Sustainability News

Arizona State University is the 2014 location for the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) Annual Meeting taking place on March 21-23 on the Tempe campus. CGI U promotes and encourages the millennial generation's motivation towards positive change and impactful entrepreneurship by funding student-created projects and initiatives.

"This conference is building upon the worldwide movement for social entrepreneurship and change that’s at the core of the millennial generation," said Kaitlin Fitzgerald, student director of Changemaker Central. "ASU is a great place for that because we are a university that prides itself on showing students how to take the resources and opportunities at their disposal and apply them to real-world challenges."

School of Sustainability students are encouraged to apply by Nov. 22 with ideas related to one of five focus areas: education, environment and climate change, peace and human rights, poverty alleviation, and public health. For questions, email changemaker@asu.edu.

Emma Huizar-Felix, a 2012 graduate of the School of Sustainability, moved from her home state of Mexico to pursue more opportunities and a higher education. She settled in Arizona and ended up double majoring in design and sustainability and minoring in landscape architecture. From a young age, she knew hard work and determination could get her anywhere.

"For young people in Mexico to start on their own path, it’s really hard. If I had stayed there, I would always have worked in my Mom’s business, or my Dad’s," says Huizar-Felix. "I didn’t really want that. I wanted to grow more and be able to prove to myself I can do a lot on my own."

In the future, Huizar-Felix hopes to open her own business and consult on sustainability in Mexico. She wants to help lower energy costs and consumption in businesses much like her parents'.

Peter Byck, director and producer of "Carbon Nation" and a new professor of practice for the School of Sustainability and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, is currently teaching students sustainability concepts through documentary-making.

"It’s about solutions and changing students’ careers," says Byck. "It was a beautiful fit for my next project."

Students from both schools are divided into three teams investigating solar issues in Arizona. The students will then showcase their documentaries to a live audience at the end of the semester. Byck is also partnering with ASU to create a follow-up to "Carbon Nation" called "Carbon Nation Mach 2."

In ASU's School of Sustainability, professors are taking advantage of the many technological opportunities available today to entice students and expand their real-world, global experiences. By using methods like Vidyo, Skype, Voice Thread, and others, classrooms turn into living laboratories for students exploring sustainable communities, international policy, and sustainable development.

"Technology can bring the class to the outside world, instead of taking the outside world to the class," says David Manuel-Navarrete, an assistant professor in the School of Sustainability and a senior sustainability scientist in ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability.

Other sustainability professors advise that newcomers develop a back-up plan in case any glitches occur. However, many students expect their professors to be up-to-date on new technology and to use such technology in the classroom.

Arizona State University’s Wells Fargo Arena is the first LED-lit NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision facility in the nation. ASU's recent sustainability partner, Ameresco, joined Musco Sports Lighting, ASU Facilities Development and Management, and University Sustainable Practices to remove the stadium's previous 109.20 kW lighting system with the new 27.74 kW LED system. Now, the stadium's lighting uses 75 percent less energy without compromising lighting levels.

LED lighting (light-emitting diode) is a high-efficiency, low-temperature lighting source that is known for lasting 25 times longer than traditional incandescent light bulbs. It is estimated that the new LED installation will save ASU $357,000 over 10 years.

This past summer, Sun Devil Athletics made the Natural Resource Defense Council's list of top 10 sustainable athletic departments.

Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Joe Knott, also a current ASU School of Sustainability graduate student, was chosen to be one of the White House's 2013 Champions of Change for his continued commitment to land and species conservation.

Knott, a 33-year veteran, has served at the Pentagon as program manager for the Army’s Compatible Use Buffer Program that conserved 70,000 acres of land across the U.S. for conservation and green space. His last military assignment was as the Sustainability and Energy program manager for the National Guard Bureau, developing and implementing sustainability education, policies, and renewable energy initiatives for all 54 states and territories.

Knott will be awarded tomorrow morning at the White House's ceremony. The event is closed to press but will be live streamed on the White House website at 10:00 a.m. ET.

WASHINGTON, DC — November 4, 2013 — On Tuesday, November 5th, just days before Veterans Day, the White House will honor 12 local heroes as "Champions of Change." The event will celebrate American veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who are doing extraordinary work to advance clean energy and increase climate resilience and preparedness in their communities.

In a Presidential Proclamation on National Energy Action Month, President Obama challenged the Nation to build a clean energy economy and increase energy security. Noting that we now import less oil than at any point in the past 20 years, the President stressed the need to keep moving forward to protect these gains and fuel growth for decades to come. Additionally, the President’s Climate Action Plan maps out a way to drive advancements in the energy sector, add thousands of jobs to strengthen the American economy, and lead efforts to address climate change globally. The President has stated that developing clean energy technology and preparing for the effects of climate change are crucial to ensuring America’s continued growth and the health of future generations.

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The team of students from ASU and the University of New Mexico competed in the U.S. Department of Energy's 2013 Solar Decathlon and scored fifth in the architecture category and sixth in the engineering category among 20 participating teams.

"This was a notable collaboration between ASU programs in design, engineering and sustainability, and programs from the University of New Mexico," says Michael Underhill, interim dean for the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

The ASU team was composed of students and faculty leaders from The Design School in the ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, and the School of Sustainability. Called aSUNm, the team created an affordable energy-efficient home for a desert landscape.

Manny Quijada, a graduate of Arizona State University's Solar Energy Engineering and Commercialization program, started Western Texas College's own Solar Energy Technology program a year ago. Now a solar energy curriculum specialist, Quijada is sharing his expertise and teaching the future generations of solar technicians, researchers, and business owners.

"I’m thrilled to be in a position where I can motivate others to learn about solar energy technology and to envision a future for this power source that can help nations and governments secure a sustainable environment," he says.

Since 2011, ASU's solar energy program has graduated 27 students who are equipped with the engineering, policy, economic, and technology sides of solar energy.

School of Sustainability alumnus Cameron Childs (MA ‘12) has published her work in the September 2013 issue of Ecology and Society. Together with ASU Sustainability Scientists Abigail York, Dave White, and Michael Schoon, as well as Gitanjali Bodner of The Nature Conservancy in Tucson, Childs authored the article, Navigating a Murky Adaptive Comanagement Governance Network: Agua Fria Watershed, Arizona, USA.

The study analyzes perceptions about how multiple agencies work together to co-manage the Agua Fria Watershed in Arizona, using insight and personnel from the long-enduring co-management project, Las Cienegas. What they found was that general lessons and approaches from one project may be transferable, but particular institutions, management structures, or projects must be place-specific.

The study was part of a special feature on Exploring Opportunities for Advancing Collaborative Adaptive Management (CAM): Integrating Experience and Practice.

“Whether working in a desert watershed or the apparel and footwear industry,” says Childs, “collaboration is critical to addressing sustainability challenges. No one organization can do it alone.”

So you’re a student at Arizona State University and are hankerin’ to down some sustainable grub, right? These days it’s hard to figure out where your food comes from and what restaurants are actually telling the truth. (Ever heard of greenwashing?)

Have no fear; we’ve rounded up some reasonably priced sustainable restaurant options located near the Tempe campus, home of ASU’s School of Sustainability and Global Institute of Sustainability. And we’ve rated the cost of a typical meal at each restaurant on a scale of one to five with five being the most expensive.

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A study published October 27, 2013, in the journal Nature Climate Change says global warming will make water scarcer in some places. The implication for coal power plants, which require a lot of water to operate, is that they could become obsolete in water-scarce areas, overtaken by renewable energy like wind and solar.

School of Sustainability alumnus Chris Harto (MS ’09) was a contributing author on the report, which was the first to account for water availability as well as emission-reductions in calculating the most economical mix of energy technologies. Harto, now an environmental and energy analyst at the Argonne National Laboratory, was quoted in a Christian Science Monitor article about the study.

“There's a rate at which nature provides water,” Harto says. “When you start bumping up against that limit, you start running into some significant conflicts.”

A Thought Leader Series Piece

By Tim Beatley

Note: This month Tim Beatley’s Biophilic Cities Launch exhibit featured student photography and videos from Senior Sustainability Scientist David Pijawka’s Sustainable Cities course. The work explores local examples of biophilia in neighborhoods, public parks, and vacant lots.

When I describe myself as a "biophilic urbanist" as I sometimes do, reactions vary from quizzical looks to knowing smiles. But almost always my title serves to open a conversation about the quality of contemporary life and the important role of nature in our lives.

The concept of biophilia was popularized by Harvard biologist and entomologist E.O. Wilson.  To Wilson, biophilia is "the innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms. Innate means hereditary and hence part of ultimate human nature." We are carrying with us, so the argument goes, our ancient brains, and so no wonder that we are happier, more relaxed and productive in the presence of nature. Living a happy, meaningful life is certainly possible in the absence of nature, but much harder, as we increasingly understand that nature is not optional but essential.

Biophilic design has been well-articulated and convincingly adopted by architects, but relatively less attention has been given to understanding the implications of biophilia for the design and planning of urban neighborhoods, cities, and metropolitan regions, otherwise known as biophilic cities.

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In a recent Triple Pundit article by Arizona State University Sustainability Scientist George Basile and consultant Bruno Sarda, the "can't do" overshadows the positivity of change and innovation in today's business world.

"The 'can’t do' conversation is, by its very nature, a discussion of inaction, of intention rather than execution," writes the authors. "In order to bridge the gap between intention and execution, the world needs effective and determined leaders who know how to use tools such as strategy, global context, communication, and an emerging suite of new leadership skills to make the necessary change our planet and society needs to 'thrive today and tomorrow.'"

ASU has answered the call for sustainability leaders by establishing the School of Sustainability and Global Institute of Sustainability. The Institute launched the new Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives in which one particular initiative starting this January, the Executive Master's for Sustainability Leadership, targets current and future business professionals who want to incorporate sustainability into every sector of the workplace but don't yet know how.

At Arizona State University (ASU), sustainability is a core value – not just of university leadership, but also of many students across the university’s campuses. ASU has student groups related to virtually any interest. Here’s a list of groups related to sustainability. If you’re interested in living, learning about, or solving problems of sustainability, consider joining one or more of these organizations.

Clubs that bring sustainability to ASU campuses »

Clubs for sustainability education and networking »

Clubs for living sustainably »

Clubs for collective action and sustainability solutions »

Learn more about ASU student organizations at http://asu.orgsync.com/home. Think your group should be included on one of these lists? Contact us at sustainability@asu.edu.

In School of Sustainability professor David Manuel-Navarrete's SOS 494 course, Sustainability Leadership and Social Change, students created, edited, and filmed a documentary highlighting the transformations that Arizona State University and the Sustainability branch at CREST (the Center for Research in Engineering, Science and Technology) are undertaking to put sustainability at the center of education.

"By making the documentary, the balance of power within the class is altered; the instructor is no longer a purveyor of information and the students are not just the consumers," Manuel-Navarrete says. "Instead, it becomes a process of co-production. The co-production allows the students to effectively absorb the course's teachings."

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TEMPE, Ariz. — October 22, 2013 — Tasked with determining how best to invest global money in developing countries, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) consulted Arizona State University (ASU) for expert sustainability advice, October 15-16 at ASU.

"Our scientists and faculty bring transdisciplinary expertise, applied research and solutions to global challenges, turning knowledge into action," said ASU President Michael Crow. "We are honored to contribute that level of experience and applied science to support the exceptional work of World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and to help the IFC."

More than 40 IFC Climate Business Group members from around the world gathered in Tempe for the two-day "short course" about implications of climate change, presented by various experts from ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability and School of Sustainability.

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Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has proclaimed October to be Arizona Solar and Renewable Energy month and to celebrate, the 2013 "Living with the Sun" Solar Tour kicks off this weekend Saturday-Sunday, October 26-27. ASU's own Wrigley Hall, the headquarters of the School of Sustainability and Global Institute of Sustainability, is scheduled on the tour for both Saturday and Sunday, 1:00-4:30 p.m.

The tour is self-guided, but there will be building experts on hand at Wrigley Hall to talk about the building's specific sustainability aspects including the solar and wind systems, recycled materials, and native vegetation. Wrigley Hall is located at 800 S. Cady Mall on ASU's Tempe campus on the corner of College Ave. and University Dr.

Tour locations map

Arizona State University scientists and student researchers are welcome to enter their environmental conservation projects in the St. Andrews Prize for the Environment.

Since 1998, the Prize has awarded works that address human/animal conflicts, water issues, air quality, solar power, food supply, and community regeneration. The top project will win $100,000. The second and third finalists will each win $25,000.

The St. Andrews Prize for the Environment is an international initiative by the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and the independent exploration and production company, Conocophillips.

Entries should be submitted online by October 31, 2013.

For many who enroll in ASU's School of Sustainability, making a difference in the world is a top priority. The School allows students to design their own academic path based on the type of the career they want, whether it be in energy, food, waste, policy, economics, or international development.

"My dream is to help save the world and make a difference," says freshman Kate Tiffany, a Phoenix native who is studying sustainability and international development. "I’m really happy to be involved in a community that’s really passionate about the environment, and we all love what we’re doing and feel strongly about sustainability. I’m excited to be here."

Students can preview a list of spring 2014 courses by searching for "SOS" in the online course catalog starting Oct. 17. Course registration officially opens on Oct. 21.