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Sustainability News

Study: Wealth buys rescue from urban heat island

September 21, 2009

by Shaun McKinnon

The Arizona Republic

Heat discriminates. Phoenix's sweltering summer inflicts the most misery and illness in poor neighborhoods, a new study shows, and among people least able to protect themselves from the elements. Conditions in those neighborhoods, with their sparse landscaping, high-density housing and converging freeways, create pockets of extreme heat that persist day and night. Inside, homeowners sometimes can't afford to turn up - or even turn on - the air-conditioner.

Wealthier homeowners, meanwhile, often in neighborhoods just blocks away, maintain lush yards and trees that help cool the air more quickly at night, shortening the hours of the hottest heat waves. They can buy further relief with a nudge of the thermostat.

The disparities present threats more serious than just discomfort on a hot day, according to the study, produced by Arizona State University researchers. Prolonged exposure to heat can cause illness or even death. The densely developed nature of the hottest areas also means more of the people most vulnerable - the elderly, children, the homebound - live in the neighborhoods where the risk is greatest.

That link between money and the ability to cope with extreme weather emerged clearly in the research. Among the startling revelations: For every $10,000 an area's income rises, the average outside temperature drops one-half degree Fahrenheit.

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The Aspen Institute Announces Arizona State University’s Jay Golden as Winner of 2009 Faculty Pioneer Award

September 16, 2009

NEW YORK, N.Y., TEMPE, Ariz. – The Center for Business Education at the Aspen Institute announced today that Professor Jay Golden of Arizona State University (ASU) has been named 2009 Faculty Pioneer. This recognition program, dubbed the "Oscars of the business school world" by The Financial Times, celebrates business educators who have demonstrated leadership and risk-taking in integrating ethical, environmental and social issues into the business curriculum. Golden will be honored on November 6th at an awards breakfast at Ernst & Young’s corporate headquarters in New York’s Times Square.

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Sierra Magazine Names ASU as a "Cool School"

August 20, 2009

 

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY NAMED ONE OF AMERICA'S TOP 20 "COOLEST" SCHOOLS BY SIERRA MAGAZINE. ASU praised for green efforts by national magazine, ranks #13 on list

 

TEMPE, Ariz. – Sierra magazine has named the nation's top 20 "coolest" schools for their efforts to stop global warming and operate sustainably. The magazine's September/October cover story spotlights the schools that are making a true impact for the planet, and marks Sierra's third annual listing of America's greenest universities and colleges. The complete list is available online at http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200909/coolschools/default.aspx.

Arizona State University (ASU) placed #13 on the list. Sustainability initiatives at Arizona State University include the only purchasing program to score a perfect "10" among Sierra's top 20, ramped-up recycling and waste-diversion efforts, energy-efficiency upgrades that have saved ASU an estimated 33 million kWh and 70 million pounds of CO2 annually, one of the largest university solar initiatives in the country; and ASU is home to the nation's first School of Sustainability.

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Experienced students help nurture young minds

August 10, 2009

Youngsters in a science summer camp hosted by the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering benefitted from the efforts of several ASU students with an enthusiasm for educational outreach.

Mentor teaching studentAmong them were Alice Ling, a senior studying mechanical engineering, and Erin Frisk, a doctoral student in ASU’s School of Sustainability.

They worked with 48 Arizona middle school students who participated in the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp.

Ling guided the teens and pre-teens through science and engineering projects and helped them cope with living day and night for two weeks on a university campus.

“I love working with kids,” Ling says. “I love to see them gain confidence in themselves and develop team-building skills in just a couple of weeks.” Frisk developed the camp curriculum, which provided the students a hands-on introduction to the diverse and growing field of sustainability.

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Arizona State University Installs Lighting in Parking Structures as Part of Energy Conservation Project

August 7, 2009

Lighting Science’s energy saving LED luminaires to reduce annual energy consumption by up to 59 percent in six ASU parking structures

TEMPE, Ariz. and SATELLITE BEACH, FL.– Lighting Science Group Corporation (LSG) (Lighting Science) today announced that Arizona State University (ASU) has taken yet another step in its commitment to 'going green' by retrofitting six parking structures on the Tempe campus with new light emitting-diode (LED) fixtures. Changing the existing fixtures to Lighting Science's LED low bay solution will afford ASU with an annual savings of up to $127,000 in energy and maintenance costs for the six structures that were retrofit.

As part of a Phase II energy conservation and sustainability project underway throughout campus, ASU's partner APS Energy Services replaced over 2,000, 150 W metal halide fixtures with Lighting Science's 78 W LED low bay luminaires. By replacing existing metal halide fixtures and lamps, ASU will reduce its energy consumption by 1.5 million kW hours, which is equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 208 passenger vehicles.

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ASU Named One of Nation's 'Greenest' Universities

July 27, 2009

Arizona State University has been named one of the nation's "greenest" universities by The Princeton Review in its second annual rating of environmentally-friendly institutions. This is the second year in a row that ASU made the list.

The Princeton Review named 15 colleges to its "2010 Green Rating Honor Roll" – a list that salutes the institutions that received the highest possible score – 99 – in this year's rating tallies.

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ASU and the U of AR Work with Walmart on Developing Sustainable Product Index

July 16, 2009

Consortium of universities will collaborate with businesses, NGOs and governmental agencies to develop global database of information on the lifecycle of products

TEMPE, Ariz., FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Walmart, a world leader in sustainability announced today an investment that reaffirms its commitment to incorporating sustainable business practices throughout the entire consumer business supply chain. Through a revolutionary move, Walmart is helping create a consortium of universities, jointly administered by Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of Arkansas (UA).

Walmart’s initial investment will be dispersed equally to Arizona State University and the University of Arkansas; this partnership will conduct the development of a science-based, open source, product lifecycle assessment that will provide scientific innovations that lead to a new generation of sustainable products, materials, and technologies.

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Explosive Growth of Life Fueled by Early Greening of Earth

July 14, 2009

Earth’s 4.5-billion-year history is filled with several turning points when temperatures changed dramatically, asteroids bombarded the planet and life forms came and disappeared. But one of the biggest moments in Earth’s lifetime is the Cambrian explosion of life, roughly 540 million years ago, when complex, multi-cellular life burst out all over the planet.

While scientists can pinpoint this pivotal period as leading to life as we know it today, it is not completely understood what caused the Cambrian explosion of life. Now, researchers led by Arizona State University geologist L. Paul Knauth believe they have found the trigger for the Cambrian explosion.

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Sustainable Cities Network receives $60,000 grant from Sam's Club®

July 8, 2009

Partnership between ASU and city, county, and tribal leaders strengthens regional sustainability efforts.

As part of Sam’s Club’s commitment to give back to the communities it serves, company executives presented Arizona State University with a $60,000 grant for its Sustainable Cities Network. The contribution is a market grant, with money pooled from 13 Sam’s Club stores in the Phoenix-Tucson-Prescott area.

“The Sustainable Cities Network represents the cities we serve, and it works to promote sustainability, which is one of the major focuses of our grants,” said Keith Lowe, club manager for the Gilbert store.

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ASU Art Museum Becomes Catalyst for Sustainability Dialogue

June 30, 2009

August 27, 2009 - February 20, 2010

Surprising. Invigorating. Thought provoking. The Arizona State University Art Museum continues to present the best in contemporary art with exhibitions in all media by regional and international, emerging and established artists. The ASU Art Museum organizes these outstanding contemporary art exhibitions – which often receive national and international attention – and presents them in innovative ways for students and visitors. 

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Water Webs Connect Spiders, Residents in Southwest

June 25, 2009

wolf spiderIf you are a cricket and it is a dry season on the San Pedro River in Arizona, on your nighttime ramblings to eat leaves, you are more likely to be ambushed by thirsty wolf spiders, or so a June 19 study suggests, published in the journal Ecology, and featured in the journal Science.

A potential horror story for any cricket. However, it is also a tale of water limitation that looks beyond how most ecosystem studies are considered. Much current work about the relationships between predators and prey is based on nutrients or energy limitation – via a food web.

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ASU Researcher is Among Authors of New U.S. Global Climate Change Report

June 17, 2009

Arizona State University professor Nancy Grimm is one of the authors of a new and authoritative federal study assessing the current and anticipated domestic impacts of climate change. The report, "Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States," was released June 16 by the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy, which advises the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs.

The main message in the report is that climate change is already having visible impacts in the United States, and, the choices that are made now will determine the severity of its impacts in the future.

The report compiles years of scientific research and takes into account new data not available during the preparation of previous large national and global assessments. It was produced by a consortium of experts from 13 U.S. government science agencies and from several major research institutes and universities, including Arizona State University.

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Thirteen Sustainability Graduates Represent Milestone for Arizona State University

May 13, 2009

ASU celebrates its first class of graduates from the nation's first School of Sustainability

President Barack Obama’s message of change parallels the vision Arizona State University has been pursuing since Michael Crow became its 16th president in 2002.

"The President’s emphasis on building the next generation of leaders in science, technology, and sustainability, as well as the arts, mirrors ASU’s mission as a New American University," said Crow. "His advocacy for representation of women and people of color, engaging a broader spectrum of leadership, models significantly for others at the highest level."

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School of Sustainability and Faculty Members Receive Numerous Awards

May 12, 2009

ASU’s School of Sustainability and its faculty members were widely recognized for achievements, educational contributions, and research advances in 2008-2009. Among the accolades:

ASU’s School of Sustainability received both a Crescordia Award in the category of environmental education/communication and the overall President’s Award for 2008 from Arizona’s Valley Forward Association for outstanding environmental achievement of the year.

Decision Center for a Desert City (DCDC) co-directors Patricia Gober, Ph.D., and Charles Redman, Ph.D., accepted the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water in a November ceremony in Saudi Arabia. DCDC, which is a unit of the Global Institute of Sustainability, will split the $133,000 award with one other institution. Gober and Redman are both School of Sustainability faculty.

FACULTY MEMBERS

Patricia Gober, Ph.D., was elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society, in the Geology and Geography Division. In addition, Dr. Gober received the ASU Faculty Achievement Research Award sponsored by the ASU Alumni Association for her role in advancing the issues of water management and environmental change in metropolitan Phoenix. She also serves on the faculty of the School of Geographical Sciences.

George Maracas, Ph.D., was honored by the Phoenix Business Journal with its Green Pioneers Award, which is given to businesses, governments, and individuals that take steps to become more eco-friendly. He also serves on the faculty of the Department of Electrical Engineering and is CEO of ASU’s Solar Power Laboratory.

Douglas Webster, Ph.D., was awarded the 2008 Phoenix Global Power Player award by the Phoenix Business Journal. He also serves on the faculty of the School of Government, Politics & Global Studies.

Jianguo Wu, Ph.D., was chosen as one of 19 Leopold Leadership Program Fellows based on scientific excellence, leadership qualities, and desire to expand communication and outreach skills beyond traditional scientific circles. He also serves on the faculty of the School of Life Sciences.

AFFILIATED FACULTY MEMBERS

Braden Allenby, Ph.D., was named a 2008 U.S. Professor of the Year by both the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He is also the Director, Center for Earth Systems Engineering and Management, and serves on the faculty of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Nan Ellin, Ph.D., received Valley Forward’s Environmental Excellence Award of Merit in the Environmental Education category for “Making Sustainable Communities Happen.” She is also director of the Urban & Metropolitan Studies Program in the School of Public Affairs, College of Public Programs.

Stuart Fisher, Ph.D., won the Ecological Society of America’s Eugene P. Odum Award for Excellence in Environmental Education. He also serves on the faculty of the School of Life Sciences.

Nancy Grimm, Ph.D., was elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society, for her work in the area of urban ecology & sustainability. She also serves as co-director of the Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research Project and is a faculty member of the School of Life Sciences.

Mark Henderson, Ph.D., won the Creasman Award for Excellence from the ASU Alumni Association for his work as director of GlobalResolve, an interdisciplinary social-entrepreneurship initiative at Arizona State University that involves ASU students, faculty, staff, alumni, and international partners in projects that improve the lives of underprivileged people around the world. He also serves on the faculty of the ASU Polytechnic Department of Engineering.

Margaret Nelson, Ph.D., was named a President’s Professor in 2008, an award that recognizes tenured faculty who have made outstanding contributions to undergraduate education at Arizona State University. She is also Associate Dean, Barrett, The Honors College and serves on the faculty of the School of Human Evolution and Social Change.

David Pijawka, Ph.D., received the 2009 Outstanding Leadership in Education award from the NAACP, Maricopa Branch. He also serves on the faculty of the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning.

Bruce E. Rittmann, Ph.D., NAE, FAAAS, won the Simon W. Freese Environmental Engineering Award and Lecture from the American Society of Civil Engineers. He is also director of the Center for Environmental Biotechnology in the Biodesign Institute. Rittmann was just named a Regent’s Professor, the highest faculty honor bestowed by the University.

Everett Shock, Ph.D., was named 2009 Geochemistry Fellow by the Geochemical Society and The European Association for Geochemistry, an honor that is bestowed upon outstanding scientists who have, over some years, made a major contribution to the field of geochemistry. He also serves on the faculty of the School of Earth and Space Exploration.

ASU Collects Donations During Year-End Move-Out

May 5, 2009

On May 07, 2009 and May 11, 2009

from 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Every year as students rush to move out, residence hall dumpsters fill up with things that could be reused or recycled. What if there was a way to reduce this needless waste and benefit a local charity, too? Arizona State University is doing just that.

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DOE Funds Bio-Inspired Solar Fuel Center at ASU

April 30, 2009

ASU center will focus on using fundamentals of photosynthesis to unlock new sources of energy

TEMPE Ariz. — Arizona State University will be home to a new Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) announced by the White House in conjunction with a speech delivered by President Barack Obama.

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Experts Issue Report on Adapting to Climate Change in Desert and Coastal Cities

April 29, 2009

In January 2009, a group of 31 experts with diverse backgrounds convened at Arizona State University’s Decision Theater for a two-day workshop. Participants identified management needs, research gaps, and adaptation solutions relating to the impacts of climate change in coastal and arid urban environments.

Planning Integrated Research for Decision Support for Climate Adaptation and Water Management: A Focus on Desert and Coastal Cities was co-sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Arizona State University. Findings from the workshop are documented in the formal report (1.02 MB PDF).

Podcast: The scoop on buying in bulk

April 28, 2009

Brendan Beardsley, a master’s student in ASU’s College of Design, has a plan to help you live a more sustainable lifestyle and save a little money, too. Learn more about his design for a convenient bulk foods container and how it can benefit you and your planet.

[audio:http://sustainability.asu.edu/media/podcasts/Brendan-Beardsley-Podcast.mp3]

Podcast by Brenden Beiriger, Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, Arizona State University

Ray Jensen as University Sustainability Operations Officer

April 27, 2009

By Karen Leland, Director

Communications and Marketing

Demonstrating its proactive leadership in the field of sustainability, Arizona State University (ASU) has appointed Associate Vice President of University Business Services Ray Jensen as University Sustainability Operations Officer, with the responsibility to forward sustainability practices in as many aspects of the University’s operations as possible. In his expanded role, Jensen will collaborate with the Global Institute of Sustainability (GIOS), while continuing to report directly to the Executive Vice President, CFO and Treasurer, Morgan R. Olsen.

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