Environment News
June 2012 Issue
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Introducing the Environment Newsletter
In this issue:
For environmental news at the University of St Andrews, looking at green campus projects, community initiatives, sustainability governance and how to get involved.
Page 2 In Focus: Energy
Metering Website Launched
Page 3 Community: University Electric Vehicle, the Wee Green Machine
+ Did you know? St Andrews is aiming to be carbon neutral for energy consumption by 2016. St Andrews currently recycles 65% of its waste.
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Green Campus: Plans for Guardbridge Energy Centre
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How to get involved: goCarShare
In Focus: Top Tips for the workplace This newsletter aims to give staff the latest
environmental news at the University and to involve staff in the work of the new Environmental Facilitators (see page 2). This month’s top tips are:
Computer habits, turn off your monitor when you are away from your desk for 15 minutes. It is a myth that screensavers save energy; in fact they can sometimes
Move towards a paperless office.
use more energy! Around 50% of
Every year 350 million trees are
the total energy of the PC can be
cut down for office paper. In this
used by the flat screen alone. So
digital age, many printing
when going for lunch or a meeting,
practices are no longer needed.
remember to turn off your monitor.
Think about where you can limit paper use.
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To see the live data and track energy consumption in your building follow: http://energy.standrews.ac.uk/standr ews/StAndrews.aspx
In Focus: Live energy data website launched A live energy data website has
monitoring their daily energy
electricity base load, as night use is
been launched which monitors
consumption, identifying areas for
either essential or waste. Try
electricity consumption in
improvement and tracking any
developing a set of action points.
buildings across the University.
savings.
This website displays live, half hourly electricity data and compares it to the previous week’s consumption. Electricity usage is displayed in kilowatt hours and in cost.
Collectively we can make a difference.
Take a look at the data for your building. Environmental Facilitators across the University are going to be working with their colleagues to look at electricity usage and investigate
It is hoped that this will be a valuable
where improvements can be made. A
tool for staff members to use in
great place to start is night time
Environmental Facilitator Corner Environmental Facilitators in schools and units across the University will
It is important to note that the data is currently displayed in Greenwich Mean Time, and so the time is delayed by 1 hour in the summer. As the site has only just been launched please excuse some kinks that are being worked out. If you have any ideas or would like to be involved in this please email your Environmental Facilitator.
be using the new energy monitoring
If you would like to become an
website to explore electricity
Environmental Facilitator or find out
consumption in their buildings and
more about the programme, please
ways this can be reduced.
email environment@standrews.ac.uk.
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+Community:
Pupils have designs on the ‘Wee Green Machine’
Pupils at Lawhead Primary School
the electric vehicle is used by the
are proud to watch their artwork
Estates Department for work around
driving round the town after
the gardens and estate, and is one of
winning an environmental
the many practical ways in which the
competition run by the University
university is taking carbon reduction
of St Andrews Environment Team.
seriously. Before creating
Primary six youngsters created the
their designs the pupils
winning designs for the University of
learned how the van is not
St Andrews’ 100 per cent electric
powered by fossil fuels,
vehicle. Earlier this year, the
but gets plugged into a
Environment Team ran a competition
power source every night.
with the class to design a green image to celebrate the van’s green credentials. Dubbed the ‘Wee Green Machine,’
“eco rocks!” Have you spotted the Wee Green Machine around town? Snap a photo and upload to the facebook profile: www.facebook.com/weegreenmachine
Designs by the pupils included images of trees,
turbines, rainbows and featured slogans such as
+ Community:
2 tonnes of items donated for container to Namibia The appeal for resources went out Team, in partnership with Madras, coordinated efforts to
collect enough items from schools and units across the University to
under a week before the container was due to depart and despite the short timeframe, we were hugely impressed by the outpouring of support from Departments across the University.
fill an Estates van.
Schools and Units that contributed
These items included:
were: CAPOD, English Language
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Teaching, Environment Team, IT
projectors, six
Services, Media Services, New Hall
Staff across the University have
computers, English language
School of Biology, School of Classics,
donated educational resources for
learning books, stationary and
School of Computer Sciences, School
schools in Namibia, to help
welcome packs with shampoo, soap
of Economics and Finance, and School
children in need. The Environment
and toothpaste.
of Psychology and University Library.
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+ Green Campus: Plans for - sodales.
+ Did you know? The Energy Centre plans aim to save 12,000 tonnes of carbon annually, which would reduce current University CO2 emissions by 45%.
Energy Centre at Guardbridge
Plans for an energy centre at the
In addition to the energy centre, plans for
former Guardbridge paper mill site are Guardbridge include a number of other progressing.
ventures, including a Knowledge
After 18 months of preparatory work, the University is currently seeking a specialist partner to develop the green energy centre. The proposed ÂŁ25 million investment will produce green energy from biomass, hydro, ground source heat pumps and gas reclamation from sewage. The goal is for the energy produced at Guardbridge to be pumped as hot water directly to the North Haugh at the University, as well as be used to power
local businesses and activities on site.
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Exchange Centre to provide missing link facilities for academic research and discoveries to be put into practice. A
brewery is also in the works. All of the activities on site are predicted to generate 100 jobs. The plans for Guardbridge align with the University’s goal of going carbon neutral by 2016. It is one piece of large scale plans to produce our own energy in conjunction with reducing consumption and improving energy efficiency across the University.
+ How
to get involved:
Have you ever considered carsharing? As car numbers
If carsharing is something that might work for you, even a
in St Andrews rapidly increase, our roads are becoming
couple days a week, check out
busier, parking is more difficult and the subsequent
www.gocarshare.com/standrews.
carbon emissions are rising. While student car usage has
This site helps you to connect with other individuals who
decreased from 638 to 294 since 2009, staff car usage has
are going your way. People who have free seats available
only decreased from 2054 to 1859 (figures calculated using
to drive passengers are especially needed, so please
parking permit numbers).
consider if you would be willing to share the ride.
Carsharing allows commuters to share the cost of driving
Life’s a journey – share it!
into St Andrews, as well as the experience of the ride.
+ Useful links
Thank you for reading
Policy
Please do not print. 350 million trees are cut down every year for office paper.
Sustainable Development Policy and Strategy 2012-2022: http://www.standrews.ac.uk/media/SD%20POLICY%20&%20STRA TEGY%202012-2022..pdf Carbon Management Plan 2011-2016: http://www.standrews.ac.uk/media/Carbon%20Management%20Pl an%20Feb%202012%20%20University%20Of%20St%20Andrews.pdf
Resources Recycling Procedures: http://www.standrews.ac.uk/staff/tech/estates/waste/Recyclin g/#d.en.24106 Green Guide (and further green resources): http://www.standrews.ac.uk/environment/Resources/
This newsletter was produced by the Environment Team and sent to you by your Environmental Facilitator.
Carsharing: http://gocarshare.com/standrews
www.st-andrews.ac.uk/environment www.facebook.com/EnvironmentStA
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