2008 Sustainability Assessment

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA,
IRVINE
Sustainability Assessment
THESIS
submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements
for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS
in Social Ecology
by
Candice Carr
Thesis Committee:
Professor Richard A. Matthew, Chair
Professor Jean-Daniel Saphores
Professor Peter Bryant
2008
Table of Contents
Foreword …………………………………………………………… iii
Acknowledgements ………………………………………………… v
Introduction ………………………………………………………… 1
1. Institutional Commitment …………………………………………… 6
2. Sustainability and Academics ………………………………………. 12
3. Sustainability and Student Advocacy ……………………………….. 20
4. Sustainability and Campus Buildings…………………………………28
5. Grounds and Water ………………………………………………….. 36
6. Energy and Climate ………………………………………………….. 46
7. Waste and Recycling ………………………………………………… 55
8. Sustainability and Transportation ……………………………………. 68
9. Sustainability and Dining …………………………………………….. 82
10. Sustainability and Purchasing ……………………………………….. 92
11. Social Sustainability: Ethnic Diversity and Employee Wellbeing …. 102
12. Sustainability and University Investments …………………………. 110
Appendix A: American College and University
Presidents Climate Commitment
Appendix B: University of California Policy on Sustainable Practices
ii
Foreword
This report began one year ago at the UC/CSU/CCC Sustainability Conference at UC
Santa Barbara. I attended the conference with an excited group of students representing 7
of the 10 UC campuses. We all had an interest in issues surrounding electronic waste, and
had recently learned about the conference. We had just spent several days learning about
the complex global issues surrounding electronics production and recycling, and
strategizing for our campaign for the upcoming year with Maureen Cane of the Silicon
Valley Toxics Coalition, a graduate of UC Berkeley and founding member of the
California Student Sustainability Coalition.
On the first night of the conference there was a networking opportunity with hors
d’oeuvres. Our plan was to meet as many of the administrators as possible from our home
campuses and get to know them a little bit, and find out where our respective campuses
were with regard to sustainability and electronic waste, since the staff who attend the
Sustainability Conference would likely be the ones to ask. Luckily, I quickly found Paige
Macias and Samara Larson from UCI. I asked them what major sustainability
undertakings are happening at UCI. Samara told me that she had been overseeing the
clearing of rooftops, in the hope of having solar panels on them.
The next morning, I saw Paige and Samara again after a presentation and spoke with
them briefly. They suggested the idea that I could work for Facilities Management to
conduct a sustainability assessment of UCI, and I agreed to do it. In the following
months, I decided to conduct the report for academic credit rather than a paycheck,
getting a Master of Arts in Social Ecology along the way to my PhD through the
completion of this report. I began to research various assessment tools and methods.
In October of 2006, I attended the first annual conference of the Association for the
Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) in search of useful
information regarding the assessment of campus sustainability. I found what I was
looking for in the form of a framework developed in the Pacific Northwest by a group of
Colleges and Universities and endorsed by AASHE, called the Sustainability in Higher
Education Assessment Framework (SHEAF). I have used it as a template for this
iii
assessment, although that is not evident from the way I have organized the final report. It
helped me to choose indicators and metrics and think about what to keep an eye out for.
I began meeting with staff, faculty and students for interviews in the late fall of 2006. I
had the help of a student intern, who was recruited by UCI Recycling Coordinator,
Suzanne Hibbs. Suzanne has supported the assessment process all along, not just by
offering great information and advice, but also by recruiting interns. We had two interns
in the Winter of 2007, one of which stayed on in the Spring, and was joined by another.
Suzanne took the time out of her schedule to meet with us each week.
Overall, the process of collecting and writing up the information here has been incredibly
enlightening. It is my great hope that this report will be useful to UCI and other schools,
in the congealing of a campus sustainability vision and ethic. It will be this shared vision
that will move us into the era of sustainability. I also trust that UCI will find a way to
update this assessment each year, as it is not meant to be a one-off affair, but a tool for an
ever-changing campus to identify problems, priorities and potential, and to handle these
with transparency and an invitation for involvement from faculty and students. May the
future be brighter each year as we work together to shrink our deep ecological footprint.
Candice Carr Kelman
June 13, 2007
Left: The UCI contingent of Toxic Free UC at the 2006 UC/ CSU/CCC Sustainability
Conference: Candice (on right) and Alicia Langton, a senior in Environmental Analysis and
Design. Right: Peter Yu, Shyla Raghav and May Chiu of Green Campus with AVC Paige
Macias and Candice at the 2006 Sustainability Conference. UCI won the 2006 award for best
lighting retrofit, a project conducted by Facilities with the help of the Green Campus interns.
iv
Acknowledgements
This report would not have been possible without the help of key administrators, staff and
students at UCI who helped to gather and report data. During the 2006-7 academic year,
four student recycling interns helped collect data and make graphs for this report. During
the Fall 2006 quarter, Natalie Roberts helped gather information on campus energy usage
and helped make graphs related to recycling information from Recycling Coordinator
Suzanne Hibbs. During the Winter of 2007, interns Victoria Liu and Allison Baumann
gathered information on campus activism and community service. In the Spring of 2007,
Victoria Liu and Adam Huh helped with the purchasing chapter by conducting a survey
of the largest departments on campus regarding their paper usage. Many special thanks
go to Suzanne Hibbs for sharing her interns and her time for the production of this report.
Key Administrators and staff involved in the production of this report have been Vice
Chancellor for Administrative and Business Services Wendell Brase, Associate Vice
Chancellor for Administrative and Business Services Paige Macias, and Senior
Administrative Analyst for the Office of Vice Chancellor Brase, Erin Lane. Recycling
Coordinator Suzanne Hibbs deserves special thanks, as do Director of Environmental
Health and Safety Marc Gomez, as well as Dick Sun and Kirk Matin of the
Environmental Health and Safety Department, who were incredibly helpful with
information about hazardous and chemical waste, especially e-waste.
Many thanks for meetings and information go out to Assistant Vice Chancellor for
Student Housing Bill Zeller, Director of Campus and Environmental Planning Richard
Demerjian, Director of Quality Assurance for Design and Construction Services Bill
Cowdell, Senior Facility Requirements Analyst in Capital Planning Gina Adams, Senior
Superintendent of Grounds and Buildings Rob Rice and Emilio Avalos of Facilities
Management, Campus Energy Manager Paul Wingco, Principal Engineer Fred
Bockmiller, Director of Parking and Transportation Services Stacey Murren, Event
Services Manager Jennifer Cartnal, Fleet Services Superintendent Mark Brunk, Aramark/
UCI Dining Resident District Manager Robert Perez and Marketing Manager Jackie
Rustin, Director of Materiel and Risk Management Harry Gunther, Materiel Management
Sustainability Coordinator Melvin Davis, Strategic Sourcing Manager Jacob Godfrey,
Engineering Copy Center Manager Gary Pike, Social Sciences Copy Center Manager
Craig Stone, and others who have helped as well.
Special thanks go out to all the student groups involved in greening UCI, especially those
who shared information with me about their campaigns, including the UCI Student
Sustainability Coalition, Green Campus, OC Society for Conservation Biology, Students
for Sustainability, CalPIRG, Sustainable Energy Technology Club, Irvine Students
Against Animal Cruelty, ASUCI, AGS and Anteaters for Recycling and Conservation.
Professor Richard Matthew has been my advisor for this project, as well as an outspoken
advocate of sustainability on campus and globally. His ongoing support has provided
both direction and inspiration. Thanks also go to the other two members of my Master’s
Committee, Professors Peter Bryant and Jean-Daniel Saphores for their guidance.
v
Perhaps most important of all, Matt St.Clair in the UC Office of the President has offered
crucial advice and kept the UC campuses as coordinated as they would like to be with
one another by facilitating the incredibly useful monthly sustainability calls. In many
ways, Matt is the heartbeat of sustainability in the UC system, and I don’t know what we
would do without him. He should have a bigger budget, more staff, and plenty of
vacation time. And last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank Aurora Winslade,
sustainability coordinator at UC Santa Cruz for advice, ideas, that excellent table in the
Introduction, and moral support during the process of writing this report.
Finally, thanks to everyone who waited so long for the final edition of this report. I hope
it was worth the wait. Everything has been fully updated to the best of my knowledge as
of June 19, 2008.
Candice Carr Kelman with Victoria Liu,
one of the recycling interns who worked
on this report through the office of
Suzanne Hibbs. Victoria interned for two
consecutive quarters, and conducted the
important research on paper usage across
campus for the purchasing chapter. It
would not have been done without her!
A Note about the Meaning of Sustainability
This report adopts a holistic view of
sustainability and sustainable development,
meaning that it assumes and understanding of
the tripartite nature of sustainability, which
posits that in order for future generations to
have the ability to meet their needs, our current
economic systems must immediately develop
and strengthen institutions, policies and
practices promoting social equity and
environmental conservation. Only with the
integration of these three pillars of
sustainability is truly sustainable development
possible. Social inequities and environmental
destruction jeopardize economic development,
and both must be addressed to sustain society. vi
Figure borrowed from Great Britain’s
Forestry Commission Sustainability page:
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/edik59fmzf
Introduction
Sustainability and Institutions of Higher Education
“If we are to achieve a sustainable future, institutions of higher education must provide the
awareness, knowledge, skills and values that equip individuals to pursue life goals in a manner that
sustains human and non-human wellbeing for all current and future generations.”
- The University as a Model of Sustainability, by Dr. Anthony Cortese,
President, Second Nature http://www.secondnature.org/efs/efs_part_two.htm
We live in an era of transition. Collectively, our world faces the first truly global crisis, and
it is becoming apparent to more and more of us that our current systems are unsustainable.
The question is whether our time will be a turning point or a tipping point. To pull our
civilizations back from the brink of ecological catastrophe and set us on a sustainable path
will require new ways of thinking, along with shifts in values and patterns of action. All of
this will require paradigm shifts in higher education.
Institutions of higher education must be able to equip our future leaders with the
knowledge, skills and values necessary to make the transition to a sustainable economy.
This will take a level of cooperation and leadership never before seen among higher
education institutions, and we are beginning to see that level of commitment and
leadership in initiatives such as the American College and University Presidents Climate
Commitment (see Appendix). Signatory institutions to this landmark document are
showing the world that immediate action must be taken to limit emissions of greenhouse
gasses, and that Universities are ready to demonstrate how this can be done.
Universities have already begun to take strides toward a more sustainable future, showing
that they understand that in order to prepare tomorrow’s leaders to create a sustainable
world, it is the institutions of today that must begin this work, by practicing what we
preach. There is still a long way to go, even within universities and colleges, to make even
small differences in our global environmental impacts. The longer we wait to make
changes, the worse we can expect our consequences to become. Institutions that integrate a
philosophy of sustainability into their day-to-day operations are making a sound
investment in the future. Investing in the continuation of the life-support system called
earth is not a bad plan for any society that would like to stick around for a while.
It is currently unclear whether our societies will find the wherewithal to make the transition
to a sustainable economy within the necessary time frame (perhaps 10-40 years). The
scientists within our institutions of higher learning have been warning us for many years
about the dangers we face, and it is that time we take their advice on what must be done.
Further ideas about what institutions of higher education should do with regard to
sustainability are contained in the Essex Report, which can be accessed here:
http://www.secondnature.org/history/writings/articles/essex_report.htm
1
Sustainability and the Mission of the University of California
"The distinctive mission of the University is to serve society as a center of higher learning,
providing long-term societal benefits through transmitting advanced knowledge, discovering new
knowledge, and functioning as an active working repository of organized knowledge. That
obligation, more specifically, includes undergraduate education, graduate and professional
education, research, and other kinds of public service, which are shaped and bounded by the central
pervasive mission of discovering and advancing knowledge."
— from the University of California Academic Plan, 1974-1978
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/aboutuc/missionstatement.html
In keeping with the University of California’s mission to serve as a center of higher
learning that also provides long-term societal benefits, the steps UCI is taking toward a
more sustainable future represent leadership and community service in several ways. UCI
is tapping into the expertise of its faculty and staff to create the brilliant answers we need
to solve the global environmental crises that the world faces on an unprecedented scale.
Bold solutions may then be offered to the rest of the world, as we demonstrate that
sustainability is doable by implementing strong policies on our campuses. Other
prestigious bastions of higher learning are going through similar processes, and some are
following our lead. The benefits resulting from the reduction in environmental impacts of
the University of California will positively affect not just the UC campuses, but also the
communities they are in, the state of California, and ultimately the world as a whole, as
we green the global reach of the University.
This report serves not just as a benchmarking tool, but also as a collection point for the
positive energies from all over campus currently being poured into efforts to green UCI.
While many efforts do exist, the campus population remains largely unaware at this point
of the actions taking place. This is partly because they are going on largely behind the
scenes, in various departments on campus without much publicity, but also because there
has not been a concerted effort to create a common vision for a sustainable UCI. The
impetus for this report is both to assess our current state of affairs with regard to
sustainability, and to initiate an effort to find that larger vision of what a sustainable UCI
will look like, how we should get there, and begin to involve every person on campus in
that effort. It will take everyone’s efforts to get to where we need to be.
This report, while aiming to cover many aspects of a diverse set of sustainability
indicators, does not purport to be comprehensive in nature. It is merely a snapshot of some
metrics, strategies, and efforts currently underway here at UCI. In years to come, this
report should be updated, expanded, and re-thought, much as the UC sustainability policies
themselves have gone through a similar process over the past 5 years. Ultimately, this type
of report should serve the University as a guide in the greening process. It is meant to be
accessible and easily understandable to students, faculty and staff, so that our campus
population has the opportunity to stay informed about campus greening efforts.
2
Universities are leading the charge toward the institutionalization of sustainability in our
organizations and societies. UC Irvine is poised to be in a leadership position of that
charge, and we must act with inclusiveness and transparency in our greening process. The
process itself is as important as the outcomes, and in fact the processes we design and
implement often largely determine the nature of the outcomes of our efforts. An approach
to sustainability planning here at UCI that is inclusive campus-wide and well publicized
will serve our goals better than leaving the hard questions up to a few people to answer.
The UC Sustainability Policies
On March 22, 2007, UC President Dynes signed the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices,
bringing these strong measures into effect. These policies have evolved over the past 5
years and will continue to grow in the years ahead. The bulk of these policies were written
during 2006 by specialized working groups made up of UC staff in each given field (such
as procurement or recycling) and representing each of the UC campuses. Some working
groups included student representatives as well, many of whom are members of the
California Student Sustainability Coalition (CSSC), a statewide organization of students
supporting efforts towards sustainability on California campuses.
CSSC launched the UC Go Solar campaign in 2002 that resulted in the passage of the UC
Green Building and Clean Energy Policy. The organization retains its positive can-do
attitude to this day, and is currently active on 7 of the 10 UC campuses. CSSC efforts span
statewide and local activities including policy, service learning, campus projects and
raising student awareness about social and environmental problems and solutions. These
motivated and upbeat students are a driving force behind the UC Sustainability Policies.
After the working groups had crafted each section of the policies, they were presented to
the Sustainability Steering Committee, which operates at the level of the UC Office of the
President (UCOP) and is made up of Vice Chancellors from each of the UC campuses,
representatives from UCOP, and several students. On October 20, 2006 the Sustainability
Steering Committee met and voted unanimously to pass the UC Sustainability Policies
with 2 minor revisions to the Working Group drafts. The policies were then integrated with
the earlier policies on Green Building, Clean Energy and Sustainable Transportation and
signed by President Dynes.
Below is a summary of the University of California Policy on Sustainable Practices created
by UC Santa Cruz Sustainability Coordinator Aurora Winslade. Aurora was kind enough
to share this table, as it is a very useful tool for quickly consulting the requirements and
deadlines for policy goals. It integrates the earlier UC Policies on Green Building Design
and Clean Energy Standards of 2003 as well as the 2006 Sustainable Transportation Policy
with the 2007 University of California Policy on Sustainable Practices (see appendix).
Many thanks to Aurora for her generosity in sharing this table with us.
3
SUMMARY of the cumulative requirements of the three iterations of the UC Sustainability Policies: University of California Policy on
Green Building Design and Clean Energy Standards (2003); Sustainable Transportation policy (2006); and the Policy on
Sustainable Practices (2007).
Policy Area
Green Building
Design
New Buildings:
Labs:
Outperform Title 24 by
20%
Labs21 EPC or
LEED Silver
Policy Milestones
Renovations:
LEED 2.1,
Outperform Title
24,
LEED 2.1 equivalent
register with
Savings by Design
LEED Silver or higher
Clean Energy
Standard
Reduce systemwide
energy consumption
by 10%+ from 2000
level by 2014
Provide 10MW
of local
renewable
power by 2014
20% of power from
renewable sources
by 2017 (2010)
Develop method
to calculate &
certify GHG
emissions
Each campus join
the California
Climate Action
Registry
And/or
Convert 50% of
campus fleet to
non-carbon fuel
by2009-2010
January 2009
transit pass
program for
employees
Beginning with
renovation projects
with budget approval
after July 2007: outperform
Title 24 by 20%;
achieve at least LEED for
Commercial Interiors
Certified rating (or
equivalent)
GHG emissions at 2000
level by 2014
Climate
Protection
Practices
By 2020, reduce GHG
emissions to 1990 levels;
By Dec. 2008, UC will
develop an action plan to
become climate neutral
By 2050 reduce 80% below
1990 levels
Sustainable
Transportation
Practices
Increase number of
PZEV and ZEV by
20-50% by 2009-10
from 2004-2005 numbers
4
Report fleet efficiency
annually to UCOP
UCOP will form a Climate
Change Working Group
consisting of faculty, staff,
admin and students
Sustainable
Operations
Recycling and
Waste
Management
Develop a plan to maintain
at LEED EB standards
Campuses must have
IWMP by 6/07 including
current and future plans,
funding, and specific goals.
E-waste to be recycled only
by recyclers who have
signed the Pledge.
Environmentally
Preferable
Purchasing
Promote resource, energy
and water efficient
products.
Work closely
with the
USGBC to
develop plans
Submit one LEEDEB building for
certification by July
2008
Develop an inventory of
buildings that meet scope
requirements
Waste diversion:
Waste diversion:
Waste diversion:
50% by June 30,
2008
75% by June 30,
2012
Ultimate goal of zero waste
by 2020
Minimum standard
of 30% PCC paper
Focus purchasing on
EnergyStar, EPEAT, Green
Seal and other
environmentally friendly
certified products
Cradle-to-cradle
standard
For uncut paper,
100% PCC
Recycled and rapid
replacement materials for
construction
Develop a plan by 2009 to
have whole campus LEEDEB certified
All packaging must be
100% PCC, biodegradable,
nontoxic, produced with a
minimum of resources
(small).
[table courtesy of Aurora Winslade, UC Santa Cruz Sustainability Coordinator]
About the author of this assessment: Candice Carr Kelman is a fourth-year doctoral candidate studying
Environmental Policy in the department of Planning, Policy and Design in the School of Social Ecology at UC
Irvine. This report will partially fulfill the requirements for her Master of Arts degree in Social Ecology, which
is not required by her program, but was undertaken in order to produce this report. With an interest in forms of
sustainable development which are compatible with biodiversity conservation, her Ph.D. dissertation research
assesses and compares four Integrated Conservation and Development Projects based in and around national
parks in Indonesia. She will be completing her fieldwork on Sumatra and Borneo during the summer of 2008.
She is married to Jonathan Kelman, a PhD student in Political Science. They have a cat named Mister Grey.
5
1. Institutional Commitment to Sustainability
The Policy on Sustainable Practices was signed in January of 2007 by President Dynes,
becoming official policy of the University of California after being passed by the Regents
and a special committee of Vice Chancellors from all 10 campuses in 2006. This policy
incorporates and builds upon the Green Building and Clean Energy Standards previously
adopted by the University of California system. It is important to understand the history
of these landmark policies, as their development has been a long process over the past
seven years. Below is a short summary of the events leading to the passage of these
policies. More detailed information can be found at the UC Office of the President’s
Sustainability website: http://www.ucop.edu/facil/sustain/welcome.html.
Background
All over the world, universities are leading the charge toward a sustainable future. The
University of California is playing a leading role in this progressive push. While the state
of California has always been a leader in environmental policy, and the UC has always
been a top-flight research university system, it has been UC students who have been the
main engine pushing for sustainability policies, starting with the UC “Go Solar”
Campaign in June 2002, which called upon the UC system to develop strategies for
meeting Kyoto Protocol requirements. Students from 9 UC campuses led this successful
campaign, supported by Greenpeace. Throughout the 2002-2003 academic year, the
campaign worked collaboratively with the UC Regents to create the landmark Green
Building Policy and Clean Energy Standard of 2003. In 2006, students again led the
charge in creating the UC Sustainable Transportation policy. Those policies have been
incorporated and strengthened in the 2007 Policy on Sustainable Practices.
California Student Sustainability Coalition
With the victory of the 2003 UC Green Building and Clean Energy policy fresh in their
experience, the UC students involved in the “Go Solar” Campaign quickly formed a more
permanent organization to carry the momentum of the student movement forward and
support the continued formation of stronger and more holistic policies for the UC system.
They formed the California Student Sustainability Coalition (CSSC), which continues to
grow in size and complexity each year, supporting the sustainable development and
transformation of the UC. (More information at http://www.sustainabilitycoalition.org)
CSSC recently reorganized its structure to function more efficiently as a statewide
organization that can receive grants, pay officers and become institutionalized at UCs.
There is now a CSSC-affiliated group at eight of the ten UC campuses (only UCSF and
UCR do not have CSSC-affiliate groups, although they do have environmental clubs
working toward similar goals) and several California State Universities as well. A few
current CSSC campaigns include Move UC (transportation), UC Foods, and the
Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP). Each quarter the CSSC comes
together for a statewide convergence at a UC campus or one of the CSUs, to plan for the
coming quarter. The UCI Chapter of CSSC is called Students for Sustainability.
6
UC Policy
The UC Office of the President formed the UC Sustainability Steering Committee, made
up of Vice Chancellors from each campus, administrators from the UCOP and student
representatives from the CSSC. This committee passed the Policy for Sustainable
Practices, which was then approved by the UC Regents and signed by President Dynes in
2007 (see Appendix B for full text). Vice Chancellor Wendell Brase represented UCI on
the UC Sustainability Steering Committee. See the Introduction of this document for a
table outlining the major goals of the UC Policy for Sustainable Practices.
UCI Sustainability
UCI is on its way to becoming a more sustainable campus, with several LEED certified
buildings, energy saving and renewable energy projects underway and completed, and
state-of-the-art technology for lighting and renewable fuels on campus. UCI has a
website on which it highlights its actions towards becoming a more sustainable campus:
http://www.sustainability.uci.edu. One of the early campaigns of Facilities Management
was the “Think, Act, Save” energy saving campaign, which also has a website
(http://www.conserve.uci.edu/). However, it would be surprising if anyone outside of
Facilities Management were currently aware of this campaign or website.
Each quarter, key UCI administrators, staff, faculty and students with an interest in
sustainability come together for the UCI Sustainability Committee Meeting. This
committee has evolved over time, and was once called the “Green Meeting” in which
each representative had a turn to share green actions taking place in their department.
Attendance was voluntary, and not all parts of campus were represented. Over the past 2
years, more students and professors have been incorporated into these meetings, and the
Green Meetings became increasingly similar to the Chancellor’s Advisory Committees
on Sustainability (CACS) that exist at other UC Campuses. During Winter and Spring of
2008, Green Meetings were renamed the UCI Sustainability Committee, and a
membership list, subcommittees, goals and metrics and a report card were created. With
input from Students for Sustainability, a Charter was created for the Committee. Meeting
dates and times for 2008-2009 can be found on the UCI Sustainability website.
The UCI Sustainability Committee is chaired by VC Wendell Brase, who has taken a
special interest in sustainability matters on campus. Most recently, Brase has become
quite active in discussing climate neutrality at UCI and for the UC system, presenting
several papers on the topic, also on the Sustainability website, managed by Erin Lane.
From left: Wendell Brase,
Paige Macias and Erin
Lane of Administrative &
Business Services are the
people to ask about
sustainability plans at UCI
7
UCI Highlights: Institutional Commitment to Sustainability
UCI Joins California Climate Action Registry
UCI recently (2008) joined the California Climate Action Registry (CCAR), the Los
Angeles-based greenhouse gas (GHG) registry which helps organizations to calculate
their GHG emissions and enhances transparency by making the third-party verified
emissions reports of their members available to the public. The ninth of the ten UC
campuses to join, this marks a significant step in the movement of UCI towards campus
sustainability, by demonstrating that the UCI administration is willing to report its
emissions, rather than conducting all emissions calculations in-house. Membership in
CCAR is required by the UC Policy on Sustainable Practices.
UCI negotiating Solar Power agreement
UCI is currently in the midst of negotiations for a 1.2 Megawatt system of solar panels,
which will be installed atop 11 buildings on campus, as shown in the map below, created
by students with the Green Campus Program. The map also shows current Zipcar
locations on campus (green dots), biodiesel shuttle stops (black dots), and ten other
attractions. Zipcars are offered as a new initiative from Transportation Services. See
http://www.parking.uci.edu/AT/modes/zipcar.cfm; and http://www.zipcar.com/uci/.
8
Sustainability Spotlight: Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Housing, Bill Zeller
“Bringing education to the residence halls capitalizes on students’
endless curiosity, enhances social life and makes the educational
experience more fun,” says Zeller.
(From http://today.uci.edu/Features/profile_detail.asp?key=138)
A committed proponent of sustainability on campus, Zeller has
enthusiastically supported projects such as the Green Dorm and
International Village. Most importantly, he created a part-time
sustainability coordinator position for Student Housing.
However, he has recently moved to a new position on campus.
American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment
Chancellor Drake has signed the American College and University Presidents Climate
Commitment, demonstrating his support for climate neutrality at UCI. The requirements
of this commitment are the same as are required by the UC Sustainability Policies, and so
all of the UC Chancellors were willing to sign the ACUPCC. Therefore, all ten campuses
of the University of California system signed on under President Dynes, as a part of the
Leadership Circle of early signatories to the agreement. Over 500 Colleges and
Universities have signed on to the Commitment, demonstrating the leadership of higher
education in addressing climate change through institutional transformation.
Members of the Irvine Student
Sustainability Coalition and Green
Campus awarded Chancellor Drake
with an appreciative plaque for his
signing of the American College and
University Presidents Climate
Commitment on June 13, 2007. Both
organizations are members of the
Campus Climate Challenge
campaign. From left: Candice Carr
Kelman, Shyla Raghav, Courtney
Gill, VC Wendell Brase, Chancellor
Drake, Kong Sham, Samantha Kao,
and Montgomery Norton.
See the appendix of this assessment for the text of the ACUPCC, or visit
http://presidentsclimatecommitment.org/.
UCI has increasingly demonstrated institutional commitment to sustainability over the
past several years, hosting events such as Focus the Nation, and participating in statewide
working groups that created the Policy on Sustainable Practices. The rest of this
document briefly outlines many of these efforts. Below are some recommendations for
enhancing the institutional commitment of UCI in becoming a more sustainable campus.
9
Recommendations
1. UCI needs full-time Sustainability Staff reporting to the upper administration that
can coordinate various departmental efforts. A Sustainability Coordinator could help
to solidify a vision of a sustainable UCI, and help bring this vision into reality through
enhanced communication, bringing campus-wide attention to sustainability issues.
The campuses in the UC system which have been leading in sustainability efforts
(Santa Barbara, Berkeley, Santa Cruz, San Diego) all have at least one, if not many,
full-time sustainability staff. In fact, UC Irvine is the ONLY UC that does NOT have
a full-time sustainability coordinator.
The goal of the UCI administration has been to integrate sustainability into each
department that manages UCI. While this has been somewhat successful, it is left to
VC Brase and Erin Lane to coordinate these departments and handle all of the
administrative duties needed for such an undertaking. It would help everyone
involved to have both a shared vision and dedicated staff. The usual response given
when asked why UCI does not have full-time sustainability coordinator is that there is
no budget for this. While budget cuts are a reality for all of the UCs, all of the other
UCs have found ways to hire at least one full-time sustainability coordinator.
Updating this assessment would be one potential job of such staff.
2. Join the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
(AASHE). UCI should demonstrate institutional commitment to sustainability by
joining the key organization that will link UCI to nationwide networks which will
help UCI find ways to become more sustainable without reinventing the wheel.
AASHE has rapidly become the best organization for linking Universities nationwide
with a focus on sustainability. Joining AASHE is also practical from a public relations
standpoint, regarding how UCI is perceived by those who care about sustainability
and the role of Universities as leaders in the worldwide sustainability movement.
Plus, it’s only $1,500 a year!
3. Create long-term overall campus sustainability plan for UCI. UCI lacks a shared
vision for a sustainable campus. We need to know where we are heading in order to
work together to get there. The process of creating a sustainability plan would bring
people together and create greater momentum and publicity for sustainability on
campus. There has been a good start on moving in this direction, such as the 5-year
housing sustainability plan created by VC Brase and former Housing Director Bill
Zeller. UCI has also recently updated and released the new Long Range Development
Plan (LRDP). However, the LRDP was created solely within the upper levels of the
administration, and doesn’t say much about sustainability. The process of creating a
sustainability plan should be more inclusive. A good example to refer to would be the
creation of the UC Santa Barbara Sustainability Plan.
http://sustainability.ucsb.edu/plan/powerpoint.php
4. Commit to preserving all open space habitat left on campus. Rolling hills continue
to be bulldozed and paved over on campus. Not only is this increasingly rare prime
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habitat for all sorts of creatures, but it is also of high recreational value to those who
live on campus. With each phase of housing construction, such as the one currently
underway in University Hills, networks of trails used frequently by the campus
community are destroyed, and with them a more sustainable fitness option than
driving elsewhere to find trails to run, bike, or walk a dog.
5. Show Institutional Commitment by organizing and hosting the UC/CSU/CCC
sustainability conference sometime in the near future.
Information sources and contact information
UCI Sustainability: http://www.sustainability.uci.edu/
UCI Solar Agreement http://today.uci.edu/news/release_detail.asp?key=1724
UCOP Sustainability: http://www.ucop.edu/facil/sustain/welcome.html
UC Berkeley Sustainability: http://sustainability.berkeley.edu/history.html
California Student Sustainability Coalition: http://www.sustainabilitycoalition.org/
Students for Sustainability, UCI: http://spirit.dos.uci.edu/issc/
UC 2003 Green Building Policy and Clean Energy Standard Summary Factsheet:
http://www.ucop.edu/news/factsheets/greenbuildings.pdf
University Presidents’ Climate Commitment: http://presidentsclimatecommitment.org/
Think, Act, Save campaign website: http://www.conserve.uci.edu/
UCI “Green Actions” http://www.zipcar.com/uci/
UCI LRDP http://www.ceplanning.uci.edu/finallrdp.html
UCSB sustainability plan powerpoint http://sustainability.ucsb.edu/plan/powerpoint.php
UCI Transportation Services – Alternative Transport http://www.parking.uci.edu/AT/
UCI Zipcar page http://www.zipcar.com/uci/
Important Contacts:
Matthew St. Clair, Sustainability Director, UC Office of the President:
6305D 1111 Franklin Street, Oakland, [email protected], (510) 287-3897
Wendell Brase, Vice Chancellor, Administrative & Business Services
559 Aldrich Hall, [email protected], (949) 824-5107
Paige Macias, Associate Vice Chancellor, Administrative & Business Services
559 a Aldrich Hall, [email protected], (949) 824-5108
Erin Lane, Senior Administrative Analyst
Administrative & Business Services, Vice Chancellor's Office
559 Aldrich Hall, [email protected], (949) 824-1925
Students for Sustainability contacts:
Kirstin Morgan
Hai Vo
Green Campus contacts:
Courtney Gill
Samantha Kao
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2. Sustainability and Academics
Background
There are a number of UCI faculty members with an interest in sustainability matters.
Not confined to one part of campus, these scholars are found in various departments
including the Department of Earth Systems Science, the Department of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology, the Department of Planning, Policy and Design, and the
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
While UCI offers a minor in Global Sustainability, and many classes that deal with the
topic of sustainability, there is not yet a dedicated Environmental Studies major which
integrates social sciences with the hard sciences to help students fully understand the
dynamics of the environmental and social problems that constitute the current global
sustainability crisis. There are special concentrations, such as those in the Department of
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Department of Earth Systems Science, but
these do not incorporate the political, social, global or legal aspects of moving towards
sustainability. The closest thing to such a major was the Environmental Analysis and
Design major within the recently dissolved department of Environmental Health, Science
and Policy in the School of Social Ecology. However, this program was lacking in many
areas, and its dissolution gives UCI a chance to begin again and create an excellent,
interdisciplinary sustainability studies program that incorporates the expertise of the
many talented faculty members at UCI that already teach courses incorporating
sustainability concerns. Below is a list of classes at UCI related to sustainability issues.
So far there are several steps in the right direction. There will be an environmental
sustainability track in the new Urban Studies major, which is being launched in the
Department of Planning, Policy and Design. There is also a new First-year integrated
Program in Environmental Studies http://www.due.uci.edu/fip/us13.html, which has
created a new series of three environmental studies courses. The core faculty members
are from the School of Biological Sciences, the School of Physical Sciences, and the
School of Engineering. These include Professor Bryant, Professor Pataki and Professor
Saphores. These key faculty members, and others, are highlighted below.
Undergraduate Classes related to Sustainability
-
Earth System Science I: The Physical Environment
Biological Sciences 65: Biodiversity and Conservation
Planning, Policy and Design 131/ Earth Systems Science : Sustainability I
Planning, Policy and Design 132/ Earth Systems Science : Sustainability II
Anthropology 20A: People, Cultures and Environmental Sustainability
Biological Sciences 191A-B-C/Earth Systems Science 190A-B-C/Social Ecology
186A-B-C: Senior Seminar on Global Sustainability I, II, III
Biological Sciences 55: Introduction to Ecology
Biological Sciences 94: From Organisms to Ecosystems
Biological Sciences E106: Processes in Ecology and Evolution
Biological Sciences E150: Conservation Biology
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-
Biological Sciences E175: Restoration Ecology
Biological Sciences E178: Ocean Ecology
Biological Sciences E179: Limnology and Freshwater Biology
Biological Sciences E181: Conservation in the American West
Biological Sciences E186: Population and Community Ecology
Earth Systems Science 3: Oceanography
Earth Systems Science 5: The Atmosphere
Engineering 20: Energy and Society
Civil and Environmental Engineering CEE121: Transportation Systems I:
Analysis and Design
Civil and Environmental Engineering CEE122: Transportation Systems II:
Operations and Control
Civil and Environmental Engineering CEE123: Transportation Systems III:
Planning and Forecasting
Physics 16: Physics and Global Issues
Physics 20C: Observational Astronomy
Anthropology 125A: Economic Anthropology
Anthropology 125B: Ecological Anthropology
Human Environments
Human Ecology
Dynamics of Human Populations
Environmental Law
International Environmental Law
Economics 145 E: Economics of the Environment
Political Science 149: Global Environmental Politics
Social Science 172E: Native American Culture
Sociology 44: Populations
Faculty Highlights
Richard Matthew is Associate Professor of
International and Environmental Politics in the
Schools of Social Ecology and Social Science. He
is Director of the Center for Unconventional
Security Affairs www.cusa.uci.edu. He is also the
Senior Fellow for Security at the International
Institute for Sustainable Development and a
member of the World Conservation Union's
Commission on Environmental, Economic and
Social Policy. Professor Matthew teaches
Sustainability I and II, as well as several graduate
courses related to global sustainability.
http://socialecology.uci.edu/faculty/rmatthew/
Note: This selection is by no means a complete look at the professors with expertise
in issues surrounding sustainability. It merely represents a snapshot of prominent
professors with whom the author is familiar. All information is from the UCI website.
13
Jean-Daniel Saphores, Professor of Planning, Policy, and
Design, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and
Economics, teaches environmental economics courses. He has
done research on the economics of recycling and other topics
related to environment and natural resource usage. Professor
Saphores is currently working within the UCI Institute of
http://www.its.uci.edu
Transportation Studies.
http://socialecology.uci.edu/faculty/saphores/
Peter Bryant is Professor of Developmental and Cell
Biology and Director of the Developmental Biology Center
teaches Biodiversity and Conservation (Biology 65), the
second of three core courses in the Interdisciplinary Minor
in Global Sustainability. His research is about the cancer
genetics of Drosophila and humans. He also serves as
adviser to the OC chapter of the Society for Conservation
Biology, which is run by UCI students.
Diane Pataki, Associate Professor, Earth System Science
and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, School of Physical
Sciences. Professor Pataki teaches classes about climate
change as well as mentoring students who wish to become
involved in issues surrounding climate change. She also
runs a lab studying of the processes that control the exchange
of gases between the land surface and the atmosphere and the
modification of these. http://www.ess.uci.edu/~dpataki/
Scott Samuelsen is Professor of Mechanical, Aerospace and
Environmental Engineering and the Director of the Advanced
Power and Energy Program, which houses the National Fuel
Cell Research Center, as well as the UCI Combustion Lab and
the Pacific Consoritum on Energy and the Environment.
Research at the NFCRC is leading the evolution of power
generation fuel cells. There are also several fuel cell test
vehicles being driven around campus and a hydrogen fueling
station here at UCI. http://www.nfcrc.uci.edu/2/default.aspx
and http://www.apep.uci.edu/samuelsen
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Raul Lejano is Associate Professor of Planning, Policy and Design
in the School of Social Ecology. He theorizes about collective
action, and also works professionally in the area of policy analysis
and program evaluation, with a special focus on environmental and
He teaches courses related to
community-based governance.
environmental management and public policy.
http://socialecology.uci.edu/faculty/lejano/
Helen Ingram is Professor Emeritus of Planning, Policy, and
Design and Political Science in Social Ecology. Dr. Ingram's
research interests include: (1) Transboundary national resources,
particularly on the US/Mexican border, (2) Water resources and
equity, (3) Public policy design and implementation, (4) The
impact of policy upon democracy, public participation and social
movement formation, and (5) Science and Society.
http://socialecology.uci.edu/faculty/hingram
Oladele Ogunseitan, Professor of Public Health and of Social
Ecology. His laboratory employs molecular and ecological tools
and policy instruments for the analysis and control of
environmental pollutants that contribute to the human burden of
disease and ecosystem degradation. He has recently been studying
the toxicology of cellular telephones within the Program in
Industrial Ecology. http://socialecology.uci.edu/faculty/oaogunse/
Joseph DiMento, Professor of Planning, Policy, and Design,
Criminology, Law and Society, and Management researches urban
planning and law; Local, state, federal comparative and international
land use; and environmental law. He teaches courses in Land Use,
Development Control and International Environmental Policy, among
others. He is currently the Director of the Newkirk Center for Science
and Society, and he is also a member of the Focused Research Group
in International Environmental Cooperation and the Institute of
Transportation Studies. http://socialecology.uci.edu/faculty/jfdiment/
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Peter Bowler, Lecturer, Department of Ecology and
Evolutionary Biology) teaches the Senior Seminar on
Global Sustainability as well as several other classes
related to the ecological aspects of global sustainability.
Dr. Bowler is co-director of the minor in Global
Sustainability. He is an expert on the conservation and
restoration of local coastal sage scrub ecosystems.
http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty id=2119
Michael Prather, Fred Kavli Chair and Professor,
Department of Earth System Science. Professor Prather has
served as an atmospheric scientist on the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change since 1992, and has been honored
by the US Department of State as a Jefferson Science Fellow
through 2010. He also manages a research group with visiting
and postdoctoral fellows as well as PhD students.
http://www.ess.uci.edu/~prather/
Kavita Philip, Program in Women’s Studies. Professor Philip
teaches classes including Gender and the Politics of Nature; and
Gender, Biology and Environmental Ethics. Her research interests
are in transnational studies of science and technology; feminist
technocultures; gender, race, globalization and postcolonialism;
environmental history; and new media theory.
http://www.faculty.uci.edu/Scripts/UCIFacultyProfiles/humanities/
ws/index.cfm?faculty_id=5256
F. Sherwood Rowland is the Bren Research Professor of Chemistry
and of Earth Systems Science. Professor Rowland’s research is in the
field of Atmospheric Chemistry & Chemical Kinetics. He was
honored with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995 for his
groundbreaking work with Mario Molina on the depletion of
Stratospheric Ozone by Chlorofluorocarbons.
http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=2923
Susan Trumbore, Professor and Chair of the Department of
Earth System Science; Director, Institute of Geophysics & Planetary
Physics. She co-directs the W.M. Keck Carbon Cycle Accelerator
Mass Spectrometry facility on campus, which measures
radiocarbon in studies of the dynamics of carbon in the Earth
system. Her research focuses on the role of land plants and soils
in the global carbon cycle, and how this cycle is being altered.
http://www.faculty.uci.edu/profile.cfm?faculty_id=2210
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UCI Research Centers and Internships related to sustainability
The UCI Environment Institute: Global Change, Energy and Sustainable Resources
http://www.ess.uci.edu/~prather/Institute1.html
The UCI Environment Institute, established in Spring 2008, fosters research and
education addressing the interactions between environment and society. New challenges
arise from the need for sustainable energy and other resources, and they are being driven
by 21st century changes in climate, ecosystems, demography, and social practices. The
Institute fosters innovative research on campus that reaches across Schools and
Departments. Priority is given to partnerships of researchers addressing the changing
interactions between scientific research, technological innovation, or societal response.
The Institute will sponsor open competitions for both research funding and faculty
positions. This campus-wide institute will also seek funding and other opportunities to
enhance the interdisciplinary study of the environment, energy, and other natural
resources through funded programs and facilities.
Center for Global Environmental Change Research at UC Irvine (CGECR)
http://www.ess.uci.edu/~CGECR/CGECR.htm
The CGECR has three major goals: (1) promoting fundamental research on the workings
of the earth as a coupled and complex system (2) providing contributions to formal
assessments needed by policy makers (3) educating students and the public about
scientific research in global environmental change.
National Fuel Cell Research Center (NFCRC) http://www.nfcrc.uci.edu/2/default.aspx
The goal of the NFCRC is to facilitate and accelerate the development and deployment of
fuel cell technology and fuel cell systems; promote strategic alliances to address the
market challenges associated with the installation and integration of fuel cell systems;
and to educate and develop resources for the various stakeholders in the fuel cell
community. In addition to the center’s concentration on applied technology with
significant relevance to the environment, analyzing the environmental impacts of fuel
cells is one of the unit’s main research areas.
Center for Unconventional Security Affairs (CUSA)
http://www.cusa.uci.edu/
The Center for Unconventional Security Affairs addresses the security challenges of the
twenty-first century through innovative research and education programs that integrate
experts from the public and private sector. CUSA’s programs focus on four areas related
to threat and vulnerability: Biological Security, Environmental Security, Global
Terrorism, and Human Security. CUSA has housed the Global Environmental Change
and Human Security Project since 2003 http://www.gechs.uci.edu/
Developmental Biology Center (DBC) http://dbc.bio.uci.edu/
Environmental Toxicology is one of the center’s four major research themes.
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Focused Research Group in International Environmental Cooperation (FRGinIEC)
http://www.iec.uci.edu/
The Focused Research Group in International Environmental Cooperation was
established in 1995 at UCI to link researchers and techniques from the social and natural
sciences in interdisciplinary efforts to address international environmental problems.
Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies (CGPACS) http://www.cgpacs.uci.edu/
CGPACS is a multi-disciplinary program dedicated to promoting scholarly, student, and
public understanding of international peace and conflict. CGAPCS affiliated faculty
(approximately 60 faculty from 7 schools across campus), guest speakers, and affiliated
graduate students work on the military/ strategic, economic/ environmental, and cultural/
normative motives, processes, and consequences of both peace and conflict.
Urban Water Research Center (UWRC)
http://www.uwrc.uci.edu/
The Urban Water Research Center's (UWRC) mission is to advance the understanding of
the distinct characteristics and challenges of the urban water environment, in order to
assist people and institutions in their efforts to promote health, enhance the efficient use
of water resources, and protect environmental values.
Atmospheric Integrated Research for Understanding Chemistry at Interfaces
(AirUCI) http://www.chem.uci.edu/airuci/
The mission of AirUCI is to integrate research, education, and outreach to the broader
community in the context of understanding how chemistry at interfaces impacts our
atmosphere. The goal of AirUCI is to develop a comprehensive understanding of
reactions at the air-water interface of atmospheric droplets and water on surfaces, and
their importance in the atmosphere across a broad range of spatial and temporal scales.
Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing http://chrs.web.uci.edu/about.html
Mission Statement: Building Global Capacity for Forecast and Mitigation of Hydrologic
Disasters through the development of means to extend the benefits of space and weather
agencies' vast technological resources, which are untapped, into applications that can
assist hydrologists and water resource managers worldwide and through equitable access
to relevant information.
Center for Solar Energy (CFSE)
http://cfse.ps.uci.edu/
The School of Physical Sciences Center for Solar Energy, established March 1, 2007, is a
Center that supports research aimed at increasing our understanding of how light from the
sun can be converted into electrical and chemical energy. Presently, solar energy provides
an insignificant fraction (<< 1%) of our overall energy needs and fundamental scientific
breakthroughs will be required to change this status quo. Research within the School of
Physical Sciences Center for Solar Energy will seek to identify and solve ‘bottlenecks’ in
fundamental science that impede our ability to carry out these energy conversion
processes efficiently.
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UC Irvine Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (UCI Health
Sciences, Department of Medicine) http://www.coeh.uci.edu/
The UCI COEH's mission is to improve occupational and environmental health in the
region we serve. The Center extends its services to government, industry, schools, health
professionals, and the general public. We strive to improve the region's awareness of
occupational and environmental hazards and to prevent injury and disease.
Newkirk Center for Science and Society http://www.newkirkcenter.uci.edu/
Mission Statement: The Center promotes appropriate and effective uses of research in the
natural and social sciences to enhance the quality of life. It finds ways to develop and
share research knowledge with the public and policy makers so they can make informed
decisions on vital policy issues on law, education, environment, health care, crime, and
public infrastructure.
Program in Industrial Ecology (Social Ecology) http://www.industrial-ecology.uci.edu/
The Program in Industrial Ecology at UC-Irvine brings together a strong interdisciplinary
group of scholars interested in understanding the complex interactions between industrial
activities and environmental systems at all scales of analysis.
Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) http://www.its.uci.edu
Research at ITS covers a broad spectrum of transportation issues related to air quality,
such as: analysis and simulation of urban traffic networks; transportation/land use
interactions, particularly those which encourage alternative modes of travel; planning and
evaluation of advanced public transit systems; and, energy and environmental issues,
particularly demand for alternative fuels.
UCI Extension Certificate in Sustainability Studies
UCI Extension is in the process of developing a Certificate in Sustainability Studies. For
the adult learner, this certificate will offer students the most up-to-date information in the
field of sustainability for use in their job or business. Courses will be offered at UCI
starting in Fall 2008, and the Extension is currently seeking qualified instructors for this
program. All courses towards the certificate will eventually be offered online. The
Extension is also developing another new certificate program on Urban Water Quality.
http://unex.uci.edu/certificates/
Recommendations
1. Develop Interdisciplinary Major in Global Sustainability. Here at UCI, there is a
need for a major in Environmental Studies that integrates the Scientific and Social
aspects of these complex issues. We have a minor and a Freshman Integrated Program.
Ideally these could be scaled up slightly to a major, as it seems that most of the courses
necessary are already being taught. One example of a University that has done this
successfully is the University of Oregon, which has an interdisciplinary Environmental
Studies Program offering Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral degrees.
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2. A second (and better, but more complex) option would be to create an actual
Department of Environmental Studies or Environmental Sciences. This would be
ideal because it would require recruitment of faculty interested in environmental issues,
which would be beneficial to students and other faculty, and would raise the profile of
UCI with regard to the study of timely environmental issues.
3. Once there is more of a disciplinary focus on sustainability here at UCI, sustainability
requirements should be integrated into general education. We can no longer deny that
it is crucial for all educated citizens to have a working understanding of the myriad of
issues that threaten our very future, such as global climate change. A quality general
education course should be developed that allows anyone to understand basic
sustainability matters.
4. Faculty teaching courses related to sustainability should consider suggesting that
students utilize the “80 Research Topics” suggested by the UCI Administration for their
class papers and projects. http://www.abs.uci.edu/ResearchTopics.pdf
5. Faculty with an interest in sustainability issues should become more involved in a
subcommittee of the UCI Sustainability Committee. The committee and campus
would benefit from their expertise and input. A membership list for the Committee can be
found here: http://www.sustainability.uci.edu/Participants.pdf and a list of Subcommittee
membership can be found here: http://www.sustainability.uci.edu/committee.html
Information Sources and Contacts:
School of Biological Sciences http://www.bio.uci.edu/
School of Physical Sciences http://www.physsci.uci.edu/
Henry Samueli School of Engineering http://www.eng.uci.edu/
School of Social Ecology http://socialecology.uci.edu/
School of Humanities http://www.humanities.uci.edu/SOH/
School of Social Sciences http://www.socsci.uci.edu/
Interdisciplinary Minor in Global Sustainability. UCI General Catalogue,
Interdisciplinary Studies http://www.editor.uci.edu/catalogue/idp/idp.2.htm
First-Year Integrated Program, Environmental Studies: www.due.uci.edu/fip/us13.html
Gellers, Josh. June 11, 2008. Research Centers at UCI. Report to the Subcommittee on
Education, Research, and Community Outreach Efforts, UCI Sustainability Committee
University Extension Certificate in Sustainability Studies: Dr. Kirwan Rockefeller,
Director, Arts and Humanities, University Extension: [email protected], (949) 824-5990
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3. Student Advocacy for Sustainability
Background
UCI administrators are counting on students to take an interest in sustainability issues and
work with them to move the campus forward on these important issues. Indeed, without
the student will behind them, the administration cannot take bold steps to make positive
changes. Only with the sentiments and energy of the students does the central
administration feel that they have the mandate to carry out strong sustainability goals.
While UCI does not yet have a strong sustainability culture on campus compared with
many other Universities, it is growing each year, with new student organizations, events,
and projects. Some of these are listed at http://www.sustainability.uci.edu/student.html.
Below are some recent highlights of environmental activism at UCI. There are always
ways that students can help to advance the cause of sustainability on campus. For those
students who prefer to do an academic project related to sustainability, the administration
has put together a list of 80 research topics related to sustainability that would help UCI.
This list can be accessed at: http://www.abs.uci.edu/ResearchTopics.pdf Students can also
get involved by joining the Student Sustainability Coalition and/or attending meetings of
the UCI Sustainability Committee.
Some UCI Student Groups related to Sustainability:
UCI Student Sustainability Coalition
In an effort to bring together the student sustainability-focused organizations and
encourage collaboration and cross-pollination, the UCI Student Sustainability Coalition
was founded earlier this year in partnership with Associated Students UCI (ASUCI)
through their new position of Sustainability Representative, which was filled in 2007-08
by Josh Gellers, PhD student in Political Science. Josh has put together a wiki for the
groups to stay in communication http://ucisustainability.wetpaint.com/.
ASUCI Office of Sustainability
ASUCI recently created a new position related to Sustainability, housed under ASUCI
Administrative Affairs. Josh Gellers was appointed in January 2008 by Amy Nguyen,
Campus Affairs Director, as the first Campus Sustainability Campaign Commissioner.
Peter Solari, Hai Vo, and Ambreen Afali were all appointed as official interns of ASUCI
Sustainability with specific specialties, i.e. public relations, community outreach, etc.
The purpose of these new sustainability positions within ASUCI is to work in concert
with student environmental organizations on campus sustainability projects and raise
awareness for environmental issues. They serve to represent the interests of UCI students
at Sustainability Committee meetings as participants and subcommittee members. The
ASUCI Office of Sustainability will be a central hub in the upcoming campaign to pass
the Green Initiative Fund at UCI, a fee initiative that would provide funds for student,
faculty, and administration sustainability projects. The officers are currently seeking a
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space to create a Sustainability Resource Center on campus, as well as looking into the
idea of creating a sustainability-themed residence hall on campus.
Green Campus
Mission: To save energy on campus through a student-led campaign to identify and
reduce energy waste, build student awareness about he relationship between energy
efficiency and the environment, strengthen academic learning by incorporating Green
Campus activities into academic learning, and serve as a student environmental coalition
on campus.
Green Campus exists at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, UC Merced, UC
San Diego, UC Santa Cruz and 6 CSU campuses. It is a Project of the Alliance to Save
Energy, and the funding comes from Edison.
2007 Sustainability Spotlight: Shyla Raghav
As the main coordinator for Green Campus, Shyla
has been a highly visible member of the UCI
campus community. She has worked with the UCI
administration on numerous projects, and been a
driving force behind most of the Green Campus
campaigns at UCI. Upon graduation, Shyla is
headed to Yale for the Masters Program in the
School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Green Campus Campaigns 2006-7:
1) Model sustainable dorm room – stocked dorm room in Mesa Court with products that
are made in a more sustainable manner or use less energy (e.g. Energy Star appliances)
2) Residence hall energy saving competition in Middle Earth
3) Campus climate challenge
- screening the Inconvenient Truth
- exchanging light bulbs in the dorms to make energy efficient products more available
4) Fumehood campaign - putting stickers on fumehood sashes and educating people in
labs about closing fumehood sashes to save energy
5) Weigh the waste event in dining commons to encourage less food waste.
Students for Sustainability (formerly Irvine Student Sustainability Coalition)
http://clubs.uci.edu/s4s/ ; http://spirit.dos.uci.edu/issc/
Students for Sustainability was founded in 2006 as the Irvine chapter of the California
Student Sustainability Coalition, which exists at at least eight of the ten UC campuses.
http://www.sustainabilitycoalition.org/
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Mission of the California Student Sustainability Coalition: To unite and empower the
California community of higher education to collaboratively and nonviolently transform
our selves and our institutions based on our inherent social, economic, and ecological
responsibilities.
Students for Sustainability Campaigns 2006-08:
1) Toxic Free UC Campaign - Launched in 2006, the Toxic Free UC Campaign pushed
for sustainable electronics purchasing policies. Working with the Silicon Valley Toxics
Coalition, students urged the UC system to leverage its enormous buying power by
demanding electronics that are clean, green and sweatshop-free. This includes products
that are made and recycled under fair and ethical working conditions, last longer, include
less toxic materials and are easier to recycle. This campaign was responsible for the
inclusion of green electronics purchasing requirements in the UC Policy on Sustainable
Practices such as the use of the Electronics Purchasing Environmental Assessment Tool.
Students from UCI and UCLA
demonstrate
for
sustainable
purchasing policies, demanding
cleaner, greener electronics on
campus, outside the UC Regents
Meeting at UCLA in early 2007.
2) Passage of the UC Sustainability Policies – Students for Sustainability raised
awareness and support at UCI for the 2007 UC Policy on Sustainable Practices.
Dorothy
Le
(UCLA)
and
Montgomery Norton (UCI) of
CSSC hold a banner created by
Toxic Free UC campaigners in
support of the passage of the UC
Policy on Sustainable Practices
outside the UC Regents meeting
at UCLA in early 2007.
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3) Campus Climate Challenge http://climatechallenge.org/
The Campus Climate Challenge is a project of more than 30 leading youth organizations
throughout the U.S. and Canada. The Challenge leverages the power of young people to
organize on college campuses and high schools across Canada and the U.S. to win 100%
Clean Energy policies at their schools. It is a project of the Energy Action Coalition.
Students for Sustainability
campaign on UCI campus
with CalPIRG during the
Campus Climate Challenge
Campaign, Spring 2007. The
beach-themed demonstration
was intended to make light of
impending rising sea levels
due to global climate change.
4) Sustainable Foods Campaign: This involves working with ARAMARK to provide
more sustainable eating alternatives at UCI. The campaign has made a positive impact,
and Robert Perez of ARAMARK has been happy to work with students to make campus
food offerings more sustainable (see Dining chapter for more information).
2008 Sustainability Spotlight: Hai Vo, Chair, Sustainable
Foods Campaign, Students for Sustainability
Always passionate about good food, Hai, a freshman in
Social Ecology has jumped right into a leadership role in
Students for Sustainability, working with Robert Perez of
ARAMARK to bring UCI more sustainable food options.
Hai has conducted research on the food system in which
UCI is embedded, as well as sustainable food systems and
the environmental history of Santa Catalina Island.
5) The Green Initiative Fund: If passed by students in the Spring 2009 election, TGIF will
add an additional $5 to each UCI student’s yearly tuition to be used to fund sustainability
projects at UCI. These projects would be funded through a grant-proposal process
managed by students. UCLA recently passed a GIF in Spring of 2008, thanks to efforts
by their chapter of CSSC, called E3. http://www.tgifla.org; http://e3la.org/ for information.
Anteaters for Recycling and Conservation http://spirit.dos.uci.edu/recycle
ARC work with Recycling Coordinator Suzanne Hibbs to raise awareness on campus
about recycling, conservation and waste. They hold events such as movie showings and
speakers, help with campus projects, and sponsor local trips, such as to the OC landfill.
23
Sustainable Energy Technology Club
Website:http://web.mac.com/SustainableEnergy/Sustainable_Energy/Welcome.html
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1290279663
Mission: To create a sense of environmental awareness among engineers, scientists, and
scientific researchers at UCI. Members will learn about sustainability, focusing mostly on
energy and technology. This is done through presentations from professors and industry
representing a wide spectrum of scientific areas, company and UCI lab tours, as well as a
variety of hands on technical and non-technical projects and competitions. We also aim to
aid members in preparing for a career in this field by introducing possible options after
graduation, as well as to help members discover specific technologies they may want to
research or pursue a career in. We also provide opportunities and resources for
engineering students to develop their own senior design projects.
Two projects that the club will be working on in the near future are a mechanical
regenerative braking system, and the design of a solar thermal power plant. The Sustainable
Energy Technology Club is new on campus at UCI, and they are hoping to have a diverse
membership of science and engineering majors from many disciplines, encouraging
communication regarding issues that span several disciplines, recognizing that the biggest
breakthroughs often result from a hybridization of disciplinary ideas.
Society for Conservation Biology, Orange County Chapter
www.ocscb.org
Mission: To take an interdisciplinary approach in relating the biological and research
components of environmental conservation to actively promote global sustainability
through educational outreach and volunteer programs.
The Orange County Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology is based here at
UCI, and hosts numerous events including speakers, field trips, hikes, hands-on
restoration opportunities in local ecosystems, and more.
CalPIRG at UCI
http://www.calpirgstudents.org/
CalPIRG is a Statewide student activist organization dedicated to fighting for the public
interest via grassroots campaigns, lobbying, and public demonstrations. CalPIRG is a part
of the Campus Climate Challenge campaign, and has an active CCC committee at UCI.
Irvine Students Against Animal Cruelty http://www.spirit.dos.uci.edu/clubisaac
Mission: To raise awareness about the connection between cruelty to animals, human
health, and the environment; to foster a sense of social responsibility in daily living; and
to empower students through campaigning, volunteer work, and social activities.
ISAAC has recently been working with ARAMARK and other environmental groups on
campus to host vegan dinners in the dining commons on campus, advocating for the
provision of more vegan options on a regular basis in dining commons. Departing from
past images of their club as protest-oriented, they are trying to be as proactive as possible.
24
Environmental Law Society at UC Irvine
The purpose of this club is to expose students to numerous issues regarding the
environment and the law. Students learn how the law can be used to take on
environmental issues such has global warming. Professionals from the fields of law,
politics, and the environment will discuss policy and law and how the two relate. For
more information you can email [email protected].
Other Highlights in Sustainability and Student Advocacy
Focus the Nation
UCI Administrators, faculty, students and regional community leaders collaborated to
create a Focus the Nation event at UCI on Jan 31, 2008, coinciding with 1,776 other
Focus the Nation events across the country on that day. The efforts were initiated by
Masters student Montgomery Norton, working closely with Erin Lane of Administrative
and Business Services, along with many others. The event consisted of panels and talks
by faculty, administrators, graduate students and local government officials. The keynote
speaker was the charismatic and inspiring Van Jones http://www.vanjones.net/, champion
of environmental justice, founder of Green For All http://greenforall.org/, and co-founder
of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights http://www.ellabakercenter.org.
Earth Day at UCI
http://www.volunteer.uci.edu/earthday/
Volunteer Elizabeth Yu at
the Department of Earth
System Science table at
the UC Irvine Earth Day
celebration on April 19,
2008 in Aldrich Park
Children were
fascinated by exotic
insects at Dr. Sue's
Traveling Insect &
Arthropod Zoo at the
2008 UC Irvine
Earth Day Festival
25
Every year UCI holds an Earth Day celebration organized by the Center for Service in
Action (formerly known as the Volunteer Center) in conjunction with recycling
coordinator Suzanne Hibbs and student activists. The Earth Day celebration is always
held on the Saturday closest to Earth Day (April 22) and in conjunction with Wazgoose
Medieval Faire, which is a small renaissance festival held at UCI since 1971, and a
classic car show. All 3 events are held in Aldrich Park, usually between approximately 9
am and 5pm. There are numerous performances of dance clubs, musical acts and other
talent on campus, along with scores of booths and tents with information, food,
merchandise, and free souvenirs such as native seeds to grow at home. A few of the many
organizations with booths at Earth Day 2008 were Back to Natives, the Department of
Earth System Science, Anteaters for Recycling and Conservation, Bike Religion (the
campus bike shop), and Earth Friendly Moving http://www.earthfriendlymoving.com/.
For a listing of exhibitors and contributors, visit http://www.volunteer.uci.edu/earthday/.
Hillel, a social and religious club for Jewish students at UCI, had a tree-planting project
in 2007 in conjunction with a holiday celebrating the creation of trees. Three trees were
planted in Aldrich Park, and one near Humanities Instructional Building. Hillel
sometimes works with Anteaters for Recycling and Conservation on projects.
Student gardens in graduate housing exist in Verano Place near California Avenue.
Graduate students may sign up for a plot to plant and maintain vegetables and fruits.
Information Sources and Contacts:
UCI Student Sustainability Coalition http://ucisustainability.wetpaint.com/
Contacts: Josh Gellers; Hai Vo
Anteaters for Recycling and Conservation http://www.spirit.dos.uci.edu/recycle
Email: [email protected]
Advisor: Suzanne Hibbs, Recycling Coordinator, [email protected]
President: Teresa Bhardwaj
Associated Students UCI (949) 824-5547
Office of Student Services [email protected] (949) 824-2413
The Student Services Vice President is responsible for programming all student life,
activities, and entertainment, as well as evaluating each program and implementing
new programs and services.
ASUCI Sustainability Representative
• 2006-7 Michelle Ma
• 2007-8 Josh Gellers
CalPIRG UCI http://www.calpirgstudents.org/; [email protected]
CalPIRG office at UCI: (949) 824-6285
Kate Doehring, UCI CalPIRG coordinator: [email protected]
26
Dean of Students [email protected] (949) 824-5181 (M-F 8 am – 5pm)
Green Campus http://www.ase.org/section/program/greencampus/
Email: [email protected]
Contacts: Courtney Gill, Samantha Kao
Students for Sustainability (formerly Irvine Student Sustainability Coalition)
UC Irvine Chapter of the California Student Sustainability Coalition
Websites: http://clubs.uci.edu/s4s/ ; http://spirit.dos.uci.edu/issc/;
California Student Sustainability Coalition: http://www.sustainabilitycoalition.org/
Contacts: Kirstin Morgan: Alexis, Hai Vo
Orange County Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology
Website: www.ocscb.org email: [email protected]
Contact: Jessica Pratt or Barry Nerhus
Sustainable Energy Technology Club Email: [email protected]
Contact: Spencer Dahm, President
Hillel: Contact: Alex Chazen
Environmental Law Society at UC Irvine: contact [email protected]
Irvine Students Against Animal Cruelty http://www.spirit.dos.uci.edu/clubisaac
Contact: Ryan Valentine [email protected]
Toxic Free UC Campaign:
http://www.etoxics.org/site/PageServer?pagename=toxicfreeuccasestudy
Center for Service in Action (formerly UCI Volunteer Center)
Coordinates Earth Day at UCI and National & Global Youth Service Day, etc.
G301Student Center Monday - Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
http://www.volunteer.uci.edu/earthday/ Telephone: (949) 824-3500
Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Listing of Student organizations involved in Sustainability Efforts:
http://www.sustainability.uci.edu/student.html
27
4. Sustainability and Buildings
Right: corner of Langson Library
Below: Mesa Court, Undergraduate
Student Housing
Campus Design Philosophy
The UCI Campus Standards and Design Criteria were written to comply with the
University’s philosophy of:
1. The Campus Architect’s vision of classical tripartite architectural
vocabulary, tailored to the 21st century. Tripartite gives buildings a strong
base, a middle section, and a top or crown.
2. 70 year life buildings
3. exceed the State’s Energy Code
4. sustainable design
5. 20 year deferred maintenance
6. Easily maintained and durable building materials and systems that
require little maintenance.
UCI and the US Green Building Council (USGBC)
Throughout the country, campuses and companies are building more sustainable
buildings through the use of the certification system developed by the US Green
Building Council, known as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or
LEED. The campus of UC Irvine is acting as a pilot for the development of a LEED
program for campus or community development, which would streamline the LEED
certification process for Universities. This new LEED program will be suited to the
campus setting, allowing campuses to take advantage of being a closely connected
community by utilizing a systems approach.
28
Graduate housing development Palo Verde expansion (PV II) was recently
awarded LEED Gold certification by the United States Green Building Council.
In addition to this pilot program, UC Irvine has also submitted applications to certify
several campus buildings through the USGBC including the recently built Information
and Computer Sciences Building, Bren Hall. The expansion of the graduate housing
complex Palo Verde (PV II) was recently awarded LEED Gold certification. Visit:
http://www.abs.uci.edu/leedflyer.pdf.
UC Sustainability Policy and LEED
It is now UC policy for all new construction to be LEED certified at a minimum, with the
option of additional sustainability elements to gain a higher certification level through
USGBC. The UC Sustainability Policy requires that each UC campus identify a building
for LEED-EB certification by July 1, 2008. UCI has chosen Croul Hall as a LEED-EB
project, meaning that it will be renovated to meet the standards for LEED-Existing
Building certification. LEED-EB guidelines can be used as reference points for
sustainability in Facilities Management, including cleaning, maintenance and aspects of
operation such as chemical usage, indoor air quality, utilities and recycling programs.
Campus Design Framework and Guidelines
UCI approved revisions to the Campus Standards and Design Criteria during June and
October of 2006. These standards (available on CD from Bill Cowdell) provide detail
about the specific materials and criteria to be used in campus construction projects. It
includes the Green and Gold Plan, which is summarized in the Grounds section of this
report. UCI also updated the Long Range Develoment Plan in 2007 (See Chapter 5).
29
Space Usage on Campus: Facilities Inventory System
Each campus maintains its own facilities inventory system which provides historical and
current planning and management data about the existing physical plant. Specifically, the
facilities inventory system -- sometimes referred to as the FDX -- provides information
about 1) buildings, and 2) rooms within buildings. It also serves as the campus' official
record of existing space. Irvine has only recently converted its outdated program to a
web-based system, enabling designated campus users to update their own space
information throughout the year. However, anyone with a UCInetID can navigate the
system for space information (only). The web address is https://fdx.cap.uci.edu.
Assignable space is defined as conditioned space. The system is not perfect with regard
to the space in the research park, as the numbers are vary different from what is reported
on the Research Park website http://www.rgs.uci.edu/urp/
Each year, campuses submit their inventory of facilities to the Office of the President
where the data is merged in the Corporate Equipment and Facilities Data system. This
system enables UCOP to perform such tasks as development of capital budget proposals,
analysis of space needs, and reporting to the State on facilities for the entire University.
The major uses of facilities data by both campuses and UCOP are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Campus space assignment and control
Construction project planning and management
Capital outlay budget development
Projections of future space needs
Space utilization standards and analysis
Development and maintenance of space standards
Equipment budgeting standards
Operating budget workload measures
Scheduling of maintenance, alterations, and janitorial service
Insurance and risk management
Determination of building use components of the indirect cost rate
External reporting, audits, contractual accountability requirements
30
Area of
campus
Campus
buildings
Housing
North Campus
Medical Center
Assignable
Footage2
Outside Gross Footage2
2,965,501
2,296,649
100,332
808,919
Research Park
Other leased
space
2,400,000
6,534,102
3,060,636
116,616
1,444,530
Assignable footage is
rounded since 2.4 million ft2
is the figure reported on the
research park website,
although official UCI
73,902
107,029
records only show
122,729 ft2 assignable,
and 168,690 ft2 gross
outside ft2
Assignable Sq Footage
Research
Park,
2,400,000,
28%
Medical
Center,
808,919, 9%
North
Campus,
100,332, 1%
Other leased
space,
73,902, 1%
Campus
buildings,
2,965,501,
34%
Housing,
2,296,649,
27%
The space inventory above does not include Bren Hall, the new Information and
Computer Science Building, the cogeneration facility, the Student Center or housing
built in the 2007-8 year. Current renovation projects include Arroyo Vista and seismic
upgrades to Rowland Hall. Construction projects to be completed by 2012 include:
• Central Plant Chiller
• Campus Office Building
Expansion, step 5
• Hewitt Basement Vivarium
Buildout
• McGaugh Hall Vivarium
Expansion
• Biological Sciences Unit 3
• Rowland Hall Seismic
• Engineering Unit 3
Improvements
• ARC Expansion
• UCI Med Ctr Replacement
• Baseball Stadium, phase 2
Hospital
• Social and Behavioral
• Parkview Classroom Building
Sciences
31
•
•
•
Student Health Center
Expansion and Seismic
Improvements
Parking Structure 5
•
•
Telemedicine/PRIME-LC
Facilities
Arts Building
Humanities Building
University Hills Expansion
The homes currently being constructed for faculty in the expansion of University Hills are
not “green.” They do not even make use of their natural surroundings such as excellent
daylighting potential. Rather, they are cookie-cutter houses built upon bulldozed and
irrigated lots as quickly as possible. These houses do not even appear to be very space
efficient. VC Brase has pointed out that in the Long Range Development Plan (see Grounds
Chapter for more on LRDP), student housing density is increased by 50% (to 90 bed spaces
per acre) so that more land can be allocated to faculty housing, at 12.5 homes per acre. The
new homes in University Hills are probably larger than necessary, as American homes have
been getting larger and larger over the past 50 years, and do not include any green options.
Strategic Plan for UCI http://www.evc.uci.edu/planning/plan0106/index.html
A strategic plan for UCI was released in January of 2006 by Executive Vice Chancellor and
Provost Michael R. Gottfredson. It does not include sustainability concerns as a priority.
Cleaning Services
UCI currently contracts with Onesource to clean campus buildings at night. Although
Onesource offers the Greensweep program http://www.one-source.com/en/greencleaning.html, which uses environmentally preferable cleaning products and procedures,
UCI does not utilize the Greensweep program. However, UCI has been phasing in the use
of Greenseal certified janitorial supplies, following the directive in the UC Sustainability
Policy (Sustainable Operations section) to phase in Greenseal certified products and to
initiate the LEED-EB process.
Recommendations
1. LEED Silver for new construction and LEED-EB for Renovations
UCI should aim to certify all new buildings at LEED Silver or higher. The increase in cost
is negligible in comparison to the savings in energy costs. For existing structures in need of
upgrades, renovate using LEED-EB guidelines rather than replacing or renovating
buildings without using LEED-EB guidelines.
32
2. Green building for Professors, too
Homes in University Hills are a part of campus, and the new houses being constructed
should be built to some sort of green standard such as LEED, to take advantage of the
unique climate of Southern California, and without utterly obliterating everything living
around before construction begins. The houses being built now are not green. These homes
should at least be built with space efficiency in mind. They could also be more vertical, and
incorporate resource efficient technology such as solar hot water and grey water systems.
3. Xeriscaping
It is entirely possible to landscape the campus in such a manner that requires no (or very
little) irrigation. Using native plants and drought tolerant species, xeriscaping saves water,
money and energy. Plants and seeds native to coastal Orange County can be purchased
through Back to Natives http://www.backtonatives.org and Tree of Life Nursery
http://www.californianativeplants.com. This should include residential areas.
4. Deconstruction, Reuse and Recycling of construction materials
If buildings must be replaced, UCI should look into deconstruction rather than simple
demolition of old buildings. Deconstruction yields re-useable materials that can be sold or
re-used in new construction on campus rather than being sent to the recycling or scrap yard.
UCI should also keep track of weights and percentages of various recycled building
materials. Currently, at least 50% of buildings torn down are recycled, according to Bill
Cowdell of UCI Design and Construction Services. However, UCI could do better. The LA
County Community College (LACCC) District has had impressive results in this regard,
recycling more than 95% of demolished or deconstructed buildings through sorting the
debris. (more info on this available in LACCC presentation at 2006 UC/CSU/CCC
Sustainability Conference, or through Larry Eisenberg of LACCC)
5. Green Cleaning
Onesource offers the Greensweep program http://www.one-source.com/en/greencleaning.html, which uses environmentally preferable cleaning products and procedures.
UCI should subscribe to the Greensweep program to improve the indoor environment
where most UCI faculty, staff and students spend their days. Indoor air pollution can be a
more serious problem for human health than outdoor air pollution.
6. Do labs need to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week?
Because laboratories on campus use approximately two thirds of all of the energy used at
UCI, it is important to find out whether we can cut their consumption by limiting the airchanges at night, since the buildings may be empty. VC Brase is interested to know
whether it is necessary for these buildings to be open all of the time and if there is some
way of devising remote monitoring for ongoing experiments.
7. Chilled beam air conditioning
This method would be more efficient than the current strategy using blown air. It uses the
principles of natural heat convection to circulate air inside a building without the noise or
expense of ductwork or air handlers. This would be best for new buildings, but could also
be used in retrofits to save energy.
33
8. Indoor can and bottle recycling options in all UCI buildings
All buildings at UCI should have functional and easy-to-use indoor recycling options for
cans and bottles. Last year, there was a successful pilot project in Social Ecology I
regarding desk-side recycling bins for paper, to replace large blue hallway containers for
paper which also accumulated glass, plastic and aluminum cans, contaminating the paper
recycling. This accumulation was largely because of the lack of indoor can and bottle
recycling receptacles. Due to the success of the deskside paper recycling pilot project,
deskside paper bins are now available throughout campus, and have increased the paper
collection by UCI Recycling quite a bit.
Trash cans at UCI are also often full of recyclables. The simple solution for this is to
provide various types of recycling bins in buildings, as is done in many places, and have
them emptied and taken to outdoor bins whenever the trash is taken out (usually nightly). It
is inefficient to have separate workers handle in-building recycling and trash. If recyclables
are removed nightly from buildings, there should be no more concern about pests in the
recycling than there should be regarding pests in the trash. This integration of the recycling
program into normal housekeeping activities should make UCI not only more sustainable,
but also more efficient.
Another option would be to send all of UCI’s trash to “dirty materials recovery facilities,”
or MRFs, where they sort the recyclables from the trash with a very high recovery rate.
While this would not be a terrible solution, it is not the best for several reasons, the most
important being the public education aspect of recycling. Especially as a University, UCI
should be demonstrating to all on campus that it is a responsible environmental actor. Most
people have no idea that MRF facilities even exist, and would never know that UCI sorts
recyclables from the trash. It may be difficult to educate the UCI population about what
happens to their trash.
The subtle message that is sent through the lack of can and bottle recycling options inside
buildings is that UCI does not prioritize recycling, which means either that UCI appears not
to be an environmentally responsible actor, or that recycling is not important. Should UCI
students be receiving either of these messages at their respected institution of higher
learning? Certainly not. Recycling is not just materials recovery; it is also a form of public
education at the most basic consumer level. If you drink a packaged beverage on campus,
you should think about where the bottle or can ends up. This trains responsible, rather than
irresponsible citizens, which is part of the purpose of education.
Finally, UCI has an ongoing problem with losing a significant revenue stream for its
recycling program through the removal of aluminum cans and other recyclables from
outdoor recycling bins at night by local scavengers. UCI may be able to improve the
income and quality of its recycling program through an improved recycling pick-up
program that retains more cans, since aluminum continues to increase in value. This would
also increase our percentages of waste recycled, reflecting a more accurate picture of
recycling practices at UCI, and boosting our ability to reach our campus waste diversion
goals in a timely manner.
34
Information Sources:
LEED Credits and Building Design:
Bill Cowdell, [email protected]
Director of Quality Assurance
Design & Construction Services
5201 California Avenue, Ste. 250
(949) 824-1238
Information about Palo Verde LEED Gold Certification:
http://www.abs.uci.edu/leedflyer.pdf
Campus Space Inventory and Utilization:
Gina Adams, [email protected]
Senior Facility Requirements Analyst
Capital Planning
750 University Tower
(949) 824-8689
Data for Research Park: http://www.rgs.uci.edu/urp/
Strategic Plan for UCI: http://www.evc.uci.edu/planning/plan0106/index.html
UCI Long Range Development Plan: http://www.ceplanning.uci.edu/finallrdp.html
Onesource Greensweep Program: http://www.one-source.com/en/green-cleaning.html
80 Research Topics: http://www.abs.uci.edu/ResearchTopics.pdf
Campus Standards and Design Criteria:
Richard G. Demerjian, [email protected]
Director, Campus & Environmental Planning
750 University Tower
Campus & Environmental Planning
(949) 824-7058
Recycling:
Suzanne Hibbs, [email protected]
Recycling/Refuse Coordinator
Facilities Management – Grounds
(949) 824-9047
Campus Standards and Design Criteria – CD of 2006 Revisions (Social and Behavioral
Sciences Building Project No. 991268), UC Irvine Design and Construction Services
35
5. Grounds & Water
Background
The UC Irvine campus encompasses about 1,475 acres, on which stand over 24,000 trees,
above tens of thousands of sprinkler heads, and miles and miles of irrigation pipe. In the
center of campus is 19 acre Aldrich Park, which holds more than 11,000 trees and shrubs.
In 2006 alone, nearly 6,000 trees were planted on campus at UCI. Over 2,000 of these trees
were planted at Vista del Campo Norte, and 1,850 were planted in University Research
Park. There are 535 “improved” acres on campus. Grounds management has been
contracted out to the company Commercial Landscaping Service (CLS) until July 1, 2007,
when all outsourced groundskeepers were brought on as full University of California
employees, pursuant to a bargain made between the University and the grounds workers’
union, AFSCME Local 3299. The UCI grounds workers at UCI won this important
victory for equity and fairer wages in May 2007. (See Diversity and Employee Wellbeing
section for more information).
UCI Policy: Green and Gold Plan and Long Range Development Plan (LRDP)
UCI’s sustainable grounds management policy is entitled the Green and Gold Plan,
published by UCI Office of Campus and Environmental Planning, and revised in August of
2000. It can be found at: http://www.ceplanning.uci.edu/greengold.html#Goals. Four
planning and management goals with supporting objectives were established in the Green
and Gold Plan. The following is a summary of these four goals:
Goal 1. Develop a landscape that is sustainable and provides for long term conservation of
resources: energy, water, labor, and reduced production of green waste. This includes the
increased usage of native plants and gradual replacement of eucalyptus trees, both to
conserve water and also to ensure both diversity of species and of age in the urban forest.
Goal 2. Develop campus landscaping and open space network that maximize local and
regional natural resource values. The primary value here is habitat value, and therefore
increased utilization of native plant materials is required, as they provide high wildlife
forage value. These habitat and Open Space areas must be linked by natural arroyos, which
connect the campus with other regional open space areas such as the San Joaquin Hills and
the wetland areas of the Upper Newport Bay, San Joaquin Marsh, and San Diego Creek.
36
These existing and increasingly rare habitat resources must be protected, and in order for
them to function well, we must restore the networks of corridors and habitat sites that
connect the isolated patches and discontinuous landscape corridors which were created
under LRDP development. This will benefit the campus and also support regional habitat
planning goals. In addition to preserving habitat value, historic landscape value, vistas and
view sheds also benefit by restoring natural features and environmentally significant areas.
Goal 3. Develop landscaping that provides the greatest functional value consistent with
comprehensive campus planning and design objectives. Maximization of functionality
includes integrating design needs and aesthetic considerations such as public space and
solar shading, while providing design consistency, institutional quality and durability.
Goal 4. While selection of appropriate plant materials and proper planting and irrigation
techniques are crucial first steps in developing sustainable landscaping, it is equally
important that adequate management programs are in place to preserve this asset. These
management programs include pruning, environmentally responsible fertilization,
scheduled inspection, replacement plans, an integrated and environmentally responsible
pest management program, and the processing of trimmings into mulch. In addition to
campus landscaping areas, special management may be required for habitat areas to ensure
habitat value and also for teaching and research use of these areas.
Long Range Development Plan (2007)
UCI’s Long Range Development Plan (LRDP) was updated in 2007. The 2007 LRDP is a
comprehensive land use strategy until 2025, and does not depart much from the first UCI
LRDP developed in the 1960s. It is the fourth LRDP for UCI, as previous plans were
adopted in 1963, 1970 and 1989. The plan does not incorporate environmental
sustainability concerns beyond trying to house and accommodate more than 50% of
students on campus. It plans for a potential student population of 37,000 by 2025.
Below is the land use planning map included in the 2007 LRDP. Of particular interest is
the depiction of the southern edge of campus bordering Bonita Canyon Road and the 73
Toll Road. This area, until recently, has been open space with trails used by the campus
community. With the University Hills expansion, huge swaths of the natural landscape and
trails therein have been bulldozed. On the map, you can see that more is to come.
37
Open and Protected Space on Campus
As of Spring 2007, one hundred and thirty-five acres of campus was open space managed
for habitat and scenic value. Much of this consisted of coastal sage scrub, which is prime
habitat for the endangered California gnat catcher. There are also upland habitat areas and
riparian areas including San Joaquin Marsh. Some of this acreage has been impacted by
recent construction in University Hills. See photos below of degraded areas there.
38
Destruction of the open space left on campus
has had impacts ecologically and socially.
Not only has former habitat been
transformed into barren wastelands or
landscaped with plants that need irrigation
(see sprinklers, above right), but the
construction (University Hills expansion) has
also blocked off the middle section of trails
on campus used by walkers, runners, cyclists
and dog owners in the campus community
(see above sign blocking further trail access).
Just last year, the area depicted in the photos above was natural space, providing much
needed habitat for dwindling species in this rapidly developing region. The housing
constructed (for faculty and staff) was not designed using guidelines regarding
sustainability. As you can see on the LRDP map, much of the southern portion of campus
is depicted as “faculty and staff housing”, “housing reserve” or “mixed-use neighborhood”
which remains similar to the LRDP from 1989. It seems that most of the faculty and staff
housing area is already under construction, but the areas designated as “housing reserve”
and “mixed-use neighborhood” which are currently natural areas which provide habitat
should be redesignated as “ecological preserve” along with the area labeled as “general”
open space beside University Hills.
The 2007 LRDP does refer to the area colored green beside University Hills as the
“ecological preserve” and eliminates the continuation of California Avenue, which
previous LRDPs depicted as someday bisecting the open space there. While the 2007
LRDP does consider issues of open space, transportation management and housing, these
are considered with regard to accommodation of a larger campus community rather than
with regard to environmental sustainability.
UCI Arboretum
Situated near the corner of Campus Drive and Jamboree Road, the UCI Arboretum is a 12
acre botanical garden adjacent to the 200 acre San Joaquin Freshwater Marsh Reserve. The
39
Arboretum was first established in 1964 as a nursery area to supply UCI with landscaping
plants. It is now dedicated to preserving rare and endangered plant species from California,
as well as plants from around the world which are suited to the local climate, such as aloes
and cacti. The Arboretum is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m to 3
p.m., free of charge.
San Joaquin Freshwater Marsh Reserve
The following information and photographs are borrowed from the website of the
University of California Natural Reserve System http://nrs.ucop.edu
# 29 is the San
Joaquin Reserve
#25 is the Burns
Ridge Reserve
Established in 1969, the San Joaquin Freshwater Marsh Reserve represents one of the last
remnants of freshwater wetlands that once covered much of Orange County’s flood plain.
Located in an ancient river-cut channel at the head of Newport Bay, the reserve supports a
variety of wetland habitats, including freshwater marshlands, shallow ponds, and channels
confined by earthen dikes. Dry upland habitats with a remnant coastal sage scrub
community rise on the margins of the reserve. The marsh is a critical stopping place for
100 migratory bird species using the Pacific Flyway. Altogether, more than 200 bird
species (20 nesting) have been sighted in the reserve, including two resident endangered
bird species: the light-footed clapper rail and the California least tern.
The marsh is located within a ten-minute walk from UC Irvine, adjacent to the arboretum,
making it convenient for day use by faculty and students. Each year hundreds of university
students in conservation biology, freshwater biology, environmental ethics, and other
disciplines visit the reserve on class field trips; dozens more use the site for field studies
and independent study projects. Ongoing ecological projects in the Reserve include water
quality improvement, and restoration of coastal sage scrub and wetland habitats. The
reserve also hosts environmental education programs for local elementary/ secondary
schools and public tours of the reserve. There are regional hiking and bike trails along the
southern edge of the reserve.
Selected Research conducted at San Joaquin Freshwater Marsh Reserve
• Habitat use and movements of coyotes in a Southern California urban environment.
• Effects of black sage on herbivore predation of purple needlegrass.
40
• Parasitoids and population ecology of the harlequin bug.
• Wetlands production and fluxes of methane and other gases.
• Pollen analysis of San Joaquin Marsh Holocene sediment.
• North American Carbon Program Determining California’s Carbon Budget
Burns Piñon Ridge Reserve
In addition to the San Joaquin Freshwater
Marsh Reserve, UCI is designated as the
guardian of the Burns Piñon Ridge
Reserve as well, which is in the Morongo
Basin of the western Mojave Desert in
San Bernadino County, 1.2 miles north of
Yucca Valley.
Nature Reserve of Orange County
UCI sits on the Board of Directors of
Nature Reserve of Orange County
(NROC), which is composed of public
and private owners of reserve land,
wildlife agencies, local governments and
community representatives. As one of the
15 member organizations, the UCI
endowment is currently represented by
Richard Demerjian, Director of Campus
and Environmental Planning, and
Ecology Professor Peter Bowler. The
Reserve covers 37,000 acres of habitat,
aiming to connect parcels, creating
contiguous
corridors.
The
UCI
endowment is currently managed for 24
species. The NROC has a technical
advisory committee and biologists on
staff to ensure that certain species are
monitored. More information about
NROC can be found at
http://www.naturereserveoc.org/
41
Pervious pavement
UCI has recently begun using pervious pavement. The goal of using pervious pavement is
having no water runoff or clean water runoff from newer parking lots such as in the Vista
del Campo section of student housing on the eastern edge of campus. Clay soils make this
more complex, as water tends to sit on the top of the soil rather than sinking in. Huge
detention pools beneath the parking lots using pervious pavement are filled with gravel, so
that the water, which may be contaminated with pollutants from vehicles, can slowly
percolate through the gravel, allowing the water to soak into the ground at its own pace.
Vegetation
Landscaping at UCI aims to minimize use of turf (grass), which requires watering. Richard
Demerjian, chair of the landscape committee that reports to Vice Chancellor of
Administrative and Business Services, Wendell Brase, says that turf is generally only used
where it is functional, meaning where it is used for playing, walking, or sitting by campus
users. However, much of UCI campus uses turf and other landscaping that requires
watering by sprinklers. UCI would benefit from planting natives, much more drought
tolerant species that would occur in the area naturally. These could be provided through
Back to Natives or Tree of Life Nursery. Selection of plants is done by landscape architects
through Campus and Environmental Planning. Rob Rice’s office handles maintenance and
replacement of plants. An extensive listing of species that meet the requirements of the
Green
and
Gold
Plan
and
their
attributes
can
be
found
at:
http://www.ceplanning.uci.edu/greengold.html. Green waste such as grass clippings and
wood trimmings are chipped are recycled as mulch.
Irrigation at UCI
Recycled water from Irvine Ranch Water District (http://www.irwd.com/Reclamation)
supplies 95% of irrigation water at UCI. The other 5% is potable water used on North
Campus and Verano Place (one of the graduate student housing complexes) because of the
likelihood of children playing in or near the sprinklers. Most of the irrigation at UCI is
controlled by computer using evapotranspiration (ET) irrigation controllers. UCI was one
of the first campuses to install this networked, centralized control system for irrigation in
1989. The system is programmed based upon information from the Weather Channel. The
42
equipment is monitored and inspected throughout the year, although there is no dedicated
water manager or similar position at UCI, and no dedicated funding for irrigation
efficiency upgrades. The system could be upgraded so that rain shuts down irrigation.
Currently there is no measurement of total water usage for irrigation.
Water Budgeting
All sprinklers on campus have the ability to budget water, but this function is generally not
used due to the usage of the evapo-transpiration (ET) controllers. Only the sprinklers not
on this computer-controlled ET system could use the budgeting function, such as the
“recharge areas” under the control of Housing and Parking. Because these areas are under
contract, Housing and Parking control sprinklers in these areas. Sprinklers controlled by
campus Housing, for example, are not on the computerized ET system. Contractors may
not be using the budget function at individual sprinklers. Certain sprinklers on campus are
not used as much during the wet season.
Recommendations:
1. Do not further reduce the size of the open space on campus. These corridors are
important for the health and beauty of the landscape, and have already been heavily
fragmented and degraded. Preserve and restore what remains for aesthetic, environmental,
recreational, scientific and educational purposes. Rolling hills continue to be bulldozed on
campus for housing. Not only is this increasingly rare habitat for all sorts of creatures, but
it is also of high recreational value to those who live on campus. With each phase of
housing construction, portions of the networks of trails created by campus outdoor
recreation enthusiasts are destroyed, and with them a more sustainable fitness option than
driving elsewhere to find trails to run, bike, or walk a dog. Commit to preserving all open
habitat left on campus.
2. Commit to extensive restoration of open space on campus in partnership with
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, which has experts in the restoration of
coastal sage scrub habitat. In addition, usage of open spaces for educational purposes is
difficult for professors to arrange. This process should be streamlined so that students can
have the advantage of hands-on learning. They can also help UCI by being a part of the
43
effort to restore degraded habitat, providing a free source of labor for the university while
learning valuable skills under the expert management of professors.
3. Xeriscaping with Native Species: UCI would save money on energy, water and
landscaping costs if it planted more native, drought tolerant species. In addition, this would
be positive, rather than negative ecologically. While the Green and Gold plan lays out a
plan for this, UCI is heavily dependent upon irrigation, even in new developments such as
the University Hills expansion, which is a waste of resources and money. Native Orange
County species are diminishing, and UCI can help to support the native plant community.
See these websites for how this can be done: Back to Natives and Tree of Life Nursery:
http://www.backtonatives.org/About_Us.htm and http://www.californianativeplants.com/
4. Bring stream in Aldrich park back to surface. Years ago, a stream ran through the area
which is now Aldrich Park. It was buried, and parts of the park still become soggy. It
should be brought back to the surface and nursed back to a healthy local waterway.
5. New criteria for landscape management:
a) Reduce or eliminate usage of leafblowers on campus. They are disruptive to classes and
apartment dwellers and use two-stroke engines which are incredibly polluting for their
size. Allow some leaves to sit on the ground for slightly longer periods of time. Apparently
Yale does this, and they are able to maintain a high profile image.
b) No two-stroke engines on campus. Upgrade to four-stroke engines or find another way
to manage the landscape that does not involve loud, polluting motors (e.g. brooms, rakes)
c) Use electric leafblowers if leafblowers must be used, because they are quieter and more
efficient. These could be supplemented with rakes and brooms.
6. Improve water usage:
a) Meter sprinklers to measure total water usage;
b) Upgrade sprinkler system in future so rain shuts down irrigation system;
c) Re-involve management teams in design-build process to best integrate installation and
later usage of irrigation systems;
d) Put Housing and Parking sprinklers on centralized, monitored evapotranspiration
computer-controlled system(s) which shut(s) down when it rains, or at least be sure that
water budgeting is used at individual sprinklers in recharge areas.
Background and Notes: Some campus grounds are managed by Eric Alton in Housing.
Rob Rice takes care of state-funded master plan areas. Paul Wingco (Energy Manager)
pays the UCI water bills. Steve George is the man to talk to about engines.
Information Sources:
UCI Grounds: http://www.fm.uci.edu/landscapegrounds.html
UCI Green and Gold Plan: http://www.ceplanning.uci.edu/greengold.html
UCI Long Range Development Plan: http://www.ceplanning.uci.edu/finallrdp.html
UCI Arboretum: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California,_Irvine,_Arboretum
University of California Natural Reserve System: http://nrs.ucop.edu
44
Nature Reserve of Orange County: http://www.naturereserveoc.org/
Irvine Ranch Water District water reclamation: http://www.irwd.com/Reclamation
Natural Communities Conservation Planning:
http://www.ceres.ca.gov./CRA/NCCP/index.html
Back to Natives: http://www.backtonatives.org/About_Us.htm
Tree of Life Nursery: http://www.californianativeplants.com
Habitat Management, Green Design Innovations:
Richard Demerjian, [email protected]
Director, Campus & Environmental Planning
750 University Tower, (949) 824-7058
Peter A. Bowler, [email protected]
Senior Lecturer SOE
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
313 Steinhaus Hall, (949) 824-5183
Peter Bryant, [email protected]
Professor, Developmental & Cell Biology
4219 McGaugh Hall, (949) 824-4714, 6997
http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/dbc/bryantp.htm
Irrigation: Rob Rice and Emilio Avalos, Facilities Management
Robert W. Rice, [email protected]
Sr. Superintendent, Grounds, Building & Custodial Services
Facilities Management (building at Bison and Peltason)
(949) 824-9341
Grounds Policy:
San Joaquin Freshwater Marsh Reserve and Burns Piñon Ridge Reserve
William Bretz, [email protected]
UCI Office of Natural Reserves
Phone: 949-824-6031
Nature Reserve of Orange County, [email protected]
15600 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine, CA 92618
(949)453-3324
Information on Natural Communities Conservation Planning: Coastal Central Orange
County can be found at http://www.dbc.uci.edu/~sustain/global/sensem/michel97.htm
45
6. Energy and Climate Footprint
Background
The energy bill at UCI is by far the largest expense that Administrative and Business
Services has. Each month, UCI spends more on the power bill than all of the employee
salaries in Administrative and Business Services combined. This is quite an incentive to
lower energy costs at UCI by making buildings more efficient and looking for alternative
energy sources. Additionally, climate change has become a poignant issue that many on
campus and beyond feel the University should be addressing. UCI has signed the
American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which holds us to
similar goals and targets as the UC Sustainability Policy does. Energy saving projects and
developing plans for carbon neutrality have been the main focus of campus sustainability
activities pursued by VC Wendell Brase, Chair of the Sustainability Committee.
UC Climate Policy Highlights
II. Clean Energy Standard
- 10 megawatts of local renewable power by 2014
- Reduce systemwide growth-adjusted energy consumption by 10 percent or
more by 2014 from the year 2000 base consumption level
III. Climate Protection Practices
- By 2014, reduce GHG emissions to 2000 levels
- By 2020, reduce GHG emissions to 1990 levels
Implementation Procedures for Climate Protection Practices:
• By December 2008, the University will develop an action plan for becoming climate
neutral which will include: a feasibility study for meeting the 2014 and 2020 goals
stated in the Policy Guidelines, a target date for achieving climate neutrality as soon
as possible while maintaining the University’s overall mission, and a needs
assessment of the resources required to successfully achieve these goals. Climate
neutrality means that the University will have a net zero impact on the Earth’s
climate, and will be achieved by minimizing GHG emissions as much as possible and
using carbon offsets or other measures to mitigate the remaining GHG emissions.
UC/CSU Energy Partnership
Energy Managers at the 10 UC campuses and the 28 CSU campuses have partnered to
form the UC/CSU Energy Partership to fund efficiency upgrades on our campuses.
Through this program, the campuses partner with local utilities to negotiate higher
savings incentives for retrofits. Normally, utilities will offer about 10 cents per kWh
savings for retrofit projects. The UC/CSU Energy Partnership has been able to increase
that savings to 24 cents per kWh, and $1.50/ therm for natural gas. These savings are
pooled and set aside to allocate for campus efficiency projects and equipment upgrades,
46
such as major HVAC retrofits. This partnership began in 2004-2005, and the current
contract is for 2006-2008.
One of the main projects of the UC/CSU Energy Partnership is Monitoring Base
Commissioning, or MBCX, which is conducted as part of new construction. or in
conjunction with building retrofits. MBCX is a process by which a building is evaluated
and monitored in terms of energy use and efficiency. Measuring equipment is installed in
the building or upgraded to continuously monitor energy usage and performance of the
building. This information is then used to identify potential energy saving measures for
the future. More information on MBCX can be found at www.peci.org.
Here at UCI, at least two MBCX projects have been completed in Berkeley Place and
McGaugh Hall, and retrofit measures are being considered based on these assessments.
UCI has also funded the lighting retrofits of five campus buildings through funds from
the Partnership.
UCI Emissions Report Card
Before the UC Sustainability Policies came into effect, requiring us to join the California
Climate Action Registry, UCI Facilities Management calculated emissions and created an
Emissions Report Card for the campus every 6 months, based upon power bills from
Edison for our 66 kilowatt electrical load. For each edition of the Report Card, emissions
of CO2 and NOx resulting from changes taking place on campus were calculated using
June 30, 2003 as a baseline. It was in 2003 that the first UCI emissions report was created
as a result of the impending passage of the Regents’ Clean Energy and Green Building
Policy of 2003.
The report card included the emissions attributable to the electricity and natural gas for
which the Facilities Management Department receives a bill. It does not include
University Hills (on campus housing for professors), or much of the graduate student
housing, including Arroyo Vista Housing, Palo Verde Housing, American Campus
Communities (third party housing), or any other UCI entities for which Facilities
Management does not receive a bill, such as the UCI Medical Center.
UCI Emissions Report Card June 2007
Date
06/30/03
07/01/03
Description
Status
Total Campus
Emissions
Convert to 20%
biodiesel for
shuttles &
other diesel
vehicles
Baseline
Complete
CO2
(tons
per
fiscal
year)
94,500
NOx
(tons
per
fiscal
year)
64.5
-130
+0.1
47
Comments
Emissions as of FY03. UC Regents adopted
sustainability policy July 2003.
Assumes that 20% of fuel consumed is
carbon-neutral. Amounts increased to reflect
increased usage since 2003. See note 5,
below.
Date
Description
Status
Complete
Complete
Complete
CO2
(tons
per
fiscal
year)
+1500
+2010
+3130
NOx
(tons
per
fiscal
year)
+1
+1.4
+2.0
07/18/03
11/15/04
09/01/05
Croul Hall
Cal(IT)2
Natural
Sciences 2
10/15/05
Portable
Buildings
Programmable
T’stats
Elevator
Lighting
Zone Presence
Sensors
2005 Utilities
Deficit
Reduction Plan
Complete
-30
-0.02
Complete
-80
-0.065
Complete
-90
-0.04
Complete
-2000
-1.0
12/01/05
Lighting
Retrofit
Complete
-230
-0.18
12/20/05
Engineering
Parking
Structure
Commissioning
Phase 1
Tree Planting
Bren Hall
Window Film
Project
Campus Surge
Building
Lighting
Retrofit
Subtotal
Occupancy
Sensors 2
Cogeneration
Complete
+470
0.38
Complete
-820
-0.51
Complete
Complete
Complete
-103
+1000
-62.5
0
+0.5
-0.05
Complete
+1000
+1
Complete
-1840
-1.47
Projected
98,225
-135
67.5
-0.11
Projected
24,000
-58
Projected
-480
-0.25
Projected
-990
-0.67
Gillespie, Natural Sciences 1, Sprague Hall
Projected
-100
-0.08
See note 6 below.
10/15/05
11/01/05
12/01/05
03/01/06
12/31/06
01/15/07
02/01/07
4/23/07
06/01/07
06/08/07
Summer
07
06/30/07
Winter
07
Spring
07
Convert to
100% biodiesel
in shuttles and
other diesel
vehicles
Commissioning
Phase 2
Bi-level
stairwell
lighting
48
Comments
Emissions from CY2006 usage. See Note 7.
Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences
share this new, energy intensive building.
Emissions data based on CY2006 measured
usage.
Installed programmable thermostats and
tuned up operational programming for 73
trailer-mounted HVAC units (Bard Units).
Replaced lighting in numerous campus
elevators.
Installed zone presence sensors on Sprague
Hall fume hoods.
Variety of measures including thermal
comfort setting adjustments and eliminating
domestic hot water from most campus
buildings.
Funded by the UC/CSU Energy Partnership.
Crawford Hall, Langson Library,
Engineering Tower, Social Ecology
This is the lighting for the structure and the
other electrical loads within it.
Funded by the UC/CSU Energy Partnership.
See Note 4 below.
4124 trees planted in calendar 2006.
Estimated, See note 8.
GSM and Berkeley Place
Estimated, see note 9.
Funded by EC/DM Bonds this project has
been completed.
Occupancy sensors for lighting and HVAC in
lecture halls and other areas.
Substantial displacement of campus electrical
load. NOx reduction due to much cleaner
technology compared to marginal grid plants
Assumes that 100% of fuel consumed is
carbon-neutral. This represents the additional
effect compared to 20% fuel above. See note
5, below.
Date
Fall 07
Notes:
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Description
Status
Projected
CO2
(tons
per
fiscal
year)
-1780
NOx
(tons
per
fiscal
year)
-1.4
Low Pressure
Drop Air
Filters
Reines Hall
McGaugh Hall
Steinhaus Hall
Projected
Projected
Projected
-590
-890
-270
-0.5
-0.7
-0.2
Comments
New design of air filters will allow reduced
pressure drop for the same filtration efficacy.
Project will be rolled out in 32 buildings with
VAV.
Phoenix controls retrofit
Retrofit handlers with VAV controls
Teaching lab occupancy HVAC controls
Figures in this list are rounded to reflect the confidence level of the input data. They do not include emissions attributable
to Campus Housing where that housing is not served by the 66-kV system. They also do not include emissions attributable
to housing for their consumption of natural gas.
CO2 and NOx numbers do not always match because some projects save natural gas burned at the Central Plant and others
only save electricity. The emissions factors are different.
The CO2 and NOx numbers are consistent with those for marginal electricity and do not necessarily reflect the SCE source
mix.
This project addressed Berkeley Place and McGaugh Hall. Berkeley Place received new Siemens controls in place of
existing, antiquated, time-clock, stand-alone system. The ability to properly schedule the building and to control the
economizers increased the savings beyond that projected for the project. The projected emissions reductions were included
in the 2005 Report Card as Recommissioning.
Emissions factors for the 100% biodiesel conversion assume that 10 of the 15 buses are converted with the KleenAir
system. Compared to usage in the buses, other vehicular usage of biodiesel is minimal. Data based on a national study of
effects of biodiesel usage in buses. Life cycle emissions reductions for CO2 from the use of biodiesel are 78% for B-100
and 15.7% for B-20.
The pilot projects completed in the Engineering Tower, Administration, Social Sciences, and School of the Arts. The full
roll out will take place in 25 additional buildings.
Emissions attributable to Cal(IT)2 are lower than were projected. This is due to the relatively low occupancy of the
building during the CY 2006. Not all systems were being fully utilized as anticipated for the earlier estimate. We will
revise the card as we gather more data.
Bren Hall has efficient central systems and recirculated air. This estimated amount will be updated as we get a full year’s
worth of data from its metering systems.
The Surge Building has a stand alone boiler and a DX roof top cooling unit. Hence, its emissions are estimated to be
greater than a corresponding building connected to the Central Plant. Once we have data for a full year of occupancy, we
can update the data.
During the 2004/5 school year, UCI used 193,890 BTU per square foot, which is
0.004959 MBtu per full time campus user. According to Southern Califrnia Edison’s
power content label for 2006, 16% of their electricity is derived from renewable
resources.
The Biggest Users
Ten buildings on UCI campus, all of which are science buildings with laboratories, are
responsible for approximately 60% of campus energy consumption. These science
buildings use 5-20 times the amount of electricity as other campus buildings. Most of this
is due to fume hoods, which use powerful fans to suck fumes out of the research area.
These hoods are often left open, even when not in use, which keeps them running, thus
sucking conditioned air out of the buildings, and necessitating re-conditioning of the air
in the building, using more electricity. Natural Science 1 sometimes has up to 25
49
airchanges per hour, likely due to the large number of fume hoods on the the third and
fourth floors.
The Department of Environmental Health and Safety has teamed up with Green Campus
activists to tackle the fume hoods problem. There are several alternative solutions. The
simplest and least expensive method is being attempted first. This involves visiting fume
hood users in their labs to talk with them about the problem, with the goal of having the
lab users voluntarily close the sashes to prevent conditioned air from being sucked out of
the building unnecessarily. If this campaign, which includes reminder stickers for the
sashes, does not succeed, then it may become necessary to install expensive Automatic
Sash Positioning Systems on the fume hoods, which sense when the hood is not in use,
and bring the sash down automatically.
Reheating
The climate control system at UCI works in a way that is quite energy-consumptive. It is
designed for the maximum comfort of building occupants, but in the summer, it requires
first cooling an entire building down to the temperature of the room with the need for the
coolest air, then reheating the rest of the rooms to their desired temperatures. Facilities
Management would like to switch to a much more efficient method of air conditioning,
known as a chilled beam system, but this would require massive expenditure of funds and
significant building renovations. For now, it would be ideal if building users were able to
be comfortable with building temperatures that are closer to outdoor temperatures than
the climate controlled interiors that we have become accustomed to. Considerations for
special equipment will be made. More versatile clothing choices may be necessary, even
indoors, as we come to terms with the reality of a warming world.
Current UCI programs and plans to shrink its energy and climate footprint
Climate Neutrality Plan
Vice-Chancellor Wendell Brase has begun to lay out a Plan for Climate Neutrality here at
UCI. This is a major step in the right direction, and other UCs are sure to follow this lead.
As of June 2007, the plan included the following elements:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reducing energy consumption through conservation, curtailments and retrofits
(20-25%)
Extend co-generation power to all student housing and Medical Center
Reconsider whether we can afford to keep laboratories open 24 x 365
Install 3-5 megawatts of photovoltaic power (20 %)
Install solar hot-water systems for residential complexes, locker rooms and
swimming pools.
B-100 biodiesel retrofits for all shuttle busses (this summer) and all other feasible
fleet vehicles (perhaps this fall)
Low-carbon replacements for vehicles for which B-100 is infeasible
50
•
•
•
Design new buildings to LEED Gold energy efficiency standards, and renovations
to LEED Silver
Implement student residential parking pricing that reflects true economic value
(including land-use/ opportunity costs) and that provides a fair and effective
incentive to those who forego a car on campus
Large UC ‘renewable energy farm’ (100-200 MW) to produce photovoltaic, wind,
biomass, and/or geothermal power
These goals are accompanied by various funding and regulatory issues, but the skeleton is
there for a massive reduction in emissions of CO2 for UCI and other UC campuses.
Energy Rewrite
Jim Hay of Facilities Management has recently negotiated a deal with the manufacturers
of laboratory refrigerators, one of the biggest energy users. The company will come to
pick up all old fridges for free, and UCI will replace these energy guzzlers with new,
Energy Star laboratory refrigerators.
Reducing Energy Demand on Campus
Facilities Management at UCI is committed to reducing demand for energy on campus.
This will require the cooperation of all campus users. There is only so much that can be
done through efficiency projects. Simple conservation of energy is also needed to help
UCI go climate neutral. UCI recently joined the California Climate Action Registry
(CCAR), which helps companies and campuses to accurately calculate, monitor and
reduce their GHG emissions.
UC Irvine’s combined heat and power plant (base-loaded cogeneration) came online in
June of 2007. With its 53,000 ton-hour thermal storage tank, it is probably the most
efficient central plant on any North American campus, according to VC Wendell Brase.
This plant maximizes its recovery of waste heat by capturing and utilizing the heat, or
storing it for future use in six different ways. UCI’s thermal energy storage system is the
largest in the western US, each day shifting 4-5 MW of electricity load to off-peak
nighttime hours. According to Facilities Management, it reduces the campus CO2
emissions by 24,000 tons (22%) annually, and NOx emissions by 58 tons (76%) annually,
as it reduces the total amount of energy used on campus 481,000 MBtus (23%) annually.
Highlights
Photovoltaic and Fuel Cell plans
UCI is back in negotiations with various solar companies to install a 1.2 Megawatt
system of solar panels atop 11 buildings on campus, which will be one of the largest PV
projects in California. In addition, UCI’s National Fuel Cell Research Center, headed by
Professor Scott Samuelsen, may be in the process of installing a large fuel cell to generate
both electric and thermal energy for the central campus.
51
UC Irvine Cogeneration Plant
Plan to install 1.2 MW of Solar Power
Above is a diagram of the efficient cogeneration plant that opened at UCI in 2007.
52
Lighting Retrofits at UCI received award at UC/CSU/CCC Sustainability Conference
Peter Yu, Shyla Raghav and May
Chiu of Green Campus UCI pose
with AVC Paige Macias and
Candice Carr Kelman at the 2006
UC/CSU/CCC
Sustainability
Conference. UCI won the award
for best lighting retrofit, a project
conducted by Facilities with the
help of the Green Campus interns.
University of California Initiatives to Fight Global Warming:
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/globalwarming.pdf
• Energy BioSciences Institute
• Helios Labs
• National Fuel Cell Research Center
• California Climate Change Center
• UC is developing better, less expensive solar cells
• UC professors are pioneers and prominent figures in climate research and the
development of alternative energy sources
Recommendations
1. Comprehensive Emissions Reporting
Include all emissions from housing and medical centers in Emissions Report Card and
reports to the California Climate Action Registry. This information should be available
from Southern California Edison. All of campus must be accounted for.
2. Do not buy biodiesel. Recent studies have shown that most biofuels have larger
carbon footprints than fossil fuels due to their transport from the tropics and the
likelihood that rainforests were destroyed to grow the soy, palm or other crop used to
create the biofuels. This must be considered in carbon neutrality plans. See the
Transportation chapter for more information.
3. Turn off unnecessary lighting at night, such as in laboratories and outside of
buildings. For example, Natural Sciences II has a lot of unnecessary external lighting.
4. Use Green Chemistry in campus laboratories to reduce the need to use fume hoods,
as well as reducing hazardous waste output. University of Oregon’s Green Chemistry
Program’s laboratory does not have any fume hoods at all, reducing pollution and costs.
53
Information sources and contact information:
Campus Energy data, charts and graphics:
UCI Facilities Management Website: http://www.fm.uci.edu/
UCI Sustainability Website: http://www.sustainability.uci.edu/
UCI Solar Agreement http://today.uci.edu/news/release_detail.asp?key=1724
Think, Act, Save campaign website: http://www.conserve.uci.edu/
Hydrogen fueling station at UCI: http://today.uci.edu/news/release_detail.asp?key=1577
Paul Wingco, Campus Energy Manager, Facilities Management
201A Interim Office Building, [email protected], (949) 824-9460
Fred Bockmiller, Principal Engineer/Manager,
Building Records Unit & Inspection, Facilities Management
107 Interim Office Building, [email protected], (949) 824-3010
Erin Lane, Senior Administrative Analyst
Administrative & Business Services, Vice Chancellor's Office
559 Aldrich Hall, [email protected], (949) 824-1925
Green Campus contacts:
Courtney Gill: [email protected]
Samantha Kao : [email protected]
Climate Neutrality Plan:
Wendell Brase, Vice Chancellor, Administrative & Business Services
559 Aldrich Hall, [email protected], (949) 824-5107
Biofuels:
Rosenthal, Elizabeth. Feb 8, 2008. Studies call biofuels a greenhouse threat. New York
Times. (this article summarizes the findings of the recent studies published in Science)
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B02E3D71F39F93BA35751C0A96E9C
8B63&scp=1&sq=biofuels&st=nyt
Links to the recent biofuels studies in the journal Science:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/319/5867/1238
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/314/5805/1598
Green Chemistry information: U. of Oregon http://www.djc.com/news/en/11135656.html
Green Chemistry Drives Opportunities for Innovation article on Laboratory Equipment:
http://www.laboratoryequipment.com/ShowPR.aspx?PUBCODE=020&ACCT=2000000
100&ISSUE=0704&RELTYPE=PR&PRODCODE=00000000&PRODLETT=B&Comm
onCount=0
54
7. Waste and Recycling
UC Irvine Facilities Management has managed the UCI recycling program since the early
1990s. Since the inception of the program, and the employment of permanent recycling
and refuse coordinator Suzanne Hibbs, more types of materials are recycled on campus,
and the tonnage of these materials diverted has increased. Hundreds of recycling bins are
located throughout campus. At UCI the following materials may be recycled: aluminum
cans, steel and tin cans, plastic bottles types 1&2, glass bottles, mixed paper, cardboard,
printer cartridges, metal, pallets, green waste, concrete, asphalt and hazardous materials.
Total Waste Landfilled and Diverted 2005
(excluding hazardous waste)
Waste diverted,
3031.8 tons
38%
Refuse sent to
landfill,
4957.5 tons
Total Waste Landfilled and Diverted 2006
(excluding hazardous waste)
Waste diverted,
3467 Tons
45%
62%
Refuse sent to
landfill,
4192 tons
55%
Total Waste Landfilled and Diverted 2007 The 2007 waste diversion rate of
55% means that UCI is already
(excluding hazardous waste)
exceeding the recycling goals of the
Waste
diverted
5053 tons
55%
Refuse sent
to landfill
4122 tons
45%
UC Sustainability Policy, which
requires a 50% diversion rate by
June 30, 2008. It also requires a 75%
diversion rate by June 30, 2012 with
a goal of zero waste by 2020.
In 2005 UC Irvine diverted 38% of its waste stream from the landfills, recycling 3031
tons of material, excluding hazardous waste. In 2006 this increased to 45% diverted from
the landfill (3467 tons, excluding hazardous waste). In 2007, UCI exceeded the UC
Sustainability Policy requirement of a 50% diversion rate by diverting 55% of total
waste. Green waste by weight makes up the largest percentage of our diversion tonnage
followed by mixed paper and hazardous materials. In addition to pre-sorted recycling, a
portion of the refuse stream is processed and recovered at a local materials recovery
facility. Used cooking oil on campus is also recycled by an outside company.
Total Waste Production
Total Waste
Production (refuse,
recycle, haz. waste)
16,353,600
lbs.
2005
(8,176.8 tons)
2006 16,736,000 lbs (8,368
tons)
2007 18,350,000 lbs
(9,175 tons)
Total Waste
Excluding Greenwaste
11,836,000 lbs.
(5918 tons)
11,818,000 lbs.
(5909 tons)
14,078,000 lbs
(7039 tons)
55
Amount that is
Hazardous Waste
of Total Waste
379,153 lbs
(189.6 tons)
468,350 lbs
(234.2 tons)
505,128 lbs
(252.564 tons)
Total Waste UCI
20,000,000
15,000,000
Pounds 10,000,000
5,000,000
0
2005
2006
2007
Year
Hazardous Waste
Greenwaste
Total Waste excluding Greenwaste and Hazardous Waste
Materials Recycled 2005 and 2006 (in Tons)
excluding Greenwaste and Dirty MRF materials
250
150
100
50
56
Chemical Waste
Universal Waste
Salvage
Cooking Oil
Concrete/Asphalt
Cartridges
Aluminum
2005
Glass
Plastic
Scrap Metal
Palletts
Cardboard
White Ledger
0
Mixed Ledger
Tons
200
2006
2005
2006
Refuse sent to Dirty Materials Recovery Facility
700
600
500
Tons
400
2006
2007
300
200
100
2005
0
Revenues from Recycled Materials 2005 and 2006
$14,000
$12,000
$10,000
$8,000
$6,000
$4,000
$2,000
Cartridges
Aluminum
Glass
2005
Plastic
Scrap Metal
Cardboard
Palletts
Mixed Ledger
White Ledger
$0
2005
2006
Waste Reduction and Reuse
In addition to recycling UCI has waste reduction and re-use programs. The current
Surplus and salvage program uses an online listing to advertise what is up for donation or
sale by pickup from wherever the item advertised is on campus, and includes everything
from microtomes and electron microscopes to office furniture and used police handguns.
Excess property for sale: http://snap.uci.edu/viewXmlFile.jsp?resourceID=159 or
http://www.mrm.uci.edu/SalvageTable.doc
UCI participates in Recyclemania http://www.recyclemaniacs.org However, it is only the
57
Residential Dining which participates, that is Mesa Commons, Brandywine and Pippin.
The re-usable mug discount program was established to cut down on disposable cup
waste. Students, staff and faculty may receive a discount on beverages at UCI food
service locations when they bring their mugs, which are made of recycled plastic.
Dorm Move-out for Charity: At the end of the year, in the housing areas, there is an
aggressive charity collections program which promotes waste reduction and reuse. Food,
clothing, and household items are collected and donated to a local charity. At the start of
the Fall quarter, when students are moving into their dorm rooms, cardboard collections
stations are established to minimize waste generated during student move-in.
Left: student recycling
volunteers, supervised by
Recycling Coordinator Suzanne
Hibbs, labeling bins for
donations to be used at the
Dorm Move Out for Charity at
the end of the year, June 2007.
Green Waste: Mulching mowers are used on campus to recycle the grass clippings
directly on to the laws as mulch. Landscaping materials are recycled by a local company
to be made in to mulch. Additionally, trees and large limbs and branches are send through
a chipper and the finished product is used in walkways throughout campus.
Recyclable at UCI:
• Glass bottles
• Aluminum cans
• Steel & Tin Cans
• Scrap metal
• #1, 2 plastic
• Cardboard
• Magazines/catalogues
•
•
•
•
•
•
White and color paper
Newspaper
Books
Scrap wood
Pallets
Construction and demolition
waste
Not Recyclable at UCI:
• # 3, 4, 5, or 6 plastic
• Block Styrofoam
•
Transparencies
Recycling Problems at UCI
In the effort to increase the rate of waste diverted from the landfill, UCI is faced with
several impediments. Many of these have to do with the placement of recycling bins on
58
campus. Most campus buildings were not designed with hallway recycling bins in mind,
and therefore recycling bins in hallways may pose a violation to fire safety codes. This
has recently been ameliorated with the new desk side paper recycling service and
removal of paper recycling bins from hallways. For other kinds of recyclables, Facilities
Management has made substantial investments in outdoor recycling units. However, theft
of cans and bottles, particularly increasingly valuable aluminum, from campus
receptacles impedes the ability of the campus to gain revenue to pay for the costs of
maintaining a recycling program at UCI.
In addition to greatly reducing the revenue of the Recycling program, the theft distorts
the measurement of recycling at UCI, as much of the waste that is placed in outdoor
recycling receptacles by campus users is stolen overnight. Campus Police have
occasionally confiscated bags of recyclables from scavengers on campus, but the theft
continues (including housing areas). Facilities Management is looking into other methods
of theft prevention. Outdoor receptacles on campus must go through a rigorous,
aesthetics-based approval process. The ones that we currently have are relatively
expensive, and have therefore been purchased through grants from the State of California.
However, this means that the recycling containers are fewer and further between, and
therefore less convenient for campus users.
UC Policy
The newly passed UC Sustainability Policy includes a mandate for each UC to reach
50% waste diversion by June 30, 2008 and 75% by June 30, 2012, with an ultimate
goal of zero waste by 2020. This policy holds the UC to the same standards that
California state agencies are required to meet, and supports the “zero waste California”
goal of the California Integrated Waste Management Board. Under state law AB75, state
agencies, including CSUs and community colleges, are required to divert 50% of their
waste from the waste stream, however, that policy only ‘encourages’ UC campuses to
comply. Now the UC has required itself to comply with the state law.
Sustainability Spotlight: Suzanne Hibbs, Recycling Coordinator:
Suzanne (on the right in this photo, with 2007 recycling
intern Victoria Liu, who helped conduct research for this
report) has been an advocate of environmental efforts at
UCI such as recycling since she was a student at UCI
majoring in Environmental Analysis and Design. Suzanne
remains a vital part of the environmental community here
at UCI through organizing events and creating
opportunities for students to volunteer and even to get
credit for environmental internships through the
Recycling office. Suzanne serves as the advisor for
Anteaters for Recycling and Conservation (ARC)
http://spirit.dos.uci.edu/recycle/.
59
Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste includes mostly chemical and electronic waste, the disposal and
recycling of which is handled by the Environmental Health and Safety Department at
UCI (EH&S), which is a part of Facilities Management. The two categories of hazardous
wastes are Universal Waste and Hazardous Chemical Waste.
Universal Waste
Universal waste is a broad term for electronic waste which includes batteries, wires,
cellular phones, CDs, computer parts, print cartridges, etc. It is called Universal waste
because it is generated by the public at large and individually, and is therefore very
difficult to control the disposal of. Electronic waste is a rapidly growing problem in both
developed and developing countries throughout the world.
Electronics are hazardous because they contain hundreds of toxic chemicals such as
neurotoxins like lead, mercury, and brominated flame retardants, and carcinogens such as
dioxins, furans, trichloroethelene, hexavalent chromium, and polychlorinated biphenyls.
The health impacts to those who manufacture and recycle computers are greater than to
those who own and use the equipment before it becomes electronic waste.
Recognizing the growing problems with international trade in hazardous materials, and
the tendency for toxics to gravitate to the poorest areas of the world, the Basel
Convention was signed in 1989, a global treaty prohibiting the export of hazardous waste
from all signatory countries to all “developing” (non-OECD/EU) countries. The US is the
only “developed” country that has not ratified the Basel Convention, and therefore
continues to export electronic and other hazardous waste overseas to countries such as
China, India and African nations to be recycled in makeshift facilities that offer no
protection to workers or the environment. (See the website of the Basel Action Network
for more information www.ban.org)
Because few Americans are aware of the issues surrounding the toxicity and export of
electronic waste, many electronics “recyclers” that put forth a green image are actually
causing harm to communities and the environment in the developing world by exporting
tons of electronic waste to contaminate the health of their people and lands. Therefore, it
is important to establish whether or not a recycler is simply exporting, or recycling
electronic waste here in the U.S. according to domestic environmental and health
regulations, which require protective gear, proper air circulation, etc. However, some
electronics recyclers in the U.S. contract with UNICOR, a controversial government
corporation which uses U.S. prison labor. Electronics recycling workers in prisons are not
always given the proper protective gear. (See www.svtc.org or
http://svtc.etoxics.org/site/DocServer/ToxicSweatshops.pdf?docID=321
for more information on a recent whistle-blowing report on UNICOR and electronics
recycling)
60
Because of the issues surrounding export and prison labor, the Basel Action Network
created a pledge that responsible electronics recycling companies can sign. Signatory
recyclers pledge that they do not export or use prison labor to recycle electronics. The
Basel Action Network is in the process of auditing all pledge signers to ensure that they
meet the requirements.
UCI contracts with Electronics Recyclers, based in Fresno, formerly Electronics
Recyclers of America, (http://www.electronicrecyclers.com) a pledge signing company.
Although the company recently began accepting a much larger volume of electronic
waste, they have assured UCI that they are not exporting any of it. Our EH&S department
has made it clear to them that we would cease to do business with them if we were to
learn that they were actually exporting e-waste.
Universal (electronic) Waste
140,000
120,000
Pound s
100,000
Universal Waste
Cathode Ray Tubes
80,000
60,000
Universal Waste
Electronic Device
40,000
20,000
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
The chart above shows the steady increase in electronic waste being collected at UCI
each year. This increase is partly due to the growing speed with which electronic
equipment becomes obsolete, but probably mostly due to increased awareness and
attention to this issue of electronic waste by EH&S as well as individuals and
departments across campus. Free pick up events have been particularly helpful. Cathode
Ray Tubes (CRTs) are used in the larger, older style of computer monitors as well as
televisions, are listed separately from other electronics devices partly because of
reporting requirements by the Department of Toxic Substances Control. The leaded glass
in CRTs, meant to protect the user from radiation produced by the device, contains 4-8
pounds of lead in each CRT.
Throughout 2005 and part of 2006, UCI had to pay Electronics Recyclers to collect our
electronic waste. This meant that departments were charged for the pick-up of e-waste
from buildings, which encouraged bad behavior such as hoarding and dumping rather
than recycling. However, aware of the common problem of e-waste build-up in closets
and such to avoid paying fees for disposal, Kirk Matin of EH&S began holding amnesty
pick-up events for departments. They would bring a truck to a loading dock of a building
61
such as the Engineering Tower or Langson Library, and collected an astonishing amount
of electronics this way. These events have been a great success.
After a state law was passed which collects a recycling fee up-front for electronics and
passes these funds along to recyclers, EH&S was able to negotiate pick-up of electronic
devices for free, and an actual income on CRTs, as they contain valuable copper. As a
result, EH&S can pick up electronics for free from departments now, and departments
have little incentive not to recycle. Additionally, this means that it is now easier for
students to recycle electronics. Because they are now free to recycle, and actually
generate a small amount of income, EH&S has responded to a call for student electronics
recycling bins. They have placed recycling bins at the following locations for free dropoff of electronics large and small:
UCI BOOKSTORE – Computer Store
ARROYO VISTA – Community Center
CAMPUS VILLAGE – Community Center
PALO VERDE – 106 (in computer lab beneath main office in 7000 building)
VERANO PLACE – Cyber Cafe
MIDDLE EARTH – Admin Building
MESA COURT – Activity Center
ENGINEERING GATEWAY - 1123
REINES HALL – PS Stores
MCGAUGH HALL – Loading Dock
MEDICAL SCIENCES I – Loading Dock
Left, student activist and co- chair of the
Irvine Student Sustainability Coalition,
Montgomery Norton, holds a printer
dropped off at the UCI Computer Store
for recycling. Below, bin at Palo Verde.
62
Chemical Waste
Hazardous Chemical Waste
200
174
145
Tons
150
138
89
100
50
0
2004
2005
2006
2007
Hazardous Chemical Waste by Destination 2005 and
2006
Pounds
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
2006
2005
0
R
yc
ec
d
le
L
l
fil
d
an
c
In
t
ra
e
in
ed
Hazardous Chemical Waste 2007
250,000
Pounds
200,000
150,000
202,500
100,000
50,000
73,350
0
Asbestos
Recycled/Incinerated
63
The majority of chemical waste at UCI is recycled, consisting of oil, flammable liquids
for fuel blending, mercury, photo waste, oily water, parts washer solvents, etc. Used oil is
recycled to make new oil. Paint is recycled to make new paint or fuel. Mercury is
recycled to make new mercury. Silver is recovered from photo waste. Parts washer
solvents are recycled to make new parts washer solvents. Most flammable liquids are
used for fuel blending.
Other hazardous chemical wastes not recycled are asbestos waste, which is sent to a class
1 landfill specifically for hazardous waste, and laboratory chemicals, which are
incinerated. Thousands of laboratory chemicals are incinerated, including all types of
chemicals such as ignitable, corrosive, reactive and toxic chemicals. Some examples
include; methanol, hexane, ethidium bromide, cyanides, sulfides, hydrochloric acid,
sodium hydroxide, acetonitrile, etc. The jump in asbestos waste between 2005 and 2006
is due to increased demolition / construction projects on campus.
Recommendations:
1. Indoor can and bottle recycling in all campus buildings: All buildings at UCI
should have easy-to-use indoor recycling options for more than just paper. Last year,
there was a successful pilot project in Social Ecology I regarding desk-side recycling bins
for paper, to replace large blue hallway containers for paper which also accumulated
glass, plastic and aluminum cans, contaminating the paper recycling. This accumulation
was largely because of the lack of indoor can and bottle recycling receptacles. Due to the
success of the deskside paper recycling pilot project, deskside paper bins are now
available throughout campus, and the large hallway bins are gone. This is a positive
development and the next step is to provide other indoor recycling options.
However, there is a UCI policy of no can/bottle recycling bins in buildings for fear it will
attract pests, since it is only collected once a week. Trash cans at UCI are often full of
recyclables. One solution is to provide various types of recycling bins in buildings, as is
done in many places, and have them emptied and taken to outdoor bins whenever the
trash is taken out (usually nightly). It is inefficient to have separate workers handle inbuilding recycling and trash. If recyclables are removed nightly from buildings, there
should be no more concern about pests in the recycling than there should be regarding
pests in the trash. This integration of the recycling program into normal housekeeping
activities should make UCI not only more sustainable, but also more efficient.
Another option would be to send all of UCI’s trash to the local “dirty materials recovery
facility,” or MRF, where they sort the recyclables from the trash with a very high
recovery rate. While this would not be a terrible solution, it is not the best for several
reasons, the most important being the public education aspect of recycling. Most people
have no idea that MRF facilities even exist, and would never know that UCI sorts
recyclables from the trash. It may be difficult to educate the UCI population about what
happens to their trash, and why better recycling options are not available.
64
The subtle message that is sent through the lack of can and bottle recycling options inside
buildings is that UCI does not prioritize recycling, which means either that UCI appears
not to be an environmentally responsible actor, or that recycling is not important. Should
UCI students be receiving either of these messages at their respected institution of higher
learning? Certainly not. Recycling is not just materials recovery; it is also a form of
public education at the most basic consumer level. If you drink a packaged beverage on
campus, you should think about where the bottle or can ends up. This trains responsible,
rather than irresponsible citizens, which is part of the purpose of education.
Finally, UCI has an ongoing problem with losing a significant revenue stream for its
recycling program through the removal of aluminum cans and other recyclables from
outdoor recycling bins at night by local scavengers. UCI may be able to improve the
income and quality of its recycling program through an improved recycling pick-up
program that retains more cans by use of indoor recycling bins, since aluminum continues
to increase in value. This would also increase our percentages of waste recycled,
reflecting a more accurate picture of recycling practices at UCI, and boosting our ability
to reach our campus waste diversion goals in a timely manner.
2. More outdoor recycling bins, too: Few people will walk around with a can or bottle
searching for a proper recycling bin. Especially in the new Student Center area, there are
not enough outdoor recycling bins. The goal should be to have a recycling bin beside
every trash can, so that no student has an excuse to throw away their beverage container.
3. Better signage for cardboard in housing areas: For cardboard recycling, it is often
not clear where to leave cardboard to be recycled. In housing areas, there are often no
signs regarding cardboard collection in the recycling and trash areas, and much cardboard
ends up in the dumpsters, as students do not even realize that cardboard is recyclable at
UCI, and would not know where to put it if they did know. Although there is a procedure
for cardboard recycling (putting flattened cardboard behind recycling bins), there are no
signs indicating that this should be done to recycle cardboard. A simple sign in each
recycling area would greatly improve the likelihood of students recycling cardboard.
4. Better signage for E-waste collection points: Universal waste collection could also
benefit from some prominent signs on campus, such as in the bookstore, and other
locations that have e-waste drop-off points. Many people are still not aware of any of the
issues surrounding the toxicity or recycling of electronics, and would not go out of their
way to find a way to recycle these items. Now that UCI has a responsible and convenient
program for the recycling of electronics for students and anyone else on campus, it
should be better advertised to the campus community, and help to raise awareness.
5. Centralized computer tracking system: Because UCI is a large research university,
large quantities of electronics are purchased and retired regularly. These should be
tracked centrally by someone in EH&S to ensure responsible handling of these toxic
pieces of equipment. This way, EH&S will not be depending solely on the assumption
that everyone on campus is aware of the procedures for handling universal waste, simply
because it is on the EH&S website. EH&S should cooperate with purchasers on this.
65
6. Waste grease to biodiesel for campus trucks and busses: UCI has made a
commitment to using biodiesel for busses and trucks by converting large portions of
campus fleets. This is a responsible decision with regard to air quality and reducing
dependence on foreign oil, etc. However, the biodiesel we use comes from World Energy
(http://www.worldenergy.net/products/), and according to Mark Brunk, former Fleet
Services Superintendent, it is made primarily from soybeans. While some soybeans are
grown in the US, the Amazon rainforest is rapidly being converted to soybean fields to
meet new demands for biodiesel. World Energy has offices in the U.S., Europe, South
America and Southeast Asia, which indicates that they are sourcing soybean oil from the
Amazon and palm oil from the rainforests of Southeast Asia, which are also rapidly being
converted to oil palm plantations, partly to feed the growing demand for biodiesel in
Europe and the US, as well as other nations.
Buying fuel made from monocropped soybeans grown on another continent on land that
once supported an incredibly biodiverse rainforest is not very efficient or
environmentally responsible. Instead, UCI should convert its 9-10 tons (18,000 – 20,000
lbs.) of waste grease (which will likely grow with the addition of the new student center)
per year into biodiesel for its busses and trucks. UCI has considered this option in the
past and decided not to “get into the fuel-making business,” in the words of one
administrator. However, to do so would be a far more ecologically sound and
environmentally responsible option that buying biodiesel made from Amazonian
soybeans or Southeast Asian palm oil.
7. Composting pilot program: Perhaps a student or a local grower could be found who
is interested in receiving free food scraps to compost. Then the decomposing food would
be put back into the growing cycle rather than simply clogging the landfill. Robert Perez
has noted that the best option would be to locate a local company that would be willing to
pick up food scraps, compost them, and then sell the compost to local farmers for
fertilizer. Some students are interested in seeing such a program develop on campus, with
a demonstration garden that could be used by classes to learn about seeds, sustainable
agriculture and the food system. Such programs are popular at UC Santa Cruz and Yale.
8. All UCs should list greenwaste in a separate category from other recycling. Is
reusing greenwaste really recycling? What about asphalt/concrete? Perhaps these items
should be in a separate category in recycling rates for two reasons. First, because these
are such large volumes of material that are being “recycled” on an institutional, rather
than an individual basis, so once it is campus policy to reuse them, we know that it is all
being reused and there is no sense in tracking it. Second, it simply makes economic sense
to reuse them rather than putting them in the landfill, and the University would probably
do it anyway, regardless of external environmental benefits. Chipping greenwaste into
mulch just makes more sense than buying mulch. If greenwaste is not included, the
UCI recycling rate goes down to 13.5 % for 2005, 25% for 2006, and 32% for 2007.
9. Indoor surplus & salvage area so that used computers and other electronics can be
reused or donated off campus. Currently, Surplus and Salvage area is outdoors, which
limits what they can hold in their facility to items that can withstand weather. They do
66
not accept any electronic items, and so some useable electronics are recycled rather than
reused if they are not purchased through the surplus items website within a given time.
10. Waste Reduction Campaigns: More emphasis should be placed upon waste
reduction on UCI campus such as clear and easy double-sided printing options in
computer labs and signs over copiers with directions on how to double side. Print charges
vary by location on campus. All print labs should have a per-page charge for printing.
One idea would be to post simple, attractive signs with various slogans on the insides and
outsides of buildings. UW Madison has signs like these on the outsides of at least 20
buildings on campus regarding energy usage, which lets everyone who sees the signs
know that not only does energy efficiency matter to the university, but also that they are
depending on the campus population to help them – in other words, that individual
actions matter, because they add up. The slogans are sometimes funny, sometimes
surprising – and the fact that there is a different one on each building makes them
entertaining to read, like a series.
11. Conduct a comprehensive waste audit. UCI already collects most of the
information necessary to conduct such an audit, but it may be helpful to hire an expert to
conduct the audit, since it should also include purchasing and management practices to
discover where improvements might be made. More information can be found at the
Rutgers University Solid Waste Policy Group website, such as the paragraph below:
“A thorough waste audit will provide relevant information pinpointing the location of
waste generation and the type of waste most commonly generated. From the waste audit,
you can determine where and how to reduce the volume of waste. The waste audit will
also provide information on how to increase recycling as another means of waste
reduction. The waste audit will guide an individual or team, through a series of steps in
gathering this information toward the goal of waste reduction and reduced waste costs.”
-
Rutgers University Solid Waste Policy Group website
http://www.cook.rutgers.edu/~envpurchase/basics_cycle_audits.htm
Information sources:
All Recycling information:
Suzanne Hibbs, Campus Recycling/Refuse Coordinator, [email protected]
Facilities Management – Grounds (949) 824-9047
Hazardous Waste information:
Kirk K. Matin, [email protected] (949) 824-4578 office
Environmental / Hazardous Waste Supervisor
Environmental Health and Safety
4600 Bison Avenue
Dick Sun and Marc Gomez, EH&S
EH&S Website: http://www.ehs.uci.edu/
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8. Sustainability and Transportation
Background and UC Policies
UC's 2006 sustainable transportation policy is:
"Incorporate alternative means of transportation to/from and within the campus to
improve the quality of life on campus and in the surrounding community. The campuses
will continue their strong commitment to provide affordable on-campus housing, in order
to reduce the volume of commutes to and from campus. These housing goals are detailed
in the campuses' Long Range Development Plans".
The 2006 policy was updated in 2007 to include the following highlights:
•
Increase the percentage of low (PZEV) or zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) by 50%
by the year 2009-2010, or to increase the number of PZEV and ZEV vehicles by
20% by the year 2009-2010, whichever is more feasible, and/or to convert campus
vehicles to 50% non-carbon based fuel by year 2009-2010.
Implementation Procedures for Sustainable Transportation Practices:
• With the goal of measuring all campus fleet vehicles fuel consumption reduction,
campuses will collect and report fuel consumption annually to the Office of the
President beginning in 2005-06.
•
AVR is defined as the number of trips to campus divided by the number of
automobiles used for those trips (AVR = trips/# automobiles). Campuses may use
this data to set goals for reduction of fuel consumption. AVR data may also be
used in conjunction with transportation mode split data to develop maps of
distance “zones” surrounding the campus, and to model each zone’s
proportionate share of various commuting modes (e.g., percentage of bicycle or
single-occupancy vehicle trips within 0-2 miles from the central campus core).
68
•
By January 2009, each campus will implement a pre-tax transit pass program to
facilitate the purchase of transit passes by University employees, or will establish
a universal access transit pass program for employees.
•
The University will pursue the introduction of ride-share programs at each
campus for all eligible program participants, where available. In conjunction
with this effort, campuses will engage in advocacy efforts with local transit
districts to improve routes in order to better serve student and staff ridership.
Transportation Programs
• The University will continue to facilitate the sharing of best practices within the
University and among other educational institutions.
•
The University will develop a mechanism for ongoing involvement of
undergraduate and graduate students in efforts toward achieving sustainable
campus transportation. The means may include but are not limited to
undergraduate and graduate internships and/or scholarships for relevant
conference attendance.
UCOP Sustainable Transportation Student Internship - the Office of the President offers a
sustainable transportation scholarship opportunity each year.
http://www.ucop.edu/sustainability/transportation/student.html
UCI Sustainable Transportation Services: http://www.parking.uci.edu/AT/
The goal of UC Irvine Sustainable Transportation (formerly Commuter Services or
Alternative Transportation) Services is to reduce the total number of vehicle trips made to
campus by faculty, staff and students. This goal serves the California clean-air effort and
reduces campus and community vehicle congestion. As part of our compliance program,
the campus conducts an employee commuter survey each April. UCI employees
(including graduate students) can sign up for the sustainable transportation program using
a webform on the Sustainable Transportation website (or in person or over the phone with
UCI Transportation Services). They can choose between incentive program options.
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Left: Greenhouse Cash is
available from Transportation
Services to UCI employees who
elect not to have a long-term
parking permit. Useable at the
locations listed on the front of
the bill, they are good for one
year. Employees without a
parking permit may receive up
to 10 Dollars of Greenhouse
Cash per month. This includes
graduate student employees,
even if living on campus.
Under the management of Transportation Services Director Stacey Murren,
Transportation Services currently has three Employee Transportation Coordinators
(ETCs) on staff. Ken Ezell is the Transit Coordinator, Mike Davis is the Vanpool
Coordinator, and Antoinette Saenz is the Carpool and Bike Coordinator. Transportation
Services has also recently redesigned their webpage to include a Sustainable
Transportation page: http://www.parking.uci.edu/AT/. Each year, they focus on the
promotion of one form of alternative transportation. During 2006-7, bicycles were
promoted by offering a $50 rebate on the purchase of a new commuting bicycle. For
2007-8, carpooling is being promoted with free gas cards for new carpools. Trains will be
promoted during the 2008-9 school year.
Sustainability Spolight: Stacey Murren, Transportation Director:
Since she was a student here at UCI, Stacey has had a vision for a
more sustainable transportation system here. As Director of
Transportation, she is dedicated to finding solutions for the problems
we face at UCI and throughout southern California and beyond with
regard to air pollution and car-based culture. Stacey has been a
persistent advocate of better land use and promotion of sustainable
transportation through offering rewards for biking and walking,
carpooling, vanpooling and use of public transportation. The switch
to biodiesel for shuttles on campus has been one of her priorities.
Employees: Annual Average Vehicle Ridership Survey
Average Vehicle Ridership at UCI is 1.87 persons per commuting vehicle among all
employees. Each spring, Parking and Transportation conducts a randomized survey of
campus employees (faculty, staff and student workers). Selected employees receive daily
email reminders until they complete the survey, which takes less than one minute. Each
year, UCI, as well as many other larger employers in the South Coast Air Basin, must
demonstrate an Average Vehicle Ridership (AVR) of over 1.50, or a minimum of 1.5
employees in every vehicle traveling to campus. The survey is mandated by the South
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Coast Air Quality Management District’s (AQMD) Rule 2202. This rule was designed to
reduce mobile source emissions from employee commutes, thus reducing air pollution. In
order to comply with AQMD requirements and to protect the University from substantial
financial penalties of up to $50,000 per day, UCI must achieve a 90% response rate on
our campus-wide survey. While AVR measures employee transportation habits (which
includes most graduate students), there is no equivalent measurement of student AVR.
However, student shuttle ridership is measured (see shuttle section later in this chapter).
Alternative Transportation Planning: Strategies and Incentives
UCI Transportation Services has a policy for sustainable transportation (904-12), which
takes into account the Campus’s Long Range Development Plan and the utilizes a
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) toolkit to strategize ways to reduce demand
and increase efficiencies. Some of the incentives currently offered include free usage of
Orange County public busses, free gas cards for carpoolers, Greenhouse Cash (see photo
and caption), a guaranteed ride home program for carpooling employees, and the
availability of flexible work hours and telecommuting. Most of the incentives are geared
to employees rather than students. UCI is listed as one of the Best Workplaces for
Commuters in the Best Workplaces for Commuters program.
(http://www.bwc.gov.employ/universities.htm)
Below, the table shows incentives offered to UCI employees (including graduate
students) for various alternative transportation choices. One-day parking permits are
provided as “just in case” options for those who choose alternative transportation.
Walk/Bike 4 One day permits/mo Greenhouse Cash $10/mo
OCTA
2 One day permits/mo U-Pass:
Savings: $45/Mo. $540.00/yr.
FREE!
Shuttles
2 One day permits/mo Free to staff/students (excluding Parkwest shuttles)
Vanpool
4 One day permits/mo
Trains
2 One day permits/mo **Amtrak/Metrolink
Savings:20%/Mo & 10-trip tickets.
Carpool
2 One day permits/mo Carpool
Permit:
$16/mo
Savings: $52/mo, $624/year ; Guaranteed ride home
TransitChek
Drop Off * 2 One day permits/mo
Guaranteed Ride Home: All registered Sustainable Transportation participants are
guaranteed a free ride home in case of illness or emergency. Transportation Services will
arrange transportation to the employee's home or other destination free of charge once
every six months. Guaranteed Ride Home service at the expense of a student, employee
or campus department is also available.
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Flexible work hours (e.g. allowing four 10 hour days per week to reduce number of
commuters or allowing 10am-6pm workdays to avoid rush hour) and Telecommuting
(working from home, available by phone and email, rather than commuting to work once
a week or less) are available per department choice.
Outreach and Education Programs: Transportation Services spent $40,115 during the
2006-2007 fiscal year on Alternative Transportation outreach and education programs
such as the Wellness Fair, BEEP, Earth Day Festival, and the Bike to Work Pledge Drive,
for which there were 435 pledges for May 2007.
Parking
A small number of free or discount daily parking passes are available for commuter
employees (including graduate students) who usually use alternative transportation.
Vanpool vans park for free, and permits for carpools are given discounts based upon the
size of the pool. Carpoolers are also given 2-4 free days per month, and may park in
AR/reserved parking throughout campus (with the exception of lots 80 and 3).
Freshman and sophomore students are only allowed to park in certain zoned parking
areas, encouraging them to use the shuttle rather than drive from class to class. There is
no preferred parking for hybrid vehicles, as it is the position of Transportation Services
that Hybrids do not solve the problem, but merely shift the problem to other
environmental issues. Finally, to prevent unnecessary emissions from idling vehicles
waiting in the Administration Building Loop, there is signage prohibiting idling there.
Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Busses
For all UCI faculty, staff and students, free bus passes are fully subsidized by
Transportation Services. Individuals come to UCI from all over Orange County using the
OCTA bus. Every fiscal year, each individual is responsible for recoding their UCI ID to
ride on the bus at no cost to the rider. This can be done at UC Items in the Student Center,
or at UCI Transportation Services. OCTA riders then swipe their UCI ID aboard the bus
and UCI Transportation Services is charged for 100% of the cost. University Extension
students receive a 20% discount on OCTA bus passes purchased through UCI.
OCTA approved new bus routes on April 14, 2008. Routes 472 and 473 replace routes
471 and 470, making the trip between UCI and the Tustin Metrolink/Amtrak station
much more direct. However, the schedule for the new routes will apparently be the same
as the old routes, meaning that the busses are only useful to students who live elsewhere
and wish to commute to UCI using public transportation. For UCI students who wish to
take the train away from Tustin in the morning, and return in the afternoon or evening,
they will need to ride a bicycle or drive, as the bus does not go to the train station in the
morning, or from the train station in the afternoon. The bus only goes one way (from the
train station in the morning, and to the train station in the evening) before changing its
route number and picking up another route. Interestingly, despite the new, more direct
route, it will still take approximately the same amount of time to take the bus as it does to
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bike to the train station from campus (half an hour). Similar issues plague the route that
goes between the Orange County airport and UCI. That route also runs one direction for
half the day and the other direction for the other half of the day, and stops at only one
location on campus.
UCI has been in communication with OCTA about this and other issues involving the
bus, to try to improve the bus options available to UCI students, faculty and staff. For
example, some bus routes to UCI are chronically overcrowded at some times of the day,
and frequently result in passengers waiting at stops while full busses roll past them. UCI
would like OCTA to increase the frequency of busses during these times of day on the
most popular routes, such as route 79, which is frequently full and has to pass by people
waiting at stops, or route 473 which in addition to going to the train station, also passes
Park West, a housing complex almost exclusively rented by UCI students. There is also
an ASUCI shuttle that serves Park West, but there is still a high demand for the OCTA
busses as well to accommodate the volume of students commuting without cars.
ASUCI Shuttle Ridership
Transportation Services partners with ASUCI to provide a campus shuttle service. These
shuttles, which are all old school busses converted to run on biodiesel, run in 6 different
routes, 4 around campus, one to the Parkwest housing complex near campus, and another
that goes to and from Newport Beach. In 2006 alone, there were 332,071 passenger
counts on campus shuttles, as reported by Transportation Services. Transportation
Services subsidizes approximately 60% of the costs of the shuttle program. Shuttle
schedules and information can be found at http://www.asuci.uci.edu/shuttle/ and also at
http://www.parking.uci.edu/AT/modes/shuttles.cfm#ASUCI.
There also may be a train-to-campus express shuttle introduced by UCI Transportation
Services in coming years. Busses have been donated to UCI to serve this purpose, but
they need a major overhaul in order to serve this purpose. For now, the schedule for the
OCTA bus between campus and the Tustin Metrolink station can be found at
http://www.parking.uci.edu/AT/modes/octa.cfm#metrolink.
Carpooling
UCI staff can park for free if they form a carpool of 4 or more staff members. Carpool
matching assistance is provided at UCI. For carpools of 2 staff members, parking is just
$6. Commuter Services works with Alternet Rides, a ridesharing program where
participants log in and create a profile. It is up to each individual to contact a possible
partner, as well as respond back to that individual. For the 2007-8 year, the first 100 new
or expanded carpools (which stay together for at least 3 months) receive a one-time $50
gas card in addition to the parking discounts. So far, there are over 70 new carpools
responding to this promotion. Graduate students who are employed at 50% fulltime or
greater can be a part of this program. An undergraduate student carpool program has been
tried in the past, but students are more difficult to monitor. It was discovered that some
students were cheating by picking someone up on campus just before paying to park in
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order to get one dollar off the parking fee. However, perhaps a way of encouraging
student carpooling can be found.
http://www.parking.uci.edu/AT/modes/carpool.cfm
Bicycles
Although some attention has been given to campus design for bicycles in recent years, it
has not received enough priority to be given a budget large enough to complete the job.
Because of the piecemeal nature of bikeways at UCI, many would-be cyclists are
confused about how to get from point A to point B on a bicycle in an efficient timeframe.
After the recent crackdown on bicycle riding on Ring Mall, including tickets for those
riding bikes on the main walking path around campus, many former cyclists stopped
riding their bikes to campus. Associated Graduate Students was quite concerned about
the issue, as many graduate students live on or near campus and rely on their bicycle to
get around campus in a timely manner. Many were offended by the crackdown, which
discouraged rather than encouraging bicycling on campus.
In response to student concerns, Transportation Director Stacey Murren revitalized the
Bicycle Advocacy Group (BAG), made up of just a few students who are cyclists and are
selected to advise Transportation Services on how best to manage for bicycles on UCI
campus. There is also a website called BEEP http://www.bike.uci.edu/bike/ which is
aimed at education of cyclists, which is sometimes perceived as patronizing. It seems
naïve to assume that insufficient education of cyclists, rather than insufficient design for
74
bikes is the problem. Some students are also suspicious about the purpose of registering
bikes, now that there is the threat of ticketing cyclists.
To encourage commuting by bike, showers are available at the ARC, Crawford Hall and
North Campus. Transportation Services is also reviewing the feasibility of creating
centrally located bicycle hubs featuring covered racks and a guard to ensure the safety of
the bicycles, as bike theft has been a big problem on the UCI campus in recent years.
Bike Repairs, Rebates and Free Bikes
Recently, the new campus Bike Shop has opened across West Peltason Drive from the
student center parking structure to provide UCI with an easily accessible bike shop. It
provides air pumps to inflate tires, sells bicycles and accessories, and has mechanic
services available for bicycles in need of repairs. Soon they will also be renting out
bicycles. The Bike Shop accepts Greenhouse Cash for purchases or mechanic services.
The Bike Shop is currently being operated by Bike Religion, which is a unique local
venture. However, the building itself is managed by Transportation Services and it will
be maintained as a Bike Shop indefinitely regardless of what business is running the
shop. It is located at 405 West Peltason Drive. See map below. The shop is open
Mondays–Fridays, 10 am–6 pm; Saturdays 12-4 pm. Contact the Bike Shop at (949)8243123 during open hours.
The new Bike Shop on campus, across
West Peltason Drive from the Student
Center Parking Structure, will rent bicycles
for $20/day, $50/weekend, and
$100/month. The Bike Shop also sells
commuter bicycles, parts, and accessories,
and offers repair service as well. The Bike
Shop is currently being run by Bike
Religion, but the space will continue to be
run as a bicycle shop by UCI
Transportation Services indefinitely.
http://www.bike.uci.edu/bike/bike_shop.cfm
UCI Transportation Services has a bike salvage program, which helps to keep campus
bike racks free of abandoned bicycles and also provides bicycles to students for free or
minimal charges if repairs are needed. During the 2006-7 fiscal year, Transportation
Services gave away 20 such bikes. During 2006-7 there was also a $50 bicycle rebate
offered for the registration of a new bike (with receipt), of which Transportation Services
gave out 98 during 2006-7.
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ASUCI shuttles are supplied with bike racks for the convenience
of UCI students who commute by bicycle.
On Campus Housing
The best way to reduce environmental impacts of commuting is to house students and
professors on campus. Incentives for living on or near campus include the free shuttle
service and availability of Greenhouse Cash - $10/month to grad students and employees
who walk, bike, or use the shuttle rather than having a parking permit. There are also
restrictions regarding purchasing permits for those who live on campus.
Approximately 42.9% of UCI undergraduate students live on campus (10,822/25,229).
According to Transportation Services Director Stacey Murren, 54.6% of the student body
use alternative forms of transportation. With UCI’s plans to expand undergraduate
student housing, more parking will be created. This is a result of state policy requiring a
certain number of parking spaces to be built per unit. This outdated policy is tying the
hands of those who would like to limit the number of cars on campus.
Many Universities prohibit Freshmen from having cars on campus. One solution for this
problem of being forced to build more parking than UCI Transportation Services would
like to see built has been proposed by Director Stacey Murren. She recommends that if
they insist upon building a parking structure, which will be quite costly, that it be used for
storing cars only. Students who wish to put a car there would be warehousing the car.
UCI Zipcar Program
UCI currently has 9 Zipcars on campus. All Zipcars are either LEVs or ULEVs. Members
have a Zipcard, which will unlock a zipcar if you have reserved it by phone or online.
Gas and insurance are included in the cost of driving. You must return the car to the same
place you picked it up from. New members can sign up for Zipcar online.
http://www.zipcar.com/uci/
There is no membership fee for UCI faculty and staff. Students joining Zipcar pay a $35
annual membership fee and then receive a $35 driving credit for Zipcar use. There is no
deposit or monthly commitment. Zipcars cost as little as $7 per hour and $49 per day
(any 24-hour period), depending on the make and model of the car you reserve. These
rates include the cost of the rental, fuel, mileage (up to 180 miles a day), insurance and
reserved parking on campus. Other drivers can also be added to your account for and
additional $35 fee. Learn more at http://www.parking.uci.edu/AT/modes/zipcar.cfm.
76
Alternative Fuels
This sign is posted on all of the ASUCI
shuttles. However, it is misleading and
confusing to students, some of whom believe
that our campus shuttles are actually solar
powered. It is also not true, since biofuels
actually have a larger carbon footprint than
petroleum fuels, according to studies recently
published in the journal Science.
Biodiesel
All of the ASUCI campus shuttles have now been converted to run on biodiesel, along
with many of the trucks in campus fleets. After converting 10 shuttles during the summer
of 2007, 90% of the busses and shuttles on campus were run on B100 by Fall 2007. Other
vehicles being converted currently include Facilities Management trash trucks,
Transportation Services enforcement vehicles, and field operations vehicles. Biodiesel
used at UCI is purchased from World Energy (http://www.worldenergy.net/products/).
77
Studies recently published in the journal Science have shown that most biofuels on the
market actually have a larger carbon footprint than petroleum fuels when one takes into
account the clearing of rainforests to grow the crops used to make the biofuels, as well as
the energy expended to process the fuels and ship them from their factories. Biodiesel is
usually made from soy or palm oil, in factories located in tropical regions, especially
Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia, countries which are losing rainforest cover at alarming
rates, threatening biodiversity and the global climate. Additionally, biofuels are thought
to be one of the key reasons that food prices have risen sharply in early 2008, as farmers
choose to plant crops with the highest economic returns, causing shortages of staple
grains. See the information sources at the end of this chapter for links to the new studies.
Other Alternative Fuels: Electric, Hybrid and Hydrogen
Electric and Hybrid Vehicles: UCI Transportation Services uses nine electric carts on
campus. There are many other electric carts being used around campus by various
departments such as Housing and Facilities Management. UCI Transportation Services
also has two ZEVNET vehicles which are kept at the Irvine Train Station, and used by
two carpools of employees. Three of the Nine Zipcars on campus are now hybrids.
Hydrogen: The National Fuel Cell Research Center, headed by Professor Scott
Samuelsen, here at UCI, has experimental hydrogen fueled vehicles associated with
research and education. Several prototype vehicles have been driven by prominent
members of the Irvine community, including Chancellor Drake and Irvine Mayor Beth
Krom. To fuel these vehicles, UCI opened a Hydrogen fueling station on North Campus
in February, 2007, which is the only one in California that has the capability to dispense
hydrogen at 700 bar, which can double a hydrogen vehicle’s driving range. Automakers
Toyota, Nissan, Honda, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler are expected to use the
station to fuel demonstration vehicles that are not yet commercially available. There is
currently a GM Fuel Cell Equinox being tested by various departments on campus.
“The UC Irvine hydrogen
fuel station located on the
corner of Jamboree and
Campus Drive is one of the
most used fuel stations in
the country, pumping about
25 kg per day of steam
reformed fuel. Currently,
the cost for hydrogen fuel in
Irvine is $4.99/kg”
Photo & caption: May 5, 2008
issue of The New University.
Article by David Lumb;
photo by Christina Chow.
http://www.newuniversity.org/
main/article?slug=fuel_cell_ce
nter continues152
78
Recommendations:
1. Biodiesel from waste grease not destroyed rainforests:
UCI has made a commitment to using biodiesel for busses and trucks by converting all of
the campus shuttles. While this decision was made with the best of intentions, and UCI
transportation services deserves praise for their proactive work, recent studies show that
most biodiesel is actually causing more GHG emissions than diesel made from
petroleum. Recently, two studies published in the journal Science have shown that most
biofuels actually produce more GHG emissions than petroleum-based fuels, when all of
the emissions released in the production and transport of the biofuels are included in the
analysis.
According to a recent New York Times article about the landmark studies, “It does not
matter if it is rain forest or scrubland that is cleared; the greenhouse gas contribution is
significant. More important, they discovered that, globally, the production of almost all
biofuels resulted, directly or indirectly, intentionally or not, in new land being cleared for
food or fuel.” (see link to full article below)
As of June 2007, the biodiesel UCI was using came from a company called World
Energy (http://www.worldenergy.net/products/), and according to Mark Brunk, former
Fleet Services Superintendent, it is made primarily from soybeans. While some soybeans
are grown in the US, the Amazon rainforest is rapidly being converted to soybean fields
to meet new demands for biodiesel. World Energy has offices in the U.S., Europe, South
America and Southeast Asia, which indicates that they are sourcing soybean oil from the
Amazon and palm oil from the rainforests of Southeast Asia, which are also rapidly being
converted to oil palm plantations, partly to feed the growing demand for biodiesel in
Europe and the US, as well as other nations.
Buying fuel made from monocropped soybeans probably grown on another continent on
land that once supported an incredibly biodiverse rainforest or grassland is not very
efficient or environmentally responsible. Instead, UCI should convert its more than 10
tons (20,000 lbs.) of waste grease (an amount which has likely grown substantially with
the addition of the new student center) per year into biodiesel for its busses and trucks.
UCI has considered this option in the past, and decided not to “get into the fuel-making
business,” in the words of one administrator. However, to do so would be a far more
ecologically sound and environmentally responsible option that buying biodiesel made
from Amazonian soybeans or Southeast Asian palm oil.
In addition to these newly discovered serious problems with the use of most forms of
biodiesel, the signs on the shuttles claiming that the busses are “100% solar powered” is
patently false and misleading to students. Even biodiesel produced onsite is not 100%
efficient. There will always be some additional greenhouse gasses emitted through the
production, processing and transportation of the vegetable oil.
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2. Policy change regarding parking space required for undergraduate housing units:
Currently, when building new dormitories and other residential units, there is a state
requirement regarding new parking spaces per student being accommodated. These
regulations are outdated and require change to be brought into the era of sustainability.
Campuses should be rewarded for reducing the need and the space for parking
individually owned vehicles, rather than required to create more.
3. Improve campus bike path system: The bike path system on campus needs to be
thoroughly thought out. A few good examples of campuses which have planned well for
bicycles are UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara and UC Santa Cruz. Facilities Management
should prioritize completing the bike path system so that it encourages, rather than
discourages bicycling. The Bicycle Advisory Group is a great start to this, but there must
be significant funding for improving bike lane connectivity and practicality. There should
also be a trouble-shooting charette of some sort to involve users of the paths in problem
prevention. For example, if a bike path is twice as wide as the walking path beside it, and
goes between a parking structure and Ring Road, it might be full of pedestrians on a
regular basis, like the path near the Engineering Parking Structure. Perhaps with troubleshooting involving future users in advance of construction, problems like this may be
avoided. Both pedestrians and bicyclists are generally going to take the most efficient
route possible. Design must anticipate this rather than ignoring it, or everyone will suffer
the consequences. Additional bike racks are also needed in some places, such as near the
student center and in housing areas, especially graduate housing such as Palo Verde I.
4. Greenhouse Cash for Commuters Only: Make Greenhouse Cash available to
undergraduates, and limit the availability only to actual commuters. Therefore, any
campus residents would not be eligible for Greenhouse Cash, and they should not be able
to get on-campus parking permits outside of housing areas (except special cases), since
they live on campus. There are many more undergraduates than employees, and therefore
it will have more impact on the traffic and parking situation on campus to encourage
undergraduates to use alternative transportation by providing these incentives.
5. Continue to work with OCTA to improve city bus service to and from UCI.
Have you ever tried to take a bus to the Orange County airport from UCI? Although it is
only a 10-15 minute drive away, it is difficult to figure out how to get there without
taking a car if you have luggage. It should be easier to take a bus from UCI to the airport,
a trip frequently made by graduate students, professors, and resident undergraduates.
The same can be said for getting to the Irvine Amtrack or Tustin Metrolink stations.
Although they are not far away – approximately 15 minutes by car or 30 minutes by
bicycle (without luggage) - it is nearly impossible to take public transit there any time
other than the evening. The bus route was set up to bring people into Irvine in the
morning and take them out in the evening, not the other way around, and not
accommodating any other sort of plans.
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Information Sources:
UCOP Sustainable Transportation Policy and Guidelines
http://www.ucop.edu/sustainability/transportation/welcome.html
Stacey Murren, [email protected]
Director, Transportation Services
200 Public Services
Phone: (949) 824-6302
Jennifer Cartnal, [email protected]
Event Services Manager
Parking & Transportation Services
Phone: (949) 824-0025
Ken Ezell
Administrative Analyst,
Parking & Transportation Services
[email protected]
(949) 824-1460
Mark Brunk, [email protected]
(former) Fleet Services Superintendent
(now Eugene Allen is Superintendent)
(949) 824-6104
UCI Sustainable Transportation Services: http://www.parking.uci.edu/AT/
National Fuel Cell Research Center: http://www.nfcrc.uci.edu
Hydrogen fueling station at UCI: http://today.uci.edu/news/release_detail.asp?key=1577
Lumb, David. May 5, 2008. Fuel Cell Center Continues to Make Advancements. The
New University, volume 41, issue 27, University of California, Irvine.
http://www.newuniversity.org/main/article?slug=fuel_cell_center_continues152
Rosenthal, Elizabeth. Feb 8, 2008. Studies call biofuels a greenhouse threat. New York
Times. (this article summarizes the findings of the recent studies published in Science)
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B02E3D71F39F93BA35751C0A96E9C
8B63&scp=1&sq=biofuels&st=nyt
Links to the recent biofuels studies in the journal Science:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/319/5867/1238
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/314/5805/1598
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9. Dining Services and Sustainability
Left: biodegradable tableware and food on display at the Phoenix Grille
Right: Organic-Greens-To-Go Salad Bar in the Student Center Food Court
All food services at UCI are provided through ARAMARK, except for franchises such as
Starbucks and Café Espresso, and the graduate student-run pub. During the 2006 – 2007
Academic Year, Aramark began implementing a sustainability program for UCI Dining
Services. This program was expanded rapidly starting in Fall 2007 when Robert Perez
became the Resident District Manager with UCI Dining. The organic and local options
have multiplied at an impressive rate, and students working on food sustainability at UCI
have noted that Mr. Perez has been a catalyst for positive change within the system.
Locally Produced Foods
UCI Dining implemented a “Locally Grown Program” in Winter 2007, to work with
Sysco to identify purchased foods grown within 150 miles of the campus. As of Spring
2007, less than 1% of the total food budget was spent on food produced within 150 miles
of campus, including the following:
Carrots
Lemons
Oranges
Tangerine
Green Pepper
Red Pepper
Chard Swiss
Cabbage
Cilantro
Radish
Green Collard
Celery
Avocado
Sprout Alfalfa
Sprout Bean
Grapefruit
However, as of May 2008, approximately 18% of the total food budget is spent on food
produced locally. Currently UCI dining aggressively seeks to procure the greatest
possible amount of locally produced food products. This includes produce, dairy, bakery
and grocery items. The innovative new method started by Mr. Perez in the Fall of 2007
asks food distributors to email lists of what products are produced locally that they have
available each week to managers, and then managers are able to source the produce they
need from the closest producers possible, cutting costs as well as carbon emissions, while
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increasing food freshness and supporting the local agricultural economy, which is rapidly
disappearing in Orange County.
Signs like this
one in Phoenix
Grille are now
posted on salad
bars to display
to customers
which items
UCI sources
locally. Some
items are
always sourced
locally (top)
while other
items are
seasonal and
vary month to
month, or even
weekly.
Organic Foods
Approximately 10% of the total food budget is now spent on certified organic foods.
The organic options in dining commons are offered at no extra cost to the consumer.
There is a fully organic salad bar in Mesa dining commons and several retail
establishments now offer organic salads, sandwiches, and more. “Organic To Go”
products are now offered at Zot-n-Go, the convenience store in the Student Center. These
offerings include sandwiches, wraps and salads that are made locally with organic and
natural ingredients. Zot-n-Go also carries numerous other organic and natural products
such as Amy’s organic soups and frozen dinners as well as many other packaged goods.
West Food Court also offers organic salads at Organic Greens-to-Go, where made-toorder salads are prepared using all organic ingredients. Organic soy milk is also offered
by UCI Dining, and some bakery raw products are organic. At salad bars, some canned
salad bar toppings such as garbanzo beans and artichoke hearts are organic as well as
some salad dressings.
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Cage-Free Eggs
Poster on display at
Phoenix Grille,
during pilot program
in Spring 2007,
before UCI Dining
switched entirely to
100% Organic,
Cage-Free Eggs (at
all ARAMARKmanaged locations.
100% Organic, Cage-Free Eggs
All eggs served at ARAMARK managed locations at UCI are now organic, cage-free
eggs. There is no cost increase passed on to the consumer. See this article in the New
University: http://www.newuniversity.org/main/article?slug=dining_goes_cage-free_7.
The switch to organic, cage-free eggs began as a pilot program during Spring 2007, when
cage-free eggs were offered as an option during breakfast in 3 on-campus retail dining
locations for a slightly higher price than other eggs offered. Most of the shell eggs are
also sourced from California, although the liquid eggs may not be.
Vegan, Vegetarian and Healthy Options
At each meal served in dining commons at UCI, there at least 2 or 3 vegetarian options,
and at least one vegan option. ARAMARK works with Students for Sustainability, Irvine
Students Against Animal Cruelty (ISAAC), Green Campus, and other students interested
in increasing the quantity and quality of vegan and vegetarian options at UCI, as well as
UCI Nutrition Program Manager Emily Bell to facilitate educational dining tours and
healthy eating tours and seminars. Vegan dinners have been organized at several dining
commons in cooperation with ISAAC, including Pippin, Mesa Court, and Brandywine.
For detailed information on vegan/veggie options, see www.ucidining.com.
Due to the extremely large quantities required to serve the University, ARAMARK
purchases all its produce from Sysco because Sysco offers reliability, food regulations
and safety, and helps to ensure that produce is properly prepared for food service. UCI
adheres to Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Guidelines for seafood.
Seafood Watch Site: http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp; West Coast
Guide:http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/content/media/MBA_SeafoodWatch_
WestCoastGuide.pdf
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Sustainability Spotlight:
Robert Perez, Resident District Manager, UCI Dining/ ARAMARK
As the liaison between food service provider
ARAMARK and UCI, Robert Perez has prioritized
sustainability in campus dining needs. He has not only
been responsive to student requests for more
sustainable choices in our dining areas, such as
organic cage free eggs, more organic foods and
vegetarian and vegan options, but he has also been a
champion in the process, going above and beyond
what students expected. He brought Organics-To-Go
and Organic Greens-to-go, and initiated the innovative
processes for getting more local and organic foods
onto our plates here at UCI. Students all over campus
have been applauding these developments!
Trayless Dining Coming Soon
An All-you-care-to-eat program is offered in dining commons at UCI. This is a featured
benefit of meal plans, since customers are guaranteed to have many options to choose
from. Chancellor Drake has expressed interest in implementing a Trayless dining
program, or at least limiting the allowed number of trays to one per trip through the food
line. Some students take two trays and throw away excess food, increasing food waste.
UCI Dining plans to introduce a Trayless Dining in Fall 2008 to reduce food wastage.
This maintains the ability of students to eat as much as they would like, while limiting the
amount that can be carried at one time. This may help to prevent those with eyes larger
than their stomachs from wasting as much food. A successful Trayless Dining pilot
program was conducted on Earth Day, 2008. UCI Dining is currently looking for a way
to donate the trays that will be disused from UCI Dining Halls to someplace that could
use them, such as a homeless shelter or school nearby.
Weigh the Waste:
Students for Sustainability
Kelsey Meagher and
Matthew Seamon teamed
up with UCI Dining to
educate students about the
negative environmental
impacts of wasting food
and to encourage students
to "Think Green and Take
Only What You Need."
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Weigh the Waste Event
In the Spring of 2007, students of Green Campus sponsored a Weigh the Waste Event in
one of the dining commons in collaboration with recycling coordinator Suzanne Hibbs.
The purpose of the event was to educate students about reducing food waste and the
harmful effects waste has on the environment. Students from Green Campus asked
students preparing to leave the dining commons to scrape their excess food into special
trash bins which were then weighed. The event was replicated at the end of the quarter to
see if there was any improvement in amount wasted by students.
Weigh the Waste was once again conducted in the Fall of 2007 in Mesa Commons and
Pippin dining halls, during the Food Waste Awareness Campaign carried out by Students
for Sustainability and UCI Dining. Educational materials were provided to student diners
on the negative environmental effects of food waste, and encouraged them to “Think
Green and Take Only What You Need.”
The Food Waste Awareness Campaign of the Fall of 2007 planned two sets of events a
month apart to see if there would be a difference in the amount of food wasted by the
second event. The first set of events were held Oct. 29 & Nov. 1, from 5:00pm - 8:00pm,
when diners at Pippin wasted 346 lbs. of food, and the final set of events were held on
November 26 and November 29th. These dates were chosen because the same exact
dinner menu was served on both pairs of evenings, to make comparison more accurate.
Diners at Pippin the second time around only wasted 288 lbs. of food, a reduction of 58
pounds, approximately 17%.
Coffee Grounds Recycling: In collaboration with Facilities Management, UCI Dining is
separating out old coffee grinds in specially labeled recycle bins. These coffee grounds
will be used by the landscaping team to mix the coffee grounds into the soil throughout
the University landscaping. Coffee grounds act as a natural fertilizer.
Biodegradable plates and to-go containers
As of early 2007, biodegradable containers for to-go items and biodegradable plates for
use in retail dining locations is fully implemented in place of Styrofoam and other
disposable products. Instead of plastic silverware, Spudware, which is made from 80%
potato starch and 20% soy oil and is biodegradable. All napkins in dining commons and
retail locations are made from 100% post-consumer content recycled and unbleached
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paper. Special one-at-a-time dispensers have replaced stacks of napkins in dining halls
and the student center food court to prevent waste. At all dining commons, reusable
service ware is used. This does not, however, extend to UCI Catering. Events are
frequently catered using Styrofoam or plastic plates, and different napkins and
plasticware. Apparently the biodegradable tableware, spudware and recycled napkins are
not high-quality enough for catered events, and it is sometimes not feasible to offer
ceramic plates (which are offered at a higher price per plate).
Other sustainability programs in UCI Dining
UCI spends approximately 3% of the total food budget on Fair Trade Coffee.
Fair Trade Coffee is offered daily at all UCI locations that serve coffee, including
Starbucks. This new daily service offering began in Spring 2007, and reflects UCI
Dining’s new commitment to sustainability. Cyber A Café now serves 100% EcoGrounds
Java City coffee, which promotes social, ecological and economic sustainability.
Java City Eco-Grounds
The mission of Eco-Grounds is to
work with coffee growers to
promote a sustainable social,
ecological, and economic model
for the production and trade of
coffee that benefits the farmers,
their families, and the natural
environment. Many Eco-Grounds
beans are Fair Trade Certified,
and two are Rainforest Alliance
Certified. Fair Trade is an
alternative trade model that
organizes small farmers into
cooperatives and links them with
importers, guaranteeing them a
minimum price. They also have a
decaffeinated coffee that uses the
Swiss Water Process, which is a
patented decaffeination process
that does not use any chemicals.
Starbucks: Pastries at Starbucks are locally baked in Santa Ana, and transported using
reusable crates instead of cardboard. Fair-trade certified coffee is also always available.
Starbucks also claims to harvest its own teak trees from teak plantations in making its
custom-designed furniture, in an effort to help to prevent destruction of wild rain forests.
Compact-Fluorescent Lightbulbs: CFLs (some of which were provided by the Green
Campus Program) are used in all UCI dining locations, where feasible. Some light bulbs
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already in use actually use less energy than the 30 Watt CFL bulbs provided by the Green
Campus Program. In those instances, the bulbs were not replaced. Overall, UCI Dining
replaced approximately 100 light bulbs with CFLs donated by Green Campus in 2006-7.
Green campus also helped UCI Dining install Energy Star appliances.
Waste Grease: Used fryer grease is sent to Bakers Commodities rendering service and
recycled to make animal feed. More information on this type of service can be found at
www.renderers.org. Composting is not currently feasible at the University, and there is
no nearby composting location which we can use off-site. What is needed is a local
commercial composting operation that accepts food for compost and sells the compost to
regional farmers. If this were available, UCI Dining might be able to provide food for
composting to such an operation.
Donation of Leftover Baked Goods from Dining Commons: UCI Dining donates
approximately 100 lbs per week of left-over baked goods such as cookies, cakes, pies,
dessert bars, and breads from Pippin, Mesa and Brandywine Commons to America’s
Second Harvest, the nation’s largest charitable hunger relief organization, made up of
more than 200 local food bank organizations throughout the US. The donated food is
picked up by The Hope House in Costa Mesa, a non-profit drug rehabilitation center.
Sustainability Spotlight: Kim Pham, 2007 UCI alumnus, environmental activist
Kim founded the food donation program here at UCI in 2006-7.
She put countless hours into forming the connections necessary
to establish a relationship between UCI Dining and America’s
Second Harvest, so that unconsumed baked goods from UCI
dining halls go to people in need at the Hope House rather than
going to the landfill. She hopes that the program continues to
grow, donating more kinds of food to more people in need in
the future, continuing to link social justice and the environment
through food donation. Kim is now in law school at UCLA.
As of Spring 2007, quarterly dining service audits are performed in both retail and
residential dining locations at UCI. However, they are not focused only on sustainability.
Recycling bins are placed outside all dining locations to encourage bottle, glass,
newspaper and mixed paper recycling. In collaboration with Facilities and Waste
Management, UCI Dining offers a price discount incentive for using a reusable
personal mug. This helps to reduce paper cup & lid waste.
UCI Residential Dining (Mesa Commons, Brandywine and Pippin) also participates in
Recyclemania competitions annually for waste reduction http://www.recyclemaniacs.org
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Recommendations:
1. Food “carbon footprint” signs at dining locations: Alongside nutritional
information, foods should be “labeled” with lbs. of CO2 equivalent or some other carbon
footprint, especially beef, fish, grains and tropical fruits (along with brief explanation of
the main cause or source of carbon emissions – e.g. “flown from Chile” or “methane
produced by livestock”) There should be some kind of graphic such as a “thermometer”
type of scale, a dot that changes color and size containing the number of lbs. of CO2, or
something that can be generalized to each menu item sign and compared at a glance. (For
example, beef, shrimp, and rice would be red, while local, organic, in-season produce
would be dark green, etc.) Ideally all food “labels” would also list the origin of the item.
Technically, this listing of food origins is required on packaging by US law, but it is
flagrantly violated. In the future, perhaps even water usage used in production could be
included on labels. The idea behind this labeling is to allow students to make choices
between foods based upon the facts, extending the learning environment of the University
into the dining room.
2. Extend Sustainability Programs to UCI Catering: Eliminate plastic and Styrofoam
plates and utensils in UCI Catering, or increase their price so that they are more
expensive than ceramic plates and glasses. This would serve to include the environmental
costs of plastic and Styrofoam in the bill, thereby discouraging the use of disposables and
encouraging the use of reusable plates and silverware. At least offer recyclable options
(only #1, 2 plastics recyclable). Also offer local and organic options for catered events.
3. Continue to increase proportion of foods offered that are local and organic: As
Americans continue to learn about the health and environmental benefits of eating
organic foods, there is a rapidly growing demand for organic food, and we see the
emergence of the term ‘locavore’. These positive developments have already been
reflected by the amazingly sudden and exciting increase in organic offerings here at UCI
over the past year. The UCI community will continue to become a healthier, more
sustainable place as these proportions continue to increase.
4. Waste grease to biodiesel for campus trucks and busses: UCI has made a
commitment to using biodiesel for busses and trucks by converting large portions of
campus fleets. This is a responsible decision with regard to air quality and reducing
dependence on foreign oil, etc. However, the biodiesel we use comes from World Energy
(http://www.worldenergy.net/products/), and according to Mark Brunk, former Fleet
Services Superintendent, it is made primarily from soybeans. While some soybeans are
grown in the US, the Amazon rainforest is rapidly being converted to soybean fields to
meet new demands for biodiesel. World Energy has offices in the U.S., Europe, South
America and Southeast Asia, which indicates that they are sourcing soybean oil from the
Amazon and palm oil from the rainforests of Southeast Asia, which are also rapidly being
converted to oil palm plantations, partly to feed the growing demand for biodiesel in
Europe and the US, as well as other nations.
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Buying fuel made from monocropped soybeans grown on another continent on land that
once supported an incredibly biodiverse rainforest is not very efficient or
environmentally responsible. Instead, UCI should convert its 9-10 tons (18,000 – 20,000
lbs.) of waste grease (which will likely grow with the addition of the new student center)
per year into biodiesel for its busses and trucks. UCI has considered this option in the
past and decided not to “get into the fuel-making business,” in the words of one
administrator. However, to do so would be a far more ecologically sound and
environmentally responsible option that buying biodiesel made from Amazonian
soybeans or Southeast Asian palm oil.
5. Phasing out or eliminating all-you-can-eat service to reduce waste: The plan to
move toward “Trayless dining” at UCI is an excellent development because this is likely
to reduce food waste without changing the cost of dining for UCI students. Another
option to consider for the future is switching to a pay-as-you-eat system. Many other
Universities have phased out all-you-can-eat service to reduce waste and costs. For
example, the cafeterias at the University of Waterloo in Canada switched from an "all
you can eat" system to a "pay as you eat system" (Debit Card system) in 1993. A beforeand-after waste audit revealed that with the “pay as you eat system” students were
throwing away 70% less food from their plates per meal. Eliminating food from the waste
stream not only saves on purchasing and disposal costs, but also helps to curb our global
warming impact, as decomposing food emits methane, which is a far more potent
greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
6. Composting pilot program: Perhaps a student or a local grower could be found who
is interested in receiving free food scraps to compost. Then the decomposing food would
be put back into the growing cycle rather than simply clogging the landfill. Robert Perez
has noted that the best option would be to locate a local company that would be willing to
pick up food scraps, compost them, and then sell the compost to local farmers for
fertilizer. Some students are interested in seeing such a program develop on campus, with
a demonstration garden that could be used by classes to learn about seeds, sustainable
agriculture and the food system. Such programs are popular at UC Santa Cruz and Yale.
7. Increase donation to local shelters of excess food items beyond baked goods when
feasible. Building on what Kim Pham started, ARAMARK and UCI should find ways to
donate more food to prevent waste and increase community service.
Organic-to-Go salads
Center: Zot-n-Go
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Information sources and contacts:
Hai Vo
Students for Sustainability
[email protected]
Mr. Robert Perez
Resident District Manager
UCI Dining / ARAMARK
[email protected]
949-824-8379
Jack McManus
Director, UCI Hospitality & Dining
Services, A311 Student Center
[email protected]
(949) 824-1492
Ms. Jackie Rustin
(Former) Marketing Manager
UCI Dining / ARAMARK
UCI Dining Webpage :
www.ucidining.com
Laura Weiss
Regional Sustainability Manager,
ARAMARK
[email protected]
503-984-8539
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10. Purchasing
Background: Strategic Sourcing and UC Policy
The UC System launched an initiative called Strategic Sourcing in 2004 to leverage the
buying power of the University as a whole to lower prices, streamline procurement
processes and improve product quality. One of the main selling points of the Strategic
Sourcing initiative was that the UC system would be able to negotiate lower prices on
products, including products that are more sustainably produced, to encourage their usage
on campus. The Strategic Sourcing initiative is run through the UC Office of the
President in Oakland, and some campuses have Strategic Sourcing managers that
coordinate the campus with UC-wide Strategic Sourcing strategy and policy.
It is difficult to monitor all purchases made at UCI because of the lack of a centralized
web-based purchasing system for all purchases. It is especially difficult to know what is
being purchased by individuals or laboratories that do not go through departmental
channels. In the near future, UCI plans to have a web-based purchasing system similar to
what UCLA, UCSD and UCD have (three different e-commerce solutions), but right now
the cost of implementing such a system is greater than the budget allows, especially since
these systems charge per vendor catalog in the system, limiting the range of products
available. A consortium license for the whole UC to be on a single e-commerce system is
being sought at the level of the UC Office of the President.
A centralized e-commerce system such as Perfect Commerce (Bruin Buy at UCLA) or
CyQuest (used at UCSD) would be useful for tracking purchases partly because no one is
actually required to purchase from the Strategic Sourcing providers, so many purchases
are still made through other vendors, such as local businesses. Departments have credit
cards that they can use to buy items anywhere, and so it becomes very difficult to track
purchases. However, one benefit of buying predominantly through selected vendors with
which UCI has Strategic Sourcing Agreements is that they can provide data about
purchases made that can help us get an approximate picture of purchasing of certain kinds
of products at UCI.
UC Policy
The Purchasing Section of the new UC Sustainability Policy is long and detailed;
containing specific directives about everything from requirements for the phasing in of
Green Seal certified cleaning products to EPEAT bronze-level certified electronics and
specifications for their packaging to required training programs on sustainable
procurement.
Office Supplies and Office Max
At the statewide level there is an overall goal of 80% of all Office Supplies being
purchased through Office Max. Due to the incorporation of the 2007 Sustainability
Policies into purchasing practices, the Strategic Sourcing initiative aims to encourage
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companies like Office Max to offer more sustainable products at lower prices. Right now,
the only language put in the RFP up front is a requirement that the company use 30%
Post-Consumer Content (PCC) paper and duplexing on their printers. A formal structure
for evaluation of the companies has yet to be developed. Jake Godfrey, Strategtic
Sourcing manager here at UCI, says we need some sort of report card for purchasing to
ensure green practices that covers the whole campus and offers recognition for those who
do well.
UCI Purchasing officials estimated that in 2007, approximately 75-85% of office supply
purchases were made online directly from Office Max. In the past, other purchases we
often made through the UCI Storehouse, which also ordered from Office Max and other
vendors. However, the UCI Storehouse closed in July 2007.
According to aggregate data from Office Max, UCI spent approximately $1,200,000 on
office supplies from Office Max in 2006, and $150,000, or approximately 12% of that
was spent on items with some recycled content. A few of the other UCs spent a smaller
percentage on recycled items, but most UCs spent a higher percentage, although none of
the campuses spent more than 20% on recycled office supplies from Office Max.
Because of the relationship that the UC has formed with Office Max, it is possible for
Purchasing Directors to gain information about our purchases from them, and also creates
the possibility to negotiate special deals. UCI Purchasing Director Harry Gunther was
able to negotiate a price break on 30% post-consumer recycled Boise office paper, so that
it is the same price as the 100% virgin Boise office paper. He has also created a webpage
on the UCI Purchasing site about Green Purchasing:
http://snap.uci.edu/viewXmlFile.jsp?resourceID=2639
However, the report card reproduced below, which was created by The Dogwood
Alliance and Forest Ethics, ranks Office Max at the bottom of the pile in terms of
sustainable practices among office supply companies, with a D+. Office Max
consistently got the lowest grades in every category of this study, from knowing where in
the world the wood for paper pulp comes from to policies regarding endangered forests or
goals regarding post-consumer content paper.
Why should we have a strategic sourcing agreement that claims to enhance sustainability
with a company who clearly is not trying very hard to enhance their own sustainable
practices? The UC system should either demand that Office Max address these issues of
paper source sustainability immediately, or switch to a company that is more proactive
and concerned with issues of environmental and social justice, such as FedEx Kinkos or
Staples.
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) and California State Law
California Public Contract Code sections 12400-12404 (AB 498, Chan, Chapter 575,
Statutes of 2002) require the State government to practice EPP. See the EPP manual at
www.green.ca.gov/EPP. Also www.ciwmb.ca.gov/EPP ; www.epa.gov/oppt/epp/tools.
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Paper Purchasing at UCI
While different departments at UCI make different types of purchases, all departments on
campus use paper. This chapter will focus on paper purchasing for several reasons.
Firstly, buying recycled paper is an easy way to green purchasing, especially when 30%
PCC paper is the same price as virgin paper. Secondly, it is data that can be provided by
Office Max. Thirdly, it is something that people can easily understand. We all know that
there are a variety of choices of post-consumer content recycled paper, from 10% to
100%. Graphing UCI expenditures on the various types of paper should help to illuminate
where improvement is needed.
The UC Sustainability Policy requires phasing out the usage of virgin paper and
establishing a minimum standard of 30% Post Consumer Content (PCC) recycled content
paper for all office supplies. Although such a standard has not yet been decreed at UCI, a
useful first step might be find out which departments are and are not purchasing recycled
office supplies from Office Max and other vendors. Because of the problems tracking
purchases at UCI, it would be difficult to get an accurate idea of how much recycled
paper is being used by whom.
2007 UCI Campus Spending on Paper from Office Max by
Percentage Post-Consumer Content Recycled
50% PCC
$1,434, 0%
100% PCC
$5,429, 2%
30% PCC
$153,050, 43%
Virgin Paper
$194,445, 55%
10-25% PCC
$730 , 0%
Using data provided by Office Max for the calendar year of 2007 (Jan-Dec), the chart
above represents how much UCI is spending on types of recycled paper. It does not
include purchases by the UCI Storehouse, which closed in July 2007, because the
inclusion would not change the percentages presented here significantly. This was a
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much faster and more accurate way to gain a snapshot of UCI paper purchasing than how
we attempted to measure this last year, by taking a survey of the largest departments.
2006-7 UCI Purchasing Snapshot : Paper Purchasing Survey
For the purposes of this report, a Paper Purchasing Survey was conducted with the help
of several student interns. We first chose the largest academic departments (by number of
students) in each school to focus on. Then the interns went to each chosen department
office to ask the office managers about paper purchasing. The following questions were
asked:
1. How is paper purchased in this department?
2. Are there different people who purchase paper used in the department? (e.g. copiers
printers, office use, etc.) How many?
3. How much paper is purchased altogether on a weekly or monthly basis?
4. Where is the paper being purchased from?
5. What type(s) of paper is/are being purchased?
6. What % recycled? (how many boxes of 30%? 50%? What proportion of total paper
purchased is that?)
7. Why do you select the paper that you regularly buy? What are the criteria that you
look for?
However, not all departments make all of their own copies. In fact, it appears that most
departments order copies from the Copy Centers on campus. For example, the
Department of Planning, Policy and Design in Social Ecology has pick-up and drop-off
service twice a day from the Engineering Copy Center. The PPD Department used to
have its own copy center in-house, but found it more efficient to contract with the
Engineering Copy Center. Therefore, not all departmental totals actually reflect their true
usage. There are also Copy Centers in Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences.
In some cases, such as the School of Social Sciences, the school pools its resources and
has a school-wide copy center. This copy center, unlike the Engineering Copy Center,
also has several copiers for individual student usage through purchase of a copy card.
Therefore, the total paper used in the Social Sciences Copy Center includes more student
(especially graduate student) usage than other departments are likely to. The manager of
the Social Sciences Copy Center, Craig Stone, switched from Xerox to Boise when he
realized that the white Xerox paper that he had been ordering was not 30% postconsumer content (recycled), although the Boise 30% recycled paper was the same price.
The Engineering Copy Center was using mostly virgin paper until Purchasing Director
Harry Gunther sent out an email to all purchasers to remind them that 30% recycled
content paper is the same price from Office Max as the same type of virgin paper and
makes no difference in usage in machines. The Manager of the Engineering Copy, Gary
Pike, immediately began purchasing the 30% PCC paper for the bulk of the copying that
they do. However, he soon ran into problems with his machines, as they were jamming
and wasting time and paper. Gary stopped using the 30% PCC paper until he was visited
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recently by the new Sustainability Manager for Purchasing, Mel Davis, who has worked
at UCI for many years managing the Storehouse which was recently closed. Mel brought
Gary some new samples of the 30% PCC paper, and let him know that if the machines
are calibrated correctly, they will handle the recycled paper fine. Now the Engineering
Copy Center is ordering the 30% PCC paper once again, now that they have had the copy
machines recalibrated.
It seems plausible that similar switches to at least the 30% recycled paper took place in
departments across campus when purchasers realized that the paper that they had been
ordering was 100% virgin, meaning it was made from trees in an incredibly inefficient
and environmentally destructive process involving numerous toxic chemicals that are
released into rivers from paper plants across the world.
Therefore, the survey conducted in 2007 does not represent the updated numbers, but
hopefully the graphs below will encourage departments to switch to recycled paper, and
encourage students to ask their departments what kind of paper they order and request
that they use at least 30% post-consumer content recycled paper, as it is the same price as
virgin paper from Office Max. The 50% or 100% PCC paper is available through Office
Max for just a dollar more than 30% recycled or virgin paper, and has no discernable
difference in quality as long as high-speed printers and copiers are set for that paper.
Paper types purchased by some large UCI academic departments:
UCI Paper Purchasing Snapshot Spring 2007 : Reams per month
1%
1%
1%
1% 1%
Boise Business 4200
Boise MP Colors
0%
Xerox Commercial 4200
8%
Xerox Business 4200
9%
Boise Aspen 30%PCC
44%
Domlar Microprint
Office Max OM44001
11%
Office Solutions
Boise Multipurpose X9
Universal 21200
23%
Southworth 403C
The only recycled paper listed in the above chart is Boise Aspen 30% PCC, and as the
name suggests, it is only 30% recycled. Therefore, of all of the paper purchased by some
of the largest schools and departments at UCI, only 8% is recycled (and that paper is only
30% truly recycled content). UCI could do much better.
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Large Departments' Use of
Virgin and Recycled Paper
Engineering Copy Center
School of Social Sciences
Fully Employed MBA
School of Medicine
Departments
Mathematics
Chemistry
Psych and Soc Behavior
Virgin reams
Recycled reams
Criminology Law & Society
Biological Sciences
Drama
Info Computer Science
English
History
Bioengineering
Education
0
500
1000
Reams per month
Other Types of Purchases
Because it is difficult to track purchasing at UCI, it is not yet possible to do in-depth
analysis of what products are bought by which departments from which vendors for all
types of purchases. However, because the UC has Strategic Sourcing agreements with
large companies for significant portions of purchases made, this may improve the ability
of the University to demand more sustainable products due to the closer relationship with
one company and large volumes purchased. For example, UCI contracts with Steelcase
for furniture, a company which apparently has an interest in LEED, according to
Purchasing Director Harry Gunther. If the UC concentrates their investments in the most
sustainable products offered, then this may bring the prices of these products down for
the UC System, and may even help bring the market prices for sustainable products down
overall in the longer term by helping to grow the market for green products.
Each year, the UC requires vendors to fill out a report that includes information about
their behavior regarding certain sustainability indicators. Strategic Sourcing Manager
Lesley Clark then makes charts that show purchases that are considered “sustainable.”
However, Strategic contracts only represent about 15% of the total expenditure of the
UC, which spends about $80 million annually. Commodities listed in the Green
Purchasing charts from Strategic Sourcing include bottled water, carpets and flooring,
furniture, gases, janitorial supplies, office equipment including PCs, office supplies, and
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scientific supplies. These purchases are listed in these charts based upon their recycled
content or certification from a third party such as GreenGuard, GreenSeal, EPEAT and
Energy Star. Purchases of these commodities are aggregated at a UC-wide level,
including the labs and medical centers and Office of the President, and they are also
broken down by campus/lab/medical center location.
UCI Bookstore
The manager of the UCI Bookstore, Michael Valentine Smith, makes sure to stock at
least some products that are cruelty and sweatshop free, and requests certifications from
vendors to be sure of their authenticity. He also stocks some products which brand
themselves as environmentally sensitive or made from recycled or more sustainable
materials. Although he had considered providing a prominent section for “green”
products in the recent bookstore remodel, this did not occur. The UCI Bookstore also
recycles ink-jet cartridges, paper, cans and bottles, etc. and serves as a collection point for
electronic waste including batteries, cell phones and computers, printer cartridges, which
is picked up and recycled responsibly by Environmental Health and Safety.
Recommendations
1. Promoting Recycled Products through Education: More emphasis should be placed
on making sure that purchasers understand why and how to buy recycled paper and other
products. Perhaps there can be a reward (such as a party or free office supplies) for the
department that orders the greatest percentage of recycled products each year. Most
purchasers do not even think about where things come from, or the impacts of how they
are made, choosing mostly based upon price, brand and quality. We have found that even
with a simple email sent explaining that 30% recycled paper is the same price as virgin
paper, more departments choose to buy the 30% PCC recycled paper. Additionally, copy
centers started using the PCC paper again once they learned that what was needed was
proper calibration of the copying machines to prevent the paper from jamming them. It
required Melvin Davis going to explain this to them to get them purchasing it again.
2. Training on sustainable purchasing needs to take place for all departmental
purchasing officials on campus to get all purchasers up to speed in how UCI can make
smart green purchases and comply with the UC Sustainability Policy. Most people on
campus probably have no idea that a sustainable purchasing policy even exists, let alone
how to comply with the policy. In addition to workshops at each campus, the UCOP
should consider a web-based tutorial, similar to the one that was conducted regarding
ethics and employment at the University, where situations were provided, and one had to
choose what should be done, and then the answers were discussed. It was mandatory for
all employees, but this could be just for purchasers.
99
3. Switch from Office Max to a more environmentally and socially responsible office
supply company for strategic sourcing such as FedEx Kinkos or Staples. If Strategic
Sourcing leaders claim that they are concerned with sustainability, then they must require
that environmental and social responsibility are key components of any Strategic
Sourcing alliance. This seems obvious, but clearly Office Max was not well researched
enough. This brings into question whether or not Strategic Sourcing officials are actually
concerned with the performance of companies regarding sustainability. Because their
paychecks come from the money that the UC System saves through these “contracts”
with vendors (which are not contracts, since it is not mandatory to purchase from them),
they have an incentive to prioritize economic savings rather than environmental and
social responsibility. However, sustainability must be prioritized to maintain credibility.
4. Strategic Sourcing leaders should have to demonstrate that the Strategic Sourcing
program actually promotes sustainability. Part of Strategic Sourcing needs to be a
clear preference for companies that have green policies and actions themselves.
Companies such as Office Max, which are ranked lowest for sustainability practices,
should have to compete based upon their environmental performance as well as their low
prices. Better screening questions and requirements should be embedded in the RFP up
front. We need agreed-upon criteria to evaluate companies based upon their performance.
There also need to be good solid numbers provided by Strategic Sourcing managers that
are both reliable and well-explained regarding green purchases on UC campuses. This
data needs to be readily available to anyone in the campus community by putting it online
through the Purchasing or Sustainability websites (or both). I have seen some charts
tracking green purchases for each campus and the UC system as a whole, but the numbers
did not quite make sense, and when I emailed Lesley Clark about it, she was only willing
to say that they are making efforts to collect data from suppliers, but that they did not
have what I was looking for. When I sent her a copy of the charts, she did not respond.
We should be able to track changes over time in green purchases, and work with vendors
to provide more green and sustainable products at prices that will encourage
consumption, thereby helping to grow the market and bring down the price. This is
another positive way to use the purchasing power of the UC System – by helping to grow
a greener economy beyond the University.
5. Offer a wider selection of recycled paper and other more environmentally
sustainable products in the UCI Bookstore, so that students have the choice to buy
more responsible products. Bookstores at other Universities have a much greater supply
of such products. Hardly any notebooks in the UCI bookstore are made of recycled paper.
6. Switch to a web-based purchasing system as soon as possible so that UCI is able to
track all purchases made to determine what percentage of purchases made are more
sustainably produced products. In the meantime, an official survey could be done by
email or online, which could include all departments and also ask about many types of
purchases, such as what percentage of electronics purchased by departments are Energy
Star products or EPEAT rated.
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Information Sources:
Melvin Davis, [email protected]
Materiel Management Sustainability
Program
Materiel & Risk Management
University of California, Irvine
(949) 824- 5942
Craig Stone, [email protected]
Manager, Social Science Instructional
Support Center
3167 Social Science Plaza A
(949) 824-7179
Jacob Godfrey, [email protected]
Strategic Sourcing Manager
Materiel & Risk Management
University of California, Irvine
(949)824.7507
Neil Kronenthal,
[email protected]
Strategic Sourcing Sr. Analyst
University of California/
Office of the President
1111 Franklin St., 10th Fl, # 10329 B
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 587-6378 Tel
Harry Gunther, [email protected]
Director, Materiel & Risk Management
250 Public Services Building, UCI
(949)824-6510
http://www.mrm.uci.edu
Lesley Clark, [email protected]
Commodity Manager
Strategic Sourcing
Office of the President
University of California
1111 Franklin Street, 10th Floor
Oakland, California 94607
Phone: (510) 987-0472
Gary W. Pike, [email protected]
Copy Center Manager
The Henry Samueli School of
Engineering, UCI
203 Engineering Tower
(949)824-5792
Strategic Sourcing, UCOP: http://www.ucop.edu/purchserv/strategicsourcing.html
UCI Green Purchasing: http://snap.uci.edu/viewXmlFile.jsp?resourceID=2639
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) and California State Law
www.green.ca.gov/EPP ; www.ciwmb.ca.gov/EPP ; www.epa.gov/oppt/epp/tools
Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool http://www.epeat.net
Green Grades for Paper Sourcing:
http://www.sustainablelifemedia.com/products/story/staples_fedex_kinkos_make_green_
grade_for_paper_sourcing
http://www.forestethics.com/downloads/FE_OfficeSupply_report-2008-2.pdf
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11. Social Sustainability: Ethnic Diversity and Employee Well-being
Ethnic diversity
Health, equality and community wellbeing are important parts of a sustainable society.
The following graphs are meant to illustrate how UCI is doing with regard to ethnic
diversity and social justice. These graphs include:
•
•
•
•
Ethnic breakdowns of faculty, staff and the student body
Numbers of career and non-career staff hired at UCI
Percentage of Financial Aid that is need-based
Ethnicities of ladder-rank faculty and untenured appointments from 1984-2006
UC Irvine has an ethnically diverse student body, with nearly half being Asian or Pacific
Islander, over ten percent Latino, and just over a quarter Caucasian. Interestingly, nearly
ten percent are listed as “other/unknown/not stated” and nearly five percent are
international students, or non-residents of the US. Blacks are underrepresented at UCI, at
just 2 percent of the student body.
The faculty at UCI is not nearly as diverse. Seventy percent Caucasian, the faculty is
more than twice as white as the students. Latino faculty members make up just over five
percent, while Asian and Pacific Islanders constitute nearly twenty percent of the faculty.
Interestingly, black faculty members are underrepresented by the same amount in UCI
faculty as they are in the student body at just two percent of the whole. Each year for the
past 20 years, an average of seventy-three percent of ladder-rank faculty hired by UCI
departments have been Caucasian.
UCI employs almost twice as many career staff as non-career staff. The non-career staff
do not have the same health benefits that the career staff do. While the career staff are
approximately half Caucasian, nearly a quarter Latino and a quarter Asian, a majority of
non-career staff are Asian, with fewer Caucasians and Latinos. There are almost twice as
many African-Americans employed as staff at UCI than as professors, but the percentage
is still far below the national percentage of the population. Interestingly, the two pie
graphs that look most similar are the student body and the non-career staff graphs.
Chancellor Drake Honored with Diversity Award
Dr. Michael V. Drake was honored on June 11, 2007 as one of three 2007 Champions of
Health Professions Diversity by The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF) at its fifth
annual “Champions of Health Professions Diversity Award” ceremony in Los Angeles.
Chancellor Drake has worked for 30 years to encourage minorities to enter and succeed
in health-science schools within the University of California system. Along with Drake,
Hector Flores and Ernest C. Levister were each awarded $25,000 for their leadership in
increasing diversity in the health professions.
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Ethnic Breakdown of Student Body
(three-term average 2006-7)
Other/unknown/
not stated, 9.9%
American Indian
or Native
Alaskan, 0.4%
International (nonresident alien),
4.9%
Asian or Pacific
Islander, 44.6%
Hispanic, 10.9%
Caucasian, nonHispanic, 27.2%
Black, nonHispanic, 2.1%
Ethnic Breakdown of Teaching Faculty
(as of Fall Quarter 2006)
Other/unknown/n
International (non- ot stated, 1.1%
resident alien),
1.3%
American Indian
or Native
Alaskan, 0.3%
Asian or Pacific
Islander, 19.5%
Hispanic, 5.6%
Black, nonHispanic, 2.1%
Caucasian, nonHispanic, 70.1%
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Ethnic Breakdown of Career Staff
(as of Fall Quarter 2006)
Other/unknown/n
ot stated, 2.1%
International (nonresident alien),
0.1%
American Indian
or Native
Alaskan, 0.6%
Asian or Pacific
Islander, 23.5%
Hispanic, 22.8%
Black, nonHispanic, 3.8%
Caucasian, nonHispanic, 47.0%
Ethnic Breakdown of Non-Career Staff
(as of Fall Quarter 2006)
American Indian
or Native
Alaskan, 0.3%
Other/unknown/n
ot stated, 5.8%
International (nonresident alien),
1.4%
Asian or Pacific
Islander, 40.7%
Hispanic, 15.2%
Caucasian, nonHispanic, 32.9%
Black, nonHispanic, 3.8%
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Career and Noncareer Staff at UCI
Noncareer staff
3,873
Career staff
7,155
0
1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 8,000
Percentage of Financial Aid that is Need-based
10%
Need Based
Other
90%
Although diversity is not mentioned in the University of California mission statement, the
UC has a Statement on Diversity. President Dynes has also created a Taskforce on
Faculty Diversity, and a Council on Staff Diversity. Diversity is also highlighted in UC
Irvine’s strategic plan, and UCI has a Diversity Development Program. See the
Information Sources section at the end of this chapter for links to all of these.
The UCI Diversity Development Program (DDP) is a program that celebrates UCI's
diversity while exploring issues that can arise in a diverse university community.
Resolving these problems is essential to working in a harmonious atmosphere. Mutual
respect for diversity means striving to understand differences in background,
ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and physical abilities within the
UCI community. http://www.eod.uci.edu/ddp.html
105
106
Employee Wellbeing
While the term ‘wellbeing’ can mean many things, this section focuses on employee
health and income. It can be challenging to measure the health of campus employees, so
instead the focus here is on what UCI offers its employees in terms of health programs.
Below is a list and short description of some of these programs. There is also an Annual
UCI Wellness Fair held each Spring at the Anteater Recreation Center.
The Wellness & Safety Initiative is a collaboration of campus departments that includes
Campus Recreation, EH&S, Human Resources, Risk Management, Facilties Management
and UCI Police. The partnership exists in an effort to increase awareness of and promote
participation in wellness & safety programs and resources available to the campus
community. http://www.hr.uci.edu/wellnessandsafety/wellness.html
UCI Fitness Programs
Step Up UCI http://www.campusrec.uci.edu/stepup/about.asp
Step Up UCI is a wellness program designed to improve the general health of the faculty
and staff of the University of California, Irvine through daily cumulative movement.
This premier program was developed by the Department of Campus Recreation at UC
Irvine and had more than 1400 participants in its inaugural program.
Pump Up UCI http://www.campusrec.uci.edu/pumpup/index.asp
A simple resistance training program designed to improve the fitness and health of the
staff and faculty of UCI
Lighten Up UCI http://www.campusrec.uci.edu/lightenup/index.asp
This is a FREE incentive based behavorial modification program designed to help you
make healthier food choices. Lighten Up UCI is a six week program with a different
theme each week that will included nutrition tips to help you select healthy food options.
Commit to Get Fit
Campus Recreation Program
Body Mass Index (BMI) Calculator
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Employee Wage Increases
After a year of negotiations between the University of California and its lowest-paid
employees, a settlement was reached on May 22, 2007. Represented by the American
Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, Custodians at UC
Berkeley, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz were fighting for wage equity. The settlement
also included an agreement to end the practice of outsourcing groundskeepers at UC
Irvine.
The settlement included an initial wage increase of $1.25 per hour for the custodians at
Berkeley, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara campuses. At UC Irvine, outsourced
groundskeepers were brought on as full University of California employees as of July 1,
2007. Custodians at the remaining UC campuses will also receive an immediate $.50 per
hour wage increase. In addition, all low-wage workers represented by AFSCME Local
3299 will receive the wage increases offered by the University of California as a part of
the negotiations in March 2007, which include a wage increase of 2% for those making
under $30,000 per year, 1% for those making between $30,000 and $35,000 per year and
.5% for those making between $35,000 and $40,000 per year.
Information Sources:
UCOP Diversity Website
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/diversity/
President’s Task Force on Faculty Diversity
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/facultydiversity/report.html
Includes self-assessment tool for campuses to gauge their institutional commitment to
diversity and data on all campuses
UCI Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity
http://www.eod.uci.edu/
Faculty Demographics
http://www.ucop.edu/acadadv/datamgmt/welcome.html
Drake Honored with Diversity Award
http://www.ucop.edu/acadadv/datamgmt/napp8402r.pdf
Inclusion of diversity in UCI strategic plan
http://www.strategicplan.uci.edu/
108
UC Diversity Statement
http://www.ucop.edu/ucophome/coordrev/policy/PP063006DiversityStatement.pdf
Chancellors’ Statement on Faculty Diversity
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/facultydiversity/chancellorsstatement.pdf
President Dynes Appoints UC Staff Diversity Council
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/diversity/news/div_council_appoint.html
UCI Human Resources
http://apps.adcom.uci.edu/expresso/econtent/Content.do?resource=212
UC Living Well
http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/employees/health_welfare/living_well/index.html
UCI Wellness
http://www.hr.uci.edu/wellnessandsafety/wellness.html
UC announces wage increases for lower-paid employees; part of ongoing effort to ensure
competitive salaries for all employees
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/2007/mar27.html
UC Workers Win Equity Fight, May 22, 2007
Boycotts at UC Berkeley, Irvine, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara come to an end
http://www.afscme3299.org/media-archives-dtl.php?recordID=149
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12. Sustainable Investment
Sustainable Endowments Institute College Sustainability Report Card for the UC in 2007:
110
Sustainable Endowments Institute College Sustainability Report Card for the UC in 2008:
111
Although the Sustainable Endowments Institute is now inclined to give the UC system
straight A’s in most areas of addressing sustainability, it is apparent that the University of
California could be a lot greener and more transparent about how it manages its $6.7
billion endowment. If the UC were to prioritize the making of green, socially responsible
investments, it would have an even greater positive impact on the world than it already
does, serving its mission of public service.
Recommendations:
1. Indeed, each UC campus should have its own sustainability coordinator, not least UCI.
2. Improve the transparency of the shareholder voting practices and records. The
University of California should be acting in the public interest by playing an active role
as a shareholder. A reasonable place to start would be the creation of an advisory
committee on shareholder responsibility. According to the Sustainable Endowments
Institute (2008), Universities that currently have student participation on committees
considering proxy votes include Bard, Barnard, Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard,
Penn, Stanford, Swarthmore, Vassar and Williams. Swarthmore College has also been a
leader in the initiation of direct dialogue with corporations by filing several shareholder
resolutions. This sort of proactive approach to greening corporations makes good use of
the financial and social power of the University to have a positive impact on the world.
3. The University of California should be investing in Green mutual funds, which tend to
offer greater returns than other mutual funds. Not only are green investment funds often
more rewarding financially, but also beneficial in growing the green economy, and
showing the world that the University puts its money where its mouth is.
Information sources:
Sustainable Endowments Institute College Sustainability Report Card 2007:
http://www.endowmentinstitute.org/sustainability/profiles.html
Sustainable Endowments Institute College Sustainability Report Card 2008:
http://www.endowmentinstitute.org/sustainability/profiles2008.html
Sustainable Endowments Institute: http://www.endowmentinstitute.org/index.html
112
American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment
We, the undersigned presidents and chancellors of colleges and universities, are deeply
concerned about the unprecedented scale and speed of global warming and its potential
for large-scale, adverse health, social, economic and ecological effects. We recognize the
scientific consensus that global warming is real and is largely being caused by humans.
We further recognize the need to reduce the global emission of greenhouse gases by 80%
by mid-century at the latest, in order to avert the worst impacts of global warming and to
reestablish the more stable climatic conditions that have made human progress over the
last 10,000 years possible.
While we understand that there might be short-term challenges associated with this effort,
we believe that there will be great short-, medium-, and long-term economic, health,
social and environmental benefits, including achieving energy independence for the U.S.
as quickly as possible.
We believe colleges and universities must exercise leadership in their communities and
throughout society by modeling ways to minimize global warming emissions, and by
providing the knowledge and the educated graduates to achieve climate neutrality.
Campuses that address the climate challenge by reducing global warming emissions and
by integrating sustainability into their curriculum will better serve their students and meet
their social mandate to help create a thriving, ethical and civil society. These colleges and
universities will be providing students with the knowledge and skills needed to address
the critical, systemic challenges faced by the world in this new century and enable them
to benefit from the economic opportunities that will arise as a result of solutions they
develop.
We further believe that colleges and universities that exert leadership in addressing
climate change will stabilize and reduce their long-term energy costs, attract excellent
students and faculty, attract new sources of funding, and increase the support of alumni
and local communities. Accordingly, we commit our institutions to taking the
following steps in pursuit of climate neutrality:
1. Initiate the development of a comprehensive plan to achieve climate neutrality as soon
as possible.
a. Within two months of signing this document, create institutional structures to guide the
development and implementation of the plan.
b. Within one year of signing this document, complete a comprehensive inventory of all
greenhouse gas emissions (including emissions from electricity, heating, commuting, and
air travel) and update the inventory every other year thereafter.
c. Within two years of signing this document, develop an institutional action plan for
becoming climate neutral, which will include:
i. A target date for achieving climate neutrality as soon as possible.
ii. Interim targets for goals and actions that will lead to climate neutrality.
iii. Actions to make climate neutrality and sustainability a part of the curriculum and
other educational experience for all students.
iv. Actions to expand research or other efforts necessary to achieve climate neutrality.
v. Mechanisms for tracking progress on goals and actions.
2. Initiate two or more of the following tangible actions to reduce greenhouse gases while
the more comprehensive plan is being developed.
a. Establish a policy that all new campus construction will be built to at least the U.S.
Green Building Council’s LEED Silver standard or equivalent.
b. Adopt an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy requiring purchase of ENERGY
STAR certified products in all areas for which such ratings exist.
c. Establish a policy of offsetting all greenhouse gas emissions generated by air travel
paid for by our institution.
d. Encourage use of and provide access to public transportation for all faculty, staff,
students and visitors at our institution
e. Within one year of signing this document, begin purchasing or producing at least 15%
of our institution’s electricity consumption from renewable sources.
f. Establish a policy or a committee that supports climate and sustainability shareholder
proposals at companies where our institution's endowment is invested.
g. Participate in the Waste Minimization component of the national RecycleMania
competition, and adopt 3 or more associated measures to reduce waste.
3. Make the action plan, inventory, and periodic progress reports publicly available by
providing them to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher
Education (AASHE) for posting and dissemination.
In recognition of the need to build support for this effort among college and university
administrations across America, we will encourage other presidents to join this effort and
become signatories to this commitment.
Signed,
The Signatories of the American College & University
Presidents Climate Commitment
http://presidentsclimatecommitment.org/html/commitment.php
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
BERKELEY • DAVIS • IRVINE • LOS ANGELES • MERCED • RIVERSIDE • SAN DIEGO • SAN FRANCISCO
SANTA BARBARA • SANTA CRUZ
1111 Franklin Street
Oakland, CA 94607-5200
Phone: (510) 987-9074
Fax: (510) 987-9086
http://www.ucop.edu
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Robert C. Dynes
President
March 22, 2007
CHANCELLORS
Policy on Sustainable Practices
The University of California is committed to minimizing the University’s impact on the environment and
reducing the University’s dependence on non-renewable energy. In October 2006, in response to the
requirement that the guidelines for the Policy on Green Building Design, Clean Energy Standards, and
Sustainable Transportation Practices be re-examined every three years, sections of the policy were clarified
and new sections were added. This review and the development of the revised guidelines were conducted
by the Sustainability Steering Committee, consisting of administrators from all campuses and the Office of
the President, and faculty members with expertise in these disciplines.
The new sections that expand on more general guidelines in the original policy are in the areas of:
•
•
•
•
•
Building Renovations;
Climate Protection Practices;
Sustainable Operations;
Recycling and Waste Management; and
Environmentally Preferable Procurement.
The expansion of goals in these areas strengthens implementation of evolving best practices on
sustainability. To reflect these changes, the Policy on Green Building Design, Clean Energy Standards, and
Sustainable Transportation Practices has been renamed the Policy on Sustainable Practices.
Enclosed are the revised and renamed Policy on Sustainable Practices and the Guidelines for
implementation of this policy. Supplementary to and embedded within the Guidelines are Implementation
Procedures that are intended to provide specific courses of action, standardized methods, and/or consistent
series of steps to implement the policy.
Robert C. Dynes
Enclosures
cc:
Members, President’s Cabinet
Principal Officers of The Regents
Assistant Vice President Bocchicchio
Universitywide Policy Coordinator Capell
March 22, 2007
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
POLICY ON SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
Resource sustainability is critically important to the University of California, the State of
California, and the nation. Efficient energy use is central to this objective, and renewable energy
and energy-conservation efforts provide a means to save money, foster environmental awareness,
reduce the environmental consequences of University activities, and provide educational
leadership for the 21st century.
The University is committed to stewardship of the environment and to reducing the University’s
dependence on non-renewable energy sources. With this commitment in mind, we will regularly
review initiatives and best practices and share successes by augmenting the existing University
guidelines. These guidelines currently recommend that University operations:
•
Incorporate the principles of energy efficiency and sustainability in all capital projects,
renovation projects, operations and maintenance within budgetary constraints and
programmatic requirements.
•
Minimize the use of non-renewable energy sources on behalf of the University’s built
environment by creating a portfolio approach to energy use, including the use of local
renewable energy and purchase of green power from the grid as well as conservation
measures that reduce energy consumption.
•
Incorporate alternative means of transportation to/from and within the campus to improve
the quality of life on campus and in the surrounding community. The campuses will
continue their strong commitment to provide affordable on-campus housing, in order to
reduce the volume of commutes to and from campus. These housing goals are detailed in
the campuses’ Long Range Development Plans.
•
Track, report and minimize greenhouse gas emissions on behalf of University operations
•
Minimize the amount of University generated waste sent to landfill.
•
Utilize the University’s purchasing power to meet its sustainability objectives.
The Office of the President will annually report to The Regents on the Policy’s impact on capital
and operating costs, and overall campus sustainable practices.
March 22, 2007
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
POLICY GUIDELINES FOR SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
SCOPE/AUTHORITY
The Regents have delegated authority to the President for promulgating policy promoting
sustainable new capital projects, existing University facilities, and campus transportation
resources. The President has delegated authority to the Senior Vice President, Business and
Finance for further definition of measures to implement University policy regarding
sustainability. Chancellors are responsible for implementation in the context of individual
building projects, facilities operations, and transportation projects and programs.
These Policy Guidelines are intended to provide specific scope, direction, and expectations
underlying from the Presidential Policy on Sustainable Practices. They also identify best
practices to facilitate compliance and provide additional background relevant to this policy.
Supplementary to, and embedded within, these Policy Guidelines are Implementation Procedures
that are intended to provide specific course of action, standardized methods, and/or consistent
series of steps to implement the Presidential Policy on Sustainable Practices and these Policy
Guidelines. The Implementation Procedures are denoted, follow applicable Policy Guidelines,
and are formatted in italics.
BACKGROUND
Resource sustainability is critically important to the University of California, the State of
California, and the nation. Efficient energy use is central to this objective, and renewable energy
and energy-conservation projects provide a means to stabilize campus budgets, increase
environmental awareness, reduce the environmental consequences of University activities, and
provide educational leadership for the 21st century.
On July 17, 2003, The Regents of the University expressed their support for a Presidential policy
to promote “…the principles of energy efficiency and sustainability in the planning, financing,
design, construction, renewal, maintenance, operation, space management, facilities utilization,
and decommissioning of facilities and infrastructure to the fullest extent possible, consistent with
budgetary constraints and regulatory and programmatic requirements.” At their September 2005
meeting, The Regents authorized the President to incorporate sustainable transportation practices
into this Policy. Transportation to, from and within a campus grounds has a significant impact on
air quality and affects both the campus landscape and relations with surrounding communities. It
is desirable, therefore, to effectively manage transportation demand, provide transportation
options and encourage the use of low-impact vehicles, non-fossil fuels, and creative modes of
transport, while ensuring maximum campus access and preserving lifestyle features. This
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approach to transportation services is a necessary component of the University’s sustainability
efforts.
In October 2006, in response to the requirement that this policy guideline document be reexamined every three years, sections of the policy were clarified and new sections were added
specifically in the areas of: renovation policy, climate change practices, green building
operations and maintenance, recycling and waste management, and environmentally preferable
procurement.
The University of California is committed to improving the University’s effect on the
environment and reducing the University’s dependence on non-renewable energy. Guidelines for
implementing practices in support of Green Building Design, Clean Energy Standards, and
Sustainable Transportation Practices are explained in detail in the following plan for achieving
these goals.
POLICY GUIDELINES
I.
Green Building Design
New Buildings
a. Given the importance of energy efficiency to Green Building design, the University has set a
goal for all new building projects, other than acute-care facilities, to outperform the required
provisions of the California Energy Code (Title 24) energy-efficiency standards by at least 20
percent. Standards for energy efficiency for acute care facilities will be developed in
consultation with campuses and medical centers.
b. The University of California will design and build all new buildings, except for laboratory
and acute care facilities, to a minimum standard equivalent to a LEED™ 2.1 “Certified”
rating.
c. Campuses will strive to achieve a standard equivalent to a LEEDTM “Silver” rating or higher,
whenever possible within the constraints of program needs and standard budget parameters.
d. Given the importance of specifically addressing sustainability in laboratory facilities, the
University of California will design and build all new laboratory buildings to a minimum
standard equivalent to a LEED™ 2.1 “Certified” rating and the Laboratories for the 21st
Century (Labs21) Environmental Performance Criteria (EPC), as appropriate. The design
process will include attention to energy efficiency for systems not addressed by the
California Energy Code (Title 24).
e. In consultation with the campuses, the Office of the President will develop an internal
evaluation and certification standard based on the LEED™ and Labs21 measures.
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f. The measures required by this Policy Guideline will be incorporated into all new building
projects, other than acute care facilities, submitted for first formal scope and budget approval
as of July 1, 2004.
g. Further study will be conducted before a similar sustainable design policy for new acute-care
facilities is adopted.
Building Renovations
a. Any significant renovation projects involving existing buildings will also apply sustainability
principles to the systems, components and portions of the building being renovated. At
Budget Approval, all renovation projects should include a listing of sustainable measures
under consideration. Design and specification of renovation components such as mechanical,
electrical and plumbing components, lighting, finishes, materials, etc. must meet or exceed
associated Campus Baseline Green Building points.
b. Renovation of buildings that require 100% replacement of mechanical, electrical and
plumbing systems and replacement of over 50% of all non-shell areas (interior walls, doors,
floor coverings and ceiling systems) should at a minimum comply with a UC equivalent to a
LEED-NC 2.1 or most current version of the LEED NC program certified rating. Subject to
life cycle cost analysis, such projects should outperform Title 24, Part 6, that is currently in
effect, by 20% and register with the Savings by Design program.
c. Renovation projects with a project cost of $5 million or greater (CCCI 5000) that do not fall
[under item b. above] should at a minimum comply with a UC equivalent to a LEED
Commercial Interiors certified rating and register with the Savings by Design program, if
eligible.
d. The green building requirements in b. and c. above will apply to the listed categories of
renovations, receiving budget approval after July 1, 2007.
General/Miscellaneous
a. Policy guidelines for sustainable operations of existing buildings previously addressed by
this section are now found in Section V of this document.
b. Policy guidelines which previously indicated that the University will use its purchasing
power to promote the availability of products that are resource-efficient, energy-efficient,
water-efficient, and of recycled and rapidly renewable content for building materials,
subsystems, components, equipment, and supplies are now found in Section VII,
Environmentally Preferable Procurement, of this document.
c. The University will work with regulatory agencies and other entities to speed the
development, approval, and implementation of products and technologies that improve
energy efficiency and support sustainable design, construction, and operating practices.
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d. The University will develop a program for sharing of best practices.
e. The University will incorporate the Green Building Design policy into existing facilitiesrelated training programs, with the aim of promoting and maintaining the goals of the policy.
Implementation Procedures for Green Building Design – General/Miscellaneous:
II.
•
Any proposed exception from standards listed in the Policy Guideline may be requested
administratively during preparation of the Project Planning Guide (PPG). Any exception
proposed after approval of the PPG will be treated as a scope change and processed in
accordance with standard University procedures.
•
Campuses may choose to pursue external certification through the LEED™ process,
augmented with Labs21 criteria as appropriate for laboratory systems, in lieu of the
internal process for a given project.
•
The University planning and design process will include explicit consideration of
lifecycle cost along with other factors in the project planning and design process,
recognizing the importance of long-term operations and maintenance in the performance
of University facilities.
•
The University will work closely with the U.S. Green Building Council, Labs21, the
Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, State government, and
other organizations to facilitate the improvement of evaluation methodologies to better
address University requirements. Additionally, the University will work with the U.S.
Green Building Council to develop a self-certification tool for University use.
Clean Energy Standard
a. The University will implement a systemwide portfolio approach to reduce consumption of
non-renewable energy. The portfolio will include a combination of energy efficiency
projects, the incorporation of local renewable power measures for existing and new facilities,
green power purchases from the electrical grid, and other energy measures with equivalent
demonstrable effect on the environment and reduction in fossil fuel usage. The appropriate
mix of measures to be adopted within the portfolio will be determined by each campus. Since
each campus’s capacity to adopt these measures is driven by technological and economic
factors, the campus will need to reevaluate their energy measures mix on a regular basis. The
portfolio approach will provide valuable analytical information for improving energy
efficiency, resulting in an overall improvement in the University’s impact on the
environment and reduced reliance on fossil fuels during the next decade of capital program
growth.
b. The University will strive to achieve a level of grid-provided electricity purchases from
renewable sources that will be similar to the State’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, which
sets a goal of procuring 20 percent of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2010.
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c. With a goal of providing up to 10 megawatts of local renewable power by 2014, the
University will develop a strategic plan for siting renewable power projects in existing and
new facilities. The plan will include demonstration projects for photovoltaic systems and
other renewable energy systems, such as landfill gas fueled electricity generation or thermal
energy production. The strategic plan will include criteria for evaluating the feasibility of a
variety of projects, such as incorporating photovoltaic systems in replacement roofing
projects and in new buildings, as well as forecasting the accommodations necessary for
eventual installation of photovoltaic systems. The University will assess the progress of
renewable energy technology improvements, both in terms of cost and technical efficiency.
To achieve the renewable power goal, the University will maximize the use of available
subsidies and negotiate pricing reductions in the marketplace, and will develop funding
sources for financing the costs of renewable energy measures.
d. With a goal of reducing systemwide non-renewable energy consumption, the University will
develop a strategic plan for implementing energy efficiency projects for existing buildings
and infrastructure to include operational changes and the integration of best practices. The
University will monitor industry progress in energy retrofits and implement technical
improvements as they become available. As with renewable energy projects, the University
will develop funding sources and establish a program for financing retrofit projects. The
initial goal for energy efficiency retrofit projects will be to reduce systemwide growthadjusted energy consumption by 10 percent or more by 2014 from the year 2000 base
consumption level. The University will strive to achieve even greater savings as additional
potential is identified and funding becomes available.
e. The University will continuously evaluate the feasibility of other energy-saving measures
with equivalent demonstrable effect on the environment and reduction in fossil fuel usage. In
particular, campuses will strive to implement the Sustainable Transportation Practices
described in Section III, below.
f. The University will develop a variety of funding sources and financing alternatives for
energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean energy projects that will enable campuses to
be flexible in addressing their energy needs.
g. The University will pursue marketing of emissions credits as a means to bridge the costfeasibility gap for green power projects.
Implementation Procedures for Clean Energy Standard:
•
The University will initiate progress towards a level of grid-provided electricity
purchases in 2004 by purchasing 10 percent of grid-supplied electricity from renewable
sources, subject to funding availability, and will track progress annually toward
achievement of the year 2010 goal.
•
Campuses will provide strategic plans for implementing energy efficiency projects by
identifying opportunities to incorporate energy retrofit projects into major building
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renovations as funding is available, and to initiate standalone retrofit projects as justified
by future energy savings.
III.
Climate Protection Practices
a. With an overall goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while maintaining
enrollment accessibility for every eligible student, enhancing research, promoting community
service and operating campus facilities more efficiently, the University will develop a long
term strategy for voluntarily meeting the State of California’s goal, pursuant to the
“California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006” that is: by 2020, to reduce GHG
emissions to 1990 levels. In addition, consistent with the Clean Energy Standard sections a.,
b. and c. of this document, the University will pursue the goal of reducing GHG emissions to
2000 levels by 2014 and provide an action plan for becoming climate neutral as specified in
the Implementation Procedures below.
Implementation Procedures for Climate Protection Practices:
IV.
•
By December 2008, the University will develop an action plan for becoming climate
neutral which will include: a feasibility study for meeting the 2014 and 2020 goals stated
in the Policy Guidelines, a target date for achieving climate neutrality as soon as
possible while maintaining the University’s overall mission, and a needs assessment of
the resources required to successfully achieve these goals. Climate neutrality means that
the University will have a net zero impact on the Earth’s climate, and will be achieved by
minimizing GHG emissions as much as possible and using carbon offsets or other
measures to mitigate the remaining GHG emissions.
•
Each UC campus will pursue individual membership with the California Climate Action
Registry. The Senior Vice President, Business and Finance, in coordination with campus
administration, faculty, students and other stakeholders will form a Climate Change
Working Group that will develop a protocol to allow for growth adjustment and
normalization of data and accurate reporting procedures. The Climate Change Working
Group will monitor progress toward reaching the stated goals for GHG reduction, and
will evaluate suggestions for programs to reach these goals.
Sustainable Transportation Practices
Metrics and Benchmarking
a. In implementing a most efficient and effective economic and environmental strategy for
campus fleets, campuses shall implement practicable and cost-effective measures,
including, but not necessarily limited to, the purchase of the cleanest and most efficient
vehicles and replacement tires, the use of alternative fuels, and other conservation measures.
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b. Campuses will be encouraged to collect data on Average Vehicle Ridership (AVR) of
commuters.
c. The Senior Vice President, Business & Finance has made a written request to major
automobile manufacturers expressing both the University’s commitment to work with
industry to provide vehicle and fuel choice, and the expectation that industry will provide
these choices to the fullest extent possible.
d. Using the time period 2004-2005 as a baseline, campuses will strive to increase the
percentage of low (PZEV) or zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) by 50% by the year 2009-2010,
or to increase the number of PZEV and ZEV vehicles by 20% by the year 2009-2010,
whichever is more feasible, and/or to convert campus vehicles to 50% non-carbon based fuel
by year 2009-2010.
e. The University will work with regulatory agencies and other entities (e.g., regional transit
agencies, air quality management districts) to speed the development, approval, and
implementation of programs and technologies that support the goals of sustainable
transportation as related to the increased use of biodiesel or other alternative fuel sources.
Implementation Procedures for Sustainable Transportation Practices:
•
With the goal of measuring all campus fleet vehicles fuel consumption reduction,
campuses will collect and report fuel consumption annually to the Office of the President
beginning in 2005-06.
•
AVR is defined as the number of trips to campus divided by the number of automobiles
used for those trips (AVR = trips/# automobiles). Campuses may use this data to set
goals for reduction of fuel consumption. AVR data may also be used in conjunction with
transportation mode split data to develop maps of distance “zones” surrounding the
campus, and to model each zone’s proportionate share of various commuting modes
(e.g., percentage of bicycle or single-occupancy vehicle trips within 0-2 miles from the
central campus core).
•
The Sustainable Transportation Working Group will continue to work with State agencies
to facilitate the purchase and use of LEV, ZEV, and alternative fuel vehicles by the
campuses, and to find solutions for increasing the availability of an affordable supply.
Transportation Programs
a. The University will continue to facilitate the sharing of best practices within the University
and among other educational institutions.
b. The University will develop a mechanism for ongoing involvement of undergraduate and
graduate students in efforts toward achieving sustainable campus transportation. The means
may include but are not limited to undergraduate and graduate internships and/or
scholarships for relevant conference attendance.
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c. By January 2009, each campus will implement a pre-tax transit pass program to facilitate the
purchase of transit passes by University employees, or will establish a universal access transit
pass program for employees.
d. The University will pursue the introduction of ride-share programs at each campus for all
eligible program participants, where available. In conjunction with this effort, campuses will
engage in advocacy efforts with local transit districts to improve routes in order to better
serve student and staff ridership.
e. To the extent practicable, campuses will develop a business-case analysis for any proposed
parking structure projects.
Implementation Procedures for Transportation Programs:
V.
•
The University will continue to participate in Transportation Sessions at the annual
UC/CSU/CCC Campus Sustainability Conference.
•
The Office of the President will begin funding an internship for one to two students in
Academic Year 2005-06 and continuing until Academic Year 2009-10 or longer. At that
time, the program’s results will be reviewed and the Senior Vice President, Business and
Finance, or other delegated administrator, will determine whether or not to extend the
program.
Sustainable Operations
a. For existing buildings, the University will explore the development of a standard
methodology for sustainable practices and standards for facilities management, by assessing
the LEED for Existing Building (LEED-EB) evaluation tool as described in b. through g.
below.
b. For existing buildings, the University of California will develop a plan to operate and
maintain all scope eligible campus buildings at a minimum standard equivalent to a LEED
for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) “Certified” rating. The implementation for certification
will be carried out in a comprehensive campus approach vs. an individual building basis,
except for exceptions noted below.
c. The University will incorporate these Sustainable Operations Policy Guidelines into existing
facilities-related training programs, with the aim of promoting and maintaining the goals of
the Policy.
d. The University will work closely with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to address
the needs and concerns of campuses in the further development of the LEED-EB rating
system and the USGBC’s “Portfolio Program.” As information and requirements are
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determined from the USGBC’s “Portfolio Program”; the University will update this policy as
appropriate.
e. Campuses will explore ways to connect the buildings it certifies through LEED-EB with the
University’s educational and research mission, using the buildings as living, learning
laboratories.
f. Eligible scope buildings for the purpose of this policy will be all buildings on-site at the ten
campuses; except the following buildings or building types: acute care and patient care
facilities; buildings scheduled for demolition, replacement, or major renovation; any building
not located on the main campus; and any building less than 50,000 maintained gross sq. ft.
g. A timetable for full campus implementation will be further evaluated after completion of the
interim milestones listed in Implementation Procedures below.
Implementation Procedures for Sustainable Operations:
VI.
•
Each campus will submit for certification one pilot building at a LEED-EB “Certified”
level or higher by July 1, 2008
•
To facilitate the implementation steps for the policy, campuses will develop an inventory
of buildings that meet the scope eligibility requirements above, and then group these
eligible buildings into categories of buildings with similar operational and maintenance
needs.
•
Campuses will submit proposed core credits for one of the building type groupings
identified above and any campuswide core credits to the U.S. Green Building Council by
July 1, 2009. A core credit is a credit that will be sought for either all scope eligible
buildings on a campus, or for all buildings within a building type group.
•
By July 1, 2009, the University will evaluate efforts to date and develop an
implementation plan and funding strategy toward a goal of achieving campus wide
LEED-EB certification.
Recycling and Waste Management
a. In response to Public Resources Code Section 40196.3 which states that the Regents of the
University of California are encouraged to comply with code Chapter 18.5, the “State
Agency Integrated Waste Management Plan” and in support of the California Integrated
Waste Management Board’s goal for a “zero waste California”, the University voluntarily
adopts the following waste diversion goals:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
50% by June 30, 2008
75% by June 30, 2012
Ultimate goal of zero waste by 2020
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b. All campuses will develop an Integrated Waste Management Plan (IWMP) and funding
mechanism by June 30, 2007.
c. Waste reduction and recycling elements shall be integrated in Green Building Design and
Sustainable Operation implementation goals and into campus operations as they are
developed.
d. The University will seek to develop funding sources for financing waste reduction projects.
Implementation Procedures for Recycling and Waste Management:
•
The IWMP will include current and future programs, dates of implementation, funding,
and exact diversion numbers intended to meet goals
•
For purposes of reporting, the medical centers (and other traditionally exempted entities)
(Satellite locations) at various campuses will be required to report solid waste and
recycling tonnage to the campus entity collecting data for the report. Medical Centers
and other exempted facilities are also required to meet diversion requirements.
Exceptions will be considered for those entities which represent less than 1% of the
overall campus solid waste tonnage.
VII.
Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Practices
Sustainable Economy
a. The University will utilize its purchasing power and academic and research excellence to
advance the development of sustainable technologies by pressing markets to continually
improve resource productivity.
b. For products and services that do not currently offer environmentally preferable alternatives,
the University will work with its existing and potential suppliers to develop options.
c. “Cradle to cradle” is the preferred purchasing standard and is defined as accountable,
responsible, and environmentally preferable supply chain management from material
extraction, production, marketing, sale, use, disposal, collection, re-use and the web of closed
loop cycles and processes.
d. The University will continue to transition all locations toward electronic and paperless
processes and utilize web-based catalogs and programs.
e. The University will incorporate the credit requirements set forth by LEED (Leadership in
Energy an Environmental Design) into product and service sourcing and procurement.
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f. The University evaluates total cost of ownership including purchase price, operating cost,
maintenance, collection and disposal, and recycling costs when selecting suppliers.
Energy and Water
a.
For product categories that have ENERGY STAR© rated products available, the University
will focus its procurement efforts only on products with an ENERGY STAR© rating, consistent
with the needs of UC researchers.
b. For all electronic equipment, the supplier will deliver the items to the University with energy
efficiency and conservation features enabled.
c. The University will utilize its strategic purchasing program to negotiate better pricing for
rated commodities.
d. The University of California shall establish an ongoing partnership with the ENERGY STAR©
Program administered by the EPA, and continually press the market for greater energy
efficiency for the products and services regularly purchased by the University.
e. For products and services requiring the use of water, the University will give preference to
technologies that ensure the efficient use of water resources.
Implementation Procedures for Energy and Water:
•
For those goods already in use across the system, available energy conservation features
shall be ENERGY STAR© enabled by a designated party (e.g. IT, department MSO).
Recycled Content
a. The University will phase out the use of virgin paper and adopt a minimum standard of 30%
Post Consumer Waste (PCW) recycled content paper for all office supplies.
b. For uncut paper uses, including but not limited to janitorial supplies, the University will
adopt a standard of 100% PCW recycled content paper.
c. The University will utilize its strategic purchasing program to negotiate better pricing for
commodities with recycled content as compared to commodities without recycled content.
d. The University will continually work towards increasing the procurement of products with
high recycled content.
e. Outside suppliers and consultants shall be encouraged to print proposals and reports on both
sides, using recycled content paper. Furthermore, the documents shall be clearly marked to
indicate that they are printed on recycled content paper.
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Green Seal Certified Products
a. The University will work to phase in Green Seal certified products, as specified in the
Implementation Procedures.
Implementation Procedures for Green Seal Certified Products:
•
The University will work to phase in Green Seal certified products through its Strategic
Sourcing and local campus procurement programs in coordination with EH&S, Facilities
Management, and Housing and Residential Services.
Reduction of Hazardous Electronic Waste
a. All desktop computers, laptops, and computer monitors purchased by the University are
required to have achieved Bronze registration or higher under the Electronic Products
Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT).
b. Additional consideration will be provided for electronics products that have achieved EPEAT
Silver or EPEAT Gold registration. The registration criteria and a list of all registered
equipment are provided at http://www.epeat.net.
c. The University will recycle all electronic waste in a responsible manner, as specified in the
Implementation Procedures.
Implementation Procedures for Reduction of Hazardous Electronic Waste:
•
The University will require all recyclers of the University’s electronic equipment to have
signed the Electronics Recyclers Pledge of True Stewardship, agreeing to a rigorous set
of environmental criteria. The Pledge, and a list of recyclers who have signed, is
available at http://www.ban.org/pledge1.html. In cases where the University has
established recycling “take-back” programs, the University will ensure that the
manufacturer adheres to similarly high standards of responsible recycling.
Environmentally Responsible Packaging
a. Packaging for electronics products should be designed, produced, and managed in an
environmentally sustainable manner, as specified in the Implementation Procedures.
b. The University will specify that all packing materials abide by at least one of, and preferably
all of, the criteria listed in the Implementation Procedures:
c. The University will work with its suppliers to ensure effective waste management and
recycling programs are in place for all business operations.
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Implementation Procedures for Environmentally Responsible Packaging:
•
The University requires that a take-back program be offered for packaging of electronics
products and will give preference to take-back programs that are provided free of
charge. The University will also give preference to packaging that is reusable, contains
a minimum of hazardous and non-recyclable materials, and meets or exceeds the
recycled material content levels in the US EPA Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines
for Paperboard and Packaging.
•
Specify that all packing materials abide by at least one of and preferably all of the
criteria listed below:
o
o
o
o
•
Made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials and be recyclable, reusable, or
Be non-toxic,
Be biodegradable,
Be produced with the minimum of resources and sized as small as possible, while still
maintaining product protection during shipping. Where feasible, packaging
materials should be eliminated, if unnecessary.
The University will work with its suppliers to ensure effective waste management and
recycling programs are in place for all business operations.
Effective Recycling and Manufacturer Take-Backs
a. The University will work to incorporate effective end-of-life recycling programs into each
commodity as applicable.
b. The University will work with its suppliers to establish, re-use or recycling “take-backs” at
no extra cost to the University, and in compliance with environmental standards that abide by
Federal, State, and local legislation regarding waste disposal.
Supply Chain Environmental Responsibility
a. The University will encourage suppliers to demonstrate environmental stewardship through
their Environmental Management Programs.
Evaluating Environmental Claims
a. Suppliers citing environmentally preferred product claims shall follow requirements
specified in the Implementation Procedures below.
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Implementation Procedures for Evaluating Environmental Claims:
•
Suppliers citing environmentally preferred product claims shall provide proper
certification or detailed information on environmental benefits, durability, and recyclable
properties.
Training and Annual Plan and Report
a. The University will incorporate the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy into
existing strategic sourcing and other training programs, with the aim of promoting and
maintaining the goals of the policy. The University shall provide training seminars, supplier
fairs, and workshops on purchasing environmentally preferred products and establish
educational programs and materials for faculty, staff, and students.
b. An annual plan and report shall be completed by each campus to define their environmental
purchasing plan and report their efforts.
Implementation Procedures for Training and Annual Plan and Report:
•
UC campus Sustainability Committees will be responsible for reporting to the
Sustainability Steering Committee on an annual basis. The Sustainability Steering
Committee and the Sustainable Purchasing Working Group will maintain responsibility
for determining the format and data to be submitted in the annual report, and the form
for the annual plan.
VIII. Authority and Report Schedule
On an annual basis, the President will provide a report to The Regents detailing the impact of the
University’s sustainability efforts on the overall capital program, University operating costs,
energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, solid waste diversion, campus environmentally preferable
purchasing and campus transportation practices. The University’s sustainability guidelines will
be subject to continuous review. The Policy Guidelines for Sustainable Practices and
Implementation Procedures will be reviewed at a minimum every three years, with the intent of
developing and strengthening implementation provisions and assessing the influence of the
guidelines on existing facilities, new capital projects, plant operating costs, fleet and
transportation services, and campus accessibility, mobility, and livability. The University will
provide means for the ongoing active participation of students, faculty, administrators, and
external representatives in further development and implementation of the Policy on Sustainable
Practices.
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