Sustainability events put on and hosted by the Tufts Community.
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Feb 07:Can You Shuck it? Eat Oysters and Learn about Oyster Restoration in Boston
February 6, 2013 – 1:59 pm
CAN YOU SHUCK IT? EAT OYSTERS AND LEARN ABOUT OYSTER RESTORATION IN BOSTON
Thursday, February 7, 2013, 6:00 – 7:00pm
Cabot 206
Join Fletcher Green & the Fletcher Neptunes for a talk with Andrew Jay, founder of the Massachusetts Oyster Project.
Oysters used to thrive in Boston estuaries, serving as a food source and lucrative fishery, filtering wastewater, and creating a habitat for more than 100 other marine species. Come learn about the Massachusetts Oyster Project http://massoyster.org‘s current restoration project, the challenges of shaping fisheries policy, and the politics of conservation and non-profits.
Tisch Library Undergraduate Research Award (Deadline: Mar 8)
February 4, 2013 – 3:52 pm
Applications are now being accepted for the Tisch Library Undergraduate Research Award, recognizing outstanding use of the library’s collections and experts in the production of an exemplary research paper or project.
All currently registered undergrads are eligible. Winners must agree to contribute materials to a Tisch display and to submit their entry to the Tufts institutional repository. Projects/papers completed between January 2012 and March 8, 2013 (the deadline) are eligible.
One $500 first prize and one $250 second prize will be awarded in each of three categories
· Projects/papers completed for the first year writing program (ENG 1-4 or any course taken to fulfill the college writing requirement)
· Projects/papers completed for 001-99 level courses
· Projects/papers completed for 100-200 level courses
For more information
View the award information site (http://www.library.tufts.edu/tisch/award/info.html)
View last year’s winners (http://www.library.tufts.edu/tisch/award/winners.html)
Email the committee (tischlibraryawards@elist.tufts.edu)
Tufts Energy Competition 2013 (Deadline: Feb 1st)
January 30, 2013 – 11:08 am
Do you have a great energy idea? perhaps even a final project related to energy? Win up to $3,000 to jump-start your energy idea! Apply to the Tufts Energy Competition!
Working on an innovative project on energy or sustainability that can be leveraged into a winning proposal? The Tufts Energy Competition is looking for your ideas! This competition is a celebration of innovative student-driven solutions to energy challenges. The goal of the Tufts Energy Competition is to support students implementing projects that explore solutions to key energy issues. The winning team will receive up to $3000 to implement their project, and the runner-up will receive $2000.
Every Tufts student is eligible to apply, including engineering students, undergraduates, Tufts medical students, international studies students, and more. The application is due February 1 and can be found onhttp://www.tuftsenergyconference2013.com/energy-competition/.
Need some inspiration? Previous finalists and winners include:
- A Split Junction Solar Concentrator for More Efficient Electricity Generation
- Giving Students the Chance to Choose Their Energy
- Efficient Hygiene Initiatives: Bringing Ecological Sanitation to Thottiypatti
- Solar Powered Uninterruptible Power Systems
- Ocean-Based Algae Energy
- Wind Turbines and Solar Cookers in Zimbabwe
- High Voltage Lithium Ion Battery Management System
The 2013 Energy Competition hopes to continue this success with your great ideas!
For more information on the 2013 Tufts Energy Competition please visit: http://www.tuftsenergyconference2013.com/energy-competition/
For any further questions or comments on the 2013 Tufts Energy Competition please email tuftsenergycompetition2013@gmail.com or nolan.katherine@gmail.com
Mar 02: Campus Cultivation Conference
January 28, 2013 – 10:23 am
Campus Cultivation Conference
March 2nd
Tufts University
RSVP by Feb 15
http://cultivatecampuses.tumblr.com/
In 2010, Middlebury College hosted the first Campus Cultivation Conference, bringing together students from liberal arts schools with a garden or farm – or just a dream for one – in the Northeast for a day of networking and sharing. The following year, Wellesley College picked it up, hosting such schools as Babson, Brandeis, Olin College of Engineering, Bennington, Tufts, and of course, Middlebury.
This year, on March 2, 2013, Tufts University student gardeners are planning to keep it going!
We’ll be focusing on issues surrounding cultivation in an urban environment, with workshops on diverse topics including hydroponics, medicinal uses for herbs, and how to garden in cold climates. We will also have a collective problem solving exercise to help students create strategies for issues such as using limited resources and in the face of high membership turnover.
Working schedule includes:
Keynote speaker: Groundwork Somerville
Workshops:
Hydro/aquaponics by Sabrina from Rootdown Hydroponics
Canning/Preserving by TBA
Designing Food Systems Curricula by Jeff Hake (check out his blog )
Medicinal Uses for Herbs by Naturopathic Dr. Zartarian
Soil Health by Jeff Hake
Cold Climates by Tufts Biology Professor George EllmoreFor more information, email tuftsstudentgarden@gmail.com.
Designing Food Systems Curricula by Jeff Hake (check out his blog )
Medicinal Uses for Herbs by Naturopathic Dr. Zartarian
Soil Health by Jeff Hake
Cold Climates by Tufts Biology Professor George EllmoreFor more information, email tuftsstudentgarden@gmail.com.
See you in March!
Feb 01: Application due, Tufts Energy Competition
December 17, 2012 – 3:05 pm
Greetings from the Tufts Energy Competition!
Do you have a great energy idea? perhaps even a final project related to energy? Win up to $3,000 to jump-start your energy idea! Apply to the Tufts Energy Competition!
Working on an innovative project on energy or sustainability that can be leveraged into a winning proposal? The Tufts Energy Competition is looking for your ideas! This competition is a celebration of innovative student-driven solutions to energy challenges. The goal of the Tufts Energy Competition is to support students implementing projects that explore solutions to key energy issues. The winning team will receive up to $3000 to implement their project, and the runner-up will receive $2000.
Every Tufts student is eligible to apply, including engineering students, undergraduates, Tufts medical students, international studies students, and more. The application will be available starting December 20 and is due February 1.
Need some inspiration? Previous finalists and winners include:
A Split Junction Solar Concentrator for More Efficient Electricity Generation
Giving Students the Chance to Choose Their Energy
Efficient Hygiene Initiatives: Bringing Ecological Sanitation to Thottiypatti
Solar Powered Uninterruptible Power Systems
Ocean-Based Algae Energy
Wind Turbines and Solar Cookers in Zimbabwe
High Voltage Lithium Ion Battery Management System
The 2013 Energy Competition hopes to continue this success with your great ideas!
For more information on the 2013 Tufts Energy Competition please visit: http://
For any further questions or comments on the 2013 Tufts Energy Competition please
email tuftsenergycompetition2013@gmail.com or nolan.katherine@gmail.com
TSC holds Fall Sustainability Roundtable
November 12, 2012 – 2:48 pm
TSC's Fall Roundtable drew members from the CSC working groups and various sustainability-related organizations around campus
Tufts Sustainability Collective, the active umbrella organization for environmental groups on campus, has been very busy the past two weeks! The student-run group hosted two successful events, a Sustainability Roundtable and a Sustainability Dinner at Dewick. Both of these events have become staples each semester, so if you missed them this time around, look for their reappearance in the spring!
This fall’s Sustainability Roundtable featured the Campus Sustainability Council‘s three working groups for Energy and Emissions, Waste, and Water. Each group presented their goals for the university and their progress since convening earlier this year, pursuing a dialog with members of the Tufts community, from students to the head of Facilities.
Energy and Emissions team-members noted the achievement of meeting the standards set by Kyoto protocol by 2012 and mechanisms for decreasing the university’s carbon footprint, such as increased efficiency and switching fuels to natural gas or to distributors with renewable sources. In order to reduce energy consumption as the community continues to grow, however, a university-wide effort is called for, and the educational aspect of this goal is where the Office of Sustainability comes in!
The Waste working group focused on reducing outputs to the landfills during new construction projects and building rehabilitation. They mentioned many waste-reduction goals and plans to collaborate with Tufts Facilities in particular to “use less, reuse and recycle more” before anything is dumped in the trash.
The Water team had great news to present, including some concrete actions already in motion on the Tufts campus! Projects so far have included water reuse systems for machinery in laboratories and elsewhere, reducing the water coming in by hundreds of thousands of gallons already, and the recent construction of a university rain garden near the lower campus dorms. Rain gardens are both visually appealing and ecologically sound, ensuring rainwater is infiltrated into the soil, cleaned naturally, and returned to the groundwater rather than sent with pollutants down the storm drains. The Water working group also discussed plans to enter the EPA’s RainWorks Challenge, a national infrastructure design competition, and to look into porous pavement and gray water systems.
Read more about what was discussed at the roundtable in Tufts Daily’s news article.
-written by Anne Elise Stratton
Campus Sustainability Council Fall 2012 Update
October 31, 2012 – 5:38 pm
During the summer, the Tufts Sustainability Council’s various working groups met to discuss goals for Tufts in the areas of water, waste and energy/emissions reductions.
The Water Working Group envisioned Tufts having an integrated water management approach that reduces consumption, promotes reuse, and minimizes impacts on the environment enabling Tufts to become a leader in campus water management in higher education.
To reach this goal, the Water Working Group recommends that Tufts meets and exceeds federal, state and local regulations regarding runoff, sanitation, and sewer systems; implements LEED standards for water use and quality; and ensures that Tufts students, faculty, and staff are knowledgeable of how their actions impact water use and quality and know how to mitigate negative impacts on their watersheds.
The Waste Working Group’s primary goal as discussed during their Summer meetings is an overall reduction of waste at Tufts by 3% a year through source reduction, improved waste management strategies, and a general culture change on campus with regards to waste.
Part of the Waste Working Group’s proposed strategies involves improved purchasing practices to ensure that an increased percentage of environmentally responsible products are purchased by the university.
The Energy and Emissions Working Group discussed ways for Tufts to demonstrate leadership in responsible climate action through energy efficiency, emissions reduction and adaptation. Under the New England Governors/Eastern Canadian Premiers Climate Change Action plan, the Energy and Emissions group is committed to seeing Tufts reduce emissions to 10% below 1990 levels by 2020 and reducing emissions to 75-85% below the 2001 levels by 2050.
To do this, the Energy and Emissions group is developing a laundry list of energy efficiency measures and is committed to supporting a transition away from fossil fuels and teaching the Tufts community about the importance of energy efficiency, reduced energy consumption, and reduced emissions.
The groups stressed a need for reporting, feedback, and community outreach to ensure that all of Tufts sustainability efforts and goals can be reached.
Over the remainder of the semester, the Water, Waste, and Energy/Emissions groups will be meeting to discuss progress towards these goals, ongoing sustainability efforts, and additional strategies the university could use to meet their goals. A draft report will be available on February 1st, 2013 for comments. The comment period will end on March 1st and a final report will be prepared for the end of the academic year.
- by Robert R. Lynch, Campus Sustainability Council Administrative Intern
Tips for Zero-Waste Week
October 19, 2012 – 6:38 pm
It’s easy to do the Zero Waste Challenge when you are at a place like Tufts, where recycling bins abound and compost drops are available on campus. Still, here are some good tips to keep in mind:
- Snack on fresh fruit – it’s healthier AND it’s compostable.
- Carry a small tupperware to put food to compost later.
- Bring your lunch and use the container to get takeout for dinner.
- Get your drinks without a straw.
- Avoid individually wrapped tea or drink loose leaf tea.
- Always bring a reusable mug or water bottle.
Photo courtesy of Tufts Dining
- Save 20 cents at Mugar Cafe, Tower Cafe, Brown & Brew, Hodgdon Good-to-Go & Commons Deli if you bring your own mug.
- The Tufts “Choose to Reuse” clear water bottle will get you a discount on any fountain beverage at Mugar Cafe, Hodgdon Good-to-Go, Commons Deli, and Tower Cafe. Water and sparkling water will also be discounted at Hotung Cafe.
A few things to remember:
- Aluminum foil and yogurt cups are recyclable.
- All napkins are compostable.
- Any rigid plastic can be recycled – including coffee stirrers. (It doesn’t have to fit through the openings of the recycling bin, by the way – just lift the cover.)
- Energy bar wrappers and chip bags are recyclable. Tufts has Terracycle brigades on campus.
For more information on recycling and composting at Tufts, visit the TuftsRecycles! website.
Good luck and have fun!
Eco-Reps Weekly Updates
October 17, 2012 – 11:38 am
Zero Waste Week
Today, October 17th, is the start of Zero Waste Week! From October 17th to October 24th, 200 students will participate in this challenge to raise awareness that trash doesn’t just “disappear.” Participating students will place all trash that will not otherwise not be recycled or composted in a clear plastic bag that they will carry around with them for the week. Students should feel less compelled to create waste since they’ll have to carry it all with them! The plastic bags will be dropped off on the RezQuad at Mt. Trashmore on October 24th and the amount generated by the participants will be compared to the trash generated from a comparable sized dorm. Visit the Office of Sustainability, the Crafts House, or find your Eco-Rep to be a part of the challenge!
Sustainability Day
October 24th, the end of Zero Waste Week, is also Sustainability Day! This event, taking place from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm, focuses on raising awareness of what has been done and what needs to be worked on to become a sustainable campus. Events for this year’s Sustainability Day include Mt. Trashmore, which will feature individual piles of trash taken from Miller, Houston, Carmichael, and Hill Halls, and “The Story of Bananas” dinner at Dewick. “The Story of Bananas” dinner seeks to educate students on the path of the dining halls’ most eaten fruit from farm all the way to compost. Check out the five stations, play the fun foodie game to win banana themed prizes, and enjoy foods with bananas! In addition, Annie Leonard, the author of “The Story of Stuff” will be holding a talk, question and answer, and book signing session in Cohen Auditorium from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
Eco-Rep Events
Last night Eco-Rep Sidney May, the Eco-Rep for Wren Hall, held her first event. She set up a tap water vs bottled water taste test and raffled off a Brita reusable water bottle! Sidney threw residents a fun curve ball by serving only tap water. Residents had fun doing the test and were almost always surprised they tried two cups of tap water. Way to go, Sidney!
Hill and West residents, don’t miss the Sustainability Dinner event tomorrow night put on by Eco-Reps Chantal Davis and Laina Piera. The dinner will focus on sustainability of the food in the dining halls. You can’t miss the delicious Flatbread pizzas they’ll be serving for dinner! The event takes place from 6-7pm in the Hill Hall Lounge.
Plus, look out of Do It In the Dark, an inter-dorm competition to see which can reduce their energy consumption the most over a one-month period! More information to come in our next post!
Oct 22: Public Perceptions of Wind Energy Projects in Massachusetts
October 15, 2012 – 12:45 pm
The state of Massachusetts has plans for increasing its cumulative wind energy supply to 2,000 MW by 2020; currently it is at 61 MW (10/11/2012). To be able to achieve this goal, it is important to have a coherent understanding of the factors that make wind energy projects accepted at the local level.
Fletcher’s Center for International Environment and Resource Policy (CIERP) is conducting a study of the factors that lead to community acceptance of wind energy projects. The leader of this study, CIERP postdoctoral research fellow Maria Petrova, recently conducted a survey and will present her results. From April to June, 2012, surveys were mailed to randomly selected residents from the towns of Hull, Kingston, and Falmouth in Massachusetts, where wind projects have been sited with various levels of success. The differences in responses will be analyzed, and the factors that influence public acceptance and lead to the adoption of wind projects at the local level will be discussed.
Dr. Petrova came to CIERP from Oregon State University, where she completed her PhD in Environmental Science in 2010. Her doctoral dissertation focused on public acceptability of wave energy technology in Oregon. Her main interests are in public opinion and acceptability of renewable energy technologies (RETs), as well as the policies that need to be in place to advance RET development and deployment. She is also interested in comparative RET policy studies, mainly between the U.S. and countries in the EU.
Event will be held on Monday, October 22, 2012 from 12:30-1:45
(a light lunch will be served – no RSVP, first-come first-served)
Cabot 702, The Fletcher School
160 Packard Avenue, Medford
