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Duke University 2007 Campus Sustainability Leadership Award Application

Category

Four-year and graduate institutions over 7,500 student FTE

Duke's Nicholas School for the Environment students conduct a "Garbology" study of their trash to see how much material could have been recycled or composted.

Contact

Tavey McDaniel Capps
Environmental Sustainability Coordinator
203 Allen Building, Box 90027
Durham, NC
919-660-1434
tavey.mcdaniel@duke.edu

Governance & Administration

Duke University seeks to attain and maintain a place of leadership in all that we do. This includes leadership in environmental stewardship and sustainability on our campus, in our medical institutions, and in the larger community of which we are a part. In 2005, the University and Health System adopted a comprehensive Environmental Policy that commits us to addressing sustainability in three priority areas - academics, operations and community impact. The following policies, positions and committees all contribute to the achievement of this commitment at Duke.

Policies

• Comprehensive Green Purchasing policy – recognizes potential impacts of purchasing and provides guidelines for campus stakeholders -- highlighted in University Business magazine for green purchasing program
• Duke Stores Green Purchasing policy - outlines the purchasing component of Duke Store’s plan to “green” its products and services
• Remanufactured toner cartridges policy – any purchase of toners from Duke’s office supply vendor will automatically substitute remanufactured product
• Energy Star policy – all Duke purchases will be ENERGY STAR certified for qualifying products …in areas for which guidelines are not available, Duke will seek energy efficient products

University Design Guidelines

• All new construction and renovation will be LEED certified
• Energy conservation and efficiency of mechanical/electrical systems and equipment is of prime importance
• Campus trees are cherished as vintage architecture

Campus Stormwater Management Plan - ensure that human activities will have minimal or no adverse impacts on the environment

Campus Master Plan – “Duke is a university in the forest” - 4th Principle of Duke's Master Plan; "conservation zones" are designated for protection. Assets to be conserved include forested areas, fragile ecological areas, riparian corridors, Duke Gardens and central open spaces

Natural Areas registry - agreement with NCDENR to place 1,220 acres of Duke Forest in the Registry of Natural Heritage Areas, setting it aside from development and invasive research.

Pay and Health Care Standard for Food Service Contractors - requires contracted food service vendors to offer full-time employees at least $10 per hour and basic health care coverage

Staff

• Sustainability Coordinator, reporting to the Exec. VP
• Sustainability Outreach Coordinator within Office of Exec. VP
• Green Purchasing Coordinator within Procurement Services
• Green Dining Coordinator within Dining Dept.
• LEED Coordinator within Office of Duke Health System Architect
• Energy Manager within Facilities Dept.
• EMS Coordinator within Office of Env. Safety

Committees

• Environmental Management Advisory committee – reports to Assoc. VP of Facilities about campus-wide sustainability issues
• Duke Transit Advisory committee – reports to VP Campus Services about impact of transportation planning, recommendations, and improvements
• Committee on Facilities and the Environment - charged to review all projects that are destined for consideration by the Board of Trustees
• Duke Forest committee – responsible for planning future of Duke Forest
• Duke University Student Dining Advisory committee – student committee about dining and its campus impacts
• Adhoc Green Dining Committee – promotes, develops and raises awareness about the sustainability of campus dining

Operations

The following list describes a sampling of the many operational programs that support Duke’s commitment to sustainability.

• Fifteen registered (or higher level) LEED projects including lab buildings, dormitories and classroom space
• The Duke Stream and Wetland Assessment Management Park (SWAMP) is a 14-acre restored stream-wetland-lake complex designed to help protect the Triangle's drinking water supply by controlling storm water runoff from the campus and 1,200 surrounding acres.
• Planning redevelopment of 200-acre Central campus that will integrate ecological sustainability initiatives into all aspects of the project, from designing a transit-oriented walkable campus to restoring biological diversity.
• The fifth-largest university purchaser of green power in US; Purchaser Award at the 2005 Southeast Green Energy Summit, EPA 2006-2007 Individual Conference Purchaser Champion in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
• Facilities Management Department committed to energy efficiency and sustainability and currently developing a long-term energy management plan to guide future development; programs include potential of using biomass in campus steam plant; regular steam trap maintenance program; using biodegradable transformer fluid
• Conducted comprehensive campus GHG gas emissions inventory and developed a feasibility study of the numerous mitigation options; currently considering future GHG reduction targets
• Conducted a comprehensive inventory of environmental impacts associated with campus dining; subsequent projects include “green” criteria in the campus evaluation of dining facilities, the Divinity School hiring an environmentally and socially responsible vendor for their restaurant, and evaluation of the origins of Duke’s food
• 80 alternative fuel vehicles in campus fleet including buses and sanitation trucks
• Transportation department promotes alternatives such as carpooling, vanpooling, biking, walking, and public transit.
• Currently collect 17 different types of recyclables, diverting over 1250 tons of recyclables from the landfill each year; collect many non-traditional recyclables, such as food compost, motor oil, pallets, coal ash and tires, reducing waste stream by an additional 5,000 tons; started a Rechargeable Battery and Cell Phone Recycling Program
• Construction waste management programs – ex. Hospital Heliport recycling project diverted 718 tons of solid waste from landfill, 97% salvage rate for roof insulation saving $133,000, $29,000 in disposal fees and 265 gallons of fuel
• Reprocessing medical instruments rather than utilizing single-use disposable instruments; realized savings of 40% since inception.
• Duke Computer Exchange program, developed by Community Affairs and Procurement, recycles Duke computers for use in Durham schools and community centers, donated over 2000 computers since its inception
• Duke University Surplus program donates all material - including furniture, computers, medical and research equipment - to charities and non-profit groups both locally and internationally
• Office of Information Technology makes double-sided printing the default on campus printers, initiating a “print quota” to encourage reduction
• Partnership between Procurement and campus office supply vendor has produced a “Green Shopping List” available to campus purchasers; Over 30% of purchases are EarthSaver products
• Duke Marine lab – recently awarded Clean Marina certification, developed environmental stewardship committee, and created a monofilament line recycling program as a resource to local community

Curriculum & Research

Many programs at Duke incorporate the tenets of sustainability, exposing students in different disciplines to the importance of understanding their ecological footprint. Two primary examples of this are the Nicholas School for the Environment and the Pratt School of Engineering.

Nicholas School for the Environment – offers significant opportunities for education, research and service and allows undergraduate and graduates to understand basic earth and environmental processes, to understand human behavior related to the environment and to inform society about the conservation and enhancement of the environment and its natural resources for future generations

Sample courses from the Nicholas School that incorporate real-world issues into the learning environment -

• Energy and the Campus – students explore ways to conserve energy/diversify sources of energy at Duke – ex. projects this year included feasibility of LED lights in campus parking decks; engineering/economic analysis of rooftop photovoltaic systems
• Examining Biodiesel – collaboration between Fuqua School of Business and Nicholas school to look at potential for using waste vegetable oil from area restaurants and Duke dining facilities to make biodiesel
• Green by Design – focuses on the ‘real world opportunities’ to assess greening options, balance trade-offs between cost and benefits, and learn strategies to encourage and implement environmental improvements, from leading green industry experts.

Nicholas School offers resources to the broader community as well in their online Nicholas Talks series, collection of lectures by Duke and outside scientists; Nicholas Environmental Notebook, series of stories that take you to the front line of environmental research and education; and publishing the Duke Environmental Magazine.

The Duke Environmental Leadership Program improves the knowledge and understanding of environmental issues and leadership capacity among practicing environmental professionals, business executives, graduate students and K-12 teachers and students.

Pratt School of Engineering – offers opportunities for sustainable study in courses such as:

• "Sustainable Engineering: Environmental Factors in the Design, Construction, and Operation of the Built Environment"
• “Advanced Living Technology Course” - gives students the opportunity to design, build, and prepare projects for the Smart House (Pratt's live-in laboratory) and the Environmental Protection Agency's student design competition for sustainability
• SmartHome – project within Pratt to build an efficient, smart, sustainable home of the future – ability to test and pilot technologies for use on campus
• GreenTouch screen project – developing a real-time, web-based, feedback system in the main Engineering building that will allow students, faculty and staff to analyze the resource consumption of the building

Duke scientists and engineers also focus their research on pressing global problems-

• Co-authoring the main chapters of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 4th Assessment Report
• Utilizing a research helicopter with an atmosphere-sensing nose to increase understanding of the lower atmosphere and its intimate connection to seasonal changes in land cover
• Studying how tropical deforestation affects global warming
• Duke Forest – (7,050 acres) In terms of size, diversity, accessibility and accumulated long-term data, the Forest is a resource for studies related to forest ecosystems and the environment that is unrivaled at any other university.

Campus Culture

Duke sustainability initiatives focus on creating a campus culture where students, faculty and staff understand the importance of sustainability and their impacts on the surrounding community.

• Sustainability staff maintain a comprehensive website as a clearinghouse for sustainability initiatives; produce a bimonthly electronic newsletter; and offer workshops to faculty, staff and students
• Students for Sustainable Living Program – 15-member student corp. utilizing social marketing techniques to engage and educate the campus. Projects in 06-07 focused on water use in the dorms, resource use by OIT programs on campus and dining facilities, and promoting alternative transportation options such as biking on campus.
• Sustainability Internship Program – students employed with the Sustainability Office working on issues such as transportation demand management, green dining, LEED buildings, etc. – gaining valuable experience while helping make the campus more sustainable
• Green Grant Fund - $50,000 yearly to fund student, staff and faculty initiatives to "green" Duke
• Developing a campus sustainability map to highlight “green” projects, buildings, and initiatives for the campus community and visitors
• Annual summer Duke Farmer’s Market bringing local farmers to campus and providing healthy food options for the Duke community
• Working with campus Orientation staff to incorporate sustainability message into send-home materials and events as freshmen arrive on campus such as a “waste-free” picnic for students and their families
• The annual Eco-Olympics, a dorm vs. dorm energy, waste and water reduction competition between the freshmen dorms at Duke. During several weeks of competition in 2006, dorms reduced energy use by almost 80%, giving students a tangible example of how their behavior impacts resource use.
• Facilities and the undergraduate environmental group team up to provide over 900 compact florescent bulbs to incoming freshman. Students canvas the dorms exchanging CFLs for incandescent bulbs while educating their peers about the energy savings they can provide.
• Environmental Mgt. Advisory Committee awards designed to reward campus groups and individuals committed to sustainability
• STARS (Students Taking an Active Role in Sustainability) – students working to establish a $10/semester student sustainability fee that will be managed by students and used for projects that reduce Duke’s ecological footprint
• Developing a campus community bike program to provide alternative transportation options to students, faculty and staff

Community Service & Outreach

A large part of Duke’s sustainability efforts are focused on not only educating the campus but the surrounding community as well. The following is a sampling of programs that help us achieve this goal.

• Duke has presented at numerous national and regional conferences over the past year including SCUP, SRAPPA, Greening the Campus, and Greening Virginia Colleges conference
• Educational presentations on campus (open to surrounding community members) cover hundreds of topics including local/organic food and the politics of food; energy resources and our future; environmentally responsible health care; GHG management; moral basis of environmentalism; and free market environmentalism; green buildings; and green purchasing
• Earth Month (April) at Duke highlights sustainability programs, speakers and events, open to campus and Durham community
• “Recycle for the Children” – football game recycling, revenue benefits the Duke Children’s Hospital.
• Move Out for Charity - collect clothing, furniture, appliances, etc., collected 15 tons of material this spring
• Duke GROWS project - student volunteers and Grounds work together to beautify Durham
• Durham Neighborhood Partnership program seeks to enrich and improve conditions for Duke and the surrounding schools and neighborhoods.
• Duke students help to reduce home energy use in Durham through a new "Share the Light" program. Students deliver packages of energy-saving lightbulbs to the Department of Social Services for free distribution
• Campus Bike Station to provide minor bike repairs and information about bike commuting and safety
• Hosted 2007 SURGE conference focused on environmental, social justice and economic justice issues
• Worked with Triangle Green Builders to develop high performance building workshops and conduct tours of Duke’s LEED buildings
• Climate Change Policy Partnership – effort by Duke and corporate partners to explore opportunities to address climate change
• Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions - marshals the broad resources of Duke to provide independent analysis on key environmental issues. Past projects – "Best Bus" model - a decision-support model to determine the best-cost alternatives for reducing fleet emissions; Greenhouse Gas Guide - The first how-to manual for reducing GHG emissions in the US through changes in land use and farming practices, and turning those reductions into verifiable credits for trading in carbon markets; Future of Water in NC workshop – addressing the challenge of maintaining clean and abundant water for healthy growth and ecosystems
• Duke, the University of Cambridge, and the Climate Group are launching the “Climate Academy” to educate executives on how to seize the business advantage inherent in addressing global climate change
• Duke’s Fuqua School of Business hosted their annual Footprints Conference celebrating the convergence of private, public, and social sectors to create sustainable social and environmental benefit

All material copyright 2005-2008
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