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.

McHenry Library Goes Zero Waste

Just this month, the largest library on campus took a huge step toward furthering their sustainability. As part of a collaborative pilot program between Grounds, the Sustainability Office, Custodial Services, and the Library, more than 40 four-stream waste stations will be set up throughout McHenry Library for trash, paper, contained recyclables, and compostable waste. McHenry is demonstrating the first comprehensive zero waste collection system on campus, which can set the example for the rest of our campus buildings.

McHenry Library has made reducing waste more accessible throughout the building. An announcement in the University Library News reads, “Collection containers will be provided throughout the library to accept all recyclables, trash as well as compostable materials. Desk side collection bins have been modified to accept compostable materials and recyclable paper. This change is a crucial step toward meeting the UC Office of the President’s goal of reaching 'Zero Waste' by the year 2020.”

Christian Monzon (above), a junior double majoring in Environmental Studies and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, has worked in the Sustainability Office since last year. He is the McHenry Zero Waste Pilot Project Coordinator and hopes UCSC will become the first zero waste campus in California, setting an example for other UCs.

"I am excited about this project because it is an essential step in moving towards our Zero Waste Goal by 2020. I think that students and campus users have the desire to properly sort and dispose of their waste but it can often be confusing, especially since our waste collection is fairly inconsistent across campus,” shares Monzon.

In addition to improperly sorted waste and recycling on campus, one of the largest pieces of the waste pie at UCSC is compostable material, such as food scraps, used paper towels, and Bioware cups, plates, and utensils. These items shouldn’t be going to the landfill in the first place, but there currently isn’t a campuswide solution for composting. This is why the McHenry Library pilot is integrating compost into the waste stream, and the goal is to eventually phase composting into more and more locations on campus.

“Ideally, this project will begin setting the standard for waste collection on campus and will facilitate waste disposal for all students and campus users. This project has a lot of potential to create positive change on this campus and I am excited to be involved in refining our waste management system,” says Monzon.

He assures us that a more detailed update on the project will be released through the Zero Waste Team in the near future.

April 2014 Waste Data

This waste data demonstrates only the materials found in trash dumpsters on campus; it does not include recycling or compost containers. Notice that only 30% of what was actually in the dumpster on its way to the landfill was actually trash--everything else could have been diverted as compost or recycling! 

This is an exciting step toward reaching our sustainability goals because if the pilot project goes well, it is possible that we’ll see zero waste collection streams throughout campus. Besides McHenry Library, you can also find compost bins in the Humanities 1 building, all dining halls, and the Owl’s Nest. Slowly but surely, we’re making composting more accessible on campus!

Email zerowasteucsc [at] gmail [dot] com with any questions, suggestions, or comments about the new collection program, and stay tuned for updates.

Read this week's Tuesday Newsday article about this project here: "Composting bins promote a handy diversion toward 2020 zero-waste goal."

McHenry Library Goes Solar!

This summer, UCSC completed installation of the first onsite renewable power system at McHenry Library. This 250kW photovoltaic array is located on the roof of the newly renovated and expanded library, and it will provide 25% of the annual electrical energy needed for the building. More importantly, it will provide 75-100% of the power needed for the building during peak times of year. 

This project forwards UCSC’s commitment to clean energy and lower carbon footprint by reducing the campus’ use of fossil fuel generated electricity. This project is a result of a collaborative effort between campus staff, faculty, administration, students, and local solar companies. Next time you are at the McHenry Library, look for the informational kiosk and web link that will allow you to view the performance of the solar photovoltaic array in real-time. 

Special thanks go out to the diligent work of Kate Cunningham, UCSC Procurement Specialist; Kevin Foisie, UCSC Project Manager; Patrick Testoni, Campus Energy Manager; Lacey Raak, Sustainability Director; Henry Salameh, Interim Director Physical Plant; Peggy Delaney, Vice Chancellor of Planning and Budget, and many others who supported this project.

Patrick Testoni, UCSC Energy Manager stands in
front of the completed McHenry Library PV array.

UCSC Receives Sustainability Best Practice Awards

UCSC will be recognized with two Best Practice Awards at the statewide Higher Education Sustainability Conference this summer in the categories of Monitoring-Based Commissioning and Sustainability Innovations.

The Monitoring-Based Commissioning award goes to the Earth & Marine Sciences Building project, which significantly reduced the carbon impact of the Earth and Marine Sciences Building through a process known as MBCx (commissioning). This project was made possible by the diligent efforts of campus facilities staff, including (below): Dan Miceli (HVAC supervisor), Dave Ciolino (Project Management), Gabe Sandoval (bldg tech) and Patrick Testoni (Energy Manager).

The Sustainability Innovations award goes to the UCSC College Dorm Bi-Level Stairwell Lighting Retrofit and Green Revolving Loan Fund. Together, these projects are sustainably innovative because our campus was able to reduce energy consumption and utilize associated cost savings to fund future energy efficiency projects. The revolving aspect of the loan is an innovative solution to funding sustainability projects on campus that can generate quantifiable monetary savings and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. The Green Revolving Loan and Bi-level Stairwell Retrofit were made possible through the collaborative efforts of representatives from the UCSC Carbon Fund, Physical Plant and Facilities, Planning and Budget Department, the Sustainability Office, Alliance to Save Energy PowerSave Green Campus Program, and College Housing and Educational Services.

Read the list of best practice awards state-wide here, and find out more about the conference on the website.

UCSC Biomedical Building Officially LEED Gold Certified

The UC Santa Cruz Biomedical Building is now officially LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certified. The building was designed and constructed with a target of achieving silver certification, but it exceeded this goal and is now the third LEED Gold certified building on the UCSC campus. The other two Gold certified buildings are the Porter College House A and the Cowell Student Health Center.

Photo credit: David Hurley, EHDD Architects

"The Biomedical Sciences Facility is one of several science buildings on the UC Santa Cruz campus that together create a biomedical 'research cluster' organized by research interest rather than department. The primary purpose of the laboratory is to provide open and flexible laboratory spaces for researchers in molecular and cell biology, development biology, chemistry and biochemistry, environmental toxicology, and biomolecular engineering."

Photo credit: Frances Fowler, Guttmann & Blaevoet Consulting Engineers

The building's mechanical and electrical designs emphasize sustainability and energy efficiency, with attributes such as daylighting, lighting controls, active chilled beams in the laboratories, reduced air change rates, and low-pressure-drop design of air handling systems. In addition, building information modeling was used throughout design and construction." (Source: International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories)

Stay tuned for more information as we will be covering this story in more depth in our March newsletter.

For a complete list of LEED certified buildings on the UCSC campus and other UC campuses, please click here.

Global Village Cafe Receives Green Business Certification

Congratulations! Global Village Café located at the McHenry Library is the first contracted food vendor on campus to receive their Green Business Certification from the City of Santa Cruz. This intensive program focuses on pollution prevention, water and energy conservation, solid waste and recycling, equipment and facility upgrades as well as staff training are part of this comprehensive City of Santa Cruz Green Business Program.

With the assistance from campus dining (which currently have all 13 locations certified) this 6 month implementation process was achieved in early December. 

Victoria Salas, Adam Hoffman, and Clint Jeffries in the Global Village Cafe at McHenry Library

“I felt it was a major priority to become a certified Green Business. Given the transitional environmental/sustainability issues our generation is facing, I believe our certification will help lead the way for other independent food vendors to demonstrate their commitment to support local agriculture, food waste awareness, and energy efficiency. Going through this process of being certified has revealed several minor measures that all of us can take to make a major difference in the food industry. Thanks to all who helped along the way!" said Adam Hoffman, General Manager at Global Village Cafe. 

“Collaborating with campus vendors to achieve certification is one of the dining department goals from the current 3 year campus sustainability plan and Adam was enthusiastic and motivated from the first contact,” stated Clint Jeffries, Green Business Manager for UC Santa Cruz Dining. 

Assisting Adam in the detailed process was the Chancellor's Undergraduate Intern for Dining, Victoria Salas.  If you want to make change happen on this campus and get involved in UCSC as more than just a student, you should apply for the Chancellor's Undergraduate Internship Program, which is currently accepting submissions until February 13. Find out more about the campus-wide internship program here.

To learn more about the Green Business Certification of Global Village Cafe, please contact Candy Berlin.

November 2012: Internships, Employment, & Volunteering

Seeking Sustainability Theater Arts Consultant: Apply immediately!

The Sustainability Theater Consultant will work with the Sustainability Office's Education & Outreach Team this year to develop a 3-5 minute theatrical sustainability skit to perform for the freshman core classes in order to educate students about sustainability at UCSC and encourage them to get involved and thinking about sustainability in their own lives. Theater experience including directing, performing, and writing required, and experience working with other students who have little-to-no theater experience is ideal. Strong organizational skills required. No knowledge of sustainability or environmental studies necessary, but an interest in learning about sustainability and promoting it to the campus is important. Estimated 10-15 hours/week, competitive pay.

Send your resume and letter of interest to Shauna Casey at scasey(at)ucsc.edu. Be sure to note the position title you are applying for in the subject line of your email.

Get Involved with the Campus Sustainability Plan

Since 2010, working groups of staff and students have identified environmental targets for UCSC in eight topic areas: Buildings & Facilities, Energy, Food, Land & Habitat, Procurement & Business Contracts, Transportation, Waste, and Water. Now, it's time for UCSC to create a new Campus Sustainability Plan 2.0 for the years 2013-16 (see the original plan here)! To get involved in the planning process and help create the next set of environmental performance targets for UCSC, view the schedule of workshops or email Elida Erickson.

Help UCSC Take Back the Tap
Take Back the Tap strives to eliminate the sale of single use water bottles on the UCSC campus to advocate for access to clean water worldwide and reduce waste. If you're interested in getting involved or have any questions please visit the website, Facebook page, or send an email.

Call for Volunteers: Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
Greenbuild is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building, taking place November 14-16 in San Francisco. If you are a full-time student or professional age 25 and under, volunteer and attend for free! For more information visit the website or click here to send an email.

Volunteer at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Interested in gardening, habitat restoration, tidepooling, maintaining exhibits and helping at events for the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History? Volunteer today! Find out more and fill out an application here or email Matt.

Environmental Education for the Next Generation (EENG) Seeking Instructors

EENG provides free, youth-led environmental education programs to 1st and 2nd grade classrooms in public schools throughout California to help cultivate the next generation of passionate caretakers of the earth. For more information, please visit www.EENG.org.

Bike Smart Seeking Cyclists for School Bicycle Rodeo Events
Come share your passion for bikes with the youth of Santa Cruz County. Ecology Action's Bike Smart Program is seeking enthusiastic cyclists of all abilities to assist with their school bicycle rodeo events, which empowers and engages students through safe cycling education. For more information, please contact Kira Ticus and visit the website.

Find or Upload Projects to Sustainability Project Clearinghouse
Interested in getting involved in a campus sustainability project, but don't know how? Are you looking for partners for your current project? Have you completed a project that you would like others to learn from? Visit the Sustainability Project Clearinghouse, a centralized database of UCSC sustainability projects, today! You can view published projects or upload your own projects and ideas. For training on how to upload a project, please contact Shauna Casey.

Know about other internship, employment, or volunteering opportunities related to sustainability around Santa Cruz or the campus? Post in the comments or send us an email!