California's Exceptional Drought: "A Year in Water"

Story contributed by UC Santa Cruz Financial Affairs Department 

Even with the recent rains, California’s drought is so severe that a new category had to be created to describe it: "Exceptional Drought," which is ranked as more dry than "Extreme Drought" and "Severe Drought." In response to this water crisis, the Financial Affairs Green Team is putting forth a year long effort known as "A Year In Water," with a series of events focusing on highlighting conservation efforts, water recycling opportunities, and spreading information about local water sources.

In January, the Green Team challenged Financial Affairs departments to commit to conserving water by taking the Water Conservation Coalition of Santa Cruz County's Water Pledge. Many Financial Affairs staff members rose to the challenge, with 60% of staff participating in the event.

On March 25th, the Financial Affairs Green Team visited the Bay Street Reservoir. This reservoir was demolished in 2006 due to a crumbling roof, but in 2014 two six million gallon replacement tanks were put back into operation to help meet the needs of the city's 90,000 customers. Bay Street tanks are considered a critical emergency supply because they hold treated water, unlike the raw rainwater in the Loch Lomond Reservoir.

The Green Team photographed the site and discussed water issues with the plant's water staff. Armed with this information, they will make a presentation to Financial Affairs to help everyone better understand what can be done to conserve Santa Cruz's precious water supply. April 14th from 12:00pm to 1:00pm at 2300 Delaware in room B290, Elida Erickson from the Sustainability Office will be presenting an overview of how the campus coordinated a response to the drought crisis, achieving its 24% reduction target from the City and communicating water saving initiatives to the users in the campus community.

In May, at the Financial Affairs All Hands Meeting Dr. Brent Haddad will speak about his research, which focuses on Integrated Water Management, Regional Water Management, Water and Energy Policy, Political Economy and Renewable Energy. Dr. Haddad has been at the forefront in educating the public about desalination. The Green Team is also in the process of getting each Financial Affairs department re-certified through the Sustainability Office's Green Office Certification program. Due to their improved sustainability efforts, FAR was promoted from "sprout" to "sapling." Way to go!

The Financial Affairs Green Team looks forward to continued efforts in environmental leadership, collaboration, and education.

Photo Source: http://www.californiadrought.org/drought/current-conditions/

April 2015: Contests & Funding

Sustainability Film & Art Contest
Calling all filmmakers and artists! Are you interested in having your short film or artwork displayed at a film festival series this fall? The Sustainability Office invites you to create a sustainability-related short film or poster. The winner(s) of the competition will have their films and posters shown at the Sustainability Film Festival to celebrate the campus’s 50th Anniversary! Learn more here.

Bike Library Applications
Are you interested in having a bike this quarter? The Bike Library's mission is to make bikes accessible to students, faculty, and staff of UCSC to promote transportation sustainability and self-sufficiency. They believe that financial limitations should not be a barrier and provide services free of charge. The Bike Library is now accepting applications for Spring 2015!

Walk to Class Challenge: April 28th
UCSC's 2nd Annual Walk to Class Challenge Day will take place on April 28, 2015! Registration is open until April 27th, and the first 60 students to register will receive a free event t-shirt. The challenge is a student-led effort to promote walking as a viable and sustainable transportation mode for cross-campus travel, reduce UCSC’s carbon footprint, and help students make more sustainable choices for themselves and the environment. Register for free at taps.ucsc.edu and then fill out a survey after the event for a chance to win a $50 Visa gift card! Join the Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter and use the hashtag #UCSCwalks. Also, visit the website for more information.

CSC Request for Proposals Deadline May 8th
The Campus Sustainability Council (CSC) would like to fund your student organization’s sustainability projects or events in the upcoming year. Proposals adhering to the criteria for student organizations and relevance to the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus are eligible for funding. Here is the Request for Proposal (RFP), which outlines all requirements and mandatory steps to apply for funding from CSC. Please fill out the CSC Proposal Form to RSVP for the mandatory grant trainings.

CSSC Spring Convergence: Deadline April 10th
The CSSC Spring Convergence will be held from April 24th-26th at Loyola Marymount University and hosted by students at Santa Monica College and Loyola Marymount University.The theme for this convergence is Strengthening Connections: Thriving Together. If you're interested in creating a workshop, issue based breakout group, or a caucus, applications are due April 10th.

Applications for Tufts Environmental Literacy Institute Due April 15
The Tufts Environmental Literacy Institute (TELI) is a four-day interdisciplinary workshop that brings together educators from diverse backgrounds to engage in environmental issues. This year's theme is Climate-Safe Energy Futures: Vision, Implementation, and Education. The workshop will take place at Tufts University (near Boston, Mass.) from May 19-22. Topics covered will range from climate change to renewable energy to international equity. Educators are invited to apply by April 15.

Call for Papers - The Third Future of Places Conference: Deadline April 15
In line with the public space agenda for Habitat III, the theme of the academic session is “Growing Public Spaces: Shaping the Agenda for Science, Policy, Practice, and Civil Society.” We recognise that it is not only the quantity of public space as an amenity that must be increased, but the quality of human places and placemaking that must be supported and enhanced, by governments, researchers, practitioners and NGOs – and ultimately, by the people themselves.You are invited to submit a paper abstract of no more than 300 words for initial consideration. If invited, you will be asked to complete a paper of between 3,000 and 6,000 words for the conference proceedings, accompanied by an oral presentation (with slides if desired) of 15 minutes. For more information check out their website.

Call for Stories about Walking
Jay Walljasper is working with America Walks and the Every Body Walk! Collaborative to chronicle the progress and potential of the walking movement with a new series of articles focused on promoting walking and walkable communities. To contribute ideas and stories to the two projects currently being developed, contact jay[at]jaywalljasper[dot]com.

Call for Applications! Awards in Solar Energy Research: Deadline May 7
The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Postdoctoral Research Awards support EERE's mission in energy efficiency and renewable energy by offering recent Ph.D. recipients the opportunity to conduct applied research at universities. The objective of the awards is to support scientific research in energy efficiency and renewable energy by attracting the best scientists and engineers to pursue breakthrough technologies in a highly prestigious postdoctoral research program. Deadline to apply is May 7.

Submit Environmental Films for International Film Festival
The International Film Festival for Environment, Health and Culture is accepting submissions for films pertaining to environment, health and culture issues. There are five submission categories: international feature film, international short film, documentary feature, documentary short and newcomer. The film festival will be held on May 27.

Energy Dept. $2.5M for Collegiate Clean Energy Tech: Deadline June 7
The newly announced $2.5 million in funding for the Cleantech University Prize (Cleantech UP) aims to support the commercialization of promising technologies for sectors such as solar and wind that reduce carbon pollution and grow the clean energy economy. The Cleantech UP Collegiate Competitions will provide prizes for eight individual university-focused competitions that will equip students with business skills to move clean energy technologies from the discovery phase to the marketplace.

Tools of Change Landmark Designation: Deadline June 12
Tools of Change is now soliciting nominations for its 2015 Landmark behavior change case studies in two topic areas - (1) home / building energy conservation and (2) sustainable transportation. If you know of anyone working on a particularly effective, innovative or impactful approach for changing energy or transportation behaviors, please consider nominating them - or yourself. All nominations must include measured impact results. The Nominations Form must be submitted by June 12, 2015. Designations will be announced by October 2015, and case study webinars will be presented between February and May 2016.

Biomimicry Global Design Challenge: Deadline August 3
The Biomimicry Institute and the Ray C. Anderson Foundation announced the opening of the Biomimicry Global Design Challenge. Students are invited to submit commercially viable, nature-inspired solutions to global food system challenges. All participants get access to the Design Challenge Toolbox and supporting resources, including sessions with mentors and biomimicry professionals. The grand prize, to be awarded in 2016, is $100,000. The deadline for submissions is August 3rd.

UC Berkeley Job Posting: Communication & Engagement Specialist

Looking for a position in communication and engagement with sustainability as the focus? UC Berkeley is hiring! Please pass along this opportunity to potential applicants.

From Lisa McNeilly, Director of Sustainability and Energy at University of California, Berkeley:

"Departmental and Position Overview
The UC Berkeley Office of Sustainability and Energy provides leadership to campus by setting ambitious sustainability goals and strategies and by accelerating the achievement of these goals through project implementation, planning, partnerships, and community engagement. Our mission is to integrate cutting-edge sustainability practices into our operations and foster a culture of sustainability at home and in the world. We work to achieve climate neutrality with a focus on reducing energy use, and strive for excellence by implementing initiatives to reduce our ecological footprint and by emphasizing transparency and accountability through our plans and reports. The work of the Office includes communication across campus, and faculty, staff, and student engagement.

The Communications and Engagement Specialist will help coordinate communications and community engagement for Office of Sustainability and Energy projects. The position will be responsible for maintenance and growth of the website, organizing engagement and outreach events, designing graphic elements, analyzing identified audiences and the success of outreach efforts, coordinating social media efforts, and other related activities. The Communications and Engagement Specialist will report to the Director of Sustainability and Energy and will also work closely with the Sustainability Manager, other Office staff, and the Real Estate Director of Communications.

The position is located at the UC Berkeley campus. This is a 12 month contract position, with the possibility of extension. Benefits are included in compensation package.

Responsibilities

• Under general supervision, implements Office communications and engagement activities coordinates social media efforts, and organizes engagement and outreach events for buildings and/or Operating Units
• Maintains and updates website, including interface with energy information software that provides information on energy usage by building 
• Designs, edits, updates, and designs marketing and communication materials such publications, advertisements, press releases, announcements. 
• Conducts and reports basic market research and generates and uses marketing reports to make recommendations on changes to plans
• Supports broader VCRE communication efforts
• Other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Solid knowledge of communication principles, concepts, strategies and best practices.
• Strong knowledge of energy efficiency and sustainability strategies, behavior change campaign techniques, community engagement, social marketing, and general sustainability principles.
• Solid knowledge of website design and maintenance, including familiarity with Drupal. Knowledge of current social media tools and ability to creatively apply tools to reach UC Berkeley's outreach goals.
• Technical skills in computer applications for web publishing and production, image handling (especially Photoshop), publishing and design, illustration, presentation preparation, animation, web interaction, and/or other state-of-the-art web communication and graphic design capabilities.
• Knowledge of the campus including its mission, vision, and goals, or similar knowledge of other higher education institutions.
• Organizational skills and skills in file creation, maintenance and management.
• Written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work efficiently and effectively in a team structure with other professionals and vendors.

Education/Training:
Bachelors degree in related area and/or equivalent experience/training

Preferred Qualifications

• 1-2 years of experience in website design and maintenance and behavior change campaigns or community engagement activities.
• Demonstrated experience working in a university or non-profit setting.

Salary & Benefits
For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University visit: http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html

How to Apply
Please submit your cover letter and resume as a single attachment when applying.

Application Review Date
The First Review Date for this job is: 04/02/2015

About Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world’s most iconic teaching and research institutions. Since 1868, Berkeley has fueled a perpetual renaissance, generating unparalleled intellectual, economic and social value in California, the United States and the world. Berkeley’s culture of openness, freedom and acceptance—academic and artistic, political and cultural—make it a very special place for students, faculty and staff.

Berkeley is committed to hiring and developing staff who want to work in a high performing culture that supports the outstanding work of our faculty and students. In deciding whether to apply for a staff position at Berkeley, candidates are strongly encouraged to consider the alignment of the Berkeley Workplace Culture with their potential for success at http://jobs.berkeley.edu/why-berkeley.html.

For the full job description and to apply for this position, visit http://jobs.berkeley.edu/job-listings.html (search for job # 19358)"

State of the Drought

            Santa Cruz is particularly unique because it relies on rainfall, local surface water and groundwater to secure its water supply.  Its four sources include: surface water from three creeks in the northern portion of Santa Cruz County, groundwater from the Live Oak well system, surface water from the San Lorenzo River, and surface water from the Loch Lomond Reservoir.  No water is imported or purchased from state or federal sources.

           

With passing storm activity in November and December, hopes were high that the effects of 2014’s drought could be diminished as local watersheds were recharged.  However, Santa Cruz experienced no rain in the month of January, calling into question the state of the drought.  The outlook is precarious: March and April are historically wet months, which has the potential to secure much needed water supplies for the rest of the year.  If dry conditions persist, it is possible that the City of Santa Cruz will have to reinstate the mandatory water rationing penalties that were recently suspended.

To see the state of the Loch Lomond Reservoir and weekly precipitation: Click here. 

The “WADR Team”: Water Action and Drought Response Team 

The WADR team! Lauren, Lindsay, Cat and Michael.

 What are we doing to address scarce water supplies here on campus?

            As a team, we're working hard to foster efficient water practices on campus.  We test water fixtures to monitor the water usage on campus, and gather and analyze the data we find to promote and research more efficient practices.  You can find us tabling at events such as last week's successful February Fest or getting involved with the Water Working Group, a collective of different groups and entities on campus that discuss a multitude of issues related to water.

Regional Water Supplies: California

When looking at California’s drought monitor, the situation we are facing seems a bit grim.  Fortunately, there are statewide efforts being made to address the situation with new and innovative approaches.  Take this water challenge to see the cost of different approaches that are being advocated to handle the drought!

February Festival Went Green

This year's annual February Festival celebration was on February 27th, celebrating not only campus organization collaboration, but also sustainability!

The February Festival is a campuswide event hosted by the Dean of Students Office where campus organizations come together, table, and celebrate their accomplishments and year goals. Students who attend are able to walk around the event and learn about campus resources and how to get involved in organizations. Historically, the event has been a lot of fun with interactive games, passionate performances, raffles, and really good free food! This was the first year that the Dean of Students Office made one of their major events Zero Waste, supporting our UC sustainability goal of zero waste by 2020. This included compost collection, "trash talkers” at the waste stations from the Zero Waste Team, and taking proactive initiatives like providing only napkins to serve the free pizza. Thank you to the planners of this event and those who made the zero waste efforts possible!

Congratulations to the February Fest planning team for yet another successful and inspiring event!

Free LEED Green Building Training Series Beginning This Spring

The UCSC Sustainability Office is hosting three workshops this spring on LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), an internationally recognized green building certification program used by thousands of organizations to demonstrate their leadership in and commitment to sustainability.

• Enhance professional development 
• Receive training on the most widely-used green building certification program nationwide
• Learn what's new in Version 4.0 

Workshop 1: LEED GA (Green Associate) (April 20, 9-3pm, University Center at College 9/10)

• Geared towards UCSC staff, faculty and students interested in pursuing their LEED accreditation
• Prepares attendees to take the Green Associate exam for LEED V4.0, which demonstrates an up-to-date understanding of the most current green building practice and principles 

Workshop 2: LEED AP (Accredited Professional) (April 21, 9-3pm, Location TBD) 

• Prepares attendees to take the Accredited Professional exam for LEED V4.0, which demonstrates expertise in the design and construction phases of green buildings 
• Serves commercial, residential, education and healthcare sectors 
• You must have your LEED Green Associate accreditation before you can take the LEED AP exam, however, you can sit for both exams at the same time

Workshop 3: LEED 4.0 Updates for Staff (May 1, 8-4pm, Kresge Town Hall) 

• This workshop is for UCSC staff, and will cover changes with the new version, campus-level challenges and solutions 
• Includes Q&A session with 4.0 experts 

LEED certification exams can be taken at any time. CE Credits apply for all three workshops. Breakfast and lunch will be provided at all events. Please contact Chrissy Thomure at cthomure [at] ucsc [dot] edu for more information or with inquiries. Please register by April 3rd. To register, please click here. 

Green Building Student Alliance

Have you ever wondered what goes into making a building energy, water, and waste efficient? How can UCSC support sustainability in building designs and retrofits? What can you do to support these efforts? Tatiana Gefter (Green Building Campaign Coordinator for the Student Environmental Center), Grant Waldron (Provost's Sustainability Intern for Climate Action), and other students are collaborating to create a Green Building Student Alliance. This group will serve as a student advising resource to campus architects and project managers with a goal of increasing student participation in campus infrastructure design to keep the environment in mind.

With the West Campus Housing Development Plan in the works, the need for this type of student advising group is essential in making sure that student needs are heard and met. The Green Building Student Alliance plans to be a monthly collaborative discussion where doors are open to any and all students. In this space, the group will examine and deliberate decisions affecting the expansion of campus buildings. In addition, it will serve to help share resources and support fellow organizations with their goals while pursuing goals for sustainable infrastructure on campus.

Please email Tatiana Gefter at tgefter[at]ucsc[dot]edu if you or an organization you're involved with would be interested in participating in the Green Building Student Alliance.

Image above is Engineering 2, the first LEED-certified building at UCSC. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design. Other LEED buildings (both retrofits and new buildings) include the Cowell Student Health Center, Biomedical Building,  and the Porter residence halls. For a complete listing of UC LEED-certified buildings, click here.