The CUNY Sustainability Project

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• The CUNY Sustainability Project
• May 8, 2008

Sustainability Is
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Why Sustainability?

• Global Warming
• Energy Independence
• Health
• Economic Growth

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• Global Warming

Greenland
NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
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• Global Warming

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• Global Warming

Source Prof. Daniel Schrag, Harvard University
Center for the Environment
Manhattan by the end of the Century?
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Oil Cost per barrel May 7, 2008 121.

• Energy Independence

US Energy Information Administration
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NYC Out of Choices

• Energy Independence

• 0 in-city capacity
• Almost 100 gas and oil
• Fuel price volatility

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Air Pollution

• Health

• All five boroughs are non-attainment zones
• 25,000 asthma attacks annually from power plants
  per year
• 6 billion in health impacts
• Environmental justice

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• Health

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Economics

• Economic Growth

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Jobs

• Economic Growth

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• Economic Growth

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• Economic Growth

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Our Best Hope

• The public must get informed.
• Dr. James Hansen
• Director, NASA Goddard Institute for
  Space Studies

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Hairspray
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Ozone Success Story (CFCs)

• Scientists Clear warning
• Media Transmitted clear message
• Government US/Europe leadership with policy,
  technical assistance and industry
  incentives
• Special Interests Over came initial skepticism,
  pursued advance technology
• Public Quick response, spray cans replaced

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Chlorofluorocarbons CFCs
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Government Policy

• Scientists
• Media
• Government
• Special Interests
• Public

• Kyoto Protocol
• U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement
• NYS Executive Order 111
• Mayor Bloombergs PlaNYC 2030
• NYC- Fully Hybrid taxi fleet by 2012

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30 in 10
Mayor Bloombergs Challenge to all New York City
Universities
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CUNY Sustainability Project

• We are all Stakeholders in a Sustainable CUNY
• 17 Trustees
• 1 Chancellor
• 7 Vice Chancellors
• 23 Presidents
• 75 Deans
• 600 Department Chairs
• 14,000 Full and Part-Time Faculty
• 21,000 Full and Part-Time Staff
• 450,000 Students

CUNY occupies 23 million square feet in 298
buildings distributed among 23 colleges ranging
in age from one to 160
Sustainability Is
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Sustainability Task Force
Allan Dobrin Executive Sponsor
Tria Case, Executive Director
Committees
Core Team
Campus Councils
Campus Executive
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Sustainability Task Force
Allan Dobrin Executive Sponsor
450,000 Students
Tria Case, Executive Director
Committees
Core Team
Campus Councils
Campus Executive
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First Step Sustainability Assessment

• Baseline Measurements in 7 key areas
• Energy
• Water
• Transportation
• Recycling
• Sustainable Procurement
• Sustainable Nutrition
• Sustainable Education and Outreach

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CUNY Sustainability Actions
Sustainability Activities

Energy - Smart power strips
Transportation - Hybrid purchases
incentives

• Recycling
• - Cooking oil reused as biofuel

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Sustainable Action Highlights
Sustainability Activities

Student Engagement - Interns Student
Advocates
External Training - First hands on PV lab in
NYC
Procurement - Styrofoam reduced
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Polystyrene

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CUNY Sustainable Mug

• Discounts at participating vendors
• Spread the message with the logo

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Task Force Tools

• Sustainable Times Newsletter
• Posted on our Sustainable CUNY website
• Emailed to the Sustainable CUNY community
• Highlights our success
• Promotes CUNY Sustainable Actions

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Task Force Tools

• Sustainable
• CUNY
• Website

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Sustainable Actions

• Switch light bulbs to compact fluorescent lights
  (CFLs)
• Spread the word!-Add Think before you print to
  your emails
• Choose organic, locally grown food when you have
  a choice
• Turn off unused lights and electronics
• Close lab hoods

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Sustainable CUNY Shorts

• Contest with cash prizes on YouTube
• Rotating Green Themes
• 8 week run
• Open to all CUNY students, staff and alumni
• Select winner from the top 5 hits
• Short clips less than 2 minutes
• Skits
• Demonstrations
• Songs
• Serious or funny

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The Solar side of CUNY
New York City Solar America City

• Center for Sustainable Energy named Action Arm
  for NYC Solar America Initiative
• New York City Solar Summit
• Training the green collar workers

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Task Force Sustainability Initiatives
Sustainability Activities

• Green Energy Training _at_ CUNY (GET_at_CUNY)
• Center for Sustainable Energy at Bronx Community
  College- (lead)
• Kingsborough Community College
• LaGuardia Community College- NY Designs
• NY City Tech
• Borough of Manhattan Community College
• The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC)
• The City University of New York
• Cornell University
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Clarkson University
• Binghamton University
• The State University of New York at New Paltz

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City University of New York