Environment News
April 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: Passport to Environmental Excellence
Page 3 Green Campus: Green building award for Medical Sciences Building and bees
+ 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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Community: Transition University of St Andrews awarded £347,770
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How to get involved: St Andrews in Bloom is looking for enthusiastic green thumbs
In Focus: Top Tips for saving energy This newsletter aims to give staff the latest
Switch off computers and
environmental news at the University and
monitors at night and over the
to involve staff in the work of the new
weekend (whenever possible). A
Environmental Facilitators (see page 2).
single PC operating continuously
This month’s top tips are:
uses about £60 of electricity
Boil only what you need in the
annually. Turning off the PC and
kettle. If everyone in the UK boiled
monitor at night/weekends will
only the water they need every
reduce the bill to £15 annually. If
time they used the kettle we could
every member of staff at the
save enough electricity in one year
University did this we would save
to run the UK’s street lighting for
around £54,000 per year (based on an estimate of 1,200 staff computers).
nearly 7 months.
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Environmental Facilitators with their new energy monitors and Passports to Environmental Excellence
In Focus: Passport to Environmental Excellence fully launched
The University’s forty-eight
energy even further.
Environmental Facilitators are ready
Twenty-nine of the University’s
to help the University achieve its goal
Schools and Units now have an
of becoming carbon neutral by 2016.
Environmental Facilitator and they
The Environmental Facilitators have
are ready to begin working with their
been taking part in workshops over
colleagues to reduce our carbon
the past week to learn about the
footprint. Issued with energy
University’s green achievements,
monitors, they will be looking at the
and generate practical ideas to help
energy loads of their department’s
their Schools and Units reduce
appliances and equipment. Even
Do you want to become an Environmental Facilitator?
small acts like switching equipment off overnight, only boiling the water you need in the kettle and turning off the lights when you leave your workplace can make a huge difference to our carbon footprint and the University’s energy bills. Work with your Environmental Facilitator to make a real difference to your School/Unit.
your line manager. They will need to
The University is looking to recruit at
support you taking part in the
least one Environmental Facilitator
project. Next, let CAPOD know that
per unit or school across St Andrews.
you wish to volunteer. Email
If you are interested in becoming an
capod@st-andrews.ac.uk to register
Environmental Facilitator, first
your interest and find out when you
discuss your likely application with
can next sign up for courses.
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+Green
Campus: New Medical Sciences
Building achieves green award
The New Medical Sciences
flush system for toilets, solar hot water Research Complex (BSRC) is on track to
Building on the North Haugh is the
heating, use of recyclable materials
being awarded a BREEAM Outstanding
first in the University to achieve
and innovative fume cupboard
certification, and would be the first scientific
BREEAM Excellent (Building
technology, and have established this
research building of its kind in the UK to
Research Establishment
building as an inspiration for
received such a high green award.
Assessment Method)
sustainable builds.
accreditation. The building was carefully designed and built with the aim of bringing together students and collaborative research in a building with excellent sustainability credentials in line with the University’s Sustainability policy. Unique features include a rainwater
+ Green
All new builds at the University since 2010 aim to be at least BREEAM Excellent certified. The recently opened Biomedical Science
Campus: Bees for Biodiversity in bee populations is
University grounds. It is hoped that
an increasing concern
more hives will follow at other sites
for biodiversity and
across the University’s estate, resulting
wildlife in the UK. It is
in the potential to produce University
thought that the
honey!
decline is due to viruses to which the bees have no natural immunity combined The University of St Andrews has
with declining habitat.
established its first honey bee
The University of St Andrews
colony on University grounds, with
hopes to play its part in preserving
the support of the Fife Bee-Keepers
the local honeybee population by
Association. The nationwide decline
keeping three beehives on
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To encourage bees into your own garden and preserve bees at home, visit the British Beekeepers Association’s website: www.britishbee.org.uk/articles/index. php. More information on the St Andrews bees can be found on the University website.
+Community: Transition - sodales.
+ Did you know? In 2011/2012, Transition reduced the University’s carbon footprint by 635 tonnes of carbon. Transition also diverted 2.16 tonnes of waste from landfill through StAndReUse.
University of St Andrews Success
Transition University of St Andrews has
The new funded project is a joint venture
been re-awarded funding by the
between Transition and the community
Scottish Government for £347,770 for
council group St Andrews Environmental
an innovative and unprecedented town- Network (StAndEN), as Transition seeks to gown partnership project. In 2011,
extend its successes into the local
Transition, a joint student and staff group,
community. This collaboration between a
was awarded £90,000 by the Scottish
University and a community group is
Government Climate Challenge Fund
bringing significant investment into the
(CCF) to run practical projects to reduce
town, is the first town-gown partnership of
carbon emissions at the University. Over
its kind in St Andrews where individuals
the past year, this project has seen some
are working side by side, and is set to
huge successes, including saving 635
turn St Andrews into one of the greenest
tonnes of carbon emissions through
communities in the UK.
running practical behavior change projects around energy, waste, transport and food. As a result, CCF has extended funding to Transition till 2015.
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To find out more and get involved in Transition events: http://transitionuniversityofstandrews.com/
+ How to get involved: St Andrews In
Bloom is looking for enthusiastic green thumbs
St Andrews In Bloom is looking for volunteers from the
If you have green thumbs and will be in town over the
University to help prepare the town for the 2012
summer, please consider giving some of you time to this
National In Bloom awards. St Andrews In Bloom is a
initiative. If you are interested or want to learn more,
community group, with help from the community council,
please email Lucy on lea24@st-andrews.ac.uk.
that plants flowers throughout town to make sure that St Andrews is beautiful for the national awards ceremony every summer. This year they are keen to develop a University St Andrews in Bloom working group to take care of and maintain a specific area of the town centre throughout the summer.
+ 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 .
Carsharing: http://gocarshare.com/standrews
www.st-andrews.ac.uk/environment www.facebook.com/EnvironmentStA
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