September 2015

Sustainability Bulletin

4 Energy Campaign

8 Sustainable Leadership Summit

12 Faith and the Environment Series

14 Scaling Up: Farm to SUNY

18 Waste Not

20 Around Town

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Wednesday, September 16th 11AM-2PM

Small Fountain

Caring for the Earth: Faith Communities Respond to the Pope’s Encyclical Thursday, September 17th 7PM PAC Recital Hall

Kale Day Wednesday, October 7th

11AM-2PM Campus Center

Sex in the Dark Monday, October

19th 7PM

CC 375

Tom Porter, Mohawk Leader Wednesday, October 7th 7PM CC 375

USGBC Speaker Series: Eco Machine – Living without Wasting Tuesday, October 13th 5:30PM BB 217

Farm to Table Dinner Thursday, October 15th 6:30PM Interfaith Center

For a full event calendar, go here.

With climate change already affecting the

world, the University at Albany is

attempting to make a difference.

UAlbany introduced the Energy Campaign

in 2007 as an electricity-saving competition

among six uptown residence halls. No in its

ninth year, the campaign has been

expanded to include the Academic Podium

and residential living areas.

Mary Ellen Mallia, the Director for

Environmental Sustainability, and Mary

Alexis Leciejewski, the Program Assistant

for the Office of Environmental

Sustainability, hope to reduce electricity

use in the buildings the campaign is

monitoring by 10 percent compared to a

previous year’s baseline.

While Mallia did admit that the goal is

aggressive, she also said it is “completely

realistic.” Last year, the Energy Campaign

attained an 8 percent reduction on campus.

Eight percent might not sound like much,

but each year the Energy Campaign saves

around a million kilowatt-hours, or

between $70,00 and $100,000 in electricity

costs per year.

This year the Energy Campaign is pushing

for a joint action of students and staff to

foster a more sustainable community at

UAlbany Residential Life has been

increasing awareness of electrical waste,

and it’s showing in the data. For example,

Empire Commons and Freedom

Apartments have show 30 percent

reductions in electricity use over recent

years.

“It really is a focus on collective action,”

Leciejewski said. “If you have faculty and

staff setting the right example, the students

who are working will carrying those

conservation habits with them for the rest

of their life.”

Developing partnerships on the Academic

Podium has proven more difficult, but it is

important.

“We thought two things: First of all, we’re

all in this together as a campus, so that

doesn’t mean just harass the students and

the residence halls. And only a third of our

electricity is used there– most of our

electricity is used on the Academic

Podium,” Mallia said.

This year, the Energy Campaign hopes to

increase competitiveness among the

academic buildings.

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Purple Danes Going Green Campaign aims for decrease of electricity use across campus

By Grant Zelin, originally printed in the Albany Student Press on 9/1/15

Continued on page 6

To kick off the Energy Campaign, the

Office of Environmental Sustainability

teamed up with the Campus

Programming Board for a specialty

Podium Series on September 2nd. Over

300 students stopped by the small

fountain and pledged a specific action

that they would integrate into their

daily habits during the ten-week

challenge. Students then signed an

eight-foot lightning bolt made from

recycled cardboard that will be

displayed on campus as a visual

reminder about our campus

conservation efforts.

“It is true that the residents earn back a portion and we do try to fund green different amenities,”

Mallia said. “We want to try to make it something that can be purchased fairly quickly and can be used

by students in the spring, because they’re the students in the fall who did the saving.”

The Office of Environmental Sustainability also takes a portion of the savings to fund their annual

programs, like the Give and Go Program, the Bike Share Program, and Document Shredding Day, Mallia

said.

There are many ways to get involved in the Energy Campaign. Starting September 2, every two weeks

the Energy Campaign will sponsor a new theme focusing on specific energy actions. One is “Think

Outside the Bulb,” which students and staff can join in by replacing their old light bulbs with energy

efficient bulbs or by using daylight rather than flipping on a switch. Another theme is “Pledge to

Conserve,” where students and staff can sign a lightning bolt containing a method of energy saving

that they pledge to practice this fall.

Any student who posts a picture engaging in something related to the Energy Campaign with the

hashtag #UAlbanyEnergy will be entered into a lottery for a $100 gift card. Every picture posted with

the hashtag will count as an entry. For more information about the Energy Campaign, or to report a

misuse of energy on campus, email gogreen@albany.edu.

Join in the Conversation on

Social Media

Staff and faculty can upload photos of

their energy saving habits in the

workplace to Facebook, Twitter, or

Instagram with the hashtag

#UAlbanyEnergy to enter to win a free

breakfast for the entire office. One

winner will be chosen every two weeks.

Students can also upload photos of their

energy saving habits on campus to

Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the

hashtag #UAlbanyEnergy to enter to win

a $100 gift card during the campaign.

Energy Campaign Themes

Pledge to Conserve

September 2-September 15 Students, staff, and faculty choose one energy saving habit to adopt

during the 10 week Campaign.

Think Outside the Bulb

September 16– September 29 Students switch out incandescent bulbs for energy efficient CFLs. Staff

and faculty practice daylighting in their offices.

Give it a Rest

September 30– October 13 Student, staff, and faculty change the sleep settings on their electronics.

Watts on? Turn it off!

October 14– October 27 Everyone turns off electronics when not in use.

Slay Energy Vampires

October 28– November 8 Everyone unplugs electronics, which still draw energy even when

turned off.

From August 3rd through the 5th, UAlbany hosted the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students’ (NAGPS) 4th annual Leadership Summit. This year’s focus was Sustainable Leadership and included speakers from the Capital District and UAlbany, informative and interactive breakout sessions, group activities, and enjoyable networking and receptions. Students from all over the nation attended, as well as many of the NAGPS national board members, who are graduate students themselves. All those who attended participate in graduate student government at their own colleges and universities. These student leaders came to Albany to learn about the three pillars of sustainability and how that ideology could be used within their own organizations to create effective leadership, stable organizations, and smooth

transitions in student government.

The speakers from the Capital District included Will Malcolm of Capital Roots in Troy, Joe Citek of Tierra Farm in Albany, Carmen Rau of Holding Our Own in Albany, Kay Olan a Mohawk Storyteller, Laura Ten Eyck of American Farmland Trust in Saratoga, and Sandy Steubing of People of Albany United for Safe Energy (PAUSE). Each speaker recalled their leadership experiences through the lens of sustainability. For example, Will Malcolm discussed the importance of taking a holistic approach to visions and goals by considering all the various aspects involved in that mission. In Capital Roots, this holistic approach means not only considering the location of community gardens and prices for vegetables, but how to better serve and engage the

community around them by making a lasting impact.

The keynote address was given by our very own Dr. Mary Ellen Mallia, Director of the Office of Environmental Sustainability, who spoke about the varying nature of sustainability and the impact our actions can have on the world around us. Dr. Mallia also spoke with Dr. John Gowdy of R.P.I. about the intersection of market forces and sustainability. To illustrate the main point of the talk, that individual skills do not matter as much as the composition of a group, Dr. Mallia led the group in the Marshmallow Challenge. Groups of four attempted to build the

highest tower that withstands the weight of 1

marshmallow, out of spaghetti, tape, and string.

Other speakers from UAlbany included Dr. Bret Benjamin and Dr. Aaron Major, both from United University Professions, who spoke about justice, equity, and economic stability. Dr. Gary Kleppel of the Biology Department here at UAlbany gave a very informative and dynamic talk entitled “56 Men in a Room, and other stories of determined underdogs”. Dr. Kleppel’s talk illustrated the main points any movement needs to succeed, including those that occur at the University level. President Jones also gave a very interesting talk at the summit highlighting the importance of the University’s role in public engagement, Collective Impact and coalition

building.

Two receptions allowed attendees to network and enjoy some down time with colleagues and newfound friends. Mohawk Storyteller, Kay Olan, opened the reception by performing a traditional greeting. The summit ended with a breakout session that allowed each attendee to identify tools that are already available to them that they can use in their organization to create sustainability, a Graduate Student Toolbox for Change. One of the attendees, Tara Salehpour from Arizona State University said after the summit, “This was such a great opportunity to connect, learn and grow! The knowledge and tools I acquired during the Sustainable Leadership Summit have already been extremely useful. It was great to connect with fellow leaders and engage in collaborative learning! It has been a catalyst for group cohesion and a national knowledge-sharing

network.”

The summit was envisioned by Caitlin Janiszewski, former UAlbany GSA president and NAGPS Employment Concerns chair, and was put into motion by The Summit Director Cassidy Drasser, and the help of the planning committee formed by UAlbany Students Lisa Cassidy, Robin Brennan, Kat Slye, Erin Sanderson and the Sustainability Office

staff assistant Mary Alexis Leciejewski.

Sustainable Leadership Summit

By Erin Sanderson

Sustainable Leadership Summit Photos!

Faith and the Environment Series

This June, Pope Francis issued a groundbreaking encyclical On Care for Our

Common Home, in which he warns of ‘serious consequences’ if the world does not

act on climate change. An encyclical is an authoritative Catholic document, though

the vision he has laid out is global, interfaith, and intergenerational. As a response

to this profound moment, The Office of Environmental Sustainability and the

Interfaith Center has teamed up to bring a three part series on Faith and the

Environment.

We invite members of our community to take part in one or more of the events.

The Albany community is invited to the events on September 17th and October

7th (free parking in the State Student lot).

Panelists

Buddhist: Monshin Paul Naamon, Abbot of Tendai

Buddhist Institute and Secretary General of Tendai-

shu North America Division

Catholic: Bishop Howard Hubbard, Bishop

Emeritus of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany

Hindu: Dr . Jyoti Swaminathan, Hindu Philosophy

Lecturer/Teacher

Jewish: Rabbi Nomi Manon, Pres. Capital Distr ict

Bd. of Rabbis and Ex. Dir. UAlbany Hillel

Muslim: Imam Rahman Yaki, Imam at the

Islamic Center of the Capital District

September 17 at 7:00 PM in PAC Recital Hall

Caring for the Earth: Faith Communities Respond to the Pope’s

Encyclical

Following Pope Francis’ recent

encyclical, On Care for Our Common

Home, the interfaith community has

been energized to confront the

reality of climate change from the

standpoint of faith. Join us as five

local faith leaders share from their

own traditions the relationship

between people, their communities,

and the environment. The event is

free and open to the public. Parking

is free in State Quad Student Lot.

Reception with light refreshments to

follow.

October 7th at 7:00 PM in Campus Center 375

Tom Porter on Native Spirituality and

Environmental Justice

Tom Porter (Sakokwenionkwas) is a spiritual

leader of the Mohawk Bear Clan and the director

of the traditional Mohawk Community of

Kanatsiohareke. He is the recipient of numerous

awards for his dedication to educating Native and

non-Native people about the true history, culture

and spirituality of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois).

His book And Grandma Said . . . Iroquois

Teachings: as passed down through the oral

tradition will be on sale for $24 after the talk, cash

and check only. The event is free and open to the

public.

October 15th at 6:30 PM at the Interfaith Center

Student Farm to Table Dinner

All UAlbany students, staff,

and faulty are welcome to a

fall Farm to Table dinner.

We’ll share a meal of

seasonal items, some

harvested from the Heritage

Garden. All those with

dietary restrictions will be

able to enjoy the supper.

In order to make an impact on society and project the ideologies of what sustainability is and how to do it, a group of those who want the community to participate is needed. I applied to the Sustainability Council as a sophomore because I

wanted to be part of a group of people who care enough to make a difference in the community, directly and indirectly. I applied for the Recycling Chair position—a position that requires the

coordination of student engagement in university wide recycling events and programs. Such events include organizing student recycling ambassadors at the home football and basketball games. I served as team captain which involved recruiting student volunteers from campus organizations. I also set up activities for America Recycles Day during Sustainability Week, provided input on promotional events surrounding Recyclemania, took a leadership role in organizing and running Trashion Fashion, and created any additional educational awareness events to promote the 3R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).

Waste Not

By Nadia Rodriguez

The co-Recycling Chair, Nia Sanders, and I,

Nadia Rodriguez, felt we still needed to do more. We wanted to start with an enclosed location that is used often by students at the university—the University Library. The increase of garbage in the library concerned us As Recycling Chairs for the Sustainability Council at the University at Albany, we predicted the increase in waste was partially due to the lack of recycling bins in the library. In response to this crisis, we initiated a recycling audit to understand how effective our current recycling program in the University Library is in terms of actual waste recapture.

In total, we conducted four recycling audits

from November 2014 to April 2015. Each audit took place between 6PM to 9PM. This time period was chosen because it is when many students occupied the library, according to our observations. It is important to note that the first and third floors were under construction during this time period. In the audits, we recorded where recycling bins and trash bins were placed on each floor, and counted the amount of items that were misplaced into a trash or recycling bins.

Nia and I came up with three ways to make

recycling more accessible in the main library: Educate everyone about recycling. This included

creating a guidance document for janitorial staff and discussing waste disposal procedures with the library personnel. The bins that were chosen to inhabit the first floor of the library included improved signage so users would better understand what items could go in what bin.

Install distinct bins in designated locations that

are easy for students and janitors to locate and identify on each floor. This would make recycling accessible, keep waste disposal constricted, and help students sort their waste properly. Key spots were identified and waste and recycling bins were paired together.

Keep communication open between the janitorial

and library staff and the sustainability council to make sure the new recycling plan is executed effectively. The staff should feel free to express their views to the council regarding the program’s efficiency based on their participation in observing, collecting and disposing library waste. Likewise, the council will monitor the effectiveness of the program through future recycling audits and periodic meetings with staff.

With these changes, along with the outreach that we plan to execute, we can help students become aware of recycling and increase their participation in making the library a sustainable place—and eventually the rest of the University at Albany.

Summer Intern Summary

Audubon Dinner and a Movie

Meet the Executive Producer of the “Ordinary

Extraordinary Junco”, Distinguished Professor at

Indiana University Ellen Ketterson, Ph.D , and

the producer, writer, researcher, and the film’s

director Jonathan Atwell, Ph.D. Also on hand for

the post-movie discussion is the Huyck

Preserve’s Executive Director, Dawn O’Neal, Ph.D.

Begin the evening sharing in some delicious

food from Jake Moon Restaurant and Café

starting promptly at 5:30 pm on Saturday,

September 26th before taking in a film on the

junco! Take a journey from the boreal forests

of Canada, down to the Rockies, through the

deserts of the Southwest and to the year

round junco residents of Guatemala and Costa

Rica. Register here!

Prescription Takeback

The federal Drug Enforcement

Administration (DEA) will conduct

a nationwide prescription drug

collection on Saturday,

September 26, 2015 from

10:00AM – 2:00PM. Collections

will be held at many locations

around New York and are the

best way to dispose of unused

and unwanted prescription

drugs. Collection locations in

New York can be found on

DEA’s National Take Back

Initiative webpage.

Bike Share

NY Solar Energy Society Meeting

Wondering about the technology behind

renewable energy? Please join us at the monthly

noontime Capital Region meeting of the New

York Solar Energy Society. They tackle solar

cooking, solar heating, solar hot water, wind,

ground source heat transfer (“geothermal”) and

tidal and wave technology. And, they’ll discuss

the deep energy retrofits for homes and the

importance of mass transportation and electric

vehicles. On Friday, September 18th, Kevin Bailey

of High Peaks Solar will give a tour of the Solar

Store and talk about commercial, residential solar

and the benefits of owning vs leasing. Meet at

noon at 180 Main Avenue , Wynantskill, NY

12198. For more information:

coonjoan@gmail.com

Birds Take Flight

It’s that time of year when birds

are on the move. Come along on

an early morning adventure to

observe some of the amazing birds

here and see our science team in

action as they capture and band

birds! Meet at the Albany Pine

Bush on Saturday, September 19th

at 7:30AM. They are working

together to learn more about birds

migrating through the Pine Bush.

After a short outside observation

period, an indoor hands-on

presentation will take place.

Register online here.

Being on campus without a car isn’t always convenient. You can grab

a bus, ride your bike, or get a lift from a friend. But sometimes you

just need access to a car. That’s why we’ve brought Zipcar to cam-

pus.

Zipcar is an 18+ service that gives students access to shared cars –

gas and insurance included! To celebrate the new school year, you

can now join Zipcar for $25, and get $35 in free driving credit. Sign

up today at Zipcar.com to take advantage of this great deal in 2015.

This semester is all about you