Second Nature Blog Newsletter

By Ashka Naik, Director of Capacity Building, Second Nature
(This article appears in the January, 2011 issue of The ACUPCC Implementer)

Two years ago Second Nature undertook an extensive research project to understand the needs and challenges faced by the U.S. higher education institutions that were disenfranchised from the mainstream “Green Building” movement for a myriad of reasons.  This inquiry, funded by the The Kresge Foundation, offered an in-depth look into the unique demographic, physical and economic as well as knowledge-based hurdles confronted by these institutions while pursuing sustainable building practices on their campuses.

By Vanessa Santos, Advancing Green Building Intern, Second Nature

When the economy takes a turn for the worse, all organizations, especially those within the education sector, suffer. However, under-resourced and minority-serving colleges and universities are stepping up to prove that ambition, useful information and timely opportunities can overcome the financial concerns that are often associated with pursuing a sustainability agenda on campus.

Second Nature’s Kresge Fellowship Program – as part of its Advancing Green Building Initiative –awarded 40 fellowships total in 2009 and 2010 to senior-level executives at under-resourced colleges and universities. With these fellowships, the 40 executives attended a green building conference where they were able to network with each other and professionals in their field as well as to learn more about sustainability and green building on college and university campuses.

Second Nature's Ashka Naik with the 2010 Kresge Fellows at this year's AASHE Summit

By Sargon deJesus, Science Writer and Analyst,Anthony Amato, Senior Climate and Energy Analyst, and Robyn Liska, Climate and Energy Analyst, Eastern Research Group

(This article appears in the October, 2010 issue of The ACUPCC Implementer)

When signatories take the first step of self-discovery by starting to craft a Climate Action Plan (CAP), many discover that the journey is more of a grueling uphill climb. Every school faces challenges that set back their climate action planning – entrenched operations, cost, lack of community buy-in, constraints on staff time. What can your school do to avoid these obstacles? To help answer this, a new report byEastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG) details important best practices in creating a CAP by analyzing completed reports and speaking with schools directly. Through the support of EPA, the recently released study “Climate Action Planning: A Review of Best Practices, Key Elements, and Common Climate Strategies ” identifies helpful approaches that any signatory can start using for their first CAP or future update.

What is the best way to structure my CAP development process? Who should be involved in making decisions? How do I present or share information with key people? What do I include in the CAP? What metrics do I use to track my school’s progress? The report surveyed 50 completed CAPs and conducted two dozen interviews with school representatives about their unique experiences to answer critical questions such as those.

By Anthony Cortese, President, Second Nature and Andrea Putman, Director of Corporate Partnerships, Second Nature
(This article appears in the August, 2010 issue of The ACUPCC Implementer)

The ACUPCC represents a courageous and unprecedented form of leadership by higher education to lead society to a climate neutral and environmentally sustainable state in order to meet the individual, social and economic needs of all humans in the present and in the future.  Signatory schools have committed to be a model for climate neutrality and sustainability and ensure that their graduates will have the knowledge and skills to help all of society do the same.

One of the most exciting developments of this focus by higher education institutions has been the cultural shift that is taking place on many campuses.  Presidents and other campus leaders have recognized that achieving these goals requires the focus, involvement and collaboration of all parts of the institution - administrators, faculty, staff, students and trustees – in deep and synergistic ways.  They have told Second Nature and others that the Commitment has accelerated efforts to integrate academic, research, operational and community outreach actions into a holistic approach to sustainability and that it has done more to build a vibrant community and a sense of shared purpose across the institutions than any other initiative in recent memory.  Collectively, the ACUPCC network has become an important learning community and is helping to encourage all of higher education to make this commitment.

by Jennifer Andrews, Director of Program Planning and Coordination, Clean Air-Cool Planet®

(This article appears in the April, 2010 issue of The ACUPCC Implementer)

You want to reduce the carbon footprint of campus dining—but first you need to have a better understanding of what that impact is, and what is driving it.  What’s worse: the ever-present macaroni and cheese, or the even-more-ubiquitous pizza?  Users of Clean Air-Cool Planet’s Campus Carbon Calculator™ have always known that “you have to measure to manage;” and since it’s potentially expensive, inconvenient, controversial, or even downright impractical to adopt every “green” option you can think of for food purchase, food service and waste management, it’s important to have solid information at hand to help your campus prioritize and make best use of its resources.

From presentation by Leana Houser Pitkevits at AASHE2008

To meet this need, CA-CP is getting ready to release its highly-anticipated new CHEFS tool.  The Charting Emissions from Food Services (CHEFS) calculator is different from the Campus Carbon Calculator™ in that it adopts a life-cycle rather than a strictly entity- level carbon accounting approach—but it is similar in that it aims to provide a standardized, quantitative tool for decision-makers working to find the most effective ways to lower campus carbon emissions.

Tomorrow, April 1st, Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University and Co-Chair of the ACUPCC Steering Committee, will moderate a forum (with free webcast), addressing the question: Is Energy Independence Possible in Our Lifetime?

The panelists include:

• Arum Majumdar, Director, Advanced Research Projects, US Department of Energy
• James E. Rogers, Chairman, President, and CEO, Duke Energy
• Sunil Paul, Founder, Gigaton Throwdown Project
• John A. “Skip” Laitner, Director of Economic and Social Analysis, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
• Lisa Marginello, Director, Energy Policy Initiative, New America Foundation
• Gary Dirks, Director, Arizona State LightWorks, Former President BP Asia-Pacific and BP China

“The promise of abundant, clean, renewable energy is now facing the reality of markets, technology limitations, and a disjointed policy environment. Can we scale existing or near term technologies to meet even a small fraction of our domestic electrical and liquid fuel needs? What are the revolutionary ideas on the horizon that have a chance of turning the hype into reality? Come hear a group of industry, research, and policy experts discuss the important topic.”

The live webcast can be viewed for free at:http://www.newenergynow.com/forum/

The event is sponsored by Arizona State University and the New America Foundation.

by Gina Coplon-Newfield, Director of Communications and Rima Mulla, Communications Associate, Second Nature

The much-anticipated Division I College Basketball Tournament is right around the corner, and we expect a high percentage of the schools competing in the men’s and women’s division I games to be ACUPCC signatories. If you and others from your school send in enough great photos, videos, and stories about sustainability and athletics on your campus, your school just might win the Green Bracket Competition. The Second Nature team will be posting the best images and stories online in the effort to generate some friendly competition and publicity for green schools as well as highlight progress on the greening of athletics programs.

The competition runs now through April 7.  You do not have to be affiliated with a school that’s in the Division I college basketball tournament or that is part of the ACUPCC to participate. And submissions can pertain to basketball or any other college sport or athletics program that incorporate sustainability. For more on the game rules, click here.

Submissions and questions go to greenbrackets@secondnature.org.  Seewww.greenbrackets.com for more information.

Good luck, and may the most enthusiastic green team win!

by Ulli Klein, Operations Manager and Executive Assistant, Second Nature

After successfully stuffing all of my home trash into one popcorn bag last week, I decided that that is a worthy repeat goal. Maybe even less trash.

This morning I was asked to join friends for brunch. Instead I decided to make my own breakfast. That's what I do anyway, as I find brunch a waste on me. I always eat the typical breakfast food anyway, but it actually felt good to tell them why I will not join them.

Later today, when and if the rain ever stops, I will walk to my local store to get a few things.  I was nifty yesterday and went to a local East Boston bakery called Spinelli's. I had to dodge a few "family members" (no joke) on my way, but I bought a fairly large bag of home-made whole wheat pasta. That should last the entire week for possible lunch/dinner options.

My goal this week is to keep my entire grocery budget under $50. This will include going to the Farmer's Market at Government Center which is at least a $20 trip because I am stocking up on bread for winter time.

As I am typing this, I realize that I am pretty confident I can go to the store today and not spend more than $25 for groceries this week......

...this may require me to do something I rarely do and don't particularly enjoy: turning on the stove and planning my meals. No quick Kashi or Lean Cuisine frozen dinners this week. Zip. Zero. I will, um, finally do some cooking.