Tag: Medford (Page 1 of 4)

Tufts Community Resilience Building Workshop

June 12, 2018 / / 5 Comments

In 2016, Tufts University’s President Anthony Monaco signed the Second Nature Climate Commitment on behalf of the university. The Commitment integrates two critical components of climate leadership: carbon neutrality and climate resilience. One stipulation of the Commitment is for the university to complete a campus-community resilience assessment.

While climate change mitigation strategies aimed to reduce carbon emissions are often emphasized, it is equally important to consider how communities can plan for the predicted impacts of climate change.  In addition, due to recent events such as Tropical Storm Irene and Sandy, there is a heightened sense of urgency within our local and regional communities to increase resilience and adapt to extreme weather events.

In order to advance the Climate Commitment goals and address concerns that the Tufts community has regarding natural and climate-related hazards, Tufts University hosted a Community Resilience Building Workshop for the Medford/Somerville campus. The workshop took place on May 3rd, and was facilitated by The Nature Conservancy.

Picture from the resilience building workshop, attendees listening to speaker

Source: Adam Whelchel/TNC

Community Resilience Building workshops help municipalities and institutions create an opportunity for their community to to gather and plan proactively for potential emergencies. This is an important step towards climate adaptation and community capacity-building to deal with a changing climate.

The Tufts University Core Team that helped prepare for and organize this workshop included Tina Woolston from the Office of Sustainability, Geoff Bartlett and Matt Hart from the Department of Public and Environmental Safety Emergency Management Unit, as well as two Tufts students, Emma Conroy and Sophie Lehrenbaum.

Around 60 Tufts and surrounding community members attended the workshop, including representatives from various Tufts groups such as Facilities, Finance, Health Services, Construction, Public and Environmental Health and Safety, as well as undergraduate and graduate students. In addition, representatives from the City of Medford’s Office of Energy and Environment and Office of Public Health, the City of Somerville’s Office of Sustainability and Environment, and the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency were also present.

The full day event started with an overview of climate change impacts in the Northeast, the top 4 potential climate related hazards as identified during a recent Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment undertaken by the Department of Public and Environmental Health and Safety, and an introduction to the resources that would be discussed during the next portion of the event. These resources included maps of the campus, the existing hazard mitigation plan, information on the number of days over 90 degrees and flooding, as well as maps depicting natural disasters that have affected the area.

Source: Adam Whelchel/TNC

Attendees were then broken up into five groups, and through a facilitated process, discussed the existing vulnerabilities and strengths of the campus, and prioritized concrete actions that could be taken. As a part of this process, each group illustrated where they thought vulnerable areas and potential hazards were located on top of a base map of the university.

One group’s illustration of hazards on the Medford/Somerville campus (Source: Adam Whelchel/TNC)

While all groups recognized that Tufts, along with its host cities, already has many strengths and assets that will help in emergency situations, many recommendations were made on how Tufts could better prepare for such events through longer term, comprehensive planning.

Some of the top priorities for action by the Medford/Somerville campus community that came out of the workshop were:

  1. Human Welfare – supporting students and employees during an emergency
  2. Infrastructure – utilities, stormwater, and continuity planning and upgrades
  3. Food – food supply, distribution, and storage during an emergency

Community-based actions towards adapting to the predicted impacts of climate change can lead to planning and preparation that meets the specific needs of the community and the local landscape. In addition, it helps empower community members to take charge and prepare for some of the climate-related challenges we currently face as a society that may not be within our individual control to avoid.

Adam Whelchel, the lead facilitator of the workshop, commented, “the Nature Conservancy is proud to have played a part in helping Tufts University take a significant step towards enhanced resilience via the Community Resilience Building process. Tufts now joins an elite group of universities around the globe that have proactively embraced resilience as an opportunity to find a more vibrant future for their faculty, staff, students, and the surrounding community.”

Similar Community Resilience Building Workshops will be coming to the Boston and Grafton campuses soon, stay tuned!

 

Hazard Mitigation Community Forums

September 21, 2017 / / 32 Comments

Don’t miss the upcoming Tufts Hazard Mitigation Community Forums on 9/27 and 9/28:

Over the past few weeks, several institutions of higher education have been impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Come contribute to Tufts’ own plan to prepare for future disasters and adapt to the impacts of #climatechange. Learn about hazard mitigation strategies that have been identified to make each Tufts campus more resilient to disaster and provide input on how the university can best ensure its resilience in the years and decades to come.

What is hazard mitigation?
Hazard mitigation is defined as any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to life and property from hazard events. It is an on-going process that occurs before, during, and after disasters and serves to break the cycle of damage and repair in hazardous areas.

Wednesday, September 27
Medford/Somerville (students): 12:15-1:15 PM (Terrace Room, Paige Hall)
Medford/Somerville (faculty/staff): 3:00-4:00 PM (Austin Conference Room, Tisch Library)

Thursday, September 28
Boston Health Sciences: 10:00-11:00 AM (Rachel’s Amphitheater, Room 1414, 35 Kneeland Street)
SMFA: 12:30-1:30 PM (Conference Room B201)
Grafton: 3:00-4:00 PM (Dean’s Conference Room, Jean Mayer Administration Building)

Recycling & Waste Reduction Co-Op, Tufts Office of Sustainability (Medford, MA)

July 11, 2017 / / 3 Comments

Working for the Tufts Office of Sustainability in collaboration with Facilities Services – Campus Services, the Recycling & Waste Reduction Co-op student would be responsible for helping Tufts University meet its goal of reducing waste by 3% each year. The co-op student would help manage student interns and respond to waste and recycling related requests from the campus community. During the spring semester, that focus will be on move out. The fall semester would focus on hiring and managing new interns, and move-in. Other potential responsibilities and projects could be:

  • Investigate and respond to customer recycling requests for furniture, battery bins, labels, lids, trash & recycling containers, desk side trash or recycling bins, etc.
  • Submit work orders as needed
  • Support the Office of Sustainability’s University-wide Sustainability initiatives
  • Identify new waste streams for diversion (e.g. textiles, Styrofoam, disposable gloves, labware) and develop ways to divert them from the waste stream.
  • Identify opportunities to prevent wasteful purchases (e.g. desk top printers) and work to promote alternatives.
  • Develop effective and creative ways to change behaviors to reduce, reuse and recycle items no longer needed by the Tufts community members.
  • Supervise student labor or volunteers e.g. for zero waste events
  • Deliver training seminars to employees and students.
  • Tracking volumes and weights of waste streams in coordination with our haulers
  • Create monthly and annual waste data reports for all campuses
  • Coordinate waste audits

The Co-op will earn $15/hour.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

  • Familiarity with Microsoft Office software
  • Ability to navigate stairs and uneven terrain; lift up to 35 pounds; and walk around the 150 acre property.
  • Able to work a minimum of 32-40 hours per week
  • Willing to work events that may occur on a weekend or weekday evening

Preferred Skills

  • Familiarity with Asana project management software
  • Proficiency with Excel
  • Ability to send and receive professional emails, phone calls, and maintain good customer service interactions
  • Comfortable working in a dynamic and fast-paced environment as well as finding ways to be proactive and find solutions to problems
  • Comfortable reading site plans, and floor plans
  • Ability to be a fast learner and maintain an enthusiasm for learning and developing new skills
  • Understands how to work in a professional setting and be accountable to others
  • Excellent time management skills
  • Great organizational skills and ability to pay attention to detail

Additional Notes

Occasionally some travel may be required to the Boston campuses as well as the Grafton campus. The role and responsibilities will primarily be based on the Medford campus.

Depending on the semester, this job could be 50%-70% field work and 30%-50% computer work. This position suits someone who likes: being active and outdoors, the occasional ability to travel, the ability to work independently, is highly motivated, and possesses excellent communication skills with peers, vendors and customers.

How to Apply

Please email or fax cover letter & resume to Tina.Woolston[at]tufts.edu with the subject line “Recycling & Waste Reduction Co-op”

You can also mail your application to the following address:

Tina Woolston
Sustainability Program Director
210 Packard Avenue, Miller Hall rear
Medford, MA 02144

 

Medford/Somerville Waste Station Checklist

February 7, 2017 / / 1 Comment

Recently, you may have noticed some big changes in recycling on the Medford and Somerville campuses: all recycling is now mixed, meaning there are now only types two bins at waste stations across campus: trash and recycling! 

Research shows that an effective way to capture more recyclables is to pair trash containers with recycling containers. Your waste station should have BOTH types of bin listed below:  

Gray trash bin with white “landfill” label 

Gray recycling bin with: 

  • Blue “mixed recycling” label 
  • Light blue bag 
  • Blue UFO-shaped lid 
Complete waste station

Now, that’s a good looking waste station!

If the waste station in your dorm, office, or classroom doesn’t look like the photo above, please submit a work order that will go to Facilities Services.

During the transition to mixed recycling, Tufts strategically reduced the number of waste stations in each building. This helps with efficiency (regarding the time to empty bins) and sustainability (reducing the number of plastic liners we use reduces our overall impact!). Your original central waste station may have been moved to another area on your floor or removed entirely during the transition, however, please do not move any waste receptacles. If you feel that an error has been made with your waste station please submit a work order and contact recycle@tufts.edu with specific questions.  

 

New Year, New Lid! Campus recycling is now mixed!

January 25, 2017 / / 3 Comments

Have you noticed anything different about your favorite campus waste station?

Screen Shot 2017-01-25 at 9.45.33 PM

Recycling at the Medford/Somerville campus is now mixed! Boston will be transitioned in March 2017 and Grafton will make the switch in Summer 2017.

Recycling on the Medford/Somerville campus is now MIXED! Mixed recycling means all the materials that you currently recycle will remain the same but will not need to be separated. All paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, and metal can be mixed together in any blue bins with new UFO-shaped lids! We will keep this blog updated regularly with new information about mixed recycling. You can subscribe to regular mixed recycling email updates here.

Please remember the following when recycling:

  1. Dump out liquids.
  2. Wipe out messy food containers.

If you’re on the SMFA campus, you can expect to see this same type of waste station starting next week.  If you’re on the Boston campus, you will be transitioned in March 2017. The Grafton campus recycling system will be updated during the summer months.

mixedlid

The new UFO-shaped mixed recycling lids allow you to dispose of items in a variety of shapes (e.g. bottles and cardboard).

Change is hard, but there is no need to panic! Mixed recycling is simple and easy. New mixed recycling stations provide the campus community with two primary options: recycle or landfill (along with existing composting for food waste in many locations). Trash bins are labeled with a white “Landfill” label to help remind the campus community that the trash we discard ultimately ends up in a landfill somewhere. The blue “Mixed Recycling” label indicates that all recyclables can be mixed in one bin: paper and cardboard, plastics, glass, and metal. When in doubt, please recycle!

Making the move to mixed recycling supports Tufts’ larger plan to improve solid waste and recycling efforts in line with the President’s Campus Sustainability Council’s goal of reducing total waste by 3% per year. Every Tufts community member is asked and expected to help the university meet its waste goals by educating themselves about their campus’s move to mixed recycling. Read more about the President’s Sustainability Council goals to reduce waste here.

Frequently Asked Questions about the mixed recycling transition:

  1. What happened to the waste station next to my office?
    Waste stations have been transitioned to mixed recycling, meaning there are now only two bins at the waste station: trash and recycling. Your original central waste station may have been moved to another area on your floor during the transition, however, please do not move any waste stations. As long as you use your desk-side trash buddy, you will be able to bring your trash and recycling to a central waste station located on your floor of the building. If you have concerns, please contact recycle@tufts.edu.
  2. What does “Landfill” mean?A landfill is a facility where solid waste is taken after you throw it into the trash bin. Landfills are engineered to comply with federal regulations and keep waste dry and away from groundwater sources. Landfills are designed to bury trash — they do not help it break down at a faster rate. This means that items you send to a landfill can stay there for hundreds of years, depending on the materials. As stated in the 2013 Campus Sustainability Council Report, Tufts’ overall vision for waste is a cradle-to-cradle economy, meaning that the campus community will consider the lifecycle cost of products before purchasing them. By labeling bins with the word “Landfill” we hope to remind people about where their waste goes after it is thrown away.
  3. What goes in the “Mixed Recycling” bin? What goes in the “Landfill” bin?
    When you take the time to consider what goes in recycling versus trash, you find that most of your waste really can be recycled! For a list of accepted items, please visit the Facilities Services – Recycling & Waste Management website. We also recommend watching the video below, which explains how to recycle under the new system.

Still have questions? Please contact Facilities Services at recycle@tufts.edu.

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