November, 2010

Speaker: Dr. Conner Bailey

Wed, Nov 17th

Noon – 1:00 pm

Student Center, Rm 2222

Once a month the Office of Sustainability hosts a Green Lunch Seminar. The talk is free and open to everyone. Office of Sustainability keeps previously recorded webcasts on our site here. For additional information see our Green Lunch series.

The College Sustainability Report Card, released last week, gave Auburn a "B-", an improvement from last year. We are proud to have received “A” in administration, student involvement, and investment priorities, and a “B” in transportation, food and recycling.

The report card, a publication of the Sustainable Endowment Institute is a tool to publicize sustainability activities on college and university campuses. While we can be proud of our progress, there is still much to be done to move toward a sustainable campus and community. The Office of Sustainability is always looking for partners and volunteers. Contact us and be part of the solution.

To see the complete report for yourself, follow this link.

This Fall semester the Housing and Resident Life office started using a computer program that allows them to reduce the number of printed internal reports and evaluations. This program will save them from printing at least 5480 sheets of paper this year alone. In addition, they have noted an incredible side benefit from eliminating the time and energy it took to hand deliver across campus and file each slip of paper, and to sort through and forward numerous emails. Other benefits of the new software include efficiency at tracking and searching documents, and quicker communications.

Housing and Resident Life was fortunate in that they had multiple computer programs tailored to their specific needs from which to choose. But any office can begin with low cost steps to reduce paper use.

You can make a difference too! Encourage your peers and office to reduce their paper use as well! If you are interested in ways to make your office more efficient, please feel free to contact the Office of Sustainability.

Three classes of energetic children ages 4 through 8 learned about issues related to sustainability in the summer enrichment program, offered by the Early Childhood Program in the Curriculum and Teaching Department this past summer. This child-centered and child-driven program challenged the teachers to assess the interests of the students, and then develop activities to teach them about the environment. The advantage of using this constructivist approach in teaching sustainability related issues is that it capitalizes on the actual interests of the group. Teachers used multiple resources to find scientific facts and program ideas which fell within the various realms of knowledge, such as math, science, literacy, logic, and language.

Due to the multitude of disciplines through which sustainability issues can be taught, the options for integrating sustainability into curriculum seem endless. Perhaps the most valuable lesson learned is: sustainability can, and should be, taught everywhere!

For more information on how to integrate sustainability into your classes or projects, please email the Office of Sustainability. If you would like any information on the Summer Enrichment Program you can email brabhed@auburn.edu Edna Brabham.

Auburn University Office of Sustainability Facebook Page

Auburn University Office of Sustainability Twitter Page

FILM: "Burning in the Sun"

Tues, Nov 16th

6:00 pm

Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Arts

The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art on Auburn University campus is hosting the Southern Circuit of Independent Filmmakers again this year. One great aspect of this series is that the filmmakers come to the screenings. The Office of Sustainability is co-sponsoring the November film, Burning in the Sun, a documentary about a young man who returns to Mali to start a solar panel business.

Check out the film's website for further information.

Starts: 9:00 am

Wed, Nov 10th

Ends: Noon

Thurs, Nov 11th

Cater Lawn

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a refugee camp? Where would you get your water, food and shelter? Come and see how nearly 42 million people from around the world live, sometimes for years at a time, due to war, famine or natural disasters.

The Committee of 19 will be sponsoring a "Refugee Camp Simulation", a first of its kind event on our campus, as a way to draw attention to the emergency relief work done by the World Food Programme. Within days of a crisis, WFP arrives to supply emergency food and other services.

The Auburn simulation will be replicating conditions by serving rations and having participants sleep in tents, among other things. Participants will not only hear experiences from individuals who are familiar with these camps, they will also be sharing in these stories by being assigned roles and relevant tasks.

You are invited to join them for a tour of the camp and hear their stories. Come learn more about the causes behind displacement camps, the daily life of refugees, and how you can make a difference.

The University recently installed two water filtering stations in the Student Center. They are located, on the first and second floors near existing water fountains on the north side (entrance facing Haley Center). It is a great source of chilled, filtered, and tasty water. It's been less than two months since installation, and already 8399 water bottles downstairs and 3823 upstairs have been filled! Most folks know that when you buy bottled water you are paying a lot of money for basically filtered tap water with a fancy label. But did you also know that the production, use, and disposal of plastic water bottles has environmental and health impacts? Please think ahead and carry a refillable water bottle with you!

If you would like to share input on these hydration stations, please email Kirby Turnage.

For further information on plastic water bottles check out the Myth Busting section of our webesite.

Rock Out and Recycle Tour

Featuring: Astrum Lux Lucis

Opener: "Green Rapper" Jeffrey Davis

Thurs, Nov 11th

7:30 pm

Location: Gnu's Room

Check below to find out more about Astrum Lux Lucis or the Gnus Room.

Local and Regional Water Issues Program

Presented by Charlene LeBleu and Bill Deutsch.

Mon, Nov 15th

7:00 pm

Health Resources Center, Opelika

For questions or directions email Amy Wright.

FilterForGood Eco-Challenge by Brita

Closes: Nov 19th

For more information go to www.filterforgood.com/ecochallenge/ .

Tree Campus Photo Contest

Deadline: Nov 25th

For more information visit http://www.arbordaynow.org/photocontest/ .

Fall 2011 EPA Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowships for Undergraduate Environmental Study

Closes: Dec 9th

For more information visit http://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2011/2011_gro_undergrad.html .

8th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet

Closes: Dec 22nd

For more information visit http://www.epa.gov/ncer/P3 .

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