Water
Law professor sees progress where environmental and economic good meets
Nov. 18, 2011—by Amy Wolf [Article originally published in Vanderbilt View] Environmental law and property law expert J.B. Ruhl said he considers himself part of the “radical middle” when it comes to helping craft solutions to controversial environmental issues. “Sometimes you need to take an environmental good and pair it up with an economic good to get...
Fifteen ways to go green this holiday season
Nov. 17, 2011—by Liz Entman, Vanderbilt University News and Communications The holiday season is traditionally a time of plenty, but it can also be a time of excess. The average American household generates 25 percent more trash during the holiday season. And who has never thrown away freezer-burnt leftovers because nobody got around to eating them? Add...
Vanderbilt University greenhouse gas emissions down 10% since 2008
Oct. 25, 2011—Report released on Campus Sustainability Day, Oct. 26 Vanderbilt University has decreased its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) per square foot by 18 percent since 2005 and has decreased its total emissions by 10 percent from an all-time high since 2008, according to a new report prepared by Vanderbilt’s Sustainability and Environmental Management Office. The GHG...
A sustainable Vanderbilt
Sep. 5, 2011—by Lucas Loffredo [Article originally featured on InsideVandy] Sustainability is, as defined by Vanderbilt University’s Sustainability and Environmental Management Office (SEMO), “the development of a process or management system that helps to create a vibrant campus economy and high quality of life while respecting the need to sustain natural resources and protect the environment.” Opinions...
Incorporate sustainability into summer excursions
Jun. 23, 2011—As vacation season heats up, cars and planes rev up to meet the needs of eager travelers. By putting a little extra effort into the planning of your vacation, you can reduce the environmental impact of your trips with these handy and sustainable travel tips. Tourism’s Impact on the Environment Tourism takes a toll on...
Rand Hall improvements win 2011 Energy Management Achievement award
May. 4, 2011—Vanderbilt University has been awarded the 2011 Energy Management Achievement award by the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers and the Center for Energy Efficiency at Middle Tennessee State University. The award recognized recent energy efficiency improvements to Rand Hall. Plant Operations improved the heating and cooling system and upgraded the building...
World Water Day examines where water comes from in urban areas
Mar. 16, 2011—Do you know where the water comes from that you drink? Cook with? Bathe in? Access to clean water is central to our well-being. It is a critical resource necessary for survival, contributing to human health, irrigation and transportation. When we turn on the faucet or shower or flush a toilet, we don’t often think...
Engineering School collaborates with Metro Water on pilot wind-solar based power generating facility
Dec. 13, 2010—[Originally published by News and Public Affairs in MyVU] The mechanical engineering department in the School of Engineering is setting up a small scale, wind-solar research and teaching power generating facility at Love Circle in Hillsboro Village. The pilot project is being done in collaboration with Nashville Metro Water Supply. The facility should produce about...
Vanderbilt improves grade on College Sustainability Report Card 2011
Nov. 1, 2010—[Originally published in MyVU by VU News and Public Affairs] Vanderbilt University’s results on the 2011 College Sustainability Report Card improved in five of the nine sustainability categories and stayed consistent in the other four categories. The university received an overall grade of “B,” an improvement from the C+ in the 2010 Report Card. The...
Vanderbilt receives “B” in sustainability report card
Oct. 29, 2010—By Kyle Blaine [Originally published by Vanderbilt Student Communications] Vanderbilt University received a “B” grade from the Sustainable Endowments Institute’s College Sustainability Report Card, an improvement from the C+ received last year. Andrea George, director of the Sustainability & Environmental Management Office, worked with the Sustainable Endowments Institute to report relevant information to be used...