by Angela Crone

We’ve been talking a lot lately about the adaptive reuse and green new construction on the American Public University System (APUS) campus in Charles Town, WV. So, yes, we know that many of the buildings are green retrofits, that solar installations are estimated to offset 350 tons of carbon each year, that the appliances are Energy Star certified, and that the faucets and toilets conserve water.  But, did you know that both the recently constructed Academics Center and the under-construction Finance Center are built on what has been designated a “brownfields site?” 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines brownfields as “real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.” Basically, this means the property has been blighted by past uses—such as, in APUS’s case, a junkyard—and requires special care and investment to make it suitable for use. The EPA estimates that over 450,000 of these properties exist in the United States and has since leveraged more than $14.0 billion in funding for cleanup and revitalization projects.

The City of Ranson and the City of Charles Town, West Virginia, where APUS has one of its campuses, has teamed up and applied for a piece of the funding pie. In 2010, the Ranson-Charles Town partnership represented one of 23 communities selected for the EPA’s  Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Program. The community has been awarded a grant to aid in the area-wide Commerce Corridor brownfields revitalization plan, which is currently underway. The Commerce Corridor plan is a 1.5 mile long corridor where a total of 15 brownfield sites have been identified. Included in these 15 properties are a 100+ year old brass foundry, abandoned chemical fertilizer and pesticide facilities, residences, and shopping areas. 

Read the rest of this entry »

by Kelly Wenner

Adaptive reuse is reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than that for which it was built or designed. Frequently reused buildings include industrial buildings and community buildings such as churches or community centers. While usually seen as a way to reduce urban sprawl and environmental impact, adaptive reuse also has its controversies.  A short article from College Planning and Management considers the pros and cons of adaptive reuse, and examines what should be considered when deciding between “reuse” versus “build new.” Colleges often have limited facilities maintenance and renovation funds, and adaptive reuse can become an option for both maximizing those funds and for creating a teaching moment on the concepts of sustainability and smart growth.

First, consider the pros of adaptive reuse. Reusing an existing campus or community building helps to foster community involvement in campus activities. Students, faculty and community leaders can become involved in the research and planning process for the renovation, perhaps even assisting in seeking out buildings for reuse. Adaptive reuse is environmentally friendly. According to the EPA, building-related construction and demolition accounts for up to 160 million tons of construction debris each year in the United States. In addition, consider the “embodied energy” of a building. Embodied energy includes all of the energy used in raw material extraction and processing, product fabrication, transportation and the assembly of a building.  The demolition of existing buildings adds waste to local landfills, but also throws away all of this energy that was used to build them. More, historic buildings are-contrary to popular myth-actually quite energy efficient. Including such properties as heavy masonry walls, natural ventilation systems and natural use of light, older buildings are inherently energy efficient. In addition to all of these benefits, buildings that can be reused utilize idle space, support sustainability goals of a college campus, and provide opportunities for Federal tax incentives and credits, further allowing straining budget dollars to be fully utilized.

Read the rest of this entry »

by  Kelly Wenner

With all of the information- and misinformation-that surrounds us daily about organic food most of us who want to join in the organic food movement for the health of our bodies or our planet feel overwhelmed.  Pair that with the fact that some organic foods can cost up to twice as much as nonorganic versions and we’re finished before we even start! In her article “How to Eat Organic Foods on a Budget” Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD shows us some simple ways, however, to incorporate organic foods into our diets without breaking the bank.

First, learn your labels.  While terms like “free-range,” “hormone free,” or “natural” are easily confused with organic, none of those terms are regulated by law.  Look for the following regulated terms:

• “100% Organic” is for foods that have no allowable synthetic ingredients.  These foods are allowed to use the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) organic seal.
• “Organic” foods have a minimum of 95% organic ingredients.  These foods are also eligible by law to use the USDA organic seal.
• “Made with Organic Ingredients” are foods that must contain at least 70% organic ingredients.  These foods are not eligible for the USDA seal.

Read the rest of this entry »

by Beth Gray

In February 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, commonly known as the Recovery Act.  According to the Administration’s website established to track the Recovery Act and the funds allocated from it, the purpose of the Act is three-fold: to “create new jobs and save existing ones,” to “spur economic activity and invest in long-term growth,” and to “foster unprecedented levels of accountability and transparency in government spending.”  The Recovery Act included more than $80 billion in clean energy investments.  As institutions of higher education begin addressing their own carbon footprints and the issues related to climate change in general, there are opportunities for them to apply for funds through the Recovery Act in order to implement projects that can help.

Various government agencies have been provided with portions of the total allotted in the Recovery Act and institutions of higher education may find funding for their sustainability projects through these agencies.  For example, the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is responsible for some $16.8 billion of Recovery Act funding.  Included in that total is some $11.3 billion for projects related to weatherization, state energy programs, and conservation block grants.  Additionally, according to Financing Sustainability on Campus, a National Association of College and University Business Officer’s publication, the Recovery Act allocated $3.1 billion to the State Energy Program (SEP) “for onward allocation by state energy offices to higher education institutions and other organizations within their jurisdictions.” 

Read the rest of this entry »

by Jennifer Lefebvre

I recently read a great quick-reference guide called the green book by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen.  It is filled with hundreds of little ideas that we all can do to make significant, positive impacts on our planet’s health.  For this article, I’d like to highlight one of the sections I thought was interesting and informative:  How to green your home, one room at a time.

The Kitchen
Composting.  Place fruits and vegetable scraps, as well as coffee grounds in a container or composter and add them to your garden.  These items are food for your plants, they help to recycle valuable nutrients, and save space in the landfills.  You can also save water by not running your garbage disposal, just by composting the items you would normally send down the drain.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that yard trimmings and food scraps constitute 26 percent of the United States municipal solid waste in the landfills.  For additional information on composting please see the recent American Public University System (APUS) Sustainability blog article by Allison Knox on Composting in the Workplace and at Home.

Read the rest of this entry »