by Jessica Stasiw

The “gold standard” in the eco-friendly world now comes with a certification.  Obtaining the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum Certification is the top rating system for operating green buildings.

American Public University System (APUS) is raising the bar by constructing an energy-efficient academic center in Charles Town, West Virginia.  The university hopes to raise environmental awareness by setting an example with the creation of the new building.  The school’s goal is to achieve LEED Gold certification for the building which is currently under construction.  Such certification involves the measurement of water use, CO2 emissions, energy efficiency, and more.  The school anticipates the construction of the building will be complete by the end of 2010 and will be occupied by early 2011. 

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by Ashley Adams

Earth's tectonic plates. (Image from The Geography Site)

Earthquakes are caused by the moving of earth’s tectonic plates. Tectonic plates are large masses of rock that cover the earth’s surface and are continuously moving either apart or together.  When these plates shift it causes vibrations in the earth’s crust, a phenomenon known as an earthquake occurs.  The magnitudes of earthquakes are measured using the Richter scale.  This scale is based on a logarithmic scale where an earthquake measured at 5 is ten times greater than an earthquake measure at 4.  The scale has no upper limit so it can measure an earthquake of any magnitude.

The earthquake that shook the country of Haiti on January 12, 2010 rated as a 7 on the Richter scale with a death toll of 212,000 in the capital Port-au-Prince alone.  Since then, there have been aftershocks that have measured as high as a 5.9. The largest earthquake recorded to date was in Chile and rated as a 9.5.  This earthquake and resulting tsunamis killed approximately 1,655 and injured 3,000 people.  Interestingly, the death toll of the Chilean earthquake is small in comparison to that of the Haitian earthquake even though the Chilean earthquake measured significantly higher on the Richter scale.  In 1976, Tangshan, China had a 7.5 magnitude earthquake with 255,000 deaths. 

A country’s infrastructure greatly impacts the damage done to buildings and the number of human deaths.  For example, Haiti’s buildings prior to the earthquake were not built to high engineering standards causing them to collapse more readily and resulting in a large number of deaths.  A comparable earthquake to the recent one in Haiti occurred in the Santa Cruz Mountains of California in 1989. It was a 6.9 on the Richter scale and caused 63 deaths.  The well engineered buildings of that area performed well during the earthquake; as a result many of these buildings sustained damage but did not collapse.  Human casualties and injuries as a result of the infrastructure collapsing are the immediate concerns after such a devastating earthquake.

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by Jennifer Lefebvre

This winter season has already broken records in some areas of the country and with winter weather forecasts still looming, there are sure to be even more snowfall totals.  Even though it seems like a rough winter, there are still ways that we can be green and conserve energy while contending with harsh winter weather.

GreenerTrends.com reports on trends in sustainable business, technology, and consumer goods.  You can sign up to receive their weekly newsletter, Weekly Green Tips, for even more tips to stay green.  The following winter tips are from a recent edition of the newsletter. 
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On January 15, American Public University System (APUS) submitted its Climate Action Plan (CAP) as required by the school’s signing of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).  The report is designed to serve as a guidance document toward achieving climate neutrality by a date of each individual school’s choosing.  As the only online school to sign the ACUPCC, APUS is unique in its efforts toward creating a more sustainable future.  As a 100 percent online university, APUS’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are significantly less than those of more traditional schools.  APUS has designated 2050 as its anticipated climate neutral date and is planning to address its GHG emissions without the utilization of carbon offsets.  APUS’ CAP report can be viewed in its entirety on the ACUPCC website, at http://acupcc.aashe.org/cap-report.php?id=404.

by Beth Gray

It seems that many in the world today are seeking ways to make their lives more sustainable and “green.”  As individual citizens begin taking “green bags” to the grocery store and implementing carpools, businesses are also beginning to address the issues of climate change that are arguably reaching crisis levels.  The higher education industry has also begun seeking ways to make a difference in the realm of climate change.  Members of the higher education community have started to recognize the unique position they have in educating the nation’s next generation of leaders to be environmentally responsible citizens of Planet Earth. 

To this end, some 662 college and university presidents have signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).  This binding commitment speaks volumes to the dedication of signatory presidents to affect meaningful change in the way their institutions do business and educate students on the dangers of climate change. 

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