Courtesy of Charlotte Blogs

Commit to an environmentally-geared New Year’s resolution and make a positive impact in your life and the community.

Anywhere you go – from home, the office, around town, and such – can be an opportunity to help save the planet. For a a few tips to help you stick to your resolution keep reading!

At home, reuse before you recycle. Bring plastic grocery bags to the store for fresh produce or reuse plastic bags as trashcan liners. Pass along hand-me-downs to your friends and family or transform old T-shirts into cleaning rags.
Invest in products that last. If the thought of reusing a Ziploc bag is terrifying, purchase reusable containers made from glass that are microwave and dishwasher safe. Consider the packaging. Buy in bulk whenever possible or opt for products that use minimal packaging: bagged cereal, OB Tampons and concentrates.

At work, always remember to turn off the lights and electronics before leaving. If the New Year means a new computer, purchase an Energy Star laptop instead of a desktop – they are up to 70 percent more energy-efficient.  Whenever possible, print and copy on the duplex setting. Also, place recycling bins next to printers or copy machines.

For on the go, carry a reusable, BPA-free water bottle. Not only will you save hundreds of dollars in bringing your own drink, but you’ll also save thousands of plastic bottles from being tossed into landfills. Also, stash a few reusable grocery bags in your car just in case you get to the store without one.

Which is why we compiled this handy list of eco-classes. You’ll need to check the university’s course catalog for course times and descriptions, but hopefully this will make your search easier!

The list has courses for all levels of students and is organized into three areas: environmental, economic and social.

Enjoy and good luck next semester!

The Office of Sustainability is building a strong team of researchers, event planners, assistants and volunteers for next semester. We want your help!

For the student position list, keep reading.

Outreach Coordinator:
The Outreach Coordinator will be the primary contact and manager of the outreach efforts of the Office of Sustainability. This position will be responsible for coordinating the efforts of the Promotions Assistant, Graphic Design and Media/Public Relations Interns to ensure the most effective and motivating outreach to students, faculty and staff on campus.

The Outreach Coordinator will be advising each area (Promotions, Graphic Design and Media/Public Relations) in order to help the student staff promote their efforts through events, marketing materials, utilization of local media outlets/resources, and maintaining the organization’s Web site. Interns will receive direction and supervision from the OoS staff. Special projects will include the overall coordination of Earth Week in the spring semester and Sustainability Week in the fall semester.

Promotions Assistant:
Position is responsible for the promotion of all We Mean Green and Office of Sustainability events and initiatives. The Promotions Assistant will also collaborate with the Outreach Coordinator to create education activities, marketing strategies, tabling efforts and any other related marketing/outreach programs for the OoS. Following certain events, evaluations and surveys will be collected from attendees and the data will be compiled for program evaluation. Marketing majors encouraged. Must enjoy interacting with people and public speaking.

Graphic Design Intern:
This position will focus on the creation of marketing and design materials for the needs of the OoS or other sustainability initiatives on campus. The position will work with the Promotions Assistant and Outreach Coordinator to generate marketing themes and ideas for various activities. Duties will include producing advertisements, posters, and other handouts for events and programs, layout newsletter design, brochures and publications. Must have experience and proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop, etc. Communication Design majors are encouraged.

Media/Public Relations Intern:
The MPR position will ensure that all OoS events are publicized in appropriate media outlets on campus and in the community. Duties will include writing about and promoting sustainability through articles and interviews on and off-campus. This position will also conduct necessary research on current sustainability events at the local/national/global levels. This position will also be responsible for Web site administration, communications with the Outreach Coordinator, URCM, and other UNT entities about OoS updates. The MPR position will also be the liaison between UNT student organizations, groups, and departments, and community groups. Must have good communication, writing and personal skills and be proficient in Web site management.

Operations Coordinator:
This position will be involved with many of the sustainability related initiatives on UNT’s campus, including but not limited to:

Recycling: Due to limited space, financing and other resources, it is essential that each of the campus entities (housing, academic and general office spaces) coordinates its efforts to increase consistency, efficiency and user awareness. Internship projects will involve implementation of several strategies targeted at unifying recycling systems and making them more user-friendly by encouraging cooperation between departments to seek agreement on signage and materials recycled. This position will also assist with current efforts where UNT partners with city and county officials on a more effective regional recycling program. The position may also create a guide to recycling services available in the community.

Chiapas Project: In partnership with Chiapas International, the position will work on the collaborations with the project contacts to ensure the collection boxes here on campus are taken care of. Timely pick-up of the phones, proper disposal of all items collected, and working with the departments that are near the collection boxes is required.

We Mean Green Initiative Intern:
The OoS is currently developing groups of students, faculty and staff to work with various departments on campus to encourage sustainability in general office practices. Because each department on campus represents a unique set of perspectives, interests and skills, the need for communication and resource sharing is paramount. This position will: (1) develop materials and resources to help encourage the initiation of green initiatives in various campus departments and organizations, (2) coordinate communication between the OoS green teams 2.1) encourage new departmental participation and team membership, (3) collaborate with green teams to develop office resources, suggested campus-wide purchasing guidelines, and (possibly) funding sources for the groups, (4) develop an office, department, or school “we mean green certification” program, and (5) develop a green reward system for recognizing individuals or groups for outstanding green practices.

Green Space Intern:
The Green Space Intern will focus on the possible green spaces on-campus to ensure proper usage. Funding mechanisms will also need to be evaluated and researched. This intern will work on (1) assimilating volunteers through Center for Leadership and Service to coordinate community service opportunities, (2) education opportunities relating to Elm Fork Education Center, (3) marketing  the use of the green spaces, and (4) operations of the care of each of the spaces. This intern will also (5) work with student organizations on campus, such as NTEEC and Slow Foods to designate the needs of each of the green spaces.

Development Coordinator:
This position will work with the Director to outline development priorities and strategies. A comprehensive approach will be undertaken by this position to target prospective partnerships in the public and private sectors. This OoS Development Coordinator will conduct research and identify prospective partners for the OoS or other programs or departments at UNT. This position will develop relationships between the OoS and off-campus organization, institutions, and corporations, maintain professional contact with partners on and off campus.

Campus Sustainability Project Coordinator:
Coordinate and assist the Climate Action Plan team to research or compile information as needed. Research in renewables and capabilities of UNT’s campus. Research and find ways to support AASHE’s STARS campus sustainability rating system. Interest in research and writing encouraged.

Books to the World- Africa Initiative Intern:
BWAI project is a partnership between UNT and Rotary International. Their goal is to collect 5 million textbooks and send them to South Africa. This position will be working closely with the graduate-student team to help market this special project to schools around Texas. A large part of this effort will be contacting and communicating with schools on how they can become involved with this effort, as well as encourage collaborations with UNT’s student organizations. In addition, this position will promote, market and coordinate outreach efforts to Texas schools and work with Rotary International to ensure organized and efficient processes. Marketing majors encouraged.

Earth Week Intern:
The Earth Week Intern will be the assistant to the Outreach Coordinator (who is coordinating all Earth Week activities). This position will organize Earth Week logistics, including: conferences, concerts, speakers, fairs, etc. This position may involve program development, fundraising, proposal writing, reserving locations and equipment, serving as liaison between speakers, attendees, departments and the OoS. Requires excellent organization, interpersonal and communication skills.

Construction Intern:
Intern will be actively involved with all construction efforts on UNT’s campus and possible future LEED-EB certifications for current buildings. Business Leadership Building, Union Building and future football stadium and athletic complex will be included in these efforts. The position will work with departments, construction personnel and facilities. Research of other similar projects across the nation may be required. In addition, innovative construction plans, such as the use of shipping containers as buildings, will be an added focus for this position. Engineering majors encouraged to apply.

A chief engineer for NASA will discuss his role of science and engineering in robotic planetary missions at 8 p.m., Friday, Dec. 4 at the UNT Coliseum to kick off the Texas BEST Robotics Competition.

B. Gentry Lee, of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Directorate in Pasadena, California, will also give his thoughts on how science and technology will shape the next century as well as the possibility of life on Mars. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Lee is responsible for the engineering integrity of all the robotic planetary missions managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. His major recent work included overseeing the engineering of the Phoenix mission that landed successfully in the Martian arctic in May 2008. Previously, Mr. Lee provided oversight for all engineering aspects of the twin rover missions to Mars that landed in January 2004.

Two UNT professors are developing ways to make mobile electronics become more energy efficient. The goal is to balance power with energy efficiency. Who says you can’t have a Mega Computer that runs on nearly nothing?

courtesy of unicefusa.org

For the past year, UNT’s UNICEF group has pulled its resources to raise $4,560 for UNICEF’s nation-wide “Help Us Save Some Lives” campus challenge.

The George Harrison Fund is matching UNT’s contribution, totaling $9,120 to help children in Darfur.

As a reward for winning the campus challenge, UNICEF celebrity ambassador Alyssa Milano is coming to UNT to speak about UNICEF and the George Harrison Foundation for UNICEF at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 24, Friday, December 4, at the Silver Eagle Suite in the University Union. Milano is best known for her role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who’s the Boss? and as Phoebe Halliwell on the supernatural series Charmed.

There will also be a viewing of the George Harrison Concert for UNICEF documentary and comments on the challenge by UNICEF officials and the president of the UNT group.

Admission is free with a student I.D., $5 for UNT faculty and staff, and $10 for general public. Tickets will go on sale Friday, November 13, at the at the University Union Information Desk, third floor of the University Union.

Emissions data on a hamburger chain's menu. Photo courtesy of nytimes.com

If you pick up a fast-food hamburger in Sweden, you may end up knowing more than you bargained for.

The Swedish government’s Nutrition Department is adding a carbon-footprint to its label next to the nutrition facts. While the new addition may be a bit confusing to some — for example, a box of oatmeal reads “Climate declared: .87 kg CO2 per kg of product” — it could introduce a new level of environmental-responsibility to hungry consumers as they consider their diet’s environmental impact.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, “changing one’s diet can be as effective in reducing emissions of climate-changing gases as changing the car one drives or doing away with the clothes dryer.”

“We’re the first to do it, and it’s a new way of thinking for us,” said Ulf Bohman, head of the Nutrition Department at the Swedish National Food Administration, which was given the task last year of creating new food guidelines giving equal weight to climate and health. “We’re used to thinking about safety and nutrition as one thing and environmental as another.”

The article goes on to mention that the Scandinavian organic seal, KRAV, in 2010 will require organic farmers to adopt low-emission farming techniques if they want to display the seal. This may present some problems for organic tomato and carrot farmers as they must be grown in temperature-regulated greenhouses because of Sweden’s climate.

Farmers with high concentrations of peat soil on their property may no longer be able to grow carrots, since plowing peat releases huge amounts of carbon dioxide; to get the organic label, they may have to switch to feed crops that require no plowing, said Johan Cejie, manager of climate issues for KRAV

One thing is certain, climate change is affecting the way people shop and eat.

Smog over Dallas, photo courtesy of DallasNews.com

Randy Loftis, Dallas Morning News ‘ environmental investigative reporter, explores how the green movement is impacting and changing North Texas from highway infrastructure to university curriculum. (Loftis leads a graduate-level environmental reporting class at UNT and is the voice of environmental justice for many in North Texas with his watchdog-journalism stories about Dallas-Fort Worth’s environmental state.)

Dr. Todd Spinks, director of UNT’s Office of Sustainability agrees:

“I think we’re at the beginning of a new era in the North Central Texas region — looking collectively at how to improve this entire urban area,” Spinks told DMN.

According to the according to the landmark 1987 U.N. report “Our Common Future,” as quoted in Loftis’ article, sustainable development is meeting “the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

“In short, running the economy without degrading the environment,” Loftis writes.

The article sites a 2001 study of Houston’s ozone by Harvard School of Public Health. It estimated that for every .51 parts per billion in ozone that is reduced, society saves about $10 per person per year — totaling in nearly $63 million for the North Texas metroplex. When that same formula is applied to North Texas, reducing ozone by the estimated 25 percent to reach Obama’s standard, the region can potentially save up to $2.6 billion a year in health and related costs, according to the article.

If cleaner air lures employers, keeps people healthy and spares unneeded health expenses, Murphy said, saving energy as part of a more sustainable North Texas makes economic sense.

“One of the ways to continue that is to embrace green, sustainable development as a region,” he said.

“If that attitude – and it’s a big if – if that attitude can be embraced here, if we embrace green business all the way from Austin to Dallas and Fort Worth, and we get the universities involved, the investment banking community involved, that is a game changer.

“You can get clean air out of that.”

For the entire article, click here.