Chill Out is next Wednesday, April 16 at 7pm Eastern. Sign up today to host this free webcast on your campus!

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968

There are few speeches that people remember. Most of us know at least the first few lines from the Gettysburg Address, or FDR’s ‘a date which will live in infamy’ response to the attacks on Pearl Harbor. And who hasn’t heard a politician quote from JFK’s inaugural ‘ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country’ speech? But no speech is more powerful or symbolic of a movement than the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘I Have a Dream.’

On this fortieth anniversary of King’s assassination, I feel that it is important for all of us to stop and take a minute to appreciate all the amazing strides the civil rights movement made in the 60s. Dr. King and other civil rights leaders laid the groundwork for the social justice movements going on today. As we continue to strive for equality and we work to improve our environment, take some time to remember how far we have come and be inspired by the changes we have already made.

Get involved today! Everyone can make a difference. Sign up for the next NWF teleconference ‘Engaging Students in Climate Sustainability – A Campus Affair’ or become our friend on Facebook. Talk to you campus administrators or president and find out what your school is already doing on campus. Start your own campus group. Its students from all over the world that are standing up and making a difference. We cannot wait for a change – the time is now to make your voice heard! Power Shift is just the beginning!!

Growing up, my parents taught my sisters and me the importance of recycling. Coffee grounds and egg shells were always set aside for the compost pile, and in the summer dinner included tomatoes, rhubarb, or zucchini from our garden. Our family vacations were often taken in state or national parks and we always slept in tents. My parents not only understood the beauty of nature but they passed their love of the outdoors on to their children.

And recently, my parents did something huge to help fight global warming. They just bought a Toyota Prius and they are not alone – the typical Prius driver is over 50! Hybrids like the Prius use a duel combustion/electric engine, which means the vehicle can shut down the combustion engine that needs gasoline to run at low speeds or when the car is idling. The Prius is the most fuel efficient vehicle sold in the US, getting on average over 46 mpg.

Not everyone can afford to buy a hybrid car. But we can all put pressure on the auto industry to raise fuel efficiency standards. And there are many other ways we can individually reduce our impact on the world. NWF’s Campus Ecology members are constantly embracing new technologies to aid in the fight. From BallStateUniversity’s tireless efforts to bring bio-fueled hybrid buses to campus, to 2006 Campus Ecology Fellow Scot Miller’s online interactive guide to all of the environmentally friendly companies on and around Harvard, students today are making a difference. All of us can impact the world around us. For ideas on what you can do, check out our website and get involved today!

Chill Out is looking for the best, most innovative campus-based projects in clean energy, energy efficiency, transportation, habitat restoration, waste reduction and more.

Enter Chill Out by November 30 and you’ll have a chance to win grant money, prizes and national publicity. All you need to do is send your 500-word essay or three-minute video describing your campus’ efforts to Chill Out by November 30. Winning campuses will also be featured in a national broadcast viewed by thousands of students, faculty, and staff on April 16, 2008.

Colleges and universities are leading the fight against global warming. Are you? Let the world know what you’re doing to reduce carbon emissions and protect the future by entering Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming.

Job Duties

• helping NWF deliver state-of-the-art news and information for campus decision-makers on reducing the carbon footprint by producing a semi-monthly e-newsletter focused on climate stewardship geared to higher education audiences;
• leading web-based earned media and related promotional efforts;
• coordinating the production of web-based courses and guides.

Qualifications:

• College graduate with demonstrated interest in environment practical solutions to global warming, especially in a campus setting.
• Two-years minimum experience in journalism
• Research and writing skills

NWF is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity. Please apply online at http://www.nwf.org/careergateway. ]]> http://blog.nwf.org/2007/09/we-are-hiring/feed/ 0 http://blog.nwf.org/2007/09/chill-out-is-back/ http://blog.nwf.org/2007/09/chill-out-is-back/#comments Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:13:39 +0000 Kristin Kranendonk http://blog.nwf.org/campusecology/2007/09/05/chill-out-is-back/ Read more >]]> Are you tackling global warming on campus?  Then you need to Chill Out!

National Wildlife Federation’s Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming competition is back and its bigger than ever!  Win prizes and get noticed with the nation’s only annual global warming solutions contest.

Today the National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology program will broadcast a global warming program to more than 180 college and university campuses around the United States and Canada. Winners from NWF’s Chill Out contest will be showcased during the broadcast.

Winning campuses include:

Cal State University Chico – is this year’s Grand Prize winner for the most effective and comprehensive approach – involving new technologies, buildings, student education and more.

Monmouth University - for the largest solar installation east of the Mississippi – the panels spread over four campus roof tops and save $150,000 per year reducing CO2 emissions by 1 million pounds/year.

Mount Wachusett Community College – its new biomass hydronic heating system cut campus green house gas emissions by 24% and saved $2 million.

Richard Stockton College – new closed-loop geothermal heating and cooling system lowers natural gas consumption by 70% and saves $330,000 per year.

Univ. California Santa Barbara - a group masters thesis project ultimately led to a 1.6 million pound reduction of campus CO2 emissions yearly.

Oregon Institute of Technology – the campus is entirely heated by geothermal and the staff provides technical assistance on geothermal energy to every state in the Union as well as over 50 other countries.

Oberlin - students help create a real time automated monitoring system on energy and water use in all the campus dormitories.

The Lawrenceville School – this high school has helped turn the Green Cup Challenge, an inter-scholastic energy competition, into a contest between 15 Northeastern boarding schools.

Former Vice President Al Gore will also help launch the program with a broadcast message.

Wednesday, April 18th – 3:00-4:30 p.m. (EDT)

Tune in live at http://www.fc-tv.com/clients/nwf/portal.asp

Chill Out is sponsored in partnership with Earth Day Network and the Society for College and University Planning.

Each school being honored during this unique program is the winner of the National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Chill Out competition which was designed to identify what institutions of higher learning are doing to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions, the number one culprit of global warming.

The winning schools, selected from over 100 entries, are implementing projects that make a significant difference: covering roof space with solar panels to generate electricity; meeting all campus heating requirements and saving a million dollars annually with geothermal energy; using real-time energy monitoring systems to help students and staff track and reduce energy waste.

The webcast, the first of its kind, is being shown on over 165 college campuses throughout North America and will include video highlights of each winning school’s global warming project, and a live panel discussion with representatives from the winning schools, climate scientists and conservation professionals.

Wednesday, April 18th — 3:00-4:30 p.m. (EDT)

Tune in live at http://www.fc-tv.com/clients/nwf/portal.asp

Chill Out is sponsored in partnership with Earth Day Network and the Society for College and University Planning.

* If you have a creative idea about how to motivate students on campus but lack the funds to get your idea off the ground – NWF Fellowships provide up to $3,000!

* If your student group wants to expand a solar project on campus, a NWF Fellowship is exactly what you are looking for!

We want enthusiastic, motivated students ready to step up and actual do something about global warming! Fellows receive training, project support, recognition for their accomplishments, and other perks. Fellows also participate in NWF’s Annual Meeting (with expenses paid for by NWF), which will be held in Washington DC this year and is a great opportunity to network and meet key environmental leaders. Apply today to really make a difference on your campus! Go to www.nwf.org/campusecology for more details!