December 2011
SUSTAINABILITY NEWS from the UNIVERSITY of PENNSYLVANIA
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Welcome Back to the Green Campus Partnership When I look back on the enormous progress of campus sustainability initiatives since the launch of the Climate Action Plan in 2009, it is difficult for me to imagine where we would be without the constant support and involvement of the Penn community. From day one, students, faculty, and staff across the campus embraced the plan’s objectives and pledged to make Penn a more sustainable place to live, study, research, and work. The result of all of our efforts over the last two years is a clear evolution of our campus culture and our approaches to how we think, behave, and conduct business. From the expansion of the Eco-Reps program and development of the Penn Green Fund, to the long-anticipated completion of Penn Park and exciting establishment of a new undergraduate program in energy research, it is clear that sustainability has become integrated into the everyday fabric of this university. The Climate Action Plan goals we set out to meet by 2014 are challenging, and will require much additional effort to achieve. It is the collective effort of each of us that has made our sustainability initiatives so successful to this point, and on behalf of the entire Green Campus Partnership, I thank you for your unfailing enthusiasm. I encourage you to read on to learn even more ways to get involved in the 2011-2012 Academic Year.
Dan Garofalo |
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| FEATURED STORIES | FIND US ON...    |
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| LEARNING SUSTAINABILITY | ||||||||||||||||
| CONSERVING ENERGY | ||||||||||||||||
| MINIMIZING WASTE | ||||||||||||||||
| DESIGNING GREEN | ||||||||||||||||
| REDUCING EMISSIONS | ||||||||||||||||
| EATING LOCAL | ||||||||||||||||
| LEADING THE GREEN | ||||||||||||||||
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| HOLDING A GREEN EVENT? ADD IT TO OUR CALENDAR!  Email event info to sustainability@upenn.edu |
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| TUEOCT11 | Commuter Fair at the Penn Employee Resource Fair 12:00pm - 2:00pm Bodek Lounge, Houston Hall |
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| THUOCT13 | Harold Berger Award Distinguished Lecture: U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu "How Innovation Has Changed the World" 4:30pm, Wu and Chen Auditorium in Levine Hall This event is open to the public. Seating is limited and provided on a first-come, first-served basis. A reception in Levine lobby will follow. MORE INFO |
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| VIEW MORE GREEN CAMPUS PARTNERSHIP EVENTS | ||||||||||||||||
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Green Fund Begins Its Third Year of Supporting Conservation and Sustainability Projects Applications are now being accepted for the Fall 2011 round of Green Fund grants to be used to finance innovative ideas from students, faculty or staff that are designed to help Penn meet its sustainability goals, as outlined in its Climate Action Plan. Established in September 2009 by the Penn Green Campus Partnership with funding from the Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services, the Penn Green Fund has successfully spurred the development of 28 sustainability projects across the campus over the past two years... READ MORE |
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Eco-Reps Partner with SRDC to Clean Up Schuylkill River Trail Penn’s new class of student Eco-Reps partnered with the Schuylkill River Development Corporation (SRDC) and kicked off the new academic year by cleaning up the Schuylkill River Trail at Gray’s Ferry Crescent. A group of over 80 Penn students helped plant trees, remove invasive species, and clear the trail, which just recently opened to the public. The event was part of a new Eco-Reps service initiative that encourages students to connect with organizations in Philadelphia and help improve sustainability throughout the region. For a recap and photos of the event, visit the SRDC website. |
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M.I. GREEN the Latest Program to Introduce Penn Students to Sustainability As new students from around the country and the globe moved into their new residence halls at the University of Pennsylvania last month, they were greeted with a new program to help “green” their new home away from home. Penn’s new M.I. (Move-In) GREEN program connected returning students with incoming ones to encourage participation in sustainability initiatives by conserving energy, recycling, supporting local food suppliers, and joining one of the many green groups on campus... READ MORE |
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Gift from Roy and Diana Vagelos Creates New Undergraduate Program in Energy Research University of Pennsylvania trustee emeritus P. Roy Vagelos, C’50, Hon’99 and his wife, Diana, parents ’90, have made a gift of $13.6 million to Penn to establish the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER), an innovative, dual-degree undergraduate program to be offered by the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science... READ MORE |
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U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu to Speak at Penn On Thursday, Oct. 13, the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) will present its biennial Berger Award to Chu. The award is given to recognize a technological innovator who has made a lasting contribution to society. At the Berger Award ceremony, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. in the Wu and Chen Auditorium in Levine Hall, Chu will deliver the Harold Berger Distinguished Lecture, titled “How Innovation Has Changed the World" ... READ MORE |
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Penn Begins Converting Campus Walkway Lights to LED Penn Facilities and Real Estate Services has begun upgrading approximately 500 existing campus walkway lights to use LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs and new higher efficiency ballasts. The project is one of the first implemented as a result of the Energy Reduction Fund, which was launched in September 2010 as a centralized mechanism to propose, prioritize, and track energy saving projects and energy retrofits for campus buildings... READ MORE |
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Recycle Your Old Books Through Penn Programs We know that the knowledge that comes from reading can last a lifetime. But even the value of the physical book can extend long after you are finished with it. Using Penn's book recycling programs increases the useful life-cycle of the books and reduces the likelihood that that they will end up in landfills. Sometimes these services result in saving money by allowing individuals to get cash-back for their original purchase or by making used books available for a discounted price. In other instances, the books are provided to charitable organizations that make them available to those who have need. Collectively these practices promote both sustainability and social responsibility... READ MORE |
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Penn Park Opens Neither gray skies nor a blustery cold front could cloud the sunny smiles or curb the enthusiasm of those who came out to enjoy the opening of Penn Park. Perhaps the brightest smile of all belonged to Penn President Amy Gutmann as she thanked the many people who helped to make the park a reality… Click here for University Communications’ coverage of the Grand Opening. Take a look at the process that transformed an industrial eyesore into the University’s newest green space. Visit the Penn Connects website for a complete listing of Penn Park press. |
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Shoemaker Green Construction Underway Construction has begun on Shoemaker Green, an $8 million open space project off 33rd Street between Franklin Field and the Palestra that will connect the central campus to the University’s new Penn Park. The 2.75-acre site was the former home to a tennis court complex, which has been relocated to Penn Park... READ MORE |
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Learn More About Campus Transportation Options at the Annual Commuter Fair Today (Oct. 11) The Annual Commuter Fair will be held in conjunction with the Employee Resource Fair today at Bodek Lounge in Houston Hall. The event will feature information on public transportation, biking and bike safety, car and van pooling and other options to driving to and from campus, across town or out to the tri-state suburbs. SEPTA, PATCO, Amtrak, Philly CarShare, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the Clean Air Council and VPSI, Inc. will present various commuting options. Faculty and staff can meet with Penn Transit to learn about special discounts for Penn employees using mass transit plus transportation options on and around campus... READ MORE |
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New Penn Park Transit Services Penn Transit is supporting the opening of Penn Park by launching the new Campus Loop Bus. The Campus Loop Bus will operate from 8 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday, from all transit stops on campus to a new pickup point outside Levy Tennis Pavilion. Buses will run on 20-minute intervals... READ MORE |
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New Commuting Options Available to Penn Employees As part of the Sustainable Transportation Initiative, Penn Transportation and Parking has developed several new commuting options employees may want to consider to make their daily travel more economical and less stressful. Penn has joined with ADP Commuter Services, which currently manages Penn’s health benefits, and developed an on-line commuter benefits program employees will use for SEPTA TransPasses and TrailPasses, PATCO Freedom Cards, TransitCheks or N.J. Transit commuter passes... READ MORE |
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Food Week at Penn Offers a Full Plate of Events Starting Oct. 24 Bon Appetit at Penn Dining is joining with the Fox Leadership Group and students from Mary Summers’ “Politics of Food” class to host the third Annual Food Week at Penn. Food Week focuses on various environmental and social justice issues as they relate to the entire food chain in this country. Starting with National Food Day on Oct, 24th there will be a special event held each day focusing on a particular theme. In past years the themes have included, farm worker policies, nutrition, eating locally and how to prepare of sustainable, healthy meals. For more information, visit the Penn Dining website at www.upenn.edu/dining. |
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University Square Farmers' Market Open Through November Celebrate the harvest! Stop by the weekly farmers’ markets at University Square. Located on 36th Street between Sansom and Walnut Streets every Wednesday from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m through November, the University Square Farmers’ Market features local farmers with a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as artisan breads, chocolates and more... READ MORE |
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Abby Waldorf C'12 & Ashima Sukhdev C'12 They might be too busy to think about it now, but as their senior year rolls along Abby and Ashima will eventually be able to look back and realize the profound impact they have had on the development of sustainability initiatives within the student body at Penn. Since serving as members on the RecycleMania planning committee as freshmen, they have helped connect students and administrators over the past four years as leaders of Penn's prominent student sustainability groups. Ashima, an Economics Major with a minor in Sustainability and Environmental Management, is a Co-Director of the PennGreen freshman pre-orientation program, and last year as Co-Director of the Penn Environmental Group (PEG) she helped found the Green Campus Partnership Student Association, an umbrella organization for student sustainability groups at Penn. Abby, an Environmental Studies Major with a concentration in Sustainability and Management and a minor in Economics, currently serves as Co-Director of PEG and Chair of the Green Campus Partnership Student Association. |
In each issue of Red & Blue On College Green, we recognize a member of the Penn community for his or her environmental sustainability efforts on campus. If you know someone at Penn who is "leading the green," send us an email at: sustainability@upenn.edu | ||||||||||||||
| © 2011 University of Pennsylvania | Penn Green Campus Partnership, 3101 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 | ||||||||||||||||
