UChicago, as of late, you've been veering away from bottled water and diverting your fair share of food waste from landfills. Green Campus Initiative (GCI) has noticed many of your wonderful efforts, and we wanted to make sure everybody else took notice as well.
Students compost their plates, cups, utensils, and leftover food at the South Asian Students Association Annual Cultural Show on Saturday, March 31.
Thus, we have worked with the Office of Sustainability and ORCSA staff to bring you a brand new Green Event Certification program! The aim of the program is simple: to raise awareness for Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) that are committed to reducing their environmental impacts, and to encourage other RSOs to do so as well.
How does certification work, you might wonder. Well, the process is simple! You perform a self-assessment of and we verify the amount of "green" actions your RSO has taken (in planning an event) by having you fill out a checklist. Each item on the checklist is worth a certain number of points, and if you accumulate 5 points, then you earn certification for your event! If your RSO has taken additional measures that are not mentioned on the checklist, you can detail those actions in a special "Innovation" section and receive points for those deeds as well.
Once you send your completed checklist to greencertification@lists.uchicago.edu, we will verify your "greening" efforts and notify you of your certification achievement. As I mentioned previously, you only need to accumulate 5 points to achieve the SAGE Certified designation. However, if you go above and beyond (by accumulating 8 or more points), your event will receive the honor of SAGE Certified Plus!
After your event is certified, we will send you a special seal that you can display on event advertising and on your RSO website. As an added bonus, we will advertise your event on the GCI listhost and your RSO's greening efforts will be recorded on the Office of Sustainability's website.
So, what are you waiting for? Fill out that checklist and start receiving the recognition you deserve!
Points towards certification can be earned by purchasing recyclable and compostable tableware (above) and composting all food waste at your event (below).
Points can also be earned by serving water in coolers, rather than offering bottled water (below).
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As we continue to make improvements to the [re**cycles** bike share program](http://sustainability.uchicago.edu/campus/recycles.shtml), we're proud to announce the opening of a new re**cycles** station at the brand-new Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, at 915 E 60th St. This station replaces the former South Campus Residence Hall/Edelstone station and is only 1.5 blocks away.
We apologize for any inconvenience resulting from the move, however we're looking forward to serving students, faculty, staff, and alumni from the entire South campus area at this new station. Come check out one of the Logan Center for the Arts' five bikes for a relaxing ride by the lake with a friend, a fun lunch break from work, or a jaunt downtown to explore Chicago's galleries!]]>
The perks of participating:
> - **Free pass to shower at Henry Crown** the week of June 9 -15. [Email Katie](mailto:kanson@uchicago.edu) if interested in shower pass.
- **Free pizza party** for the department with the highest percentage of cyclists. The department with the largest increase in participation from last year will also be recognized, as will one of the newly participating departments with the highest percentage of cyclists.
- **Bike Pit Stop on Tuesday, June 12th, from 6:30am - 9am outside Café 57** (1520 E. 57th Street)
> > - Fuel up with *free refreshments*, including fruit, breakfast bars, coffee, and ice tea.
> > - *Free bike tune-ups* from [Blackstone Bicycle Works](http://www.experimentalstation.org/blackstone-bikes).
> > - *Enter a raffle* for the chance to win a one-year Zipcar membership, UChicago bike gear, a month's supply of Clif Bars, and a free latte art class for you and your friends!
> > - Get *cycling freebies* from the Active Transportation Alliance.
> > - **We'll also take a group photo the morning of the Bike Pit Stop**--time TBD!
From the above issues, we may notice a few problems. You can't just produce power thinking it will just be used eventually. At the same time, most of our power does not come from sources you can simply switch on and off. At one extreme, nuclear power is not really turned off, ever. Coal may take approximately 8 hours to fully turn on. Many renewables can't be used all the time; it might me a cloudy day and the wind may not be blowing.
You can imagine that there is a great deal more electricity used on a summer day than on a winter night. So what do you do? You need to generate extra power for the middle of the day, known as peak demand, when people are working and AC units are on full blast.
So the solution entails much more expensive fuels. The tip of the peak demand for power is generated by burning petroleum fuels. It is a small amount of power but a disproportionally large portion of the emissions related to generating electricity. This means that we need to start thinking about when we use power. Running the washer at 1 PM or 9 PM may use the same amount of power, but the emissions associated are different.
The game was deceptively simple: armed with a large blue recycling bin (and an optional ninja headband), catch all recyclable items but nothing that can't be recycled. The fun part was actually ours - we hurled as many items as we could at participants for 30 seconds.
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That's right, The Plant looks like a big food web. Don't worry, I didn't read your mind, that's what we thought too.
The Plant has a celebrated mantra of "The only thing that leaves is food." We can add beer, fertilizer, jobs, and kombucha to that list, but you get the idea. What we see above is the manifestation of the old adage "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Spent barley from the brewery is used to feed fish; the waste from the fish is fed to plants and used to generate gas, which powers and climate controls the entire building; and so much more.
These beautifully closed loops are made possible by a few major factors.
1. **Aquaponics** By growing plants and fish together, you use up less resources. No more fertilizer purchases, the fish provide nitrates for the plants. The plants in turn clean the water by absorbing a lot of that waste, making the water habitable for the fish.
2. **Anaerobic gas digestion** An anaerobic gas digester uses microbes to turn organic materials, such as food waste, into biogas and nutrient rich sludge. The biogas is then burned to produce steam. The steam then generates electricity and heats/cools the building. The CO2 from burning the biogas can then be pumped to the plants that use it to grow faster.
3. **Incubating new sustainable businesses** This is the kicker. By incubating small sustainable businesses, it becomes possible to close the loops even further. The Plant currently features many artisanal food businesses, including a beer brewery, a bakery, a kombucha (fermented tea) brewery, and a mushroom farm. Spent grain is used to grow mushrooms, food waste from the commercial kitchen goes into the anaerobic digester, the algae and duckweed from the digester is fed to the fish, and more. When we all work together, we all win. In natural systems, there is no waste. Everything is reused and recycled by something else. Everything in a natural system is decomposed and provides sustenance for something else.
Though none of the technologies used are new, it is a rare treat to see them working together. You also don't get many chances to tour a brewery, an aquaponics system, a mushroom farm, and restaurants at the same time.
Join us on a tour of The Plant during [Earth Week](http://sustainability.uchicago.edu/news/apr2012/earthweek2012.shtml), Thursday, April 26, 2:15-4:30 PM. Co-sponsored by [Chicago Studies](http://chicagostudies.uchicago.edu/). Please send your RSVP to [itagtachian@uchicago.edu](mailto:itagtachian@uchicago.edu) by Friday, April 20. Space is limited on this tour.
You don't want to miss this.]]>
When first arriving in India for study abroad in Fall 2010, students met with the program directors to discuss living at the hotel. At this meeting, a simple question was asked: "Does the hotel recycle?" The room burst into laughter. The answer, in case any naysayers are wondering, was yes--but there was much more to the answer than that. Indians define recycling in a completely different way than we Americans do--they repurpose, recreate, reuse, and upcycle. At our hotel, cleaning fluids were kept in reused water bottles (compared to the U.S. where cleaning fluids are purchased in bottles that are used once and then disposed of) and surplus food from the restaurant was sent home with the employees at the end of the day. In a country of ten billion, where trash pickup is infrequent, reusing becomes the rule, not the exception. I think we have a lot to learn from how Indians perceive trash and how they seem to always think of ways to repurpose things Americans would easily throw away. Here are some lessons from my inner-Indian:
- Check yourself before your wreck yourself/the environment: Before you buy something, consider whether you really need it. Also, think about alternative products--instead of purchasing disposable plastic sandwich bags, invest in a reusable sandwich bag, such as a [snack taxi](http://www.snacktaxi.com/).
- Think ahead:
> - As you dash out the door in the morning, grab your reusable coffee mug. Many java shops even offer discounts to those who BYOMug Over 16 billion single-use cups are tossed in the trash each year*. The process to make this massive amount of cups wastes enough water to fill 6,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
> - Stay hydrated by bringing your reusable water bottle with you, everywhere. Not only will you decrease your carbon footprint, you'll also save a large chunk of change considering that gallon-per-gallon, bottled water is more expensive than gasoline.
> - Keep reusable bags in your purse or in your car so they travel with you. Use them if you drop by the grocery or need to transport your Tupperware.
- Think outside the box, literally: Take packaging into consideration when you purchase something and when you're unpacking something new. Keep packaging materials for use later down the line or use things you already have to package items. For gifts, invest in some [reusable bags](http://wrapsacks.com/). The website even allows you to track where these bags travel!
- Repurpose: Before you throw something away, or even recycle it, consider its possibilities! In my apartment, we have started a quirky compilation of glass jars as an addition to our drinking glass collection. I also have a couple of plastic truffle trays I use to sort my earrings. Before you chuck it, check it. There's potential in almost everything!
In the end, it's best to consider if what you're tossing in the trash really is trash. Help celebrate the Earth by taking a second to tap into your creative side before throwing something away, because it never really goes "away."
*source [here](http://www.daytonastate.edu/green/files/ChoosetoReusePresentation_1512430.pdf)
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What would campus look like if our laptops and smart phones all ran on solar power? A company called Solarmer Energy, Inc. has taken up this challenge and is currently implementing technology developed at the University of Chicago to design plastic solar cell prototypes for portable electronic devices.
Luping Yu, a professor in the Chemistry department, and Yongye Liang, a PhD student, invented the material, called PTB1. Prototypes of the product will be about eight square inches and are predicted to last for three years, operating on 8% efficiency. These cells are made of polymers that are much simpler than comparable products. While labs at other universities have created polymers that have similar efficiencies, these require more engineering and multiple devices. Thus far, the greatest efficiency reported has been 6.5%, yet Yu and Liang's technology is expected to reach 8% efficiency and require only one device.
Solarmer is utilizing this innovation to develop flexible, translucent plastic cells that transform solar energy into electricity. The company, based in Los Angeles, was founded in 2006 and aims to reduce the cost of solar energy to make it comparable to the price of fossil fuel-generated electricity. Currently, silicon-based solar cells dominate the field, however the industry will likely begin to rely on low-cost, flexible cells like Yu and Liang's innovation.
The assortment will first include lights, locks, helmets, leg bands, water bottle cages, pumps, and a patch kit. As demand increases and the line of products becomes popular, the bookstore staff will consider expanding the range of products. Currently, the line features non-emblematic items but could, in the future, include helmets or other accessories with UChicago emblems.
At the Spring Wellness Fair, scheduled to take place on Wednesday, May 15th, the bookstore will be offering a 20% discount on bike helmets when you register your bike with the UCPD. Other discounts can be seen on the bookstore's [facebook page](http://www.facebook.com/UChicagoBookstore). Erin Smith, Assistant Store Manager, hopes that this line will, "meet the needs of our biking community, and support the movement for sustainability on campus."
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Have you ever picked up a bottle of household cleaner, such as Fantastic, and tried to read through the list of ingredients? Chances are, you haven't. If you have, however, you'll know that the ingredients list is chalked full of chemicals, chemicals, and more chemicals--most of which have extremely long and rather unpronounceable names. While some feel that brand-name chemicals are the most efficacious, you can in fact make a greener choice without sacrificing quality. Cleaning supplies laden with chemicals end up in landfills and sewers--leaking into our water supply and eventually entering into our bodies, where they can act as carcinogens. When you start to plan your spring cleaning, consider turning to these simple, homemade recipes and tricks for a space filled with natural brilliance instead of strong chemicals.
- Make your own cleaning products: it's easier and cheaper than you think! An investment in a couple of essential oils can lead to an entire pantry filled with eco-friendly, effective cleaning solutions. Here's one to try for an herbal disinfectant: combine and shake well 2 cups of hot water, 10 drops of thyme essential oil, and ¼ cup washing soda. And presto--use as a spray on any germy surface to disinfect.
- Get creative: Think of ways to reuse items you'd typically throw away. Maybe take an empty store-bought soap dispenser to use for your own homemade soap or use cardboard boxes to organize items in your pantry.
- Make a resolution: If you designate a day each week for cleaning certain spaces in your apartment or dorm, you can avoid grime buildup. This way cleaning will be easier and you wont be tempted to turn to chemical-laden products to clean your space.
- Use what's around: Did you know there are [17 ways to clean with lemons](http://www.naturalhomeandgarden.com/leafy-greens/17-uses-for-lemons.aspx)? Other common household items can be equally as useful if you just think outside the chemical bottles.
For more tips, recipes, and greener cleaners, click [here](http://www.naturalhomeandgarden.com/green-living/homemade-cleaners/natural-cleaning-recipes-zmhz12mazmel.aspx).
Photo source [here](http://www.naturalhomeandgarden.com/multimedia/image-gallery.aspx?id=2147491128&seq=0
http://www.naturalhomeandgarden.com/multimedia/image-gallery.aspx?id=2147491128&seq=0
http://www.naturalhomeandgarden.com/multimedia/image-gallery.aspx?id=2147491128&seq=0). ]]>