Summer 2014
Sustainability Bulletin
4
Upcoming
6
Alternative Transportation
10 Liberty Terrace Certified 12 Around Town 14 Opportunities
Cover Photo by Paul Miller
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Upcoming “Faith Communities– Wise Reduction Approaches for Energy Costs and Carbon Reduction” A dollar not paid to a utility is just as valuable as a dollar in a collection plate, dollar of endowment interest, or funds raised from a capital campaign, so converting potential energy dollars into core mission use is vital to faith communities. In addition, energy efficiency is part of good stewardship of resources, and can help to protect the environment. This informative, onehour session will guide you through the core sources of energy use by faith communities, a practical three-step approach towards assessing and tackling those energy uses, and how energy reduction is a wise investment compared to any other returns in an endowment fund. Learn also about sources of support from NYSERDA and faith-based organizations. The discussion will be held in Business Building 213 from 5:30-7pm. All USGBC talks on the UAlbany Campus are free for students, faculty, and staff.
Are you transitioning from a traditional dorm to an apartment-style room? Come learn tips and tricks to make your apartment more environmentally friendly! Open houses will be held at apartments on Empire, Freedom and Liberty. The model apartments will be outfitted with green product samples and environmental tips. Try your hand at making you own green cleaning supplies and walk away with free environmentally-friendly products! Ask your Housing Manager for further details.
Mark your calendars for the eighth annual Energy Campaign that kicks off September 3rd! Join us as we again try to reduce our energy usage by 10% from September 3rd to November 9th. This is the perfect time to get certified for your office sustainability efforts if you are a faculty or staff member.
Bill McKibben, world-renowned environmental activist and writer, who will be at UAlbany to discuss our dependence on fossil fuels, climate change, and our responsibility to advocate for positive change on September 16th in the PAC Main Theater. McKibben will discuss one of the most significant issues facing this generation and how we can get involved in the fight for a safe planet and healthy communities. His talk precedes The People’s Climate March in NYC on Sunday, September 21, which will be the largest climate rally in history. The rally aims to influence members of the U.N. who will be meeting in NYC for a climate summit in late September. The Office of Environmental Sustainability is organizing buses to send a contingent of students to represent our school at this historic event. University members will be able to reserve a ticket for the trip at McKibben’s lecture. The event is made possible with the generous support of the Graduate Student Association.
ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION
UAlbany and the Capital District offer many resources to assist those who utilize alternative transportation, which is great news for many of us since about ten percent of UAlbany’s employee commuters travel to work using a mode of transportation other than singleoccupancy vehicle. Check out these tips to see how you can green your commute.
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Many commuters cite the fear of being stranded as the reason they avoid alternative transportation. The Guaranteed Ride Home program addresses this real concern by providing a free taxi ride in case of emergency for those who utilize alternative transportation two or more days per week. Simply owning a fuel-efficient vehicle can save you money. The University provides a 20% discount on parking decals for a low-emitting and/or fuelefficient vehicle on campus. Vehicles are considered fuel efficient if they get more than 35 MPG. The discount is available upon request for campus personnel.
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Now there is a free app for android or iphone that allows you to access the CDTA and UAlbany shuttle bus schedules. It offers real time route info on UAlbany Shuttles to let you know if your shuttle is running ahead or behind schedule.
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Have you invested in an electric vehicle? Fuel up for free at one of our two electric vehicle charging stations. Park your car at the station in the Thurlow Lot or at the Colonial Visitor’s Lot for up to four hours.
Bike-Savvy Commuting Summertime brings many more bikes to the roads. Check out the resources at Capital Coexist to make sure you are staying safe while sharing the roads, whether you are a cyclist or motorist. Albany Bikeshare Week The City of Albany’s Bikeshare Week is Saturday August 9 – Friday August 15! There will be 25 bicycles available for use between 10am and 8pm at the following locations: 1) Washington Park, 2) Lark Street between Washington and Madison Avenues, and 3) Tricentennial Square in downtown Albany (on Broadway between Steuben and Columbia Streets). From Saturday-Tuesday, August 9-12, staff members will be located at the Washington Park location to sign users up and give a quick tutorial on how the program and bikes operate. From Wednesday-Friday, August 13-15, the sign-in table will be located at Tricentennial Square. There will be no cost to participants, although a credit card will be needed as security for the bikes. You may register to participate at the main location in any City, or you may preregister here. Participants who pre-register will still need to visit the check-in table before using a bicycle.
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Campus Bike Share Today UAlbany is home to thirty communal bicycles that allow students to make short trips on two wheels without having to own a bike. The Departments of Residential Life and the Office of Environmental Sustainability teamed up to create the Bike Share, a free service for all students that is funded in part through money saved during the Energy Campaign. Since its introduction to campus four years ago, the program has grown into a student favorite. The Bike Share Program saw huge leap in ridership during the 2013-2014 school year. Over 600 students took advantage of the service, signing out the 30 bikes nearly 1,200 times. With all the new pedal traffic, we’re working hard to ensure that riders have
the best service possible. The Bike Share will see some adjustments as we continue to make the program more accessible and convenient. This year, the Bike Share will be run out of three residential locations, Indian, Colonial, and Alumni, instead of all seven. The change in distribution is a response to students who expressed frustration at the lag time for repairing damaged bikes. With only having to service three locations, the repair company expects to significantly decrease the time it takes to make minor repairs. The switch to three sign-out locations will also accommodate larger groups of students who like to ride together. If you have any questions, email bikeshare@albany.edu.
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Photo by Chris Dustin
Bringing your own bike to campus? Be sure to first register it for free at Parking and Mass Transit and get it tagged by UPD. These few steps increases your chances of being reunited with your bike in case of theft.
Liberty Terrace: Residential Complex Receives LEED Gold Certification The University at Albany's Liberty Terrace, a 20,000 sq. ft. apartment-style student housing complex overlooking Indian Pond, has become the University’s first certified LEED Gold facility. LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” and is a designation given by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is a verification system for green buildings, which incorporates environmental, social and economic benefits throughout the building’s entire lifecycle. The winner of a 2013 ACEC Engineering Excellence Award for engineering design services, Liberty Terrace features several energy-saving, environmentally friendly features, including: A geo-thermal heating and air conditioning system; Energy-efficient windows and doors; Pre-cast insulated concrete panel construction; Use of recycled and locally-sourced materials; Green roofing; Rain gardens; and Permeable pavement.
Check out the video showcasing Liberty Terrace’s features.
The 1609 Challenge
The Science of Brewing
The 1609 Fitness Challenge is designed to encourage Albany residents to participate in at least 30 minutes of exercise every day from June 16 to August 22. The goal of the challenge is help citizens discover new forms of exercise and the variety of City facilities available to them.
Come out on Thursday, July 24th from 6-8pm for a fun event!
The City is offering several activities that are worth points for the 1609 Challenge including Yoga in the Park and Zumba in the Park. For more details on the City of Albany Department of Recreation, its facilities, click here. For more information about the 1609 Fitness Challenge, click here.
Sample beer from area brewers (Brown's Brewing Co., Davidson Brothers, Keegan Ales, Saranac, Steadfast Beer Co.), savor delicious eats, listen to live music by Rob Fleming — all in our unique setting. Explore the science of brewing, interactive exhibits, planetarium shows & more! Door prizes & cash bar. 21 & over. Call 518-382-7890 x 237 for tickets.
Green Drinks
The People’s Climate March
Come to Creo at Stuyvesant Plaza on Tuesday, July 22nd from 5:30 to 7:30 for a green networking opportunity. Connect with who are also working on greener businesses, buildings, policy, laws, and products, education.
Pencil in the largest climate march in history that is taking place on September 21st in New York City. In September, world leaders are coming to New York City for a UN summit on the climate crisis. UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki--moon is urging governments to support an ambitious global agreement to dramatically reduce global warming pollution.
There will also be an organic wine tasting event for Green Drinks Albany attendees. A rep from Bonterra Organic Winery will be pouring samples and talking about the vineyard and their practices beginning at 5:30.
Parks and Trails New York The Arthur V. Savage Internship Program offers an opportunity for undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates to work in Albany with the Parks & Trails New York staff to shape environmentally intelligent policies, organize grassroots constituents and provide stewardship for parks, trails, and other outdoor recreational facilities. The program provides interns with valuable insight and first-hand experience in the environmental field. Specific Responsibilities: Assist with a variety of program, communications, and outreach tasks related to protecting, promoting and enhancing New York’s parks and trails. Projects include: Events – assist in organizing and promoting the statewide I Love My Park Day, Canal Clean Sweep, and Park and Trail Advocacy Days. Communications – assist with print and e-publications, website content and production, and other outreach. Advocacy – assist with PTNY’s advocacy efforts for state parks funding, funding for bike and pedestrian projects, and other parkand trail-related issues. Skills: Well organized, excellent oral and written communications skills, multi-tasker, strategic thinker, experience with Microsoft Office and web-based tools Hours: Part-time, 15-20 hours/week. Hours are flexible in terms of days and times. Position starts in September and runs ideally through May, but requires at least a 15-week commitment. Work Environment: Friendly and hard-working staff. Casual atmosphere. Compensation: $10 - $12 per hour. May be used for college internship requirements. To Apply: Please send a cover letter, resume, and references (including a former employer or supervisor of volunteer work) by August 31, 2014 to careers@ptny.org with the subject line “ASI Internship.” Parks & Trails New York, 29 Elk Street, Albany, NY 12207, www.ptny.org, 518-434-1583
Call for Presenters: 2104 New York State Campus Life Sustainability Education Roundtable On Saturday November 1st 2014, Cornell University in association with the New
York State Sustainability Education Working Group is hosting the 2nd annual Campus Life Sustainability Education Roundtable. In 2013 the Roundtable brought together 100 staff, students, and faculty from across New York to share ideas and discuss programs that engaged students in campus-based experiential sustainability learning opportunities. Participants wanted more! The 2014 Roundtable will again provide a forum for an exchange of ideas, information, and best practices, but will be so much more. NEW THIS YEAR: The 2014 Roundtable will have special sessions by and for students along with sessions led by campus life and sustainability staff from around the state. In addition, there will be a poster session and an evening networking reception. SUBMIT A SESSION PROPOSAL: We are excited to open the doors for proposals from staff and students for 45 minute sessions around several important themes. Please use the form here to submit your session proposal by August 31st.
Office of Sustainability Fall Communications Interns The Office of Environmental Sustainability is seeking three motivated and energetic interns to assist with the publication of monthly sustainability bulletin, developing flier templates for a variety of sustainability engagement initiatives, assisting with social media management and completing other assignments as requested. The interns are expected work a minimum of 10-12 hours weekly. Internships are unpaid though students may obtain academic credit through the Communications Department. Qualifications:
Excellent writing and communication skills Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite applications, especially Publisher Background or strong interest in environmental issues/sustainability Project-oriented with strong self-initiative Adaptable to organizational changes and new projects Positive attitude, commitment and follow-through Photography skills a plus
Deadline: Applications for the fall internship will be reviewed on a rolling basis. If interested, send a resume and letter of intent to Mary Alexis Leciejewski at mleciejewski@albany.edu. Questions about the internship can be addressed to Mary Alexis at 518-442-2592