exactly what it's done," said Mark Templin, group vice president and general manager of Lexus. "Our goal was to inspire young people to be a part of the solution, and they definitely stepped up to the challenge. In fact, their efforts have been so impressive, we're the ones who are inspired."

Since September 2007, hundreds of teams of 5-10 middle and high school students led by teacher advisors have participated in one or more challenges addressing environmental issues related to land, water, air, and climate. Teams were required to define an issue, make a plan to address the issue, implement the plan, and report on the results.

Throughout the four challenges, more than 350 Action Plans were submitted. Sixty-two of these entries each won $3,000 in grants and scholarships to be shared by the students, teacher and school. Some winning Action Plan highlights include:

--  Production of a public service announcement about ways to reduce
    carbon dioxide emissions that reached 70,000 people
--  Distribution of 15,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs to low-income
    families
--  Collection of six 10-gallon buckets of used batteries for recycling
--  Educating 450 families about the impact of mold on indoor air quality
--  Creation of green roof boxes on the school's campus
    

A complete list of winning Action Plans can be viewed at www.scholastic.com/lexus.

Winning in the initial challenges qualified each team to participate in the Final Challenge for a chance to win part of $850,000. Two grand-prize winning teams will each receive $75,000 in grants and scholarships, and 14 first-prize winning teams will receive $50,000 each. In all, $1 million will be awarded.

Challenge Inspires Teachers and Students to Take Action

Comments from teachers and statements written in the Action Plans demonstrate the impact of the Lexus Environmental Challenge. One teacher told Lexus she loved how the competition is so motivating while also fostering a true concern for the community and teaching sound scientific principles. Another teacher wrote, "I watched this project, through the experiential learning and the hands-on approach, completely transform the students' attitude about protecting their local water resources. When we first began to approach this subject, students' attitudes were complacent and ambivalent about the topic, but they have completely transformed their attitudes to reflect concern, determination to take action, and motivation to educate and inspire others to take action."

The Action Plans contained pages and pages of inspiration. The final question in the Action Plan asks students to state what they've learned through implementing their plans. Some excerpts include:

--  We learned that even making small changes in our daily behavior can
    have a huge impact on our environment.
--  We learned the importance of raising awareness. One person cannot move
    the world, but as each person does one thing, the cumulative effort begins
    to add up to something big.
--  We learned how hard it is for actual scientists to have to work on
    this pollution problem day after day and still have to watch people ignore
    all the warning signs and continue to pollute.
    

The Final Challenge Dares Teams to Take Their Efforts Worldwide

For the first four Challenges, teams were asked to take a stand for the environment in their local community. The Final Challenge requires teams to reach beyond the local community and inspire environmental action around the world through innovative ideas that the team must communicate to a wide audience. Teams are currently hard at work on their programs and must submit their entries by March 24. The winners will be announced in April 2008 in conjunction with Earth Day.

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Greening the Planet and Our Economy – Student Style

Businesses and consumers have learned that sustainable development or "green technology" results in both environmental protection and economic growth. And with some help from EPA, college students around the country are also catching the "green wave." Fifty-eight university teams were awarded $580,000 in EPA grants to work on sustainable solutions for environmental problems.

Students at Keene State College in New Hampshire will create a "closed energy loop," where biodiesel fuel is both manufactured and used within the same community. The fuel is made from waste grease generated within the community and then will be used to power local public fleets. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill team will develop an inexpensive technology that people can use to test for bacteria and viruses in drinking water in the Dominican Republic, Cambodia, and South Africa.

Since 2004, the People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) sustainability design competition has encouraged university teams to design and develop projects that:

·         Benefit People by providing healthier home and work environments

·         Promote Prosperity by developing local economies and creating small businesses, and

·         Protect the Planet by conserving resources and minimizing pollution.

"We want to tap the enthusiasm and knowledge of the next generation of scientists, engineers and decision-makers to make the world a better place," said George Gray, assistant administrator for the Office of Research and Development. "And we're succeeding. Past P3 projects have become new commercial ventures. The P3 competition has created several small businesses that are helping promote sustainability in India, South America, Africa, and the U.S."

A student from a former P3 team from Oberlin College is now the owner of a center that sells general energy efficiency supplies, runs a shop where cars are converted for vegetable oil use, and serves as a hub for energy-related educational initiatives. This unique resource center also plans to begin retail sales of ethanol and various biodiesel blends at the pump and run a biodiesel production coop using a bike-powered processor.

These student projects will be demonstrated on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on April 20-22, 2008, when the 58 new teams will compete for EPA's P3 Awards. The P3 awards are given to the six highest-rated student designs and include additional funding up to $75,000 for the teams to further develop their designs, test their projects in the field, and move them to the marketplace. 

Information on the P3 student teams and projects can be found at: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/p3/current/index.html  Applications and general information on the P3 program: http://www.epa.gov/p3

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Environmental Education

Resources for environmental education:

North American Association for Environmental Education: Learn how to use high-quality teaching methods to show people how to make a difference in the world through a positive, nonconfrontational approach.

Classroom Earth: The top ten environmental education programs.

eMagazine.com: Earth Talk: Questions and answers about the environment.

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National Teach-In for Global Warming Solutions

On January 31st, a national educational initiative called Focus the Nation: Global Warming Solutions for America will conduct a teach-in to engage faculty and students nationwide in conversation on the challenge of global warming. All levels of education may participate - from college to K-12. For more information or to find out how to become involved, go to http://www.focusthenation.org/nationalteachin.php

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12 Simple Ways to Live a Greener Lifestyle in 2008
Category: Blogging

Environmental news from Washington University in St. Louis:

Want to begin to be more environmentally friendly in 2008 but can't afford a hybrid car? Don't worry — there are plenty of ways to lessen your impact on the environment that don't come with such a daunting price tag, says Matt Malten, assistant vice chancellor for campus sustainability at Washington University in St. Louis. And they likely will even save you some money without cramping your carbon-creating lifestyle — much.

"Focus on reducing your energy and water consumption and your waste generation, and you'll be on your way to reducing your footprint on the planet," says Malten.

1. Use fluorescent light bulbs. Yes, they're more expensive than incandescent light bulbs ($2 vs. $.50), but switch out your incandescent bulb for compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) in your house, and you could save up to 30 percent on your energy bill.

"According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR program, CFLs use about 75 percent less energy than incandescents and last 10 times longer," says Malten. "This, on average, results in $30 savings for the life of the bulb."

2. Keep your car in excellent condition. Of course, it's best to walk, bicycle, carpool or use mass transit for your daily commuting, but for those who must use their own vehicles, improving even the most inefficient of cars' fuel mileage is as easy as keeping your tires properly inflated and changing your oil and air filters regularly. And follow those traffic laws — your car burns less fuel when you drive slowly and obey the speed limit on highways.

3. Make sure your dishwasher and clothes washer and dryer are full before using them. The aforementioned major appliances consume large amounts of energy, so reduce their use as much as possible by only running them with full loads.

If you're in the market for new appliances or other electronics, look for the ENERGY STAR label to purchase the most energy efficient models available. "These appliances have been certified by a rigorous third-party review," says Malten. "In addition to saving energy and water consumption, they also will save consumers money."

4. Wash clothes in cold water and line dry. Using cold water rather than hot in the washer saves electricity and works just as well as hot with most clothes. Line drying not only is more environmentally friendly, but it also will keep clothes from shrinking and fading.

5. Shut down and unplug idle electronics. Your computer might be asleep, but if there's a light on, it's still using energy. Turn off and unplug your computer, printer, television, radio — any electronic device that you're not using.

6. Skip the bottled water. Sure, water is good for you, but the process of harvesting the raw materials, processing and manufacturing the petroleum-based plastic water bottles and shipping them to market is extremely energy intensive. So filter your own water and fill up your own reusable bottles for water on-the-go.

7. Supply your own bags and leftover containers. If you're headed to a restaurant that you know serves king-sized portions, bring a small piece of Tupperware along to take home the leftovers, and keep one fewer Styrofoam container from the landfill pile. Going to the supermarket? Opt out of the paper/plastic debate and bring your own canvas tote bags.

"Although many supermarkets recycle used plastic bags, the process still requires much energy to be used to transport and process the materials," says Malten. "Not only are reusable bags more sustainable, they are also becoming more of the norm, especially as more municipalities around the country are adopting zero-waste goals and banning the use of plastic bags."

8. Buy items with less packaging, and with packaging that your community recycles. It's convenient to buy snack crackers already divided into even, individual portions in plastic bags, but that creates much more waste packaging than just buying the full box.

"The old adage of reduce, reuse, recycle remains apropos," says Malten. "We must remind ourselves that the first step is always to reduce our demand of natural resources."

9. Support local farmers. Food grown or produced halfway around the world didn't just appear in the supermarket — it was shipped by plane, boat, truck or rail, and no matter which method of transportation it took, greenhouse gases were emitted along the way. Pick the apple grown in your state instead of the banana grown in another country.

10. Plant a tree in your backyard. It seems simple, but just one tree can offset tons of carbon over its lifetime. If planted appropriately, it also will provide shade on a sunny day, perhaps reducing the use of energy for air-conditioning in buildings and homes.

"While reducing energy will cut our carbon emissions, it also is important to restore more natural 'sinks' that capture carbon," Malten says. "Planting trees and perennials are an easy place to start."

11. Try used products first. Need a couch? Check newspaper classifieds or craigslist.com to see if you can find an acceptable used option before going to a showroom to buy a new one, which will have required both energy and materials to make and ship.

12. Ask about green power. Many utility companies offer renewable energy options, which is power generated by wind or solar energy.

"For those who are unable to install renewable energy equipment on their homes or businesses, many energy utilities offer programs that allow consumers to support the growth of the renewable energy markets in the United States by paying a small price premium," says Malten. "This is not an option for everyone, but it is one way to help spur the market for renewable energy technologies."

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EPA Honors Students from Spelman for Environmental Excellence

News from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) -

On Wednesday, Oct. 31, Stephen Johnson, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, will visit Spelman College to recognize four students for their excellence in environmental research. Terri Ambrose, Akosua Dosu, Juandalyn Coffen and Elan Mitchell, are among 20 other Spelman students who have been awarded EPA-sponsored Greater Research Opportunities fellowships, which to date totals more than $1 million.

Selected for research projects that include responses to climate change through a sustainable energy policy, bacterial remediation of emerging contaminants, bioremediation of toxic metals in water and soil, and sustainable programs for greening urban communities, the merit-based fellowships support some of the nation's most promising undergraduate and graduate degree candidates in environmental studies.

According Spelman College's Dr. Ibeanusi who served as mentor and advisor the students receiving the EPA fellowships: "Nationwide, Spelman is the only undergraduate institution [historically black college or university] that has an active environmental science program, with a strong emphasizes on the sciences and its applications and has established an active research program and educational training, including a minor in environmental studies for students to realize the opportunities in this expansive field."

Since its 1995 inception, EPA has awarded more than 2,200 fellowships to students in almost every state and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. All applications for EPA's fellowships are rigorously peer reviewed.

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Celebrate Blog Action Day - It’s All About the Environment

Today is Blog Action Day with thousands of bloggers writing their hearts out on the environment to bring about awareness and change. Learn more by visiting: http://www.blogactionday.com/promote

Stop by today at our sister blog, The AirZone Blog, to read 26 Pollution Facts You Probably Didn't Know. http://www.cleanairsys.com/airzone-blog/

And blog for the environment!

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SUNY-ESF Makes Biodiesel: From Fast Food to Fast Cars

One day it's glistening vegetable oil, giving crunch to a mound of French fries. A few days later, it's in the gas tank of a pickup truck, powering the vehicle along a city street and reducing its carbon emissions.

In between the kitchen and the highway, it spends a few days at the biofuels demonstration facility at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in Syracuse, N.Y., where waste cooking oil from a neighboring university's dining hall is turned into environmentally friendly biodiesel fuel.

"There are a lot of benefits to it," said ESF senior Greg Boyd, who brought the process with him when he arrived at the college as an undergraduate. "You're not using a foreign oil source, it's sustainable in the United States and it has 70 percent less emissions than petroleum diesel."

Boyd works with a bioprocessor installed in a former greenhouse on the ESF campus. He collects the used fryer oil in a 55-gallon drum from the dining facility at Sadler Hall, a residence hall at neighboring Syracuse University.

He strains the oil and pumps it into the automated bioprocessor. In goes methanol, a form of alcohol that attacks the fat molecules and severs them from the carbon chains in the oil. He adds sodium hydroxide, which acts as a catalyst, and sulfuric acid, which neutralizes the three free fatty acids in the oil.

"We add it all, turn it on and wait 24 hours," he said.

A device like a boat propeller churns the oil, and a chemical reaction takes place, turning the vegetable oil into power-producing biodiesel.

The byproduct glycerol settles to the bottom of the processor and can be separated out for other uses. ESF researchers are using it to develop biodegradable plastics. Glycerol is already used in the manufacture of soap and makeup products.

The final step is to wash the biodiesel with water to remove any impurities and to flush out any particles that would attract water and interfere with the fuel's ability to run an engine.

"Then you have fuel ready for use. You can run it in any diesel engine, or use it for home heating," Boyd said.

Seventeen percent of ESF's fleet now operates on a biodiesel mixture, including buses, trucks and bulldozers. A third of the fleet runs on some kind of alternative fuel. By contrast, throughout the rest of the 64-campus SUNY system, about 6 percent of the fleet operates on biodiesel.

Boyd, who started making biodiesel in his garage as a high school student, modified the fuel lines in his 1989 Mercedes-Benz so the car would run on biodiesel.

He participated in the 2007 Green Grand Prix Rally in Watkins Glen in July. The third annual rally was hosted by the International Motor Racing Research Center and featured hybrid- and alternative-fueled vehicles competing on a 78-mile course around Seneca Lake. The event emphasizes energy independence and includes educational activities.

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