Its Easy Being GREEN: Advising Tips for Earthfriendly Study Abroad

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Its Easy Being GREEN Advising Tips for
Earth-friendly Study Abroad

• NAFSA Region VI Conference, Lexington, KY
• November 10, 2008

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Panelists

• Dominic Davies, University of Kentucky, Education
  Abroad Student Advising Assistant
• Søren M Peterson, Education Abroad Adviser, Berea
  College and NAFSA Kentucky State Representative
• Airika Coblentz, Midwest Campus Relations
  Manager, CET Academic Programs

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Session Agenda

• Brief Introduction
• Pre-Departure 10 minutes
• While Abroad 10 Minutes
• Re-Entry 10 minutes
• Small Group Work 15 minutes
• Group De-Brief 15 minutes
• Final Questions

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Program Selection andPre-Departure Orientation

• Søren M Peterson
• Education Abroad Adviser, Berea College
• and NAFSA Kentucky State Representative

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But first, why does it matter?

• Sustainable Study Abroad Ecological Costs vs.
  Educational Gain
• Kati Maginel, Berea College, 2007
• Costs
• Global warming (contribution of jet travel)
• Peak oil ? increased cost of travel
• Benefits
• Intercultural understanding
• Exposure to sustainable practices ? behavioral
  changes

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But first, why does it matter?

• American College and University Presidents
  Climate Commitment
• Signed by Berea Colleges president in January
  2007
• To reduce carbon emissions, achieve carbon
  neutrality
• Education Abroad will be included in colleges
  greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory

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Program selection

• Eco-Friendly Programs
• Working to develop list of eco-friendly
  programs
• Criteria/rating system? (NAFSA Task Force on
  Environmental Sustainability in Education Abroad)

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Pre-departure orientation

• Awareness of environmental impact (e.g., carbon
  footprint)
• Abroad View (green resources)
• www.abroadview.org/green

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Pre-departure orientation

• Green Passport
• www.greenpassport.us
• Facebook (Green Passport for Study Abroad)
• As a Green Passport holder I pledge to explore
  and take into account the social and
  environmental consequences and will do my best
  to Minimize my impact on the environment
  Act in culturally respectful ways Engage with
  locals and participate in the local community
  Give back to my host community(ies).

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While Abroad Engaging Students and Your Office

• Airika Coblentz
• Midwest Campus Relations Manager
• CET Academic Programs

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Frequency and Variety

• Communicate daily, weekly, or monthly on green
  issues
• Sign up or encourage students to sign up for a
  regular green newsletter
• www.greenlivingtips.com/
• www.idealbite.com/
• www.treehugger.com
• Develop a calendar with important environment
  dates
• Create eco-contests for students while abroad
• Encourage students to write, blog, take photos of
  their green initiatives
• Share your students efforts with residents
  directors or program providers

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Easy Ways to Green Your Study Abroad

• Learn about current environmental issues in the
  places you are visiting.
• Use sustainable accommodations (they recycle, use
  alternative forms of energy, are owned by or
  employ locals, contribute to local causes).
• Use water sparingly. Take quick showers.
• Save electricity. Turn off lights, air
  conditioners, and heaters, unplug appliances to
  prevent vampire energy use.
• Dont litter! Always recycle if possible.
• Dont buy endangered species products or
  valuable, historical, or cultural artifacts.
• Dont disturb the wildlife. Maintain a proper
  distance at all times.
• Dont take home natural resources such as shells,
  plants, animal bones, etc.
• If you go camping, make sure you have necessary
  permits and follow local park rules. Pack out
  what you pack in. Stay on trails.
• Choose your recreational activities wisely. Low
  impact sports that dont involve a lot of
  equipment or fossil fuels and that dont disturb
  the environment or local communities are
  preferable.
• Use local and public transport whenever possible.
  Take a train or bus. Bike or walk. Try to fly
  less.

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• Carbon Offsetting. If it is within your budget
  contribute money to an organization involved in
  carbon offsetting every time you fly.
• Pack light. Bringing fewer, higher-quality items
  that will last your entire term, and leaving
  behind toiletries that you can purchase while
  abroad can save on fuel and hassle for you.
• Change your laundry routine, do full loads, use
  cold water, use concentrated, plant-based
  detergents, and air dry your clothes.
• Encourage others, invite your classmates to visit
  the local market with you for this weeks snacks
  or get together with your local friends for a
  group cooking night.
• Ask to submit all your work electronically rather
  than in hardcopy. If not, always print
  double-sided on paper with a high percentage of
  post-consumer content.
• Minimize using AC by opening a window, turning on
  a fan, taking a cold shower before bed, or
  studying outside.
• Buy used or ask about free hand me downs.
• Eliminate excess mail. Cancel or place a hold on
  newspaper or magazine subscriptions. Call
  catalog and junk mail senders and have your name
  removed from lists.
• Use the airport lavatory, not the one on the
  plane,.
• Sources
• Astrid Jirka's AbroadView article,
  http//www.abroadview.org/green/jirka.htm
• How to Go Green articles, http//www.treehugger.co
  m

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Easy changes can make a big difference

• 34 million tons Amount of carbon dioxide
  emissions that would be saved if every U.S.
  household used only cold water for washing
  clothes--that's nearly 8 percent of the Kyoto
  target for the U.S.
• 700 pounds Amount of carbon dioxide emissions
  saved each year by line-drying your family's
  laundry. You'd save 75 bucks, too.
• 99 pounds Amount of carbon dioxide emissions
  saved per household each year by running only
  full loads of laundry.
• From treehugger.com

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Learning more

• Country specific programs
• Sweden
• Sweden has made an astounding pledge to phase out
  fossil fuel use by 2020.
• Methane, made from garbage, powers buses and
  cars. In fact, close to 15 percent of all new
  cars now sold in Sweden run on alternative fuels.
• China
• In certain restaurants, disposable chopsticks are
  charged an extra fee so people bring their own
  chopsticks to restaurants.
• China, like Ireland, banned plastic bags

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Tap into the green on your campus

• Faculty/staff committees dedicated to
  environmental responsibility
• Advise a student green group or recycling club or
  START ONE
• Campus community garden initiative
• Lobby for green incentives
• Be an example for others

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Greening the study abroad community

• Ask about green missions and encourage providers
  to strengthen them
• Stock your library with relevant materials and
  share them in your office, campus, and region
• Host a green table at your next study abroad fair
• Work with in-country staff to start or improve
  green initiatives on site
• Put on your GREEN glasses!

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Green Initiatives for Re-entry Returning Home
Staying Green

• Dominic Davies
• University of Kentucky, Education Abroad Student
  Advising Assistant

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Re-entry sessions

• One hour sessions required for all returning
  students, tied to placeholder course.
• Marketing Education Abroad experiences in future
  resumes and interviews.
• Reverse culture shock.
• Finding international opportunities on campus.
• The Impact your Education Abroad had on
  yourself, those around you, and the world.

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Footprint Calculators

• Total Ecological Footprint
• http//www.sbs.utexas.edu/resource/EcoFtPrnt/Calcu
  late.htm
• Flight Footprint calculator
• http//www.terrapass.com/carbon-footprint-calculat
  or/air
• http//www2.icao.int/public/cfmapps/carbonoffset/c
  arbon_calculator.cfm

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Total Ecological Footprint

• Essentially measures how much land area is
  required to support your lifestyle.
• How much land is used to grow the resources you
  consume, store your waste, and is rendered
  unusable because of your actions?
• Compares to the Earths natural ability to
  regenerate what is used.
• The best calculators adhere to the international
  standards produced by the Global Footprint Network

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Flight carbon calculators

• Distance based approach
• The user inputs the origin and destination
• The calculator then factors in the averages for
  aircraft typically used in such a flight and
  other variables that may affect the carbon
  emission of the flight.
• i.e. load, fuel type, number of seats, distance,
  etc.

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Service projects to offset emissions

• LOCAL PROJECTS
• Reforest the Bluegrass
• Highway clean-ups
• INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS
• Carbon credits

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A diagram of carbon neutrality.
0
CO2 reduced by 1 ton
1 ton CO2 emitted


or carbon neutrality
Through planting trees, carbon offsets, changes
in consumption and transportation habits, etc.
Through flying, driving, electricity use, etc.
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GO GREEN!
Thank You!
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Small Group Work

• Group 1 Pre-Departure
• Group 2 While Abroad
• Group 3 Re-Entry
• Group 4 ????