Why higher education leadership for the environment in Virginia is important

“NWF started the Campus Ecology Program back in 1989, Mr. Lyon explained, because NWF knew higher education needs to lead the solutions to the conservation and wildlife challenges we are facing and to ensure that the graduates of today are prepared to lead the solutions of tomorrow.”

Colleges and universities, he explained, are places where people from all walks of life expect to see solutions demonstrated in practice, whether wind turbines, solar panels or electric recharge stations. Hands-on conservation and sustainability go hand-in-hand with the curriculum.

Campuses, clean economy and healthy wildlife connections in Virginia

“It is no longer business as usual for protecting wildlife, explained Lyon. We can’t simply set aside land and water, or regulate for clean air and clean water, although all of that is critical. We also have to look upstream to the impacts on wildlife and habitats- and there we can see that it is our building choices, our energy choices, our transportation choices and all of those need to be overhauled for a clean, safe, 21st Century.”

Reducing carbon pollution to zero within the lifetimes of Virginia college students today

“The challenge to society is to reduce carbon pollution to nearly zero before 2050, or within the lifetimes of most college students today,” Lyon explained. “This means that we are not talking here about being trained to recycle aluminum cans, although that is certainly a part of the solution. We are talking here about a much larger shift- educating students to scale solutions to the scope of the problem.”

“While this can be a daunting challenge,” admitted Jim, “it is the conservation fight of a lifetime.  The fact is 99% of scientists overwhelming agree human reliance on fossil fuels is destabilizing the climate. Is this the legacy we want to leave our children or even the current generations of students today?”

How Virginia colleges and other universities are leading

Jim highlighted several examples of higher education leadership in Virginia, including:

• Dabney S. Lancaster Community College’s Wind Turbine Service Technology program prepares individuals for career entry and advancement opportunities in the advanced technology applications of wind energy technologies.
• Randolph College has an organic garden & orchard, an extensive recycling center that accepts CFLs, electronics, CDs, DVDs, in addition to glass, plastic, aluminum and cardboard. Through NWF’s partner, the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), Randolph has commitment to reduce the campus’s carbon footprint through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other strategies.
• George Mason University’s (GMU) Board of Visitors, in 2007, pledged that the university would build all new construction to a higher environmental standard, specifically, LEED Silver certification level. In addition to two certified National Wildlife Habitats, GMU has purchases 10% of its annual electricity through wind powered Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), avoiding over 17 million pounds of CO2 emissions, which is like taking almost 1,500 cars off the road for a year or like powering 963 homes for a year!
• Northern Virginia Community College is committed to green building. NVCC’s newly-opened Student Services Building on the Annandale campus recently received their LEED certification award (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design); the student services building is the first LEED Certified building at NVCC. More of NVCC’s campuses will feature LEED buildings soon – Manassas, Woodbridge campuses, etc.
• Thomas Nelson Community College installed two solar panels to power the lights, ventilation and battery chargers for its motorcycle storage containers used for the campus’s motorcycle safety courses) that are located adjacent to a campus parking lot.

Virginia students gain some greener career insights

These kinds of programs help students prepare for a growing array of greener career opportunities throughout Virginia, he noted.  Drawing on labor market studies developed through the Greenforce Initiative (a partnership with Jobs for the Future and National Wildlife Federation sponsored by the Bank of America Charitable Trust at 100 community colleges in six states), Lyon highlighted some of the Virginia specific job trends of relevance to students.

For example, some of the top green jobs by category in Virginia, include pollution reduction, removal & remediation (with 3402 postings), energy efficiency (with 2148 postings), and natural resource conservation (with 1859 postings). Among the top 10 green skills in Virginia, Lyon explained, are scheduling, HVAC, and inspection, while the leading green certifications in Virginia, include professional engineers, certified safety professionals and certified energy managers.

“We’ll need solar financers, project managers and installers and an array of other renewable energy technologies in Virginia,” explained Lyon, including offshore wind. We’ll also need people skilled in climate mitigation and adaptation,  restoring habitat and protecting biodiversity for people and wildlife.”

***

Congratulations to the Class of 2013 for graduating with zero carbon debt!! Image via Microsoft Clip Art.

As an aside, I thought I was really clever and came up with the term carbon debt all on my own but then I googled it and…Oxford, the world’s most trusted dictionaries, even has a definition. Carbon debt is a thing! Just to make sure that you, Oxford and I are on the same page, carbon debt is “the imbalance between the carbon footprint of a particular country, group, person, etc., and any carbon offsetting that has been agreed or undertaken to counteract this.” In simpler terms, if you have carbon debt, you and your lifestyle choices produce more CO2 than your environment uses.

But don’t get upset! Don’t get discouraged! Carbon debt is easily relieved! You can drive less, eat local and lower on the food chain and plant some trees. And, you can invest in carbon offsets!

NWF Campus Ecology and Carbonfund.org Foundation are partnering to offer premium pricing to campuses looking to offset their carbon emissions. Click the photo to visit the NWF Carbonfund.org page.

1. Help your campus achieve carbon neutrality
2. Finance climate projects in three different categories
   1. Renewable energy and methane
   2. Energy efficiency and carbon credits
   3. Reforestation and avoided deforestation
3. Support NWF Campus Ecology programming

If carbon offsets make you feel like that vegetarian who eats bacon in secret, rest assured that all Carbonfund.org offset projects are third-party verified, certified and audited. Carbon offsets are the perfect way to account for emissions resulting from events (sports games and, ahem, graduation ceremonies) and travel, and can be a bridge between the present and your campus’s self-supplying energy future as it builds that infrastructure. Investing in Carbonfund.org’s innovative offset projects–landfill methane gas-to-energy conversion operations in the northeast, reforestation along the banks of the Mississippi River and truck stop electrification across the country– is something your campus can do while continuing to increase energy efficiency and building its own, on-site renewable energy portfolio.

So here’s an idea for that graduation check from your great-uncle Harry:  how about you invest it (or at least part of it, because let’s be real, graduating from college requires a bit of cash in the “celebration” fund) in a climate action project so you can graduate knowing that the CO2 emitted throughout your college career is being absorbed by climate-smart projects throughout the country and even the world. Better yet, pay a visit to the Commencement Committee, and ask them to look into offsetting your graduation ceremony.

If you have questions about Carbonfund.org offsets on your campus, email NWF Campus Ecology’s resident carbon offset expert, Kristy Jones at jonesk@nwf.org.

And most of all, HAPPY GRADUATION!! We wish we could sign all of your yearbooks personally with our soy ink pens, but just know that we have loved working with you! Best of all, this isn’t goodbye! Be sure to stay in touch by joining the NWF Emerging Leaders Initiative, which supports recent grads and young professionals (that’s you!) as they embark on careers in the environmental and conservation fields. The Emerging Leaders Initiative offers opportunities such as fellowships, leadership skills and professional development training, networking and more!

Keep in touch!

Love,

The NWF Campus Ecology Team

Related Reading:

• Find out more about the NWF Emerging Leaders Initiatve at www.nwf.org/emergingleaders and on facebook at facebook.com/nwfleaders
• Learn more about the NWF Campus Ecology partnership with the Carbonfund.org Foundation.
• Like NWF Campus Ecology on facebook, and follow @CampusEcology and @YouthforClimate on twitter.
• Sign up for the NWF Campus Ecology e-newsletter.

Billy Parish shared three keys to his career success in a webinar discussion with NWF Emerging Leaders. Read more in his new book, Making Good: Finding Meaning, Money and Community in a Changing World. 

If there is anyone who knows about successfully building a career of meaning, it’s Billy Parish. Within the last decade, Parish co-founded both the Energy Action Coalition (of which NWF Campus Ecology is also a co-founder and proud partner!)–the largest youth advocacy organization in the world working on climate change issues–and Solar Mosaic, a solar energy marketplace, where he currently serves as President. In 2012, Parish and co-author Dev Aujla published Making Good:  Finding Meaning, Money and Community in a Changing World, a project that’s expanded beyond a simple print publication into a multi-faceted support and empowerment system for young people looking to “build careers that make money and change the world.”

This sounds like a big task, and highly idealistic. But Parish assured us that our work, our paying work, not just our extracurricular activities, can be meaningful.

Billy Parish’s Guiding Principles to Building a Career of Meaning:

1. Follow Your Purpose:  Parish admitted that when he started with EAC, he had no training (and no money) but he had a clear purpose:  building a movement to address climate change. His focused purpose helped him stay the course and fit all the puzzle pieces together to achieve his goal.
2. Build With the Best:  As you are following your purpose, Parish encourages partnering with the best people you can find to help you accomplish your goals. While you may not be calling up Van Jones or Joel Rogers, as Parish did, he wisely suggested reaching out to the people you actually need on your team–don’t refrain from asking for help for fear of rejection. So maybe you should dial Van’s number after all! (“Hey, remember me from Power Shift ’11?! I was the one in the green hard hat!” might be a good way to start your conversation…) More realistically, think of the “Van Jones” in your life–someone with political, legal and business savvy. A corollary to building with the best includes cultivating relationships with your future co-founders:  identifying your dream co-workers, your dream job. Keep in touch and lend a hand to the people who will help you get where you want to be.
3. Go to the Root:  Parish used the metaphor of a plant to represent his goals, and warned against always hacking at the leaves rather than tackling the root–the leaves always grow back, they even multiply, and a more effective and efficient strategy is to address the root issue. For Parish this meant building a constituency willing to fight for bold legislation to grow the green energy industry (through EAC’s Power Shift conferences), and later, finding a way to finance clean energy projects (via the creation of Solar Mosaic).

So there you have it:  strong advice from a successful, driven, young, inspired (and inspiring!) entrepreneur for entering the working world while still achieving your ultimate goal of building a cleaner, greener society!

Of course, you are encouraged to read more than just this blog about Making Good — Indie Bound will help you find a local book store to visit and order the book from — the book itself offers exercises and other resources to help guide you through your meaningful career path!

Have you read Making Good, or did you attend the webinar? Are you finding meaning, money and community in this changing world? Share your thoughts, your advice and your experiences in the comments below.

Praise for Making Good from Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada, Author of Global Warming for Dummies:  “Billy Parish and Dev Aujla embarked on a remarkably ambitious book. Not content to educate and mobilize on global warming and social justice, they have written a ‘how to’ book for ethical living in a corrupt economy. It is a practical guide to ensure that ‘making a living’ does not compromise ‘having a life.’ Making Good could change the world.”

Efforts began in August 2008, when PCC’s Business Development and Entrepreneurship Center (BDEC) acquired an Appleseed Biodiesel reactor and set up the reactor on the PCC campus with the advice and assistance of a colleague from a nearby community College. Assembled from locally acquired materials, the reactor is used to produce biodiesel fuel from residual cooking oil. The biodiesel fuel can be used for a number of purposes, including fuel for vehicles or even to heat homes (fuel oil).

As lead instructor in PCC’s Biotechnology and Laboratory Technology programs, I became involved in setting up and using the reactor as well as instructing students in both the BDEC Continuing Education and the Curriculum (credit) program on the production and use of biodiesel fuel from recycled and renewable sources. The experience was enhanced greatly by collaborating with colleagues from other colleges in the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) and NCCCS BioNetwork.

BioNetwork supports the NCCCS mission of aligning world class workforce training and education to the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and life science industries. BioNetwork trains at all levels of this industry, upgrading the skills of incumbent workers, from entry level to management.

Sharing ideas with others in NCCCS and BioNetwork is a valuable partnership. Through these programs, PCC has been awarded grants to purchase analytical instrumentation to train students for these industries. Two of these pieces of equipment are the Fourier Transform lnfrared Spectrophotometry (FTIR) and Karl Fisher Titrator.

Randy Durren (rear) explains to student Sabrina Cardwell (front) how to set up the FTIR program for testing biodiesel

The Karl Fisher Titrator is a very specialized piece of analytical equipment that is important in the production of biodiesel fuels. This instrument is used to test for the presence and amount of water found in a substance.

As a member of the Environmental Sector of the North Carolina Curriculum Improvement Project (CIP), I learned about the Greenforce Initiative. This offering is a collaboration of Jobs for the Future and National Wildlife Federation where funding for the grants is provided by The Bank of America Charitable Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Through the Greenforce Initiative grant, I received funding for training and travel to attend a training session on using the FTIR and the Karl Fisher Titrator for biofuels applications.

As a result, 16 Biotechnology and Laboratory Technology associate degree students at PCC have received training in this technology. PCC also has offered training to the community, including an upcoming training in October 2012 to be offered through PCC’s BDEC to serve local residents. During this session, I will provide additional information on fermentation of bioethanol as a fuel source, along with the biodiesel, to increase the scope of class content. PCC provides these public offerings as an ongoing community service.

Georgette Ambruso, a PCC student who participated in the training, was complimentary of the opportunity to be trained. “As a student in the Laboratory/Biotechnology program at PCC, I was able to take part in some very special training this semester,” she said.  “Sally Banks from

Denzel Williams (left), Randy Durren (center) and Bryant Lofton (right) observe the results from using the Karl Fisher Titration to test biodiesel fuel for the presence of water

PCC plans to increase rural education and training opportunities related to production of biodiesel and ethanol. Now that I have learned to use both the FTIR and Karl Fisher titrator to test biofuels for content and purity, PCC will offer a “confirmation of purity” source with the assistance of the BDEC, the Continuing Education, and the curriculum (credit) instructional programs. We also plan to continue establishing partnerships and collaborations for the promotion and usage of sustainability, “green” technologies and biofuels from renewable sources. This will contribute to the process of creating new employment opportunities in the area.

*******

As a member of the North Carolina Community College System, Piedmont Community College serves Caswell and Person counties. Its main campus is located in Roxboro, NC, and its branch campus is located in Yanceyville, NC. Randy Durren is the lead instructor in the College’s Biotechnology and Laboratory Technology programs. He was honored to be named the 2011 Biotechnology Instructor of the Year for NCCCS BioNetwork. For more information, visit the College’s website at www.piedmontcc.edu

A student at St Clair County Community College scans a QR code with her smartphone to learn more about a campus green feature. Image credit St Clair County Community College.

Campus sustainability (read:  campus efficiency projects) today is frequently driven by facilities departments, who see the cost savings from use of long-lasting CFL bulbs or double-paned windows, but, Newport and Antle say, economic benefits can’t be the main force behind sustainability. Eventually we’re going to have to figure out how to tap into the “moral imperative,” based on the concept that everything is part of the puzzle.

Climate change is, obviously, not an easy concept to grapple with for students and the general public alike, and in the face of increasing extreme weather and political inaction on mitigation and adaptation, it’s easy to feel like this problem is too big to solve. But, Newport and Antle agree, this is where colleges and universities, especially community colleges, come into play, bringing together stakeholders and making immediate and positive impacts on the local level. Campus sustainability efforts provide a rare opportunity for relatively instant gratification in the realm of action to address causes and effects of climate change; colleges and universities are generally willing and able to move much more quickly to cut carbon emissions, operate more efficiently and transition to clean energy, than, for instance, the government.

Newport argues, however, that with all the good they are doing, institutions of higher education can operate with even greater transparency, and with greater self-awareness of their environmental impact. Somewhat surprisingly, Newport suggests multinational corporations as models. The general market trend has been toward increased, consumer-demanded corporate social responsibility–better labeling, workers’ rights, agricultural practices, etc. Newport touched briefly on the current student-driven movement to divest from fossil fuels (which now includes cities, churches, 210+ campuses and at least one or two senators) as a good start. I’ll add that the 665 signatories of the Presidents’ Climate Commitment, which requires emissions inventories and a solid plan for achieving carbon neutrality are not too shabby in the transparency department either.

So to address the title of the webinar, the future of campus sustainability will be well-integrated, all-inclusive and very transparent. Students, faculty, staff and administrators will all be part of not only the discussion but also helping to create the solutions for living lightly on a strained planet.

What do you think the future holds for sustainability on your campus? Solar-powered hovercraft? 100% self-sufficiency for energy, and something close to that for food? What are you doing to propel your campus toward Sustainability 2.o? Leave a comment and let us know!

Related Reading:

• Climate Literacy in a Time of Climate Silence, previous post by yours truly
• Campus Environment 2008:  A National Report Card on Sustainability in Higher Education, NWF Campus Ecology resource
• Campus Sustainability Case Study Database, a 23-year collection of reports on green projects at colleges and universities across the world (search “environmental education” to find out how students are engaging peers in sustainability, as referenced above) 

Like Campus Ecology on facebook and follow @CampusEcology and @YouthforClimate on twitter

New Report: Midwest Auto and Manufacturing Revival Takes Region Beyond “Drill Baby Drill”, Anchors Job Growth, Innovation Nationwide

October 19 - As voters contemplate who will occupy the White House and Congress in the years ahead, the Center for the Next Generation and the Center for American Progress released “Regional Energy, National Solutions,” a new report that argues that the United States needs a real strategy to achieve lasting energy and economic security – one that builds on the powerful assets of each region of the country and invests in multiple forms of energy and fuel.

“In the Midwest, American workers and the automotive industry are proving every day that America has what it takes to rebuild our economy, lead globally, and combat climate change at the same time,” said Zoe Lipman, Senior Manager New Energy Solutions, at the National Wildlife Federation, who authored the Midwest chapter of the Report.

New Report: Southeast Leadership In Next Generation Electricity Powers Region Beyond “Drill Baby Drill”, Spurs Jobs, Businesses, Innovation

October 19 - As voters contemplate who will occupy the White House and Congress in the years ahead, the Center for the Next Generation and the Center for American Progress released “Regional Energy, National Solutions,” a new report that argues that the United States needs a real strategy to achieve lasting energy and economic security – one that builds on the powerful assets of each region of the country and invests in multiple forms of energy and fuel.

“Jobs being built across the Southeast today show that America has what it takes to meet the challenge of climate change, thrive in a resource-constrained global economy, and create lasting economic growth at home,” said Zoe Lipman, Senior Manager New Energy Solutions at the National Wildlife Federation, who authored the Southeast chapter of the report.

New Report Details Major Pipeline Threat to Great Lakes

October 18 – Today the National Wildlife Federation released a report warning of a pipeline hazard located beneath the Straits of Mackinac. Submerged in the waters, where  Lakes Michigan and Huron meet, more than 20 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas fluids are pumped every day through aging pipelines operated by Enbridge Energy—the Canadian company responsible for the worst inland oil disaster in U.S. history. The report comes as Enbridge faces increasing scrutiny for safety lapses both in the U.S. and Canada.

Sunken Hazard: Aging oil pipelines beneath the Straits of Mackinac, an ever-present threat to the Great Lakes, documents how an oil spill from the pipeline—commonly referred to as Line 5—would have devastating consequences for people, fish and wildlife and the economy.

Fair, Robust Resolution Needed for Gulf Oil Disaster

October 18 - To avoid a trial for the Gulf oil disaster, recent reports suggest BP has offered amounts ranging from $16 to $18 billion—an inadequate amount that is less than half of the total liability to repair what is the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history.

“BP should not be let off the hook with a low settlement and allowed to shortchange the Gulf,” said John Kostyack, vice president of wildlife conservation at the National Wildlife Federation. “A low settlement leaves the Gulf of Mexico more vulnerable to further deterioration from natural and manmade disasters, as well as demonstrates to polluters that they will not be held fully accountable.”

The Clean Water Act Turns 40

October 17 – Forty years ago, in a show of bipartisan support, Congress passed the Clean Water Act of 1972. Hunters and anglers have supported strong Clean Water Act protections, understanding that clean water and healthy wetlands and streams are essential to healthy fish and wildlife. This year, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act and the historic results this keystone legislation has achieved: healthier water to drink; cleaner streams, rivers, and lakes in which to swim, fish, and play; and dramatically lower rates of natural wetland loss.

NRPA and National Wildlife Federation Join Forces on Goal to Connect 10 Million More Kids to Nature

October 16 - The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) has joined with National Wildlife Federation (NWF) in its unprecedented goal to get 10 million more kids to spend more time outdoors over the next three years. Working together, NRPA and NWF will combat the growing trend of “indoor childhood” and lack of “green time” among our nation’s youth. This partnership was announced today at the NRPA Annual Congress and Exposition. Public park and recreation departments in communities across the country will play a major role in accomplishing this vital goal.

Research shows children are spending long hours indoors using electronic media yet they spend only mere minutes a day in unstructured outdoor play. This is affecting the health and well-being of children and is quickly causing a generation of kids who are becoming less healthy and who are disconnected from the natural world around them.

The Greenforce Initiative Links Employers and Community Colleges to Meet Growing Need for Sustainability Skills

October 15 - The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and Jobs for the Future (JFF) have launched a new phase of the Greenforce Initiative, a multi-year effort to help community colleges expand economic opportunity as the United States moves toward a more environmentally sustainable economy.

Through a two-year, $500,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, NWF and JFF are building networks of employers and community college leaders to collaborate on helping students develop job-ready skills through better sustainability and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) training, which also helps address the skills gaps that exist in these employment fields.

And here are highlights from NWF in the News:

• How many green roofs does your school have?  (2 points, plus 1 bonus point if you can name the buildings)
• Do the toilets in your student center use grey water?  (1 point)
• Does your dining hall compost food scraps?  (3 points)
• Are there Certified Wildlife Habitats in your community?  (2 points)
• What about solar hot water?  (1 point)
• Solar hot pockets?  (350 calories)

A green roof at Germanna Community College in Virginia. Green roofs are just one of the many features highlighted by Sustainability Walking Tours. Flickr photo by Germanna CC.

Awareness of  renewable energy projects at the St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron, Mich. just increased. The project was sparked by an Innovation grant from the Greenforce Initiative, a partnership of Jobs for the Future and the National Wildlife Federation created to strengthen the capacity of community colleges to green the skills of our modern workforce. Five faculty and staff designed a sign to highlight the various renewable energy and green architecture features found around their 25-acre campus. The sign is the keystone in the grand arch of the college’s upcoming Sustainability Walking Tour, and will be a stop on all future campus tours. More than just a basic informational plaque, a scan-able “quick-response” (QR) code on the sign directs Smartphone users to a webpage where they can access up-to-the minute data on energy usage or the temperatures of the campus’s solar hot air and water systems. From this site, visitors can also find a map with additional information on fifteen green projects, a perfect activity for an afternoon study break! Just be sure not to look at your phone while walking.

Portland State University (PSU) in Portland, Oregon, offers an online guide to their Sustainability Walking Tour, which details fourteen sustainability measures the institution has taken across the board—large and small scale efforts to increase efficiency and decrease PSU’s overall impact on the environment. Unique features across the 50 acres include an electric vehicle charging station (pay for parking but the electricity is free!), electricity-producing exercise bicycles, and a student-run café with local, organic, vegan and vegetarian foods. The ReUse room is a twist on a community swap shop with school and office supplies, and it’s totally free!

Whether it’s your first fall on campus or your fourth, get out and explore in a new way! Download a map, put on your walking shoes, grab a friend and find the hidden and hidden-in-plain-sight places that make your school sustainable.

What’s your favorite campus sustainability feature?  Is it common knowledge, or a hidden gem?

Check out other on-campus environmental education and outreach projects here.

Credit: NIOSH

NIOSH efforts on ensuring a safe environment for green workers 

Making Green Jobs Safe Workshop and Summary (NIOSH)

Making Green Jobs Safe, article in the Journal of Industrial Health

The Greenforce Initiative, a partnership of Jobs for the Future and National Wildlife Federation

NWF Campus Ecology’s best practices in green workforce training (choose “green workforce development” in the topic search in the case study database)

The mission of NIOSH is to generate new knowledge in the field of occupational safety and health and to transfer that knowledge into practice for the betterment of workers.

The mission of the Greenforce Initiative is to advance green career pathways in six regions of the U.S. (IL, MI, NC, TX, VA, WA) and connect campus sustainability efforts to hands-on training for students.

Abonmarche Blog, February 28, 2012, Jeff Saylor

Shipping containers as Housing

Earlier this month, I gave a lecture at the Krasl Art Center (Krasl) in St. Joseph on the rehabilitation of shipping containers, primarily for housing purposes.  This event was part of the Creativity and Sustainability Lecture Series provided on a monthly basis by the Krasl.  Locally based Lake Michigan College is currently undertaking an initiative to determine a sustainable use for shipping container in the community, an initiative funded by a Greenforce Initiative Mini Grant.

Recycled shipping (or freight) containers bring efficiency and innovation to green building practices.  Shipping containers are water tight, stackable and incredibly strong: ISO standards require the roof to be able to withstand 300

Abonmarche Blog, February 28, 2012, Jeff Saylor

pounds per square foot and each corner of a container is able to take a vertical weight of 150,000 pounds.  These steel boxes are between 8.5-9.5 feet tall, 8 feet wide and between 20 and 40 feet in length.  They are made of corten steel and therefore rust-proof and, in many ways, an engineering marvel.

ISO standards limit the number of shipping cycles for which these containers may be used and recycling them is exceedingly cost prohibitive – melting one down requires 8,000 kilowatt hours of energy.  There are approximately 1,000,000 surplus containers worldwide at any given time and since the United States imports more material than we export, we have a surplus of shipping containers that are no longer eligible for use in shipping cycles.  Shipping containers have been creatively employed through a variety of ways to assist in providing creative housing solutions across the globe.  Shipping containers provide structure and a strong roof, though to make them

Abonmarche Blog, February 28, 2012, Jeff Saylor

NASA Project Team

Twenty-five participants attended the Institute last week, including 9 faculty from our three community college partners, three NASA staff, other project team members from the University of Toledo, Columbia University and Moraine Valley Community College, and JFF and NWF staff.

Reviewing NASA Resources with Amanda Staudt, NWF Climate Scientist

Over the next two years of this project new course curriculum and best practices will be shared on the partner campuses, campuses in the region, as well as colleges and universities in the NWF and JFF networks.

NWF’s EcoSchools program received a similar grant from NASA to develop curriculum for the K-12 audience in 2009. Resources developed through this program are being referenced for the community college project.