Office of Sustainability // Office of Sustainability

Give Before You Go

2013-05-02T22:00:00-04:00

With finals and move-out day looming, the Old2Gold collection sites popping up across campus are a welcome sight for students whose dorm rooms are looking more crowded than they did in August. The University’s year-end campus yard sale has been a highly successful venue for donating gently used items since 2005.

“It takes strong teamwork across many different departments to make Old2Gold a success,” said Sarah Misener, Associate Vice President for Campus Services. “It’s a collaborative effort that includes Recycling, Sustainability, Building Services, and Residence Hall Staff, as well as volunteers from over 40 local charities.”

Old2Gold has a two-fold mission: in addition to diverting materials from landfills, the program supports charitable organizations in the area. One hundred percent of the proceeds from each Old2Gold sale are split amongst the volunteer organizations that assist in coordinating and conducting the event. The annual sale is attended by over 3,000 community members.

“Nearly 600 tons of items have been donated to Old2Gold over the past eight years, making it one of the most important waste reduction initiatives on campus,” said Ian Hogan, Manager of Recycling, Solid Waste, and Special Projects. “Having resold nearly three thousand bikes, countless refrigerators and televisions, and an unimaginable amount clothing, this program truly demonstrates that ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’.”

Wood pickups, for those residence halls donating wood lofts and/or scrap wood, will occur Thursday, May 2 and Friday, May 3. Students should place wood at the location designated by their Rector.

The regular donation pickup will run Monday, May 6 through Monday, May 20.

When students are ready to move items out of their rooms, they should separate items into two categories, “Furniture” (chairs, couches, futons, desks, shelving, etc..) and “Other Donations” (clothing, books, refrigerators, etc..), and carry the donations to the corresponding yard sign, either Old2Gold Furniture or Old2Gold Other Donations outside their residence halls. While students may place items at these designated locations at any time throughout the day, they should be aware that pickups will occur daily from 7:00am to 9:00am.

The ninth annual Old2Gold Sale will take place Saturday, June 15, from 7:00am to 10:00am at the Notre Dame Stadium. Visit old2gold.nd.edu for further details.

Recyclemaniacs Rule

2013-04-18T20:00:00-04:00

The results are in, and Notre Dame has finished in the top 25% in this year’s RecycleMania competition. Notre Dame placed 63rd out of 296 in the Grand Champion category, far surpassing its 108 out of 266 finish from last year. The University also progressed in the Gorilla category, finishing 46th out of 357, improving from 63rd out of 296 last year. With an increase from 264,953 pounds of recyclables to 300,740 pounds, the university has increased its bulk recycling by roughly 15%.

What accounts for this year’s recycling success? Myles Robertson, Intern and Program Coordinator at the Office of Sustainability, credited “benchmarking early in the competition to see what areas of the university had the most opportunity for change.” By focusing on athletic events and reevaluating placement of trash and recycling receptacles, recycling on campus is becoming more efficient and easier for everyone.

“Conducting recycling audits and looking at what has been successful at other universities contributed as well,” added Robertson. “We owe a lot of this success to the efforts of Max Ducey ‘16, our RecycleMania Intern. He was on the ground ensuring that our efforts were organized and engaging for students.”

Ducey’s main contribution to this year’s RecycleMania competition was organizing an event at a Men’s Basketball game. On Tuesday, March 5th, a group of 12 student volunteers acted as recycling liaisons at the game against St. John’s at the Purcell Pavilion. Students held signs displaying recyclable and non-recyclable items and positioned themselves near receptacles throughout the concourse, both during halftime and after the game. A noticeable change in recycling mentality was seen among patrons, as people thought twice about which receptacle food packaging should be thrown in and made note to empty food waste into trashcans. Ushers were grateful for the volunteers’ efforts.

The event prompted the Joyce Center to pursue better recycling methods, including the adoption of a Spring GameDay recycling program in conjunction with the Office of Sustainability. “I feel that every year the Notre Dame community becomes more aware of the importance of recycling and sustainability,” Ducey said in regards to the success of the event. “You can see it in the results of this year’s RecycleMania competition.”

The efforts of many individual students have helped to integrate waste reduction and recycling into campus culture. For example, Megan Malley ‘13, a Graphic Design major, organized an event to raise awareness about the environmental impact of the water bottle industry earlier this semester, and Amy Schockling ’14 held a recycling month in her dorm in February, featuring a new recyclable item each week.

“It’s small efforts on the part of individuals that are going to effect the greatest change in our effort to become a sustainable campus,” continued Ducey. “We can provide the means for recycling and reducing energy waste, we can install more bins and water bottle filling stations, but none of this has an effect unless people are utilizing these resources, and this only comes with a shift in mentality, one which is brought on by people doing little things to remind us about the importance of sustainability.”

The momentum generated from the RecycleMania competition is being carried into future sustainability projects. Recycling audits of all the major athletic facilities were conducted earlier this month to optimize the ease of recycling at sporting events. More recycling bins are being brought in to the softball, baseball, and soccer stadiums and an event will be held at a baseball game to promote campus sustainability.

GAIN Index moves to Notre Dame

2013-04-18T20:00:00-04:00

The Global Adaptation Index (GAIN) — the world’s leading Index showing which countries are best prepared to deal with the droughts, super-storms and other natural disasters that climate change can cause — is moving to the University of Notre Dame. GAIN, which ranks countries annually based on how vulnerable they are to climate change and how prepared they are to adapt, was formerly housed in the Global Adaptation Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit.

GAIN is being given to the University by the Global Adaptation Institute with full support of its primary founding sponsor, NGP Energy Capital Management, a $13 billion investment fund based outside Dallas. To help draw attention to the importance of climate change adaptation, the chairman of the Global Adaptation Institute and NGP’s CEO and founder, Ken Hersh, said, “The era of climate change denial is over, the world is getting warmer, and numerous countries are not ready for the chaos that climate change will bring.” The gift includes a $2 million donation from the Natural Gas Partners Foundation.

“GAIN highlights those countries that urgently need help adapting to a warmer world,” Hersh said. “We are thrilled about our new partnership with Notre Dame and its ability to help us take GAIN to the next level.”

Notre Dame researchers will make GAIN more detailed by ranking the vulnerability of states within selected countries — as well as continuing to rank the countries themselves — making GAIN an even more important tool for disaster planning, infrastructure development and ecosystem management around the world.

GAIN Index map

“At Notre Dame, we want to be the researchers who help solve climate adaptation problems, rather than fiddling while people suffer,” said Professor David Lodge, director of the Notre Dame Environmental Change Initiative (ND-ECI), where GAIN will be housed. “In just two years, GAIN has captured the attention of multinational corporations, NGOs and government agencies — including those concerned with intelligence and security — and we will continue to get GAIN into the hands of those who can make a difference.”

Recent climate statistics speak for themselves. In the United States, the 10 warmest years on record have all occurred since 1995. More than 34,000 high temperature records were broken last year alone. Similar issues have arisen overseas, from record-breaking heat waves in Australia, to dramatic sea ice losses in the Arctic.

Under the United Nations-led climate talks, billions of dollars have been pledged to help the world adapt to climate change. But key questions remain on where that money should be spent. GAIN is designed to help governments, NGOs and the private sector better target those and other investments. “When I worked at the World Bank, I was responsible for more than 100 countries. Adaptation is an urgent issue in the developing world, and people are fed up with politicians who care more about the next election than the next generation,” said Juan José Daboub, GAIN’s founding CEO, who was managing director of the Bank from 2006-10 and currently serves as chair of the World Economic Forum’s Council on Climate Change.

“Adaptation is a way to rapidly build consensus, take effective action, and produce immediate benefits, including life-saving benefits. Notre Dame is the best school to take GAIN closer to the people in need because of the University’s track record of putting the human being in the center of their actions.”

Key faculty working on GAIN include Professor Nitesh Chawla, a renowned big data scientist and director of the Notre Dame Interdisciplinary Center for Network Science and Applications, and Professor Jessica Hellmann, a leading climate expert, who directs ND-ECI’s Climate Adaptation Program.

“Adaptation is one of the greatest challenges of our time,” Hellmann said. “By combining the intellectual resources of GAIN with Notre Dame’s leading research capacity in adaptation, we can help decision-makers prepare for the challenges ahead.”

“This story is all about data — translating big data into real solutions that have real societal and global impact,” Chawla said. “And Notre Dame has a long and successful track record of translating big data into action on behalf of the private sector and government agencies alike — data and network science for the common good. Now we look forward to doing just that with ND-GAIN.”

GAIN, which will now be called “ND-GAIN,” will continue to be an open-source tool that analyzes a number of sectors to make its calculations, including water, infrastructure, coastal protection, agriculture and energy.

ND-GAIN also will award annual prizes to results-oriented demonstration projects during an ND-GAIN annual meeting. Winners will be selected on criteria such as effectiveness, scalability, impact, marketability and relevance to the ND-GAIN Index. The awards are designed to spark sustainable change and present innovative solutions to adaptation challenges around the world.

Originally published by Notre Dame News at news.nd.edu on April 18, 2013.

Notre Dame to host multidisciplinary climate conference

2013-03-30T09:00:00-04:00

Notre Dame will host Climate Change and the Common Good, a national conference addressing the multifaceted challenges presented by our changing climate, on Monday April 8th through Wednesday April 10th. The event will engage nationally recognized scientists, ethicists and strategists in conversation with students, faculty, administrators and members of the broader community.

As Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have stressed, climate change is a moral issue that calls for a concerted approach among people of good will.

“We know that climate change will disproportionately impact the poor and vulnerable, those who have contributed the least to our present energy and environmental crisis,” said Rev. William M. Lies, C.S.C., Vice President for Mission Engagement and Church Affairs at Notre Dame. “By coming together as a community to learn about these challenges and the paths to solutions, we can better answer God’s call for us to be stewards of the finite gifts of our planet.”

Each day of the conference highlights a different theme. The first day focuses on the science of climate change. The second day addresses religious and ethical approaches to understanding our collective responsibility in addressing climate change. The third day explores practical approaches to addressing climate change from perspectives including public policy, national security and community adaptation.

“Climate change is a complex problem that requires multidisciplinary thinking,” said University Provost Thomas G. Burish. “This conference will offer unique insight into the diverse array of approaches needed to adequately address it. I hope that many of us from the Notre Dame community will be able to take advantage of it and continue the discussions after it.”

“Climate change is constantly in the news: 2012 was the hottest year on record in the U.S., and extreme events from climate disruption are costing businesses and taxpayers tens of billions of dollars from fires, crop losses and storm damage,” said Jessica Hellmann, associate professor of biology and conference co-chair. “There’s so much negative information that it’s tempting to look the other way. This conference will help people make sense of what is often seen as an overwhelming problem by connecting the dots between science, ethics and practical solutions.”

Keynote speakers at the conference include Andrew Revkin, author of the New York Times’ Dot-Earth Environmental Blog; Andrew Rosenberg, director of the Center for Science and Democracy; Ian Noble, chief scientist at the Global Adaptation Institute; Nancy Grimm, contributing author of Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States; and David Titley, retired Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy and recently chief operating officer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“These speakers represent some of the leading thinkers on this topic, and they bring a wide variety of perspectives to bear on some of the most challenging issues of our time,” said Robin Darling Young, associate professor of theology and lead conference organizer. “Our goal is to engage Notre Dame and the broader community with this critical topic, which is so integrally tied to our University mission.”

Registration is free for members of the Notre Dame community. The conference agenda and registration information can be found at climatechange.nd.edu.

Climate Change and the Common Good is sponsored by Notre Dame’s Reilly Center for Science, Technology and Values, Center for Social Concerns and Environmental Change Initiative, and is supported by the University’s Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts, Office of the Provost, Office of the Vice President for Research, College of Arts and Letters, College of Science, College of Engineering, Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, Department of Theology, Institute for Advanced Study, Center for Sustainability Energy, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, School of Architecture and Office of Sustainability.

Waste-Free Wednesdays Return

2013-03-28T12:25:00-04:00

April showers bring May flowers, but more importantly, April also brings Waste-Free Wednesdays back to campus. Each semester, this month-long campaign seeks to raise awareness about the various economic, environmental, and social justice issues posed by food waste.

Waste-Free Wednesdays is a relatively simple campaign; volunteers stand at the tray returns and hand out raffle tickets to those who return with clean plates and cups. There are a few items that don’t count, such as chicken bones and apple cores. At the end of the month, a winner is chosen from the raffle to receive 100 Flex Points. In addition, the campaign collects money for the Food Bank of Northern Indiana and asks students to pledge to be waste-free.

On average, students waste about three ounces of food per meal. This adds up to more than one ton of wasted food each day. “While our food waste is significantly lower than it was in 2008, there is still a lot of work to be done,” says Anna Gorman ‘13, co-chair of the event.

To add a bit more interest to the campaign, this April’s Waste-Free Wednesdays will include a special “Clean Plate Club” raffle for those who go waste-free all 4 weeks, as well as new posters and giveaways. Gorman is hopeful that these new initiatives will serve as more lasting reminders. “The real goal of the campaign is to help students cultivate waste-free behavior at all times, not simply during the campaign.”

Waste-Free Wednesdays is co-sponsored by the Office of Sustainability, Notre Dame Food Services, GreeND, and the Hunger Coalition.

ND Participates in First Ignite Michiana

2013-03-26T14:00:00-04:00

“Enlighten us, but make it quick!” Designed to allow creative community members to share their passions, Ignite Michiana on Thursday, March 28th offers an opportunity to learn more about numerous South Bend initiatives in an enlightening evening at The State Theater in downtown South Bend.

The theme of this year’s Ignite program is Sustainability and Innovation, and the fascinating line-up of speakers includes two members of the Notre Dame community. Jessica Baron of the Reilly Center will speak on “Emerging Ethical Dilemmas in Science and Technology”. Myles Robertson of the Office of Sustainability will give a presentation titled “Take Back the Tap”.

For $10, attendees can listen to a diverse group of community members speak for five minutes each on topics ranging from cloud computing to urban agriculture. The event includes intermission entertainment and will conclude with an after-party until 11pm in the newly reopened State Theater. Food from Thyme of Grace, Stevie’s, and Rabbit Moon Bakery, along with a selection of beers and wines, will be available for purchase.

“This event is for anyone who wants to find out about the many positive things happening right now in the city and see how businesses, community organizations and individuals are making connections to improve the economic landscape and our quality of life while protecting and preserving our natural resources,” explains Willow Wetherall, organizer of Ignite Michiana. “The event will change how people think and talk about South Bend and leave people excited about the growth and change that is occurring.”

Ignite is a worldwide phenomenon aptly summarized by the tagline, “enlighten us, but make it quick.” Each presentation at an Ignite talk consists of 20 slides that advance automatically every 15 seconds, detailing whatever the presenter is most passionate about. Since its inception in Seattle in 2006, Ignite has spread to over 100 cities across the globe.

Additional information can be found on the event’s website. Those interested can purchase tickets here.

Campus and Community to Celebrate Earth Hour

2013-03-21T09:00:00-04:00

On Saturday, March 23 from 8:30-9:30 pm, this year’s Earth Hour will be observed by over one billion people in more than 150 countries and 7,000 communities. Lights will be turned off on such iconic landmarks as the Empire State Building, the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Parthenon, the Eiffel Tower, and St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

As in years past, Notre Dame will participate in Earth Hour by turning out the lights on the Golden Dome of the Main Building and the Word of Life mural on the Hesburgh Library for the entire weekend. Participation is expanding this year throughout the South Bend community as well: the old State Theatre (“The State”) will turn out its marquee to raise awareness downtown. Indiana University South Bend will also turn out the lights in the Student Activity Center and in the Franklin D. Schurz Library.

“Since its inception in 2007, Earth Hour has become an international symbol of support for climate change action,” said Myles Robertson of the Office of Sustainability, who is co-organizing a virtual event called Earth Hour South Bend: Local Meets Global to encourage city-wide participation. “We encourage every member of the community to participate in Earth Hour by turning off the lights at 8:30 on Saturday evening and by making a long-term commitment to conserve energy.”

Two weeks after Earth Hour, Notre Dame will host a multidisciplinary conference titled Climate Change and the Common Good. “Our participation in Earth Hour and our motivation for hosting this conference reflect our values as a Catholic university,” said Robin Young, Associate Professor of Theology and lead conference organizer. “Climate change disproportionately impacts those who are poor and vulnerable – who have contributed the least to our environmental problems and have the least capacity for adaptation.”

In the first days of his papacy, Pope Francis has repeatedly drawn attention to the need for greater protection of the environment by world leaders and all members of society. “Let us be protectors of creation,” he urged in his homily on Tuesday, “protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment.”

Mad About Saving Energy

2013-03-05T10:45:00-05:00

Megawatt Madness has come to an end, and the resultant energy savings amply demonstrate the enthusiasm with which Notre Dame students took to this new form of energy competition. Across the campus, students saved almost 57,000 killowatt hours, equivalent to approximately 80,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over the three week competition.

“It was fantastic to see the excitement around the event,” said Linda Kurtos, Director of Sustainability. “Not only were the students engaged and excited, but the Rectors added to the excitement by ramping up the competitive spirit through individual challenges. It was great to have the community working together to motivate everyone to lower their energy use.”

Megawatt Madness matched up residence halls in head-to-head competitions that rotated each week. With this structure, halls had a chance to start over each week, which increased their motivation to maximize energy savings. Halls now have an opportunity to choose from a three-tier menu of prizes if they have won one, two, or all three competitions.

“The mini-competition format allowed my dorm to stay focused each week without becoming discouraged by tough competitors,” said Kate Christian, Sustainability Commissioner of Pangborn Hall. “The prizes were definitely helpful in motivating my dorm: everyone saw the rewards of winning for all three weeks and really pushed to make it happen."

Many residence halls have already chosen their prizes, which range from high efficiency appliance upgrades to frozen yogurt parties for the entire dorm. Other halls are still contemplating their choices. Megawatt Madness was sponsored by GreeND, the Office of Sustainability, Students for Environmental Action, the Center for Sustainable Energy, Student Activities Office, Facilities Design and Operations, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, and the Athletics Department.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

2013-03-05T10:00:00-05:00

William Kamkwamba, author of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, will be speaking at McKenna Hall on Monday, March 18th at 7 p.m. His life is a remarkable story of human inventiveness and its power to overcome crippling adversity.

William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, a country withered by drought and hunger. But William dreamed of building a windmill that would bring to his small village electricity and running water, luxuries that only 2% of Malawians enjoy. With a small pile of science textbooks; some scrap metal, tractor parts, and bicycle halves, he embarked on a daring plan to forge an unlikely contraption and small miracle that would change the lives around him.

“His neighbors called him misala—crazy—but William refused to let go of his dreams,” said Jenny Frech, Education and Outreach Coordinator at the Center for Sustainable Energy and lead organizer for the event. “Having the chance to meet William and hear his story first-hand will inspire anyone who doubts the power of one individual’s ability to change his community and better the lives of those around him.”

Doors open at 6 p.m. The event includes a performance from the African singing troupe Voices of Mercy, displays from partner organizations and the Malawian culture, and a book signing and reception with William after the speaking engagement.

This event is free and open to the public. Parking is available on the south side of Legends. In addition, the Saint Joseph Public Library is hosting a book talk on Kamkwamba’s book on Thursday, March 14th at 6:30 p.m.

Kamkwamba is a 2007 TED Global Fellow, and is currently a student at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. His visit is sponsored by The Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame, the Lynch Lecture Series, the Edison Lecture Fund, the Center for Social Concerns, the Reilly Center, the Office of Sustainability, the College of Arts and Letters, and in partnership with Malawi Matters and Better World Books.

Contact Jenny Frech at Notre Dame’s Center for Sustainable Energy for more information.

RecycleMania Reigns on ND Campus

2013-02-28T11:00:00-05:00

Students across campus have planned a diverse array of events to promote recycling and waste reduction during RecycleMania, the nationwide campus competition that takes place each spring semester.

Graphic Design major Megan Malley ’13 is organizing Take Away Plastic (TAP) Day on March 4th, during which she will set up a large installation of empty water bottles on South Quad to raise awareness about the environmental impact of the water bottle industry.

“Every year, the United States consumes over 30 billion plastic water bottles; 80% of these bottles end up in landfills or incinerators after they are used,” said Malley. “By refusing to purchase bottled water, a college campus community can substantially decrease the plastic waste it generates each year.”

Office of Sustainability intern Max Ducey ‘16 is promoting RecycleMania at the March 5th men’s basketball game. Student volunteers will be positioned around the concourse to help attendees maximize recycling rates.

Amy Schockling, Welsh Fam’s Sustainability Commissioner, created Recycling Month in her dorm. For the entire month of February she featured a new recyclable item each week. “The first week, for example, I got our dorm a battery bucket and told people where to put their batteries and what kinds can go in it,” explained Schockling. She is also showing Tapped, a documentary on the water bottle industry, at the end of the month. “The main goal is to provide people with as much information as possible and in as many ways as possible so they’ll remember and make waste reduction a habit.”

RecycleMania is an eight week competition among 522 participating universities in the U.S. and Canada, seeks to motivate students to recycle by framing recycling in competitive terms. The event runs from February 4th to March 30th.

“Notre Dame participates in three RecycleMania categories: Grand Champion, which tracks recycling as a percentage of total waste output, Per Capita Classic, which tracks pounds of recycling per person, and Gorilla Prize, which tracks the bulk weight of all recycling output combined,” said Intern and Program Coordinator for the Office of Sustainability Myles Robertson.

In 2012 Notre Dame finished 108 out of 266 in the Grand Champion category, and 63 out of 296 in the Gorilla Prize category. With a current ranking of 59 out of 228 in the Grand Champion category, 41 out of 400 in Per Capita Classic, and 38 out of 407 in Gorilla Prize, the University’s chances look promising.

“Now in our fourth year of participation, we are excited that more students than ever are planning RecycleMania events. We hope to top the 264,953 pounds that we recycled last year during the competition,” said Erin Hafner, Programs Manager in the Office of Sustainability.

Ducey is optimistic about this year’s competition. “With the combined efforts of individual students and the Office of Sustainability, this year’s RecycleMania has the ability to greatly increase recycling efforts and awareness on campus.”

Lighten Your Footprint for Lent

2013-02-26T16:00:00-05:00

During the season of Lent, Notre Dame students choose from a wide variety of fasting options: technology, food, and procrastination are among the more popular. But interest is growing in fasting from something even more pervasive: carbon. A campus Lenten Carbon Fast calendar provides guidance for those who wish to pursue daily activities and challenges to both reduce their carbon footprint and increase awareness about the impacts of energy use.

“The Lenten Carbon Fast is a great way to be conscious of our actions during Lent while understanding the positive impact we can have on the environment,” said Kate Christian ’15, who adapted the Lenten Caring for Creation Calendar from the Archdiocese of Washington to fit the lifestyles of ND students.

The calendar outlines daily ideas and tasks that will help students focus on the importance of the environment while encouraging sustainable actions. Several days of the week are themed: Sundays focus on prayer and reflection, Tuesdays suggest watching a TED Talk, and Fridays give opportunities to follow environmental feeds on Twitter.

“The Carbon Fast has a variety of daily activities and is very engaging for ND students,” added Sean Gervais, Keough Hall Sustainability Commissioner. “I’m really looking forward to watching the TED Talks each Tuesday and learning about sustainability from the experts.”

The Lenten Carbon Fast is just one illustration of the profound connection between environmental awareness and Notre Dame’s Catholic mission. “It’s integral to our Catholic faith that we should be stewards of the environment, especially during Lent,” said Fr. Brad Metz, Rector of Fisher Hall. “Caring for the environment is a service to all of the earth’s inhabitants, and a manifestation of Catholic Social Teaching.”

Click here to see the full Carbon Fast calendar.

Freshen Up Your Day

2013-02-11T12:00:00-05:00

In the midst of a somewhat dreary winter, Unity Gardens is keeping things lively with a variety of fresh, fun, and FREE classes open to all. Every Thursday at 6pm and Saturday at 10 am classes are offered with gardening topics ranging everywhere from planning, to composting, to pest management. They’ve even developed classes tailored to the younger crowds (those in 3rd through 6th grade) that meet Saturdays at noon.

If gardening tips and techniques don’t entice you, Unity Gardens offers a selection of other programs as well. Intrigued by the proposition of allowing chicken coops in the city? Don’t miss out on your chance to hear all about it on February 27th at 6pm. Do you enjoy honey in your tea or on your biscuits? Unity Gardens is running a 3-part series about the basics of beekeeping.

In addition, Unity Gardens’ 3rd annual Growing Summit will be held on March 22nd and 23rd. The two day event will cover many of the same topics as the classes coming up, but will pack them all into one fun and exciting weekend.

Why is Unity Gardens so intent on offering all of these classes? Education is a key component of Unity Gardens’ overall mission. Their organization is founded on the goal of improving community health physically, socially, and economically.

Each Unity Garden strives to bring together a diverse group of people to grow, share, appreciate, and enjoy food even on a very limited budget. These classes happen to serve this purpose perfectly. As Mitch Yaciw, master gardener at Unity Gardens described, “It’s exciting to hear from new gardeners every year that comment on how the classes have changed the way they think about growing food. Not to mention the social aspects, friends and connections made in the classes.”

The Madness Begins

2013-01-30T10:50:00-05:00

This month, the Notre Dame campus will experience a new kind of dorm energy competition: Megawatt Madness will match up dorms in head-to-head competitions that rotate each week. The competition runs for three weeks, from Monday February 4th through February 24th, giving every dorm a good shot at being a winner.

“Each dorm gets to start over and play a new opponent each week, so the structure of the competition really keeps students engaged,” said Kate Christian, Vice President of GreeND, which is sponsoring the competition. “At the end of the competition, your dorm will have a menu of prizes to choose from if you’ve won one, two, or all three competitions. The more wins, the bigger the prize."

The grand prize options for three-time winners include a tour of the stadium for the entire dorm, a frozen yogurt party, and a movie night at Browning Cinema with the dorm’s choice of movie. The prize options for winners of two competitions include buy-one-get-one Chiplotle gift cards for the whole dorm, a replacement Energy Star refrigerator or oven for the dorm kitchen, and a new water bottle filling spigot for a water fountain. For winners of one competition, prize options include a gift card to the Huddle Mart candy wall and a pizza discount from a local store for a dorm event.

“I like that dorms are competing against other dorms from the same era because it really levels the playing field,” said Elizabeth Callam, Co-President of Students for Environmental Action, which is co-sponsoring the competition. “The brackets are also great because there are more winners and everyone is more motivated to save energy.”

“To see who you’re up against, go to green.nd.edu/madness and check out the brackets for each week,” explained Myles Robertson from the Office of Sustainability, which is also co-sponsoring the competition. “Be sure to check back regularly to see who’s ahead! The best part is that even if you lose one competition, you have a chance to redeem yourself the next week.”

Additional co-sponsors include the Center for Sustainable Energy, Student Activities Office, Facilities Design and Operations, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, and the Athletics Department. “Developing this competition has been a really collaborative process,” said Brianna Kunycky, President of GreeND. “We’re thrilled to have so many partners around campus sponsoring prizes and helping us make Megawatt Madness a success.”

Click here for the full list of competition brackets and prizes.

Taking on Storm Water

2013-01-28T13:00:00-05:00

A team of civil engineering majors has taken on the Environmental Protection Agency’s first ever Campus RainWorks Challenge. In this challenge, the EPA asked college students from across the country to design innovative green infrastructure projects for their campus to tackle storm water runoff issues.

Notre Dame’s team designed two ways to address campus storm water: building rain gardens around residence halls and academic buildings, and installing vegetated bioswales, also called filter strips, along the edges of campus parking lots. The team consisted of Eily Andruszkiewicz ’14, Emily Palmer ’14, Claire Sieradzki ’14, Will Connors ’14, Amanda Shockling ’15, and Matthew Matasci ’16.

“In addition to the rain gardens providing a location for native plants to grow, they would also slow the velocity of storm water falling off of the buildings and therefore cause less erosion,” explained Andruszkiewicz. “The rain gardens would also allow storm water to infiltrate the soil and recharge groundwater supplies.” The proposed bioswales would reduce the velocity of storm water runoff, and help remove harmful chemicals that accumulate on the surface of parking lots from cars.

“The team did very thorough research and presented their results very professionally,” commented Rob Nerenberg, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, who advised the project. “What impressed me the most is that this project was entirely the students’ initiative: they took responsibility for every aspect of the project and did a lot in a very short amount of time.”

The team agreed that building awareness for the issues associated with storm water runoff is very important. “We decided to design something that is by no means revolutionary, but that would make people more aware of storm water management issues if implemented,” said Connors.

“The most difficult part was finding a balance between an innovative and feasible solution,” said Matasci. The costs of implementing and maintaining these solutions reduce the practicality of the project, but this problem could be minimized if they win the competition. The winning teams, announced in April, will receive a cash prize as well as research funds for their faculty advisor to conduct research on the potential of green infrastructure to sustainably manage storm water. “We are very proud of how it came together and hope that the University will take a look at our final project and consider implementing some of our proposed solutions,” added Shockling.

In Transition

2013-01-21T15:00:00-05:00

Transition Michiana is a January 24-26 conference at the Salvation Army Kroc Center in South Bend focused on building a strong community to face the challenges presented by modern environmental issues. It offers the opportunity for those interested in sustainability to collaborate with other locals and engage with the international Transition movement.

“Transition is an open source, self-organizing, permaculture-inspired, creative collection of tools, stories, ideas, and patterns that existing organizations and communities can use to create economic self-sufficiency, greater sense of community, and ecological sustainability,” says Charlotte Wolfe, an organizer of Transition Michiana.

Transition Michiana seeks to improve networks to increase localization of food production, energy consumption, job creation, and transportation. The conference features a screening of In Transition 2.0, a film showcasing the success of communities around the world in creating sustainable changes through localization, collaboration, and dedication. Participants then learn more about initiatives in the Michiana community while working to develop action plans for the community’s future. The full agenda can be accessed here.

The conference is part of Transition US, a facet of the international Transition movement encouraging community involvement in facing resource, economic, and climate change challenges. Originating in Ireland in 2005, the Transition movement has since grown to include more than a thousand groups worldwide committed to moving beyond fossil fuels and creating a just and sustainable future through local efforts.

All members of the community are encouraged to become involved with the movement. It is a dynamic process relying on cooperation, input, and innovative ideas. “The Transition movement fits for me because it is a grassroots effort, that at the same time involves government on the local level, and encourages efforts that are already ongoing at the same time as it tries to engage new efforts,” Wolfe explains.

Interested students, staff, faculty and community members are encouraged to register and attend any portion of the three day event.

Sustainability in Surprising Places

2013-01-14T14:00:00-05:00

Catherine Perry is teaching a French course called Contemporary Topics this semester. Todd Hill, an Instructor in Management at Mendoza, is teaching a class called Project Management. Anselma Dolcich-Ashley of the Theology Department teaches Foundations of Theology as well as a second level theology course.

These disparate classes have something surprising in common: they all have an important focus on sustainability. While most students expect to find such a focus in classes in departments such as Biology, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Political Science, Economics, and others, more and more classes with sustainability themes are popping up farther afield.

“I am particularly interested in how our food choices affect the environment,” said Perry, a professor in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. “We’ll be watching a documentary titled Nos enfants nous accuseront (Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution). I’m also planning to show the documentary Solutions locales pour un désordre global (Local solutions for a global disorder) and the feature film La Belle Verte (The green beautiful), with the intent to help us think more about sustainability as a class.”

“Sustainability projects add value to the student experience because they focus on real world issues that will affect not only them, but their future children and grandchildren,” said Hill, who has taught Project Management for three years. “At Notre Dame, we talk about stewardship and our time horizon is not 3, 5, or even 10 years, but tens and even hundreds of years. Notre Dame is the Notre Dame of today because of decisions that were made by people like Fr. Sorin and Fr. Hesburgh.”

The teachings of environmental ethics and sustainability are not only a part of Anselma’s theology classes, they are integral, she says. “The natural world is not simply instrumental – that is, existing only to point to God, or to teach us about God – but is itself God’s point, as the Scriptures describe God’s delight in creation (Proverbs 8:30-31), God’s setting aside time to celebrate creation’s goodness (Genesis 1:31-2:3), and God’s eternal dwelling in the ‘new earth’ (Revelation 21:1-4), ” said Dolcich-Ashley.

The interdisciplinary nature of the sustainability movement and the natural and societal challenges it addresses means that a course in virtually any field can incorporate sustainability. “In some fields the connections are less obvious, and you really have to think outside the box,” said Rachel Novick in the Office of Sustainability, “but that’s what gets students really excited – by approaching a subject they thought they knew from a fresh angle.”

New partnerships divert items from landfill

2012-12-11T12:00:00-05:00

A collaboration among Notre Dame departments provided 227 mattresses to eight local not-for-profit organizations, diverting the used dorm mattresses from the landfill while providing a rare opportunity for the agencies to fill an often-overlooked need.

Building Services, the Architect’s Office, the Office of Sustainability and the Office of Public Affairs worked together to recycle the goods, part of a recently established program for replacing mattresses campus wide.

“We are saving the landfill,” says Jessica Brookshire, associate director for public affairs, who contacted the agencies when Erin Hafner, Programs Manager for the Office of Sustainability, alerted her that some 300 mattresses were available. “I made a number of calls and got rid of every single one we had,” although some were too worn for reuse. “These mattresses were 10 years old. That’s how long those mattresses had been in place.”

The 300 mattresses would have cost around $1,500 to recycle, Hafner says. “We’re really excited to be involved in this new recycling initiative,” she says. “We were able to match a need within the community for a majority of the used mattresses pulled from dorms during the summer replacement program that typically end up in a landfill. Reuse is the best form of recycling!”

The mattresses went to Hope Ministries, the YWCA, Church Lady and Friends Outreach Ministries, AIDS Ministries, Mishawaka Food Pantry, Inc., Life Treatment Center, Boy Scouts of America and St. Vincent de Paul. Some agencies distribute to people who need them, some use them as part of their own residential services.

“Mattresses are probably the most asked-for item at the pantry and the least item donated to the pantry,” says Mike Hayes at the Mishawaka Food Pantry, which took 42 mattresses. “That was pretty phenomenal for us. We just made space for them because they’re such a sought-after commodity.”

“We use them all here at our facility at the YWCA,” says Greg Butts, who took 60. “Some of ours have been beaten up and destroyed over the years. We had looked at purchasing some and we didn’t have the funds. It was the perfect time for Notre Dame to give us some. Last time we looked, when we wanted to purchase 20 of them, they were $120 apiece.”

Four families that needed beds came to the YWCA the day that the mattresses arrived. “We can never turn somebody down in need,” Butts says. “It’s just our policy. We find a place for them, even if it requires tossing a mattress on the ground in one of the rooms. It came at just the right time.”

A recycling program for the benefit of community agencies started last year by Dillon Hall President Andy Boes, donating unused shampoo and soap from the Morris Inn to the United Way’s People Gotta Eat Initiative, has grown to involve nine area hotels. The program benefits 17 food pantries, including Mishawaka’s.

Similar initiatives on campus could provide more help for the community, Brookshire says. “Before they throw things away, think about the surplus properties initiative as well as the idea that other people can use it,” she says. “One man’s trash really is another man’s treasure.”

A previous version of this article was published by Gene Stowe for the ND Works

ND Beats WF in Energy Bowl

2012-11-16T10:00:00-05:00

Game day hasn’t even arrived and Notre Dame has already claimed victory over Wake Forest. No, not in football, but in the Energy Bowl: an energy reduction competition between the two schools. This two week competition started on November 1st and ended two weeks later on the 14th. Notre Dame finished the competition with a 9.6% reduction and Wake Forest reduced their consumption by 8.1%.

In addition to the Energy Bowl being a competition between the two universities, it also pit the Notre Dame dorms against each other. In this intra-campus competition, Welsh Family Hall emerged victorious with an impressive 24.3% reduction. Ryan and Knott halls came in second and third place with 21.2% and 17.7% reductions, respectively.

“The dual nature of this competition made it especially fun,” said Stephen Elser ‘13. “Not only was my dorm pride at stake, bragging rights over Wake Forest were also on the line.” With the stakes so high, the Leprechaun took it upon himself to promote the competition together with The GreenMan in this video.

Welsh Family will be awarded a Play Like A Champion Today banner signed by all the football coaches, and Ryan and Knott will receive footballs signed by Brian Kelly. The top performing dorms will also be recognized at today’s pep rally and at tomorrow’s game. “We’re grateful to Athletics for all their support in recognizing students’ efforts to save energy and incentivizing them to keep raising the bar in dorm energy competitions,” said Rachel Novick in the Office of Sustainability.

Energy conservation strategies ranged from lights-out campaigns to laundry bans to simply unplugging electronics. “Knott hall knew that most of our electricity consumption was from the lights, so we made a full-dorm effort to reduce lighting use,” said Jack McLaren, Sustainability Commissioner of Knott Hall. “Turning the hall lights off and encouraging people to work and play in the dark was crucial to our third place finish.”

Want Mondays Off?

2012-11-15T16:30:00-05:00

This month, Notre Dame Food Services is introducing its own take on Meatless Monday , a national grassroots initiative aimed at reducing meat consumption by 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of the planet.

“Eating less meat means a reduced ecological footprint as well as better health,” explained Myles Robertson in the Office of Sustainability. “Vegetarianism isn’t an all-or-nothing thing. When we skip the meat on Mondays (or any other day), we’re cutting back on fat and cholesterol plus the huge amounts of water, chemical fertilizers, and land used to raise animals.”

While Mondays won’t be meat-free, many classic favorites will have a meatless twist to them. “The movement aims to offer a wider range of meatless options,” said Lisa Wenzel, Assistant Director of Catering and Special Events at ND Food Services. “We hope this will give students exposure to both new foods and new ideas.”

Enthusiastic students have created a Meatless Monday video to celebrate ND’s movement, which has been met with great approval around campus. With new options including vegetarian sliders, portobello fajitas, goat cheese and asparagus pasta, quinoa-rice corn cakes, and Indian stew, it’s no wonder.

Notre Dame isn’t alone in this campaign. Our neighbor to the south, Indiana University South Bend, began a Meatless Monday initiative this month as well. Some notable celebrities have also taken up the cause. Hip-hop magnate Russell Simmons, author and journalist Michael Pollan, chef Giada De Laurentiis, and even big time Hollywood movie producer and director James Cameron have publicly shown support for the Monday campaign.

Beat Wake Forest Twice!

2012-10-29T16:50:00-04:00

Notre Dame has a rare opportunity to deliver a double victory during the upcoming battle against Wake Forest. Having challenged the Demon Deacons to a two-week dorm energy competition leading up to the November 17th game, Notre Dame students can beat Wake Forest before anyone even steps onto the field.

The Energy Bowl, as this competition has been named, will run from November 1st through 14th. Bragging rights will go to the school with the greatest percentage energy reduction, and the top ranking dorms on each campus will receive awards as well. At Notre Dame, the dorm that takes first place will win a Play Like A Champion banner signed by all the football coaches, and the runner-up dorms will receive autographed footballs. The first place dorm will also be recognized at the November 16th pep rally and at the game against Wake Forest on the 17th.

“While we compete among ourselves for energy saving titles on a regular basis, it’s great to go up against another University,” said Jack McLaren, Sustainability Commissioner of Knott Hall. “We will be able to get a real comparison between the two Universities for ultimate bragging rights.”

“Seeing a sustainable energy event spanning two universities is a real testament to the awareness and initiative of both student bodies,” added Michael Kipp, Sustainability Commissioner of Stanford Hall.

Earlier this semester, Notre Dame residence halls competed in the Kill-a-Watt Competition. Participation across the board was very high, with an average energy savings of 16%, but many dorms that did not place in the top tier are looking to the Energy Bowl to recover some lost glory.

“O’Neill is the best dorm on campus, so people are generally surprised when they hear we came in last [in the Kill-a-Watt],” according to Brian Donlin, Sustainability Commissioner of O’Neill. “We’re doing everything we can this time.”

“Knott Hall has historically done well in energy competitions and we were dissatisfied with our low finish in the most recent competition,” said McLaren. “All segments of the dorm from the ARs to the freshmen are committed to winning the upcoming competition and we will be implementing a variety of strategies aimed at making saving energy easy.”

The standings of the two campuses as well as the rankings of individual dorms can be tracked on Notre Dame’s Energy Dashboard.