Tufts University listed as top green school on Treehugger blog
8/14/09 These days, it takes work to stand out among the greenest colleges. In researching this elite group, [Treehugger] found many schools with organic and local produce in the cafeterias, LEED requirements for all new buildings and free passes for public transportation. And while solar arrays and wind turbines are great, many have found that energy efficiency upgrades is where it's at. So what makes these 10 campuses take top billing among their peers? Read more...Tufts Office of Sustainability offers first for-credit class Fall 2009
6/26/09 The course, entitled "Environmental Action: Shifting from saying to doing," is offered through the Experimental college at Tufts University. It is designed for students who want a refreshing way to examine the truths behind the environmental concerns in the news. Through the lens of psychology, social marketing and critical thinking, we will examine the current environmental issues impacting our world. As students become environmentally literate they will also be given tools to examine their and their peers’ personal behavior and learn how to create behavior change. This course aims to empower students to find their voice as they become leaders in environmental action; learning practical skills in communication, social marketing campaigns, and event planning. Activities during the semester will include: critical thinking research examining current environmental issues, personal challenges, campus social marketing group projects, and the opportunity to prepare for and host a symposium on peer-to-peer sustainability education with Boston-area colleges and universities. By the end of the semester students will leave this class with a new perspective on themselves, society and the environment.
Vegetable and fruit box shares now delivered to Tufts Office of Sustainability
6/17/09 The Office of Sustainability and Tufts Institute for the Environment have teamed up to be a host site for the drop-off of boxes of fresh, local veggies during the summer. Thirty-five people are currently enjoying this convenient service and some shares are still available. For more information about the box shares and a listing of local farmer's market click here.
Mara Gittleman wins accolades for sustainable food research
Two students awarded Compton Mentor Fellowships
6/15/09 Tufts E-news discusses former Tufts Institute for the Environment and ECO officer Mara's work in Addis Ababa, her SustainUS award and touches on her upcoming work with PlaNYC using funding from the Compton Foundation. Mara is one of two Tufts seniors who received Compton Mentor Fellowships. The other fellow is Nadia Eghbal, who will be studying sustainable endowments at Universities in the US.
If you are a Tufts senior and are interested in applying for the 2010-2011 year, keep an eye open for information sessions during the Fall of 2009. Tufts can nominate only two 'traditional age' seniors who are interested in climate change and policy. Internal applications are required.
Flyer-ing on campus discussed in The Daily
5/18/09 The commencement issue discusses the effects of plastering paper all over campus. Read it here.
New & Convenient Recycling System at the Dental School
4/22/09 In celebration of Earth Day, the Dental School kicked off a new method of recycling called "mixed recycling" (also known as "single stream recycling"). You can now place all recyclable items into just one bin - no more separating cans, paper and plastic! Carrie Garinger of the Dental School, who helped organize the effort states, "we hope this new, simpler method of recycling will increase participation by the Tufts Dental community and reduce the amount of trash we produce each day."
The dental school is taking the lead within the university as the first school to pilot this method of mixed recycling. They are proud to be playing an active role in promoting the Green Initiative at the dental school and hope that all members of the health sciences campus will join them in their efforts. Feel free to Carrie with your suggestions and other green ideas - your feedback is welcome!
Special thanks is extended to Dawn Quirk, the Recycling Coordinator for Tufts University, for her assistance in implementing the new recycling system.
Composting Comes to the Campus Center
4/7/09 Tufts Recycles! hopes that students will soon choose the composting bin over trash cans in the campus center. Read Daily Article.
Mara Gittleman, former ECO officer, wins SustainUS undergraduate Citizen Scientist award for her research on Ethiopian Agriculture.
Citizen Science is SustainUS's program aimed to integrate science, policy, and youth to promote Sustainable Development. Youth ages 13-26 were invited to submit original scientific research or position papers to the Citizen Science Technical Board for the 2009 Citizen Science Paper Competition! Winners will, in addition to publication, have the chance to present their work at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (UN CSD), convening at the United Nations Headquarters (NYC) from May 4-15, 2009.
Read the Daily article. 4/6/09
Tisch Library starts a Sustainability Team
The Tisch Library Advisory Council recently gave its stamp of approval to the creation of a Tisch Sustainability Team. With a dual charge of offering environmental awareness opportunities to staff and patrons and helping the library economize through energy conservation initiatives, the team will become part of the official Tisch organizational structure and will come into being in July 2009, at the beginning of the new fiscal year. Laurie Sabol, a Tisch librarian who participated in the Office of Sustainability's Eco Ambassador program and brought the proposal to the Advisory Council says “I’m so grateful to Tisch’s management team, who gave their overwhelming support to the establishment of this team. I had initially proposed that it be a short-term task force, but Advisory Council members felt the group would better position itself for success if it became a part of the library structure. I can’t wait to begin our work!”2/17/09 Tufts Receives Energy Honors for work on Grafton campus
Tufts' Building 20 Energy Conservation Project, completed in the fall of 2007 on the Grafton campus, won the "Best Energy Project in Higher Education" award from the New England Association of Energy Engineers. Since the project's completion, natural gas and electricity usage has dropped and the university has received utility rebates totaling almost $96,000. 2/11/09 Did you know you can recycle Brita filters?
Brita and Preserve have recently announced a recycling program for expired filters from Brita water pitchers that will begin in early 2009. Consumers will be able to mail in used filters or drop them off at select Whole Foods stores. Collected filters will be recycled into Preserve's line of 100% recyclable personal care, tableware, and kitchen products. To learn more visit www.filterforgood.com.
1/20/09 RecycleMania has begun!
From January 18th until March 28, 2009, Tufts University is participating in RecycleMania; a ten-week, nationwide collegiate recycling competition. How can you help us win?! Go to Tufts Recycles! webpage.
Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine wins grant to look into wind power in Grafton.
Read the Daily article. 1/29/09The Dental School has started a green initiative to engage the entire Health Sciences campus in Boston.
Read about it on their new website. 1/22/09
New Email Address
Tufts Office of Sustainability has a new email address! Sustainabilityoffice@tufts.edu has replaced tci@tufts.edu to reflect the Office of Sustainability's broader mission of working on a variety of sustainability issues on campus.New program for Staff
This fall the Tufts Office of Sustainability launched a new way for staff to green their departments. Learn more about the new "Eco-Ambassador" program here.Intern in the News
On 12/15/08 Office of Sustainability Intern Sarah Ullman was profiled on Tufts E-News. Climate Change Forum
Over 200 people participated in Focus the Nation on January 31st, 2008.Tufts Ranks Among the Top
Receiving 82 points out of 100, Tufts ranked 10th in the Sierra Magazine poll. Schools were judged in ten different categories-policies for building, energy, food, investment, procurement, transportation, curriculum, environmental activism, waste management and overall commitment to sustainability.
The Sierra Magazine ranking isn't the only recent environmental accolade for Tufts. The university was named one of the top 25 greenest schools in the 2009 Kaplan College Guide earlier this month.
Tufts also ranked well in the Princeton Review's "Green Rating" guide, "which evaluates colleges and universities on their environmentally-related policies, practices and academic offerings." Tufts earned a 94 on a scale of 60 to 99. Read more.
Tufts awarded "Excellence in Energy Efficiency" by National Grid 
On Wednesday, October 31, 2007, Tufts' President Larry Bacow hobnobbed with Ian Bowles, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. President Bacow accepted National Grid's "Excellence in Energy Efficiency" award for Tufts' role in energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reductions. The award ceremony was aptly situated in Sophia Gordon Hall, Tufts' first building built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. According to the National Grid press release, Tufts saves $613,748 annually through energy efficiency programs that have decreased energy use on campus by 5,901,396 kWh (that's enough energy to power 379 homes for one year). Additionally, the avoidance of electricity use has prevented 3,252 tons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. Bacow noted that the money saved through Tufts' conservation initiatives with National Grid is enough to fund scholarships for 23 students. Left to right
Betsy Isenstein, Energy Manager, Tufts University
John Roberto, Vice President of Operations, Tufts University
Larry Bacow, President, Tufts University
Ian Bowles, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Marcy L. Reed, Senior Vice President External Affairs, National Grid
Tufts Daily article
Medford News article
National Grid press release
Tufts named #9 on Sierra Magazine's List of Top Ten Greenest Schools
From Sierra's website: "Home of the first university environmental policy in the country, this OG (original green) school keeps itself current with solar panels on its newest residence hall, energy-saving motion sensors on campus vending machines, and an electric tractor to mow its organically tended baseball field."
UEP Hosts 2010 Imperative Global Emergency Teach-In
The Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning Department at Tufts University joined universities, firms, municipalities, and other organizations across the continent to virtually attend the 2010 Imperative Global Emergency Teach-In on February 20, 2007. The 2010 Imperative, complemented by the 2030 Challenge, is a strategy developed by Architecture 2030 to address climate change with practical methods through the Building Sector. The Teach-In featured Susan Szenasy, Editor, Metropolis magazine, James Hansen, Director, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Edward Mazria, American Institute of Architects, Founder, Architecture 2030, and Chris Luebkeman, Director, Global Foresight and Innovation Initiative, ARUP. Visit www.2010imperative.com for more information about the 2010 Imperative and to watch the archived web-cast.