This week marks the first edition of AASHE's Global Edition of the Bulletin. Alongside ClimateEdu, the Bulletin is one of the best sources of news on the campus sustainability scene, but until now has only covered stories in the US and Canada. The new international version will be released twice a year, sent by email for free to subscribers of the existing Bulletin.

The first issue, released yesterday, covers such topics as green building awards in Dubai and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as student projects in Sydney and biodiesel parks in India.

See More:

Shanghai Calling: International Collaboration for Sustainability

Youth Activists Vocal at Climate Talks in Poznan, Poland

To the surprise of the presenter, Dave Newport of CU-Boulder, this afternoon’s discussion of GHG offsets and Renewable Energy Credits didn’t degenerate into fisticuffs or even a red-faced screaming match. In fact, the discussion was downright welcoming, which is what I’ve come to expect of the attendees of this conference.

Several weeks ago, our feature ClimateEdu article dealt with the different ways that universities and colleges are incorporating renewable energy into their portfolios, whether that’s through installing renewable energy equipment or through purchasing. It’s a touchy issue for most sustainability coordinators, who are intent on conservation, energy efficiency, and on-site generation where possible, but are also coming to terms with the fact that they may not be able to meet their full energy load with such measures. Many schools, in fact, find that they have a large gap to fill, and turn to offset measures to make up the difference. However, the vagaries of the offset and REC market are still not well understood, even by experts, leading to general suspicion and sometimes outright hostility (which is apparently what Dave Newport expected).

Newport used his own campus as an example as he described the pros and cons of purchasing offsets versus RECs. CU-Boulder, which had been purchasing RECs since 2000 (using funds that students voted to add to their semester fees), switched this year to purchasing offsets through the Colorado Carbon Fund. Renewable Energy Credits are simply certificates that assure the purchaser that somewhere, a MWh from renewable sources has been produced and fed into the grid. Newport says, “They have some pros, and that’s why we bought them. But we made a mistake, and we oversold them. We told our president that we’re buying wind power, and then when we tried to explain that there’s no big orange extension cord from a wind turbine to our campus, and that actually we don’t know where that energy went to when it got fed into the grid, we caused a lot of problems. We don’t say that anymore.”

While Newport feels that RECs have had their victories, among them increased market demand for renewable energy and the dismantling of some of the geographical barriers to sustainability, the disadvantages of RECs outweigh the benefits. He lists the public perception of REC’s as a ‘sin tax’, the lack of transparency, a poor sense of closure for buyers, and the lack of added value to the initial investment as cons.

Offsets, by contrast, particularly in the community-based model that CU-Boulder is developing, have the potential to not only reduce emissions, but fuel an ongoing movement.

Newport says, “We are focusing on local projects, and doing some of the labor ourselves. You will be able to ride your bike by and see our solar hot water heaters. We have bilingual students going into low-income neighborhoods to help residents weatherize their homes and save some of the energy costs that are disproportionately heavy on them. We’ll have a biomass plant, and new ways to manage transit. All of these things are creating green jobs, keeping local capital local, and are really good for students. And they’re so visible, we get the confidence from investors to keep doing more. It is about reducing carbon, but it’s just as much about improving people’s lives.”

We are recapping AASHE: Sustainability on Campus and Beyond as it happens. If you were at the sessions we're covering, weigh in with your comments below. Or see others' blogs, photos and Twitter updates on the AASHE live page.

Tomorrow ASU celebrates the new home of its Global Institute of Sustainability, which was recently renovated with an eye towards purchasing as many recycled and recyclable materials as possible. Recycled milk-jugs and aluminum cans are incorporated into countertops, light and motion-sensor lamps respond to natural light to save energy, and conference room chairs are made from 95% recycled materials.

Six wind turbines, each expected to provide about 1,000 watts, have been installed on the roof and will be turned on as soon as roof renovations are complete. Room has also been left for future solar panels, and the building is currently pursuing LEED certification.

While some of these features are cool, we're more interested in what will be going on in the building: the 30-year-old Global Institute of Sustainability is dedicated to conducting research and education programs supporting ecologically-friendly cities and communities, often using nearby Phoenix as a living laboratory. GIOS has developed curricula for k-12 education as well as graduate and undergraduate degrees, and helps to support ASU's goals of sustainable campus development.

Image: ASU's Global Institute of Sustainability, via ASU News

It's almost a given that any discussion of energy efficiency will, at some point, address light bulbs. CFLs, which use about 25% of the energy required by traditional bulbs, are already mainstream and can save a significant amount of wattage. When the University of Tennessee swapped in CFLs  for 1,760 incandescent bulbs in spring 2006, they saved $4,190 and 60 tons of CO2 in a single semester.

However, newer light bulbs are on the horizon that may turn CFLs into old news. (This is great for those of us with clumsy fingers--when I changed to CFLs in my apartment, I accidentally shattered a bulb and had to look up the guidelines for proper disposal of the fragments, which contain very small amounts of mercury. I have never Googled the EPA's website faster! Rest assured that I have suffered no ill effects, and that these precautions are exactly that: precautions. The mercury in CFLs should not be high on your worry list.)

LED technology has been around for a while in indicator lights and small electronics. However, new white LEDs are being piloted that can emit light on the full spectrum and scale of traditional light bulbs, with even less electricity and wasted heat than CFLs (which are already a massive savings over incandescent). They also have much a longer lifespan, sometimes lasting more than ten years even when running  24/7. Oh, and you won't need to check HAZMAT disposal guides when you drop a mercury- and lead-free LED.

Universities such as Marquette University, North Carolina State, and the University of Arkansas are getting in on the action by installing these new bulbs in partnership with LED University. For example, N.C. State estimates an energy savings of 66% in a student apartment complex with recessed down-lit LEDs.

Of course! There are several ways to save energy and keep cool during the summer. When leaving home in the morning close the blinds and curtains part way to keep the sun out and keep the house cool. Avoid using the oven, use the grill instead – heat up the outside instead of the kitchen. While driving, instead of using the air conditioning put both windows down for a good, cool cross breeze. Use a sun shield in the car to protect the interior and to keep it protected from direct sun that will heat it up. To reduce water use in the summer, plant native species, for example drought-tolerant plants in desert areas. Collect rainwater in barrels and use it to water the lawn. Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, planted drought-tolerant plants and shade trees on campus: vegetation appropriate for a hot, dry climate. The shade trees provide a cool place for students to relax.

We all know how much college students love to sleep! Unfortunately most college students do not let their computers sleep at all—many are left on 24 hours a day! Computers are undoubtedly necessity for many college students and offices, although it is hard to believe they are used every minute they are powered on. According to the University of Pittsburg idling computer monitors throughout the United States uses $900 million in energy costs every year.

Several simple solutions can help curb energy costs and carbon emissions:

1. When shopping for a new computer, look for Energy Star qualified computers and purchase a flat screen monitor to reduce energy use.
2. Limit the use of screensavers, as they do not save energy and can keep the monitor from going into sleep mode.
3. TURN IT OFF! When you know your computer will not be used for several hours (especially at night) shut it down. Frequent shutting down does NOT decrease the life of the computer. This was true years ago when computers and hard drives were not as efficient. To the contrary, letting your computer rest and shutting it down can reduce heat stress and mechanical wear.
4. LET IT SLEEP! Most computers have power-saving modes built in. Computers go into a sleep mode, and with a flick of the mouse the screen pops back up without loosing any information or time. For those addicted to an internet messenger, you can still receive messages in sleep mode! Check your computer settings and make sure your computer is set to go into sleep mode after 5 or 10 minutes.

Check out the Energy Star Showcase Dorm Room set up by NWF’s 2002 fellows at Tulane University, to see about computers and other energy efficient appliances and how to use them to curb energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Whether you use your computer to work on term papers or email your boss, you can reduce your own environmental impact simply by letting your computer sleep!

In college, "home" often means "dorm room." While college dormatories typically share a number of the same energy and environmental features of other buildings on campus, they are also the students' residences. As such, dorms offer a special opportunity to affect climate consciousness and energy-related behavior. The EPA's Energy Star Program strives to lower U.S. energy consumption through more efficient appliances, computers, and many other products includiing building materials. On the practical side, students, faculty and administrators might enjoy checking out the Energy Star Showcase Dorm Room Guide.