September 16, 2008

President Gogue Signs Presidents Climate Commitment

On Tuesday, September 8, President Gogue signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) with the support of the University Senate and SGA. The ACUPCC is a nationwide movement that is working towards making campuses carbon neutral. Recognizing their responsibilities as leaders, the signatory colleges and universities will support education and research on climate change issues as well as making real-world changes that will move campuses towards carbon neutrality.

By signing the ACUPCC, Gogue commits Auburn University to working toward climate stability.

Students had approached Gogue last year and requested him to sign the PCC. On Tuesday, Brittany Branyon and Clay McInnis of the SGA Environmental Initiative Committee acted as witnesses to the signing.

To read more about the commitment, go to the ACUPCC website.

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Green Lunch Series

On August 26, Adam Snyder of Conservation Alabama kicked off this semester's Green Lunch Series with a presentation about environmental issues affecting Alabama, the work his organization does in lobbying our legislators and what we can do to help.

Snyder visited Auburn and Opelika for two days as part of a state wide mission to raise awareness about environmental issues in Alabama. While here, Snyder met with two local legislators, Rep. Mike Hubbard and Sen. Ted Little. He also spoke to the press and met with the local Sierra Club.

See the table below for our future Green Lunch speakers.

We hope to see you there.

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Louise Kreher Forest Ecology Preserve Walks

Opening hours: 8am-6pm 7 days

3100 Highway 147 North
Auburn, AL

https://fp.auburn.edu/preserve/

The Forest Ecology Preserve on North College has announced its fall schedule.

Autumn Walks

Autumn Walks, which emphasize exercise and the appreciation of seasonal beauty, will be held every Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30am. Walks begin at the pavilion and last about an hour.

Discovery Hikes

Discovery Hikes, aimed at children 6-12, will begin on September 18 and continue every Thursday for the season. Hikes begin at 3:30pm and including walking, fun and discovery. Parents are welcome.

The preserve is now open 8am-6pm seven days a week. For more information about these or other events, call Jennifer Lolley at 334-707-6512.

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Sustainability–English Composition II

It is the mission of Auburn University, like all universities, to prepare its students to succeed and excel in work and life. In successive studies, the National Commission on Writing has found that graduates tend to move ahead farther and faster in almost every field if they have good writing skills, and Auburn has long been committed to ensuring its students graduate with this advantage.

In today's world, however, as pressure grows on our natural resources, we also need to teach our students to understand sustainability and to prepare them to become advocates of sustainable practices in their fields of expertise. This fall semester, Auburn's English Department has begun a new Composition II curriculum. Each class has a general theme through which they will learn to analyze and compose effective arguments.

By fostering sustainability and writing skills together, we are preparing students to be able to argue effectively for sustainability, to evaluate sustainable solutions (e.g. Is nuclear energy clean? Is it better to buy organic or local food? ), and to detect green washing.

Last year, the English Department ran a number of these themed courses on a pilot basis, and the sustainability sections were popular among both teachers and students. Chantel Acevedo, an Assistant Professor who taught four sections of Sustainability Comp II last year said, "I found sustainability to offer a wide and diverse canvas for student writing. They could research so many different elements of sustainability, that among four different sections over two semesters, I didn't have many repeated research topics. Students responded positively to the course, and many have since said that they learned not only how to write and research, but that their perspective on the impact they make on the health of the world had changed and broadened."

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A Bright Idea--CFLs

As the fall equinox approaches, when the nights start getting longer than the days, it is a good time to ask yourself: are all my bulbs energy efficient? If the answer is “no,” then it is time to get on this little task and change from incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent lights, CFLs. You probably know all the facts, but it is worth reminding ourselves now and then.

• Residential electricity usage accounts for about 30% of national electricity usage.

• After refrigerators, AC and heating, lighting is the biggest use of electricity in houses.

• 90% of the energy used by incandescent bulbs is emitted as heat, so not only are you using more energy to get the amount of light you need, but your air conditioning system is having to work extra hard to counteract all those little furnaces around your house.

• CFLs use 75% less energy to provide the same amount of visible light as an equivalent incandescent bulb and will last 6-25 times as long.

“Yeah, but..?, “ you might ask:

Should I wait until all of my incandescent bulbs burn out?

No. Even if you change out a new incandescent bulb for a CFL you will save money and energy. A CFL can save around $12 a year, so if you wait for your old ones to burn out you'll be paying for the privilege.

How much will they cost me?

You can get a four pack of 14W (equivalent to 60W incandescent) CFLs bulbs at Home Depot for around $9. Each bulb will last 10 times as long as a 60 W incandescent and can save you $30 or more in electricity costs over the lifetime of the bulb.

What will I do with all the old incandescent bulbs?

If you hate to throw out working bulbs, you can keep them and just use them in places where you need bright light for a short period of time, such as your closet or the garden shed.

I have heard there is mercury in CFLs. Is it true and is it dangerous?

It's true, there is a tiny amount of mercury in CFLs, but it is about one hundredth of the amount that is in an old fashioned thermometer, and the good news is Home Depot is now recycling CFLs in its 1,973 stores nationwide.

Can I get CFLs to fit decorative lamps?

Yes, there is a variety of sizes and shapes available. If you don't see what you want on the shelf, ask for help.

What Watt?

CFLs use less energy than incandescent bulbs, so you won't need as high a wattage to get the same amount of light. For example, a 22 watt CFL will give the same amount of light as a 100 watt incandescent bulb. We have become used to defining bulbs by their energy up-take rather than their light output, but the CFL packaging will explain how to compare the two.

It doesn't have to be dark winter.

Information taken from DOE and EPA website.

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New Interns and Staff for Auburn University Sustainability Initiative

This fall, the AUSI gains new interns and a new member of staff. All nine interns, our largest number to date, are passionate about sustainability and adamant that their generation must take an active role in society to ensure a future for this planet. In addition to the interns, our office has also taken on a full time Communication and Outreach Coordinator, Emma Mulvaney.

Visit our interns on our main website.

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