DePaul Wellness: Small Changes Go a Long Way

It can be argued that a healthy and virile society is the foundation needed to achieve a flourishing economy. Without the members of society enjoying a high level of wellness, it is impossible to reach societal goals. In order to reach a community’s sustainable development objectives, healthy individuals are a necessity. While DePaul has made some progress toward achieving this, there are still areas to improve upon.

When the Affordable Care Act was signed into law earlier this year, $500 million was allocated to create the Prevention and Public Health Fund. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stated, “Investing in prevention and public health builds the foundation for improving the health and well-being of Americans... Investing in proven preventive services will help patients get the care they need early, avoiding costly and unnecessary care later.” DePaul has the unique opportunity to help contribute to the prevention of many diseases and ailments by implementing a few small changes.

The annual flu season and the outbreak of the H1N1 virus have the potential to affect many members of society. In past years DePaul has only received, and subsequently administered, a very limited supply of influenza vaccines. As a result, DePaul officials asked that only members of priority populations, children and the elderly, receive the vaccinations first. With many members of the DePaul community living in close proximity, the potential for influenza outbreaks affecting many individuals is high. Quite simply, more vaccinations and flu shots are needed to adequately protect the DePaul community. DePaul should attempt to acquire as many vaccinations as they can in a effort to stop a very preventable, yet potentially harmful illness.

Influenza and other ailments are spread through hand to mouth contact. The best way to prevent the spread of these illnesses is to wash one’s hands frequently. While washing one’s hand might not always be possible, using hand sanitizer is usually a viable option. DePaul should look to install hand sanitizer dispensers in buildings around campus. Signs and placards in bathrooms providing information about the benefits of washing one’s hands would also be beneficial. These are two relatively low cost improvements that could be implemented almost immediately. The effects and benefits of such changes would also be seen shortly after their implementation.

With less ill members of society, and less people needed to care for the sick, more resources and labor are available to pursue other sustainable development goals. By investing a little bit now in the prevention of illness and disease, care and treatment are not necessary later. DePaul should set an example and make a small investment in the health and wellness of those affiliated with the university. Administering a sufficient amount of flu shots as well as encouraging the washing and sanitizing of one’s hands frequently is the best way to achieve this. The Obama Administration has stressed the importance of prevention. DePaul should do the same.

Posted by: Nicholas Stratton

Photo Credit: http://www.officeplanners.com/Blue_Mountain_Hospital.php

Middlebury College and Green Dining

As one of the nation's top liberal arts colleges, Middlebury College has a (comparatively) long history of sustainable development practices. It also boasts "the oldest undergraduate environmental studies program in the country." DailyGreen ranks Middlebury as number five among the top "green" colleges in the States. The school's commitment to sustainability is evident by many of its green dining practices.

With an emphasis on using local foods, Middlebury College contributes to the economy by sourcing food from 47 Vermont food producers. 25% of food at the college is from local sources including the school's student-run organic garden. Since its introduction in 2003, the organic garden has grown to 3-acres, where students and interns volunteer and grow a combination of fruits and vegetables. To make getting to the garden easier for students, there is a walking/biking path from the campus to the garden, which is located about a half-mile away from campus (which encourages students to consider alternative transportation as well).

To encourage broad student involvement and support for the garden, weekly meetings are offered during the school year providing information about the school's garden and general farming practices. In addition, the school holds a weekly "farmstand" in September and October, where students can buy fresh fruits and vegetables grown in the garden.

According to its website, "food waste comprises upwards of 70% of the municipal solid waste stream." Middlebury College is a leader in food composting and composts 300 tons of food each year. "Food prep scraps, postconsumer food residuals, waxed cardboard, paper towels, napkins and food prep waste paper -- some 70% of the College's food waste--is composted. Plate waste (post consumer food residuals) is run through a pulper to remove excess water." (http://www.middlebury.edu/sustainability/food/dining/waste ).

For large events, paper products and biodegradable trash bag liners are used which in turn go "directly into the college's composting system instead of the landfill". When possible, the college's dining services also make an effort to use silverware instead of paper products. The website states that roughly "90 percent of waste from large events is composted".

Another exciting way the college employs green dining is by turning food waste into biodiesel. "The Nordic Ski Team partners with Dining Services to use waste vegetable oil to fuel their biodiesel truck".

Finally, the college belongs to the Terra Madre slow food network, a global network of 100,000 members committed to sustaining local farming methods and environments. The Terra Madre network grew out of the "Slow Food Movement" founded by Carlo Petrini in 1989, to counter the spread of fast food restaurants and chains.

It is clear that Middlebury College is a leader of sustainable practices in "green" dining among academic institutions. The school's commitment to providing information, education and opportunities for engagement to students and others that are interested in learning more, is most obvious by the added fact that the college's homepage includes a "sustainability" link.

As a small school with a large endowment, it is not surprising that Middlebury is able to implement these initiatives, many of which most likely require huge initial investments, but the fact that the college has chosen to use its financial and human resources to bolster sustainable practices on campus is inspiring.

DePaul University has implemented many of the same initiatives as Middlebury on campus by working with its local food provider, Chartwell's. The university might also consider building an on-site composting area as well as working with lcoal neighborhoods/community organizations to build and maintain an organic garden. The food could be used on campus and if sold, proceeds could go to either expanding sustainable development initiatives on campus or donated to local chairities/food pantries. Finally, DePaul should better highlight its sustainable initiatives on the website and consider adding a direct link on the homepage.

Submitted by: Julie Felix

Photo: Bing clip art

Collaborate for Sustainability

Collaboration is one of the key ingredients for creating a sustainable future. This can be interpreted at every level – countries, organizations, groups, people, thoughts, and even missions and goals. The concept of needing to ‘collaborate’ can also be used within the setting of a university’s sustainable development efforts. DePaul University is one of the most revered private universities in the U.S., and has taken great steps towards promoting sustainable development. One of the steps which must be strengthened is the concept of collaboration, specifically among various departments at the university. Each department brings with it unique goals, people, and ideas, and it also brings resources. Finding ways to combine resources is a smart way to maximize the use of current strengths and assets. Many times sustainability is not prioritized due to lack of time, man power, and resources. Being more creative with what is already within our reach will help move DePaul move forward towards creating a more sustainable future.

Efforts to collaborate, however, are difficult and require great communication skills and proper management. This is true for all levels of collaboration, as is shown in this video by Josh Powell, which concentrates on the various sectors and the complexities they face to work together. It also discusses the need and importance of collaboration to achieve goals. This concept of collaborative governance is also used with other topics and can be implemented for sustainable development.

I recommend the Yale University approach of sustainability where inter-departmental collaboration is vital to the successful attainment of goals. Yale creates networks of both members of the university community as well as local community to become involved in sustainability goal-setting and creating visions for future development.

Another example of collaborative governance is explained in the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory Advance Access in the article “Collaborative Governance in Theory and Practice” by Chris Ansell and Alison Gash. They discuss how making various groups come together for decision-making will be successful if a number of factors are aligned. Some mentioned are “face-to-face dialog, trust building, and the development of commitment and shared understanding.” These factors can be applied to the departments within DePaul, and can be noted to include as more efforts in inter-departmental collaboration become common. The full article can be read here.

Another type of collaboration can be through DePaul’s students. Creating more public forums about sustainability, or starting student-initiatives in sustainability (and making them public) will help promote better understanding of the topic, and interest. This approach allows students to be in-charge and govern a part of DePaul’s sustainable development. The grass-roots level ‘buzz’ among students should begin in various departments, and not only in one. This way, the collaboration is starting at the ground-level, and will be able to elevate as the development initiatives begin to grow. The Sustainable DePaul Blog is a great example of a way for students to collaborate for sustainability.

Adding onto DePaul’s current inter-departmental collaboration practices will allow the university’s sustainable development efforts to expand to a larger stakeholder audience, and also create a stronger sustainable footprint.

Posted by Nidhi Singhal
Photo Credit: University of Calgary, Leadership in Learning http://www.ucalgary.ca/iejll/files/iejll/images/fauske.gif

Sustainable Servant Leaders

While DePaul University takes great pride in its role as an urban university, providing a vital educational and social service to Chicago, more can and should be done by DePaul in creating a future cadre of servant leaders. One way that DePaul can be at the forefront of servant leadership is through creating a service requirement for all undergraduate and graduate students before they may earn their degree.

Currently DePaul undergraduates majoring in liberal studies are required to engage in at least four credit hours of “experiential learning,” whereby they combine classroom knowledge with a learning experience that exists outside the classroom. There are courses in many departments that fit this requirement. Some are internships or externships, while others are a hybrid between a classroom-based learning environment and selected learning experiences outside the classroom. While this is a good start, more must be done to create DePaul students that are tomorrow’s future servant leaders. The way to do this is to establish a servant leadership program, required of all undergraduates and graduate students before they may earn their appropriate degree. All students must become engaged members of the Chicago community to ensure Chicago remains a sustainable community. Requiring a service component to graduation takes experiential learning a step further, as students will no longer have the opportunity to be passive observers when completing an experience outside the classroom. There are other colleges and universities that currently lead the way in requiring a service component as a core component for obtaining an undergraduate degree. Students at Tulane University in New Orleans must fulfill one service requirement before they may graduate. Students at Wittenberg University in Ohio must complete a semester-long service requirement to obtain their university degree. At Wittenberg students must register for the service as course credit, meet with a university staff member to outline their service and determine whether their service plans meet university standards, and then discuss their service results in reflections with other students, faculty and staff. Other universities, such as the University of Cincinnati, provide financial assistance scholarships with stipulations that require those scholarship holders to complete some form of public service.

DePaul should be at the forefront of creating service leaders. By requiring students to complete some form of public service, DePaul will create an engaged university community, attune to the needs of those not only in Chicago but throughout the U.S. and the world. DePaul’s requirement might also attract those students that desire an academic community looking to create a sustainable future. Sustainability is not something merely ecological. Servant leaders can help build ecologically sustainable communities, or help correct social injustices and poverty issues to allow others to participate in a sustainable future. Creating a servant leadership requirement of all DePaul students would help the university be true to its mission and values. From the Office of Mission and Values : DePaul University emphasizes the development of a full range of human capabilities and appreciation of higher education as a means to engage cultural, social, religious, and ethical values in service to others. What better way for DePaul to help build the foundations for a sustainable community and sustainable future, while remaining true to the core values the university seeks to fulfill.

For information on public service requirements at other universities visit these links: http://www4.wittenberg.edu/witt_services/community_service/community_service_100.html

http://tulane.edu/cps/about/graduation-requirement.cfm

For information on the U.S. government’s call to public service visit:

http://www.serve.gov/

For more on DePaul's Mission and Values visit: http://mission.depaul.edu/Pages/default.aspx

Posted by Marshall Houserman

Photo Credit - www.serve.gov

Sustainability Curriculum and Program Development

The Vincentian Mission is the foundation of DePaul University. This backbone is exactly the reason why DePaul is in a position to lead higher education institutions toward a globally sustainable futurel. However, DePaul is still weak in integrating sustainable courses and programs under the 'sustainable framework' flag.

Cortese (2003) advocates that “higher education institutions bear a profound, moral responsibility to increase the awareness, knowledge, skills, and values needed to create a just and sustainable future.” He continues that “the context of learning with change to make human/environment interdependence, values, and ethics a seamless and central part of teaching of all the disciplines, rather than isolated as a special course or module in programs for specialists. Environment specialists are necessary but not sufficient. Understanding how to create a just and sustainable society must be a fundamental principle in all education.”

The White Paper on Sustainability at DePaul University recommends the following strategy on curriculum.
1. Promote sustainability across the curriculum, in the same way we have included ethics across the curriculum. In fact, we see sustainability as an important development in our ethics across the curriculum program;
2. Educate students to be leaders in the growth of the rapidly emerging green economy;
3. Develop an interdisciplinary minor in environmental and sustainability studies;
4. Develop an integrative sustainable management specialization in the MBA program;
5. Create a master’s program in sustainable development.

As to point 1, I would like to propose to include ‘sustainability’ as a core course for both undergraduate and graduate students aiming to strengthen students’ integral human development. ‘Sustainability’ can be an independent 2-credit course or a combined 4-credit course with ‘ethics’.

The second proposal relating to curriculum is to make study abroad program a 6-credit course with 5-times classes in Chicago and a week to 10 days classes abroad. In this way, students will be well prepared to make the most out of studying abroad in addition to extra credits.

The third proposal is to integrate a 'guide to sustainability at DePaul’ and ‘Vincentian mission’ into new-student orientation. Another component I would like to propose is to include ‘tours of sustainability-related resources on campus’ in new-student orientation aiming at raising awareness on sustainability at DePaul from Day One. To cover these added components, if possible, I would like to suggest that the duration of new-student orientation for undergraduates is two to three days and that for graduate students, two nights. According to The College Sustainability Report Card 2010, more than two in three schools have introduced sustainability into student orientation. An example is Pacific Lutheran University which conducts 'campus green tour' for new students on Day 2.

The fourth proposal relates to point 2 which is to increase sustainability internship opportunities, paid and unpaid, for students on campus. Two-thirds of the schools offer paid sustainability opportunities for students. Sixty-eight percent of the schools offer paid positions to students for work on sustainability activities within the facilities department, sustainability office, or other relevant campus office, according to The College Sustainability Report Card 2010.

If enacted, the four proposals stated above would enable students as well as faculty and staff to take the educational experiences from a theoretical to a practical level.

The Stephens et al. (2008) advocate that higher education institutions have the potential as a change agent in accelerating society’s transition toward sustainability within a global context. this relates to points 2, 3, 4, and 5 on curriculum. A good example is Arizona State University (ASU). ASU established Global Institute of Sustainability with the mission to: identify the grand challenges of sustainability, advance knowledge for applied practical solutions, create new tools for improved decision-making, prioritize university-wide efforts toward sustainable practices, and build global research partnerships. In this line, ASU started the School of Sustainability in 2007 which offers 18-credit hour program as an undergraduate minor in sustainability that can complement a student’s major in another academic discipline. The aim is to bring together multiple disciplines and leaders to create and share knowledge, train a new generation of scholars and practitioners, and develop practical solutions to some of the most pressing environmental, economic, and social challenges of sustainability, especially as they relate to urban areas. Please watch ASU’s orientation video to learn students’ comments on the School of Sustainability.
There are many universities which offer inter- and trans-disciplinary approach to sustainability. Examples include:
*Clark University, with inter- and trans- disciplinary course in its Department of International Development, Community, and Environment;
*The University of Notre Dame, with sustainability-related courses across all of its six colleges and schools;
*Loyola University Chicago, with the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy and ‘step courses’; and
*Santa Clara University, with clusters of courses with a common theme, promoting integrative and intentional learning, and with sustainability pathway course.

While DePaul does not present 'sustainable course framework' to students, it offers sustainable courses in the School of Public Service, the School of New Oearning, the College of Commerce, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Continuing and Professional Education. Starting inter- and trans-disciplinary courses on sustainability or establishing a School of Sustainability would require consensus among faculty, staff and students and may be difficult to materialize in a short-time frame but it must be done in the near future. To take one step forward, I believe that it is feasible to establish a 4-credit ‘ethics & sustainability’ course, change the study abroad program to 6-credit course, and integrate ‘guide to sustainability at DePaul’, ‘Vincentian mission’ and ‘tours of sustainability-related resources on campus’ in new student orientation. Increasing the number of paid sustainability opportunities on campus for students is also a possible change DePaul can bring to students.

Posted by Toyoko Sakamaki

[Reference]
Stephens, Jennie C., Maria E. Hernandez, Mikael Roman, Amanda C. Graham, Roland W. Scholz. 2008. Higher education as a change agent for sustainability in different cultures and contexts. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. Vol. 9, no. 3: 317-338

Kelley, Scott. 2009. What must be done? DePaul as Sustainable Learning Community. http://works.bepress.com/scott_kelley/11

Let's Go Green in Academics

The role of education for human sustainable development is to contribute to making this possible. Only education can give people the environmental and ethical awareness, values and attitudes, skills and behavior needed for sustainable developme

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nt. To achieve this, education needs to explain not only the physical and biological environment, but the socio-economic environment and human development. To be effective it should deal with the dynamics of both and be integrated in all disciplines. However, many people do not understand the close ties between human activities and the environments because they have inaccurate or insufficient information or are not accustomed to systemic thinking and are not used to look ahead and deal with global outlooks.

Unfortunately, DePaul University does not offer students seeking professional degrees that deal with different aspects of the environment or sustainability. An active research program is a vital component to DePaul’s School of Public Service. A graduate degree program will prepare students to concentrate their study and research within a well-defined subject area, pursuing fewer and more advanced topics to a greater depth than do students in a regular master’s program.

The sustainability master’s program has been implemented in other universities across the country. Universities such as Arizona State University, Illinois State University and Duke University have all incorporated a master’s program that focus specifically on the environment at large. According to a US News Report, Arizona State's program has more than 600 students who have declared sustainability a major. Illinois State University has 65 majors in renewable energy, the report says. MIT and the University of California–Berkeley, among many others, have also seen more students drawn to sustainability programs.
Students enrolled in these courses conduct research on and implement projects that advance sustainability. For example, students at Illinois State University have the opportunity to enroll in sustainability program called Environmental Stewardship and Sustainable Design. Students in this course would address the economics and logistics of implementing strategies to conserve resources and reduce the negative impacts of the built environment. Students will collaborate in interdisciplinary teams on projects to investigate opportunities to reduce the negative environmental impacts of the campus and community and increase the positive impacts. Another example of an academic sustainability program would include the University of California-Berkeley Master’s of Science in Sustainability. This M.S program in Environmental Science, Policy and Management integrates the biological, physical, and social sciences to provide advanced education in these fields. We develop critical analytical skills and the ability to conduct ecosystems research at molecular, organism, and global scales and within interlinked human social system.

Sustainability and green majors are allowing major universities to prepare their students for the green economy. With engineering and energy development focused on sustainability and green design: these majors are a great, interdisciplinary way of allowing students to study and prepare for new careers. Employment in the sustainability field is growing at a rate faster than average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The predicted rate for the period 2008-2018 is 28%. Much of this growth is due to increased awareness of environmental problems. As of May 2008, median salaries for environmental scientists were $59,750 annually, according to the BLS.

Many of DePaul University initiatives are focusing on making the campus more sustainable. These new sustainability initiatives include reducing energy and water usage, increasing waste diversion, creating more alternative transportation options, offering sustainable dining choices, implementing green cleaning, offering eco housing, purchasing environmentally preferred products and planting native species. However, education for sustainability will be a lifelong learning process affirming values and actions which contribute to human and social transformation and ecological preservation.

This requires the institution to pay more attention to sustainability and academics curriculum. Through environmental and sustainability studies students will think deeply about the challenges and solutions to the problems of the environment and appreciate that living honorably includes protecting our environment and resources. The responsibility to educate students to think critically about sustainability issues and solutions should be embedded within the mission of DePaul University.

Posted by: Sabrina Purdis
Photo Credits: www.uwgb.edu/academics
www.treehugger.com/EcoGastronomy-major-University-of-New-Hampshire.jpg

DePaul Wastes No Time

Every human being impacts the environment through simple practices that we may or may not realize is harmful. Though the effects themselves may seem minute or insignificant, the cumulative effects of wasteful habits add up to a significant factor in global warming. DePaul University has taken huge strides to emphasize the development of new sources that will reduce our carbon footprint. DePaul has been actively involved in recycling for more than 25 years.

DePaul has adopted new innovated way to separate recyclables from waste.

This "Single Stream" Recycle Program serves to recycle all office paper, newspapers, catalogs, magazines and discarded mail. Items are collected in the over one hundred recycle stations that are located throughout the various building hallways on campus are collected every Monday and Thursday of each week, or as needed, and it is placed in ABITIBI bins located in various locations on campus. ABITIBI-Bowater (one of the largest recyclers of paper materials in North America) empties the bins each week. This current practice engages a combination of recycling directly from containers placed across the campuses for the community to "clean sort" product into...and vendor "in-plant" sorting or extraction of certain recyclable products (i.e. plastics, aluminum & glass) out of the general waste stream. As a result, according to Allied Waste, the 2009 DePaul Lincoln Park campus recycling program saved:12,611 Trees,3,043,069 KW Electricity,281,093 Gallons of oil,5,192,950 Gallons of water,2,226 Yards Diverted from Landfills.

DePaul also handle other environmental outreach efforts to reduce our carbon footprint. For example, DePaul University has partnered with the department of Environmental of Health and Safety (EHS) to establish the “Battery Recycling Program”. This partnership allows DePaul students to dispose rechargeable batteries, used cell phones, and alkaline batteries at six different locations throughout the campus. This program is aimed to teach students that less is more and we can make a big difference in the amount of waste that’s generated by using less energy and fewer materials.

The combined results have DePaul recycling an average of 70 to 80 tons of materials on a monthly basis. This does not include the quantity of cardboard product that the food service provider recycles on a bi-weekly basis. According to the U.S Department of Energy, it estimates that newspapers from recycled paper save 40 percent of the energy, plastics from recycled plastic save 70 percent of the energy, and a ton of paper made from recycled paper saves 17 trees. In addition, the aluminum and steel from recycled cell phones and batteries saves 95 and 60 percent of the energy consumption respectively.

In the same way, DePaul recycled product are also being utilized during construction and remodeling projects in the form of recycled plastics toilet partitions and other specialty finish elements which accounts for 90 percent of recycled items.

DePaul strives to improve and educate the campus community by installing more recycling containers on campus and are partnering with Student Government and Environmental Sciences to help promote better recycling efforts by the students and faculty members. Continued success in this area will result in marked increase in the tonnage of goods recycled on campus and increase student participation.

Posted by: Sabrina Purdis
Photo Credits: DePaul University

Water Conservation: Conservation through Bathroom Visits

DePaul has taken significant steps in its efforts to conserve water on campus through various means, such as installation of low flow showerheads and faucets in its residence halls. Other initiatives include installation of dual flush toilets in the LEED certified building at McGowan South. In addition to dual flush toilets, bathrooms at DePaul already have motion activated water faucets, which also help reduce the use of water. However there is another method to significantly reduce water consumption through bathroom activities at DePaul which has been considered.

DePaul’s Facility Operations website indicates that DePaul also hopes to install waterless urinals on its campus sometime in the near future. Waterless urinals such as those provided by the Waterless Company help to conserve as much as 20,000 to 45,000 gallons of water per year, depending on daily use. Unfortunately, currently in the City of Chicago, it is against city regulations to have waterless urinals due to city building codes that require commercial buildings to have copper piping in indoor plumbing. Waterless urinals require non copper piping or other forms of plumbing material such as pipes made from Polyvinle chloride (PVC). At one point, waterless urinals were installed at City Hall, and were eventually removed due to urine buildup behind the wall caused by corrosion in the piping. The urine buildup caused a stench in the bathrooms which should be prevented by a gel like seal in the urinal if the pipes are not corroded. Proper maintenance and cleaning would prevent odor and cleanliness issues. Other reasons the City of Chicago may resist changing codes to allow waterless urinals in the city may be due to resistance from plumber unions. Installation of waterless urinals would result in less work for plumbers as the new urinals would cut down on the work required to fix and maintain water related products. The City of Chicago and surrounding areas are extremely lucky to have an abundant source of fresh water that comes from Lake Michigan. Although Chicago may have such a rich supply of water, the source is not infinite. It is estimated that about 1 billion gallons of water is pumped from Lake Michigan on a daily basis for use in the Chicago region alone! It’s unimaginable the amount of water that could be saved by installing waterless urinals around the city, especially in commercial and high traffic buildings.

Although schools like DePaul are unable to install waterless urinals, other schools around the country have taken the steps to conserve water on their campus by installing these water saving bathroom fixtures. Schools like the University of California at Santa Barbara have already installed over 50 waterless urinals on campus which will lead to water conservation up to 2 million gallons of water per year. Other schools such as Hartford Community College have installed waterless urinals on their campus and will continue to replace conventional urinals with waterless urinals as renovation projects get underway. The desire to install waterless urinals at DePaul exists, however it will need the support of the City of Chicago to champion the efforts of water sustainability and conservation on campus as well as within the city.

Posted by: Julio C. Puentes

Image Credit: Lab Safety Supply

The Importance of an Office of Sustainability

While DePaul promotes sustainability on many levels, it does not seem as if there is one central Office of Sustainability. Having a centralized office could help in even further promoting sustainable practices and methods at DePaul. DePaul’s neighbor to the north, Loyola University Chicago, has taken the initiative to create an Office of Sustainability within their Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy (CUERP). This office has several goals and initiatives, all of which are centralized under the umbrella of the Office of Sustainability.

The office has several initiatives that engage the student body, faculty, and surrounding community. One huge undertaking has been the Biodiesel program. As a graduate of Loyola, I remember when this program first started. It began very small and grassroots, but has become something quite larger. It now supplies 5% of the fuel to the campus’ shuttles. While this is just a small example of one initiative of the Office of Sustainability, there are several more. What is truly interesting about the Loyola example is how they have attempted to centralize several sustainable initiatives in one office. This makes it much easier to record and measure the successes and failures of sustainable practices and methods.

While DePaul has several sustainable initiatives, including a commission on sustainability, having one centralized office presiding over all if not most of the sustainable initiatives would make things much easier. In addition to having several different sustainable activities, CUERP and the Office of Sustainability have a degree program in Environmental Studies and Sciences. They approach sustainability through a multi-system, and multi-disciplinary approach. Loyola and DePaul have a lot of similarities. Both are Catholic institutions with similar goals, missions, and values. They are both urban campuses with several locations in the city. They have similar challenges and unique opportunities for developing sustainable living and practices.

The Office of Sustainability has the following goals: “The Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy's office of sustainability advances Loyola University Chicago's mission to create a more sustainable university community. Doing this requires the collaboration, cooperation and creativity of every department and office and of students, faculty and staff in our academic community. Together we're building awareness, taking initiative and transforming our university into one that will lead us sustainability down the path of ecological and social responsibility.” When reading this passage, it could easily be mistaken for a DePaul mission. DePaul has taken some first steps in creating a centralized office. Having a commission on sustainability is a positive step towards the centralization of sustainable activities. While it may be difficult, the formation of one Office of Sustainability could be incredibly advantageous. Loyola is just one example of a similar university to DePaul who has taken sustainability to the next level. There are universities all over the United States who have taken many extra steps to creating the most sustainable practices possible. DePaul is on a positive path to sustainability and only needs a few more things to create the framework to truly promote sustainable practices and living.

Posted by: Timothy Scheel

Photo courtesy of : Loyola University Chicago

Educate the Educators - Sustainability Education and Community Outreach

Replacing light bulbs is great. Switching to toilets and showerheads to conserve water is fantastic. Reducing the carbon foot print at DePaul University is extraordinary. Minimizing DePaul’s impact on the resources of the environment is important, but when it comes to sustainability reducing the negative impact is only one piece of the puzzle. It is not enough to simply address how DePaul can reduce negative impacts on the environment, how can DePaul act to positively impact the environment? DePaul has the resources and opportunity to become an important community resource by developing a strong commitment to sustainability education in the Chicago area.

DePaul University’s Mission and dedication to Vincentian values reflect a philosophy of sustainability and as Scott Kelley points out in the White Paper on Sustainability at DePaul University, addressing the issue of sustainability by preparing students through education not only falls squarely in the Vincentian mission of the school but is also supported by the strategic plan, VISION twenty 12.

Balancing sustainability and development is not a short term problem. Each generation will grapple with new issues of sustainability and development. Each generation needs to be armed with the tools to assess and address the problems that will arise. DePaul University is in the position to help prepare the next generation for these challenges through education and community outreach.

DePaul can help by educating the educators, especially elementary school teachers. The importance of a positive and playful experience with the sciences at an early age and a teacher’s comfort level directly influences their ability to integrate issues into their curriculum. In Mizrap and Jarrett’s January 2010 article, Developing an Interest in Science: Background Experiences of Preschool Elementary Teachers. The authors explore the importance of an enjoyable and positive early science education on students and as a significant influence later on a teacher’s ability to teach science. In Julie Kennelly, Neil Taylor and T. W. Maxwell’s 2008 article Addressing the Challenge of Preparing Australian Pre-service Primary Teachers in Environmental Education: An Evaluation of a Dedicated Unit, the authors address the role of a teachers’ comfort level with science and environmental issues on a teacher’s ability to integrate the subject material. The authors suggest coursework for teachers which focus on practical ideas in order to increase the educator’s comfort level and grasp of the subject matter.

The United Nations recognized the importance of Sustainable Development Education in 2002 when they adopted resolution 57/254 and designated 2005 – 2014 as the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. DePaul has the opportunity to play a leadership role in the Chicago area to advance education about sustainable development.

DePaul should adopt the goal of becoming a strong community resource for Chicago Schools in Sustainable Development Education by engaging DePaul students and initiating outreach to Chicago Elementary School Teachers.

Engage DePaul Students:

• Integrate sustainability issues into the coursework throughout DePaul University.
• Sponsor an Environmental Education Grants Fair for students at DePaul. With the goal of developing inexpensive environmental projects for urban elementary classrooms designed to foster a connection between the young student and the environment. Including, but not limited to: recycling, conservation, food sources and ecology.
• Offer the winning projects at workshops for elementary school teachers.
• Encourage the DePaul School of Education to require coursework in science and sustainability at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
• Every graduate of the School of Education at DePaul University should be comfortable with scientific concepts and have the tools to integrate sustainability, environmental and ecological issues into a curriculum.
• Develop enrichment coursework which focuses on teaching natural science and environmental issues to young, urban, elementary school students

Outreach to Chicago Elementary School Teachers:

• Sponsor workshops for elementary teachers in the Chicago area to increase their knowledge in environmental and sustainability issues. The workshops should focus on practical suggestions and hands on activities for the classroom.

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Some interesting sites!
EPA Environmental Kids Club
ProTeacher Environment!
UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development for The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 2005-2014

Photo credit Charity Guide
~Terri Williams

Sustainable Food: What DePaul Should Do

College students often eat two or more meals a day on campus. Over the course of a year this is a lot of food that DePaul purchases and sells to students. DePaul has an opportunity to offer students locally bought food from farms around Illinois and help create a sustainable food service system.

While DePaul University does have some food and recycling sustainability practices, I feel that this is an area that they could improve in and not only impact and sustain the local community but the health of the DePaul students. DePaul currently has no formal policies on purchasing local food, but does have initiatives to encourage units to buy locally grown produce when available. DePaul buys from 17 local farms and spends $68,046 of their $3 million budget on locally raised food. While this may seem impressive, when compared to a school like Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio who spends $1,260,00 out of their $3 million budget on locally raised food, there is a lot of room for improvement.

DePaul does have an area on their dining services website that people can view their sustainability practices and what foods they use that are locally grown and bought. While these practices are having an impact there is more that can be done and Oberlin College, while not as large as DePaul, sets a great example through their sustainability practices.

Oberlin College has formal policies around the purchase of sustainable and organic food. They state that their principle is to “purchase, prepare and dispose all food and products in the most sustainable, socially and fiscally responsible manner possible.” I think this is a great first step when moving towards a more sustainable food service system and DePaul would benefit greatly when setting up something like this. By taking the initiative to purchase local and sustainable food, DePaul is encouraging students to do this in their personal lives and pass this on to their family and friends, not to mention the benefits of supporting the local economy and farmers. This can create a ripple effect throughout communities of people.

Oberlin College received an A- grade from the College Sustainability Report Card 2010. Oberlin College purchases from 9 local farmers or growers directly and 16 through a distributor which they call the Farm to Fork Program. They purchase things such as honey, maple syrup, grass-fed beer, and naturally raised turkey, dairy among other things. Oberlin also runs their own school farm to provide food to students and also give them an opportunity to work in the farm and learn more about the choices we make in regard to food sustainability. While this may be hard for DePaul due to the urban area that surrounds it, there might be a possibility to buy a plot of land in a nearby suburb or a plot of unused land near the school. Oberlin’s dining services employees, all 71 of them, have adopted the core values of sustainability and encourage others to do so as well. As they say “practice what you preach.”

Not only does Oberlin College have a food service sustainability program they also have a responsible disposables and composting program. The responsible disposable program encourages the use of china and silverware in the cafes. When it isn’t possible to use china or silverware they use products from renewable sources like corn, sugarcane and potato starch. To reduce the impact on the environment, they compost any biodegradable disposables and collect kitchen waste and customers food to be used as compost in George Jones Memorial Farm. Composting is something that can be done for free and in your own backyard. By encouraging students to compost in college it will encourage them to bring these practices with them in the future.

The University of Minnesota also set a great example with their food service program. They have received an A- from the College Green Report Card 2010. They use concepts similar to Oberlin college but on a larger scale. They support over 12 local farms and encourage everyone working for their dining service to promote the local food initiative.

Oberlin College and The University of Minnesota set an exemplary example when it comes to sustainability throughout their colleges and especially in their food service department. What I have highlighted above is only a few of the initiatives that they have put in place. DePaul can look to this model as they try to create a more sustainable university that supports the local community and the health of the students they educate. The food service sustainability program can be taken into the classroom and taught in classes involving food policy, development, economics and agriculture. As mentioned in the paper International Implementation Scheme “education is held to be central to sustainability.”

Here are some additional resources on sustainable food:
http://www.localharvest.org/
http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/rrr/recycle.htm
http://sustainableagriculture.net/
http://attra.ncat.org/organic.html 
http://food.change.org/ 

Posted by Julia Jolliff

Photo credit Energy Bulletin 

Biodiesel Project at Dickinson College

One sustainability best practice that DePaul University should consider implementing is the creation of a biodiesel fuel program. The United States’ reliance on foreign oil has been a widely debated issue recently. Biodiesel not only reduces the need for foreign oil, but it provides a use for leftover vegetable oil that would otherwise be thrown away by restaurants.


A U.S. Department of Energy study showed that the production and use of biodiesel, compared to petroleum diesel, resulted in a 78.5% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Biodiesel also has a positive energy balance, which means that for every unit of energy needed to produce a gallon of biodiesel, at least 4.5 units of energy are gained.

Biodiesel fuel is a cleaner burning; renewable fuel made from any biologically based oil. Dickinson College in South Carolina uses Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) in their biodiesel shop. The WVO is put through a process called Tranesterification. During this process, WVO is mixed with a methanol and lye solution. The ingredients are put into a reactor to be mixed and heated. Once the reaction is complete, there are two separate byproducts present: biodiesel and a glycerin byproduct. Biodiesel made in the Dickinson shop is used to power several campus trucks, tractors, and mowers. It is also used as an additional heat source for the greenhouse at the Dickinson College farm during winter.

One byproduct of the biodiesel process is glycerol, which can be harmful to the environment and humans if not handled correctly. Dickinson College has taken extra steps to ensure that they are using the glycerol in a safe and productive manner. They have 3 initiatives for putting the glycerol to good use – turning it into a soap and degreaser, using it as a composting agent, and converting it into a biogas.

DePaul would be an excellent place to create a biodiesel program. There is an enormous supply of waste vegetable oil from the university kitchens, as well as local restaurants and hotels. DePaul could use the biodiesel to power campus security vehicles, athletic buses, and landscaping vehicles.

DePaul could begin a composting program using the glycerol byproduct. While the true benefits of using glycerol in the composting process are not fully understood, DePaul could join Dickinson College in understanding the possible benefits of these chemical breakdowns.

While a proper Tranesterification process is complex, the new Msgr. Andrew J. McGowan Science Building would be an excellent place to house the project. The chemistry and environmental science departments would provide a vast knowledge base to spearhead these efforts and introduce students to the growing industry of biodiesel conversion.

Labels: Biodiesel, alternative fuel, green technology, oil recycling, What Must Be Done

http://www.biodiesel.org

http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/vehicles/emissions_biodiesel.html

http://www.dickinson.edu/about/sustainability/biodiesel/content/Biodiesel-Information/ Image Credit

http://205.153.241.230/issues/emergejan2005/biodiesel_cartoon.jpg Image Credit

Electronic Waste: What DePaul Should Do

In many of the DePaul web pages and information on green and sustainable practices the school shows a robust recycling program. Often it seems there are more blue and green bins then regular trashcans in our halls and classrooms. But electronic recycling, and electronic waste disposal, was lacking. Searching both DePaul’s website and Google reaches came up with no program or resources. So even if it does exist, it is not available for easy access to students and other University members. DePaul has a couple first steps towards e-waste management. First is a salvage program that brings in a small amount of revenue by selling functional equipment. Any property owned by the university or purchased with grants must be disposed of by procurement. So while this may stop some waste from the landfills, it is unclear how much of this is a prevention from university property being taken without accounting. As this is for campus property only, it does not service the students. Another small step in there is battery and cell phone collection, available to the general school population in four drop off locations in the Lincoln Park campus and one in the loop. Interestingly this is run out of the Health and Safety office, not Facilities, possibly because they recognize the possible hazards posed by these materials? So while there are a couple scattered programs, there is nowhere for students to take a broken vcr, old computer monitor, or TV.

Electronic waste is of particular importance because of the possible hazardous materials it contains, cadmium and lead for example. If thrown away improperly, these materials can contaminate landfills. E-waste has also gotten international attention as much of America’s e-waste has been shipped overseas to countries with lower environmental standards and is causing huge human health and environmental hazards. Watching an interview with photographer Edward Burtynsky last year he had some amazing photographs of mountains of switchboards and ancient women with baskets, not filled with food, but electronic pieces they are manually disassembling to remove tiny fragments of precious metals. The best solution is to reuse and refurbish electronics to keep them from reaching the waste stream. The next best is to make sure they are properly disposed and recycled.

The University of Colorado Boulder was number one on the Sierra Club’s college ranking and offers a series of programs to address e-waste. One smart idea is capturing the materials on move in and move out days. They have a “reusable items drive” to keep items out of the waste stream all together. These items are then donated to Habitat for Humanity. The University has also created a separate program, The Colorado Materials Exchange (COMEx), whose mission is to reduce the e-waste problem. They run an online electronic exchange message board, train businesses and institutions on how to reduce and reuse electronics and visit cities and towns throughout Colorado to hold e-waste workshops. The University of Colorado also received a grant from the EPA to conduct an e-waste research project to analyze the best practices for their school. Lastly, they hold computer roundups where the college community can drop off any electronics. Over 17 tons of computers were collected and 2.9 tons were tested and donated to non-profits.

Since DePaul has made a commitment to recycling, adding a e-waste program would be a natural fit. As the Colorado example shows there are many ways to approach the problem and it would be easy for DePaul to start with one activity, such as an electronic collection day each quarter. These programs could be easily advertised on all the current recycling bins, located in over 95% of DePaul facilities. DePaul seems to already care about the quality of vendors and contractors they hire based on the carpet installation selection based on labor practices we learned about in class, and their choice of a dining service that has a sustainable focus that I wrote about in my last blog. With this in mind, when DePaul makes the move to a starting a e-waste program, they would need to ensure not only that the electronics stay out of local landfills, but that they are salvaged, recycled or reused in a way that is safe for the environment and the people involved.

By Rebecca Dill
Photo: Edward Burtynsky
China Recycling #12,
Ewaste Sorting, Zeguo, Zhejiang Province, 2004

Student Sustainable Farming at De Paul University?

The concept of student farming would reasonably conjure up images of rural, agricultural schools training the future farmers of America. A new trend, however, has emerged at universities across the United States, including private, state and Ivy League institutions. With programs at many schools, including Rutgers, Cornell and Yale, this new trend, called student sustainable farming, is no longer just for agricultural students. More than forty on-campus student farms exist today. Students who attend universities with robust international and study-abroad programs, such as DePaul, can benefit from the experience provided by sustainable farming projects. Students who are preparing for study-abroad programs in developing countries in Africa, South American and Asia could bring more practical insight to their programs through the experience of participating in sustainable farming.

Sustainable farming has been used on campuses to establish community supported agriculture (CSA), farm stands, provide fresh produce to dining halls, and assist local soup kitchens and food pantries with their growing demand. The University of Vermont, for example, donates about half of its crop to local food aid projects. Student farms range in size and can be as large as 200 acres, although many are as small as an acre or less. It is true that many of these farms are linked to college courses related to agriculture, however, many are also linked to courses in global food politics and sustainability. As students learn ecological, economic, and social skills through cultivating crops, marketing products and supporting community development, they become engrossed in the educational and community service principles such as those held at DePaul University.

In many cases, student farms are self-sustained through their CSA initiatives and may even be organized as non-profit entities, allowing them to secure government grants to offset start-up costs. Farms at DePaul could use food scraps from dining halls and campus leaves for compost materials and supply food back to dining halls at harvest time. While the program at DePaul would start small, the opportunity for growth is exponential. For example, the Center for Agro-ecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) at the University of California at Santa Cruz operates a two-acre farm and is a great example of how universities can create outreach programs that not only benefit research and education on campus, but also can increase public interest in sustainable, resource-conserving agricultural techniques. The CASFS collaborates with non-governmental organizations, its local community and government agencies to provide publications and workshops for not only professional curriculum, but also for school children.

DePaul’s urban location, complemented by suburban campuses, provides an ideal atmosphere for this initiative. Other urban universities that are setting the bar include American, Georgetown and George Washington Universities in Washington, D.C., which started student gardens in 2009 and donated food to local food banks. Even universities closer to home, like Northwestern University's student garden, recognize the benefits of student gardens and have taken the first step in giving their students hands-on experience in sustainable gardening. These schools are proving that making a difference does not have to take up a lot of space. As each of these schools have demonstrated, raised beds can be put virtually anywhere and DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus could certainly accommodate this.

There is little doubt that student sustainable farming is a great opportunity for DePaul University. Shares in CSA initiatives could include distribution to low-income community members, as is done at Rutgers University, keeping with the values of St. Vincent de Paul. Additional benefits include more efficient use of university land resources to provide practical solutions for public service and sustainable education initiatives. The university’s connection to the community could only be strengthened while providing experiential learning to students preparing for careers in business, public service, international studies or various other concentrations. Many schools, from small liberal art colleges to Ivy League universities, have successfully developed student farm programs. Now is the time for DePaul to be a pioneer in the Chicago area with its own student sustainable farming initiative.

Posted by: Sondra Elder
(photo courtesy of Matt Steiman and Inno Onwueme)