Green Tip #7: Ride-sharing and Public Transportation

November is here--do you know how you are getting home for Thanksgiving? Ride-sharing is a great way to get home without using a personal car, saving you money and reducing your pollution. Zimride is a website that posts rides for UCSC students, and all you have to do is pitch in for gas! If you have a car you can post your ride and Zimride can help you get people to pitch in for gas. It's a great way for travelers to reduce their carbon footprint. Zimride is available throughout the year so it can be helpful when going home for a weekend. During the month of November, Zimride is raffling off a new iPad to those who add a ride as either a passenger or a driver. For more information click here.

Are you trying to get to Los Angeles/Orange County for Thanksgiving and or Winter Break? The UCSC Recreation Department is offering a LA Turkey Express bus for Thanksgiving that leaves Wednesday, November 21 at noon and returns to Santa Cruz on Sunday, November 25. There is also a LA Polar Express that leaves on Thursday, December 13 at noon and returns Sunday, January 6. For more information click here.

Another great resource for heading up to San Jose (where there's a train station and airport that can take you elsewhere) is the 17 Express. This bus leaves from the local metro station in Santa Cruz. For only 5 dollars you can ride to San Jose. For a full bus schedule click here.

While we are talking about transportation here are some other great resources:

• Rent a car with friends and use Zipcar
• Bike library click here.
• Bike shuttle click here.

How do you travel? What's your favorite form of public transit? Post in the comments!

November 2012: Innovative Approaches to Sustainability at Other Campuses

Here are a few selections of the innovative approaches to sustainability taking place on other college campuses. Each of these examples was chosen because it's something that UCSC could potentially implement in some form. If you see something here that you want to make a reality at UCSC, contact the Sustainability Office and we will help you direct your ideas toward fruition!

DePauw University pilots free bike rental program 

UCSC has a bike library from which you can borrow a bike for the quarter. Wouldn't it be cool if we also had a bike rental program so you could rent a bike for the day or a weekend?

DePauw University of Greencastle, Indiana, is piloting a free community bike rental program in an effort to discourage students, faculty, staff, and visitors from using cars on campus. Starting off with a fleet of 20 bicycles, rentals will be available to all on a 24/7 basis. Did you know UCSC has a bike library? Students, staff, and faculty can borrow a bike for the quarter by filling out an application. Learn more about the UCSC Bike Library here.

Replacing "Trash" Label with "Landfill" at Princeton
In an effort to change recycling behavior, Building Services have replaced “Trash” labels on disposal bins with “Landfill” labels. The university hopes the change in labels will encourage students to think more carefully about their consumption choices. Building Services, the Office of Sustainability and Green Leaders will be gauging the results of this program and its potential effects on disposal over the next few months. Does seeing the word "landfill" give you more pause than the word "trash"? Tell us what makes you think twice about waste and recycling in the comments below.

November 2012: Classes, Training, & Community

ESLP Seeking Facilitators 

Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP) is looking for facilitators interested in developing a class focused on environmental sustainability, social justice, and project-based education. Previous classes have included topics such as permaculture, green building, environmental art, aquaponics, waste prevention, and many more. All majors welcome. To get involved, send them an email.

Join the Kresge Natural Foods Co-op
The Kresge Community Natural Foods Co-op is a non-profit student-run food store located on the south side of Kresge College. It has been a Kresge College tradition for over twenty years, supporting small farmers, the UCSC Farm Project, and the Kresge Organic Garden. While anyone can buy food at the Food Co-op, members receive a discount. The Co-op operates as a collective and a variety of membership options are available. Special pricing is available on bulk orders. Come in for groceries, lunch, snacks, hot coffee, tea, or just to spend time with your friends.

To contact the Food Co-op, call 426-1506, or attend the bi-weekly meetings every other Sunday at 11 am in the Student Lounge. (Hours: Weekdays 9 AM - 6 PM)

Drop Your Own Drip (DYOD) has found a new home!
The 2012 Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP) 5-unit class project has been adopted by the Student Environmental Center (SEC). That means that there are exciting new ways to earn credit through the the ENVS department and be involved with facilitating the annual campus-wide water-use competition. Interested? Check us DYOD out online here and find out how you can get involved by emailing the new Organizer, Sarah Angulo.

Heard about other sustainability related classes, trainings, or community opportunities around Santa Cruz or the campus? Post in the comments!

November 2012: News & Achievements

TAPS installs new bike maintenance stations on campus

A UCSC student demonstrates use of the newest TAPS "Fix-It" bike maintenance station. Read more about bike-related news below.

The Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) recently installed the first public self-service bike maintenance station at UCSC. The first of many to come, the new station is located at OPERS and includes a tire pump and eight tools necessary to perform basic repairs and maintenance. The Quick Read (QR) code on the front of the Fixit Station provides detailed instructions through your smart phone on how to make repairs. The stations are free to all and are available 24/7. For more information, contact Teresa Buika at tabuika@ucsc.edu. View photos of the stations on our Facebook page here.

UCSC awarded $4.5 million NSF grant for renewable energy research and education

Researchers at UCSC (in conjunction with researchers at UC Davis and two international universities) recently received a $4.5 million, 5-year grant to fund a sustainable energy study. The study will focus on the use of microgrids for energy production at the community level, and will fund opportunities for UCSC engineering students to work at the institutions that share the grant. Read about one of the researchers, Professor Isaacson, in this month's sustainability profile here.

UCSC PowerSave Green Campus Yearly Summary
UCSC's PowerSave Green Campus Program works on energy efficiency and water conservation projects throughout the campus. Check out some of their metrics showing the impact they've made in the last year:

Total kWh (kilowatt hours) savings: 1,609,339.50 kWh
Total Potential savings: 1,988,131.95 kWh

Total CO2 lbs savings: 843,293.9 lbs
Total potential savings: 1,121,097.3 lbs

Total $ savings: $209,214.14
Total potenital savings: $265,474.85
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       See the PowerSave Green Campus Facebook page or website for more information.

What are your thoughts about this month's news? What are you most proud of related to campus sustainability at UCSC? What do you want to see happen here? Post in the comments! 

November 2012 Sustainability Profile: Professor Michael Isaacson

Each month, our newsletter features a person or group on campus that is working toward a more sustainable world. This month's profile features Professor Michael Isaacson, Narinder Singh Kapany professor of Electrical Engineering at UC Santa Cruz.

Professor Isaacson is the principle investigator of the Sustainable Engineering and Ecological Design (SEED) research program at UCSC, which recently received a five-year $4.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to fund clean energy research and educational programs.

Professor Michael Isaacson and fellow researchers were recently awarded a five-year $4.5 million grant to fund clean energy research and educational programs. 

We asked Professor Isaacson a series of questions to get a better sense of his perspectives on sustainability and understand better how sustainability relates to his role at UCSC.

Name: Michael Isaacson
Title: Narinder Singh Kapany professor of Electrical Engineering
Education: B.S. Eng. Physics from University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, 1961-66 and MS, PhD. Physics from University of Chicago, 1966-71
Favorite Green Tips: Think about how much additional energy you use when you send a text message, or email as opposed to talking face to face.
What does "sustainability" mean to you? Developing local renewable energy power plants for community scale heating and cooling thus reducing the need for the inefficiencies and expensive infrastructure needed to transmit energy over long distances.
How does sustainability relate to your role at UCSC? We (the faculty that are part of the SEED program [Sustainable Engineering and Ecological Design]) are trying to put sustainability on a quantitative scale, so that measures of sustainability are not based upon opinion or anecdote, but on real scientifically based fact.
How do you practice sustainability in your daily life? Turning off the lights when leaving a room. Unplugging appliances that aren't being used.

To read more about the research grant and the work of Professor Isaacson and the SEED program, please read this article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel. If you want to learn more about Professor Isaacson's work or contact him, please visit his page on the Jack Baskin School of Engineering website here.

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! 

October Campus Sustainability Plan Workshops

Want to participate in creating new goals for the Campus Sustainability Plan? October is the month for topic planning workshops!

What is the Campus Sustainability Plan?
The Campus Sustainability Plan is a document that identifies goals for UCSC to incorporate sustainability into all aspects of campus operations. It represents the campus’s first comprehensive effort to build a cohesive, phased strategy for the future. Individuals from across UCSC’s administrative and academic divisions helped create it. By working together, they helped raise awareness about the challenges and opportunities of creating a more sustainable campus. It's time to revisit this document and develop new goals for the coming years.

Get Involved 
Workshops are being held this month to start drafting goals and objectives for each topic in the new Campus Sustainability Plan for the years 2013-2016! The workshops will consists of all the staff and faculty members of each Topic Working Group, as well as any students who are interested in participating. The Working Groups are eager to include the student voice as much as possible!

If you are interested in participating, here is the information regarding the Topic Planning Workshops scheduled throughout October.

If you would like to attend one (or more), or can even attend for just one hour, please e-mail Elida Erickson and she can give you some more specific information about those topics.

Here is the link to the current Campus Sustainability Plan 2010-2013 if you'd like to familiarize yourself with the document.

CSP Topic Planning Workshop schedule

• Food Systems Working Group: Tues. 10/2, 1pm-4pm, Kerr Hall Room 307
• Procurement & Business Contracts: Tues. 10/9, 1pm-4pm, 2300 Delaware room A275G
• Waste and Recycling: Thurs. 10/18, 1pm-4pm, Chancellor's Conference Room Kerr 212
• Transportation: Tue. 10/23, 1pm-4pm, Kerr Hall Room 61
• Water: Tue. 10/23, 1:30-3:30pm, Barn G, Physical Planning & Construction Conference Room
• Buildings & Facilities: Wed. 10/24, 1pm-4pm, Barn G, Physical Planning & Construction Conference Room
• Energy: Tue. 10/30, 9am-12pm, Barn G, Physical Planning & Construction Conference Room
• Land Habitat & Watershed: Date and Time TBD, Location TBD (likely Kerr Hall)
• Awareness, Education & Engagement: Date and Time TBD, Location TBD (likely Kerr Hall)