Sustainability Press

On Friday, March 8, Harvard Law School's Green Living Representatives, Sarah Canby, Laura Wolf, Dave Joch, Gabrielle Hodgson, and Michael Gruben, along with HLS Sustainability Program Manager Anne Sargent and Supervisor of Recycling and Solid Waste Removal Rob Gogan, completed the law school’s bi-annual waste audit. 

The waste audit revealed both positive developments and some opportunities for improving HLS’s recycling and composting efforts. On a positive note, fewer pizza boxes were found in the trash, suggesting that people may be remembering to recycle pizza boxes more often. 

The audit also revealed that a large quantity of food waste and compostable take-out containers from the Hark are still ending up in the trash. Green Living Representatives will continue to work to educate the HLS community about compositing these items. Paper towels are another compostable item commonly found in the trash. This is likely because there are often not compost bins in places like bathrooms where paper towels are commonly used. The Green Living Representatives will work to continue to increase the availability of composting bins on campus. 

Overall, the waste audit was a “stinky” success, and the Green Reps look forward to continuing to improve HLS’s composting and recycling rates in anticipation of the next audit in the fall. If you are interested in becoming a Green Living Representative, apply by April 26,2013. 

Green Living Representatives and first-year law students at Harvard Law School are in full swing this semester, promoting sustainability across campus by competing in green challenges, hosting interactive and informative events, and encouraging the return of HLS FreeCycles.

Last week, students in first-year law sections completed the second challenge of the yearlong Green Cup Competition: bringing a reusable container to class. Green Cup is a participation-based competition designed to build awareness and engagement in campus sustainability initiatives and individual behavior change actions. A total of five challenges constitute the competition, with the section with the most points at the end of the series winning $500 toward a zero-waste event for the group.

Green Living Representatives also kicked off a composting project, pushing for all lunch-hour events to be compostable. In conjunction with an independent student project aimed at making compostable products more accessible to student organizations, the Reps created a video by interviewing students about whether or not they had ever planned a compostable event and what they like to compost.

This week, HLS brings back FreeCycles—community based events for donating and reusing unwanted goods. Kitchen and office supplies, books, CDs, clothing, toys, unopened cosmetics, non-perishable food, linens, tools and all other reusables will be accepted and available Wednesday, February 13.

Finally, Reps are hosting an event with Rick Culter of the Climate Reality Project, an organization co-founded by Vice President Al Gore and dedicated to spurring a global cultural movement demanding action on the climate crisis. Culter will give an interactive presentation Monday, February 19. Attending the event is also the third challenge of Green Cup for all first-year law sections. 

How you can get involved:

• • Stop by the Harvard Law School FreeCycle: Wednesday, Februray 13, 11 am–2 pm
• • Join the HLS Green Living Program for an interactive presentation on the Climate Reality Project: Tuesday, February 19, 12 pm

OFS will be awarding two student scholarships to this year’s NetImpact Conference: October 25-27, 2012.

Net Impact is a community of more than 30,000 changemakers who are using our jobs to tackle the world’s toughest problems. We put our business skills to work for good throughout every sector, showing the world that it’s possible to make a net impact that benefits not just the bottom line, but people and planet too.

The annual Net Impact Conference is the premier event for students and professionals using their careers for good. For our 20th anniversary conference, we are bringing together more than 2,800 changemakers from all over the world and 300 dynamic speakers from across industries, from Fortune 500 companies to emerging nonprofits. More information can be found here.

The scholarship will cover admission (a $380 value) to the conference and is only open to Harvard University graduate and undergraduate students. Participants will need to arrange their own travel and lodging. The conference is being held in Baltimore, Maryland.

Click here to apply. For more information, please contact sustainability@harvard.edu.

Harvard’s campus is a living lab – burgeoning with student projects designed to reduce Harvard’s carbon footprint, build community, and bring awareness to the possibilities of innovation and collaboration.

Innovation and collaboration can be seen in the bee habitat on the roof of Gund Hall, the harvest of the Divinity School garden, the enlightening podcast, Sense and Sustainability, and the Law School bike share. And this only scratches the surface.

Graduate and college students across campus have turned their creative ideas into a reality with the help of funds from OFS. Whether your idea is a podcast, an outreach program, a carbon calculator, or something completely different, we want to hear about it: www.green.harvard.edu/grants.

Get funding for your innovative project today. Applications due Thursday, October 18, 2012. 

**check out previously funded projects here.

***sign up for office hours to explore an idea or connect to staff, faculty, and other students who can help.

Two offices participating in the Harvard Green Office Program can now boast that they are not only taking steps to reduce the environmental impacts of their day-to-day office activities, but also that they are doing so in a LEED Platinum office. 

In August 2012, The Harvard Law School (HLS) Hauser Hall Basement Office Suite earned Platinum certification under the LEED for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI), version 2009 rating system for the approximately 4,000 SF renovation carried out to accommodate the HLS Finance and Human Resources departments relocating from another Harvard owned building in Cambridge.

As the second Platinum certification for HLS, this project is a testament to the School’s commitment to sustainability and their support of Harvard’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goal of reducing emissions 30% below 2006 levels by 2016, inclusive of growth. The ability of the project team to incorporate that commitment into the renovation is evidenced by the 86 points earned under the LEED rating system, which is the second highest number of points earned for a LEED-CI project at Harvard. To achieve this level the project team focused on sustainability from project conception through construction and analyzed sustainable alternatives to all materials used in construction and design.

"Hauser Hall was constructed in 1994 and won the American Institute of Architects achievement award that same year. It is notable for its curved geometry and refined details," said Sisia Daglian with Austin Architects. "The renovation of the basement for HLS Finance and Human Resources departments has been another award winning achievement for Hauser Hall - LEED Platinum for Commercial Interiors. Architecturally, the renovation honored the innate geometry of the building, as well as many of the original details and design intent. The thrust of the sustainability effort was made by careful selection and tracking of building materials, attaining 11 of the 13 credits in the Materials & Resources category including a first-time Harvard accomplishment: 2 points for Materials Reuse (MRc3.1-3.2, 10% of total material cost).  The end users were enthusiastic and supportive of reusing as much of their existing casework and furniture as possible, even embracing the repurposing of original Hauser Hall doors as wall paneling."

Select project highlights include:

1. 95% of the total percentage of construction waste was diverted from landfill.

2. 56% of the total material value came from materials manufactured within 500 miles of the project site.

3. Installing occupancy sensors on lights and setting back room temperatures and ventilation rates at night and when spaces are unoccupied for a predetermined period of time.

For more information, see the HLS Hauser Basement Offices case study on the Harvard Green Building Resource.

Led by Clinic Director and Clinical Professor Wendy Jacobs, Harvard Law School students have prevailed in a two-year battle to lift restrictions on the installation of solar power in Massachusetts.

For more than two years, Harvard Law School’s Emmett Environmental Law & Policy Clinic has represented a group of general contractors who specialize in renewable energy projects but were being blocked from installing solar power by a state licensing board. Taking a position that was contrary to a host of state programs designed to promote solar energy, the Massachusetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians tried to prevent anyone other than licensed electricians from organizing, managing or installing solar power in the state. The clinic stepped in to defend the solar contractors in enforcement actions and challenge the Board's policy.

On July 18, the Massachusetts Superior Court granted summary judgment in the clinic’s favor, holding unequivocally that: “Plaintiffs may advertise and contract for PV System installations and subcontract with licensed electricians.” 

To read the entire story visit the HLS News site:

http://www.law.harvard.edu/news/2012/08/08_environmental-law-clinic-rene...

With commencement week well underway the Office for Sustainability asked Schools about what they’re doing at events to go green. Most of the planning centers around waste reduction, creating signs and processes to ensure that as much recycling and composting is captured as possible to reduce the amount of trash produced. Here’s a quick look at what some Schools are doing to cut down on waste and reduce Harvard’s environmental footprint.

At the Harvard Graduate School of Education, the green team has created great signage to allow guests to clearly figure out what items go in which bin (see photo above). Their Dinner Dance will also be 100% compostable. Nearby, at the Harvard Law School which saw a 95% recycling/composting rate at last year’s commencement, the green team is ramping up for another successful year by providing re-usable lunch boxes and reusable water bottles. Events will also feature compostable utensils and cups and green team members will be on hand to help guests sort waste. Harvard Divinity School has been hosting zero waste commencement events since 2010.

This spring Harvard Law School installed Vending Misers and Snack Misers on all their cold beverage and non-perishable snack machines. The devices turn machines on and off based on activity as well as internal cooling cycles, conserving energy by not over-cooling and shutting off lights and displays when machines are not in use. HLS predicts the 20 devices installed will save 3.4 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents and $1,440 each year.

A 2012 study by Harvard postdoctoral researcher Julia Puaschunder that observed student behavior surrounding energy conservation in Harvard Libraries found that environmentally-conscious actions can be "nudged" by social forces. In her study, Puaschunder placed tent card signage in Harvard Law School's Langdell Library and Widener Library study carrels asking students to turn off their tasklight when finished studying.

The tent cards included one of two logos: a Harvard University logo or a "Sustainability at Harvard" logo. Both tent cards improved students conservation habits, with the Harvard University logo having a slightly stronger effect than the "Sustainability at Harvard" logo, leading the researcher to conclude that both environmental conscientiousness and social norm compliance triggers can help improve conservation behavior. Based on these findings, Harvard Law School will be installing similar tent cards permanently in the Langdell Library study carrels.

This study builds on a 2011 study also conducted by Puaschunder evaluating recycling habits in Harvard dormitories that came to a similar conclusion that signage promoting environmentalism and/or an institutionalized social norm positively affects recycling habits.

Click here to download a PDF of Puaschunder's memo for the lighting student and click here for the memo on the recycling study.

Puaschunder may be reached at jpuachunder@fas.harvard.edu for more information. Please note these studies have not been peer-reviewed.

Thanks to expansion and improvement of their campus-wide composting program, the Harvard Law School community recovered the MOST COMPOST EVER in the month of March 2012. 

The elaborate set-up for recovering food scraps at the new Wasserstein Caspersen Clinical Center, as well as paper towels from Gropius dormitory rest rooms, yielded almost 10 tons of clean organic refuse which was picked up by our collection vendor, Save That Stuff, and composted at Brickends Farm in Hamilton, MA.

Special thanks go to the entire HLS Facilities Team working on WCC, especially Mark Nystrom, John Holleran, John Arciprete, Gene O’Connor, Russell Keyes, Becky Andreasson, Matt McConnell and Tony Castro; the FMO Custodial team led by Joao Amado; and Evan Eppler and staff at Restaurant Associates. 

Last but not least, Kate Cosgrove of the Office for Sustainability has done the best job on campus creating, publishing and posting clear, concise and attractive guidelines for the recycling, composting and trash stations in every classroom, office and lounge in the stunning and well-used facility. 

As Bridget Sweet of Environmental Health and Safety said, “HLS’s recycling signs are clear enough for my pre-school aged kids to understand.”

World Water Day was observed March 22. Each year, it's celebrated as a day for global water awareness. But with 780 million people lacking access to clean water shouldn’t we be “water aware” every day? When so many go without, the fact that we have easy access to clean water at little or no cost, but continue to take it for granted seems irresponsible. The typical “I like long showers,” “I’m busy,”  “I don’t like the taste,” or “I can never remember my reusable bottle” comments seem trivial compared to the struggle so many face to obtain enough of this vital resource to survive.

Throughout the month of March, Harvard University Housing hosted six Water Taste Test Challenges at their large multi-story properties.  Staffed by HUH’s Sustainable Community Leaders, residents were asked to sample three unmarked water containers to see if they could tell the difference between the tap, a popular bottled water brand, and an expensive “designer” bottled water. For their participation, residents were rewarded with reusable water bottles and shower timers to help them reduce plastic waste and conserve water at home.

Averaging the responses from all six events, less than 20% of the residents were able to identify the waters correctly.  We are lucky to live in an area with high quality tap water that is instantly at our finger tips, so the message was if you can’t taste the difference, why pay the difference? Water infographics were also used to encourage people to conserve and appreciate the water available to them.

Try a Water Taste Test Challenge at your school, office, with a group of friends, or even at home with the family! It’s an easy setup with impactful results. Let’s all strive to be more water wise.

As part of the Harvard Kennedy School Sustainability Initiative (HKSSI) Earth Month activities, Marshall Ganz, senior lecturer in public policy at the Kennedy School’s Hauser Center, spoke to a diverse group from the greater Harvard community about grassroots sustainability efforts. The audience represented a range of Harvard University schools and centers including Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement, and the Food Literacy Project, which is part of Harvard Dining Services. Audience members hailed from multiple countries including New Zealand, Ghana, the Netherlands, Mexico, and India, demonstrating the global import of grassroots sustainability efforts.

Following a discussion with the audience about those specific sustainability initiatives they would pursue, Ganz posed the seemingly simple question, “So, what’s the problem?” Highlighting the need for changes in policy and practice, he then explained, “If the only things possible are the individual things we do, we might as well save our breath.” Ganz then led a lively conversation in which he challenged the audience to “try to create conditions for real change” by looking at “what we can accomplish together, what can we influence, and how can we influence it.” 

Harvard Real Estate (HRE) recently achieved ENERGY STAR certification for three buildings in its portfolio: 14 Story Street, 78 Mt. Auburn Street, and 5 Sacramento Street, all located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR certification program uses an energy performance scale that scores the energy performance of a building on a scale of 1 to 100 as compared to buildings of a similar type and use around the United States. The score is based on the actual energy consumption (in kBtu per square foot), and is normalized for climate and for the level of activity (such as operating hours and occupant density).

Buildings that earn a 75 or higher are eligible to apply for the ENERGY STAR certification.  A score of 75 indicates that a building is more efficient than 75% of similar buildings, and performs in the top quartile for its peer group.  Harvard Green Building Services managed the certification process, which involved setting up each project's Portfolio Manager account to record utility data, and then assisting a Professional Engineer in verifying that each building provides adequate ventilation and lighting levels.

·         78 Mt. Auburn Street - Energy Performance Rating of 93

Originally constructed in 1839, the colonial style structure has three stories above grade and a basement level totaling 7,210 square feet. Currently the three main levels of the building are used by the Harvard Society of Fellows as office space.

·         5 Sacramento Street - Energy Performance Rating of 85

Originally constructed in 1891, the building is owned and operated by Harvard Real Estate (HRE) and is leased to The Guidance Center, which provides family-centered programs for children and families in the Cambridge and Somerville areas. The 9,315 square foot colonial structure houses offices, meeting rooms, and family and children oriented common space.

·         14 Story Street - Energy Performance Rating of 75
Originally constructed in 1972, the 28,056 square foot glass and concrete office building is occupied by both Harvard and non-Harvard tenants.

ENERGY STAR certification is valid from January to December of each year.  In order to maintain certification, buildings must re-apply and continue demonstrate an Energy Performance Rating of at least 75.

This is the second in a new series of Harvard Alumni “Green-prenuers.” Are you or do you know a Harvard alum doing something cool in the sustainability field that should be featured? Let us know, email kate_hammer@harvard.edu.

Two heads are better than one, right? That’s exactly what Harvard graduates, and husband and wife duo, Jeff and Liz Helfrich prove with their solution to common recycling barriers in the home. Do you always remember to recycle your empty shampoo or lotion bottles? What about those empty toilet paper rolls? Do you walk that empty toothpaste tube to the recycling bin all the way in the kitchen? Let’s face it, a lot of us don’t always earn a gold star when it comes to recycling in the bathroom, bedroom, or office. But with Jeff and Liz’s product, the Solecan, reasons of inconvenience and, if we’re being honest, laziness are taken out of the equation. Equal parts trash and recycling bin, the Solecan is an inconspicuous receptacle that aims to make common recycling challenges in the home and office obsolete.

Jeff credits early green efforts at Harvard as the kickstart to his environmental consciousness, "During our time at Harvard, sustainability efforts and initiatives were just taking off, and some of the simple, but important steps really rubbed off. Today, we're always looking for ways to reduce waste in our house and I credit our green path to the tone set in the Harvard Houses."

Stemming from a reccurring marital argument involving a lack of recycling in the bathroom, “Green-preneurs” Jeff and Liz decided placing a combination trash and recycle bin in areas like the bathroom would eliminate the root of their recycling woes. Despite seeming like an obvious contraption, Jeff and Liz could not find what they were looking for at any stores. Enter: the Solecan.

Devised on a cocktail napikin, the Solecan is an affordable, convienent, and eco-friendly recycling solution. The dual sides of the solecan snap together, so that each compartment can be easily unsnapped so that you can take either to a larger recycling or trash bin. According to Jeff and Liz, they wanted to create something so that “people couldn’t help but recycle more.”

Visit their website to learn more about Jeff and Liz's story and the Solecan.

Please note: The products and companies included in the "Green-preneuers" story series are for informational and educational purposes only to highlight the work of Harvard alumni in the sustainability field.  Harvard University and the Harvard Office for Sustainability do not specifically endorse or recommend any of the products or companies in this story and the story may not be used in commercial or political materials, advertisements, emails, products, promotions that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of Harvard University or the Harvard Office for Sustainability.

The Resource Efficiency Program (REP) celebrated the 2012-2013 Green Toon winners on April 5. This year’s Green Toon contest (formerly CERtoon) marked the 10th anniversary of the contest coordinated by REP and sponsored by the Harvard University Employee Credit Union.  The most common themes this year included Harvard’s superiority over Yale, a satirical take on climate change denial.  You can look forward to seeing the art by the 14 finalists in cafes across campus starting in May.  You can get a preview of the toons in the Facebook album that includes all submissions that made it to the second round of judging.

If you find yourself walking down Memorial Drive, Banks Street, or in the lobby of the Center for Government and International Studies (CGIS) or of Dudley Café, make a pledge to help the future of the planet this Earth Month. On the street, you can respond to the statement “For the future of our planet, I will:” on community chalk boards, and in the lobbies snap a picture with your white board-pledge underneath a banner prompting the same question.

Participate with the Chalk Boards:
Add to the community list by writing your commitment on the blank spaces provided, and check our facebook page for photos of the boards.

Participate with the Lobby Photo Booths:
Take a photo in front of our banner with your commitment written on a white board. Then post it on Instagram or Twitter with the Hashtag #GreenHarvard. Your photo will automatically be pulled to a live stream and also added to our Facebook album. Don’t have a social media account? No problem! You can email your photo to Brandon_geller@harvard.edu or check our listing for times the FAS Green Program will be on site to take your photo.

With the nation's first LEED for Commerical Interiors certification under their belt, Harvard University Dining Services, and the "green" kitchens in particular, continue to exemplify Harvard's commitment to sustainability and to the university's greenhouse gas reduction goal. Read more about how green design in Harvard kitchens is inspiring the healthcare field. 

This is an excerpt from the article "Harvard University Teaches Healthcare About Green Kitchen Design" by Janet Brown posted in HealthCare Design on April 3, 2012.  

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, food service has the highest energy intensity of any sector, followed by healthcare—a fair incentive for taking a closer look at energy costs related to healthcare food service operations. Healthcare facilities often place their kitchens on the backburner. Even those that can tout overall energy conservation successes voice frustration with their outdated food service equipment and lack of buy-in from leadership on greening the kitchen.

But there is an example out there of what can be done by launching energy programs in institutional food services...

Read the full article. 

Paul Scannell is shown in the back with his arms outstretched.

The spring semester brings many opportunities for staff recognition at Harvard. Dean’s Awards, Harvard Heroes, Green Carpet Awards and more. It’s a time of recognizing those in the community who go above and beyond, inspire colleagues, infuse the university with sustainability, and make Harvard a better place to work. For the GSD, Paul Scannell was one of those people. This February Paul passed away, but his impact on the GSD community will be felt for years. 

As manager of room/resource scheduling at the GSD, nearly everyone knew Paul from faculty to students. Paul was known for being personable, creative, adaptable, and a committed member of the community.

A champion of sustainability, Paul lead the commencement activity team, known as the A team, in hosting a zero-waste commencement. No small task! But with Paul at the helm, success was inevitable. He engaged thirty others (custodial stuff, catering staff, GSD staff and students) in making composting fun for the community and successfully meeting their zero-waste goals. Nothing exemplified Paul’s impact at the GSD more than his commitment to “teamwork”. Paul was able to balance the complicated tasks of his job and effectively communicating with multiple departments. Everyone knew they could rely on him. He would go above and beyond what was expected to make sure “Team Building Services” was well managed and always had customer service as a top priority no matter the situation.

It’s no surprise to hear many say “Paul made the GSD a better place just by being himself.” As we celebrate others this month, we remember Paul among the Heroes at Harvard.

Harvard was one of seven College and Universities recently honored by the EPA with Food Recovery Challenge Achievement Awards.

"These New England colleges and universities are setting a great example by preventing more than 2528 tons of food scraps from disposal by using them for higher and better uses, including food donation and composting," said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. "Food Recovery Challenge Achievement Award winners are using food to feed people, not disposal facilities."

EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge invites organizations nationwide to save money through reducing, purchasing and lowering disposal fees for unconsumed food; supporting their community by diverting wholesome surplus food to feed people, not landfills or incinerators; and reducing their environmental footprint and greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable food management. This program complements food waste recovery efforts by partnering with New England state environmental agencies.

Read the original announcement from the EPA.

This month, the Resource Efficiency Program was proud to introduce an activity aimed at making energy conservation tangible and meaningful.  The flashcard activity quizzes students on energy savings from daily and weekly behavior changes over the course of a year. For example, one card asks: “How much energy would it take to heat hot water for a 10 minute vs. a 5 minute daily shower in a year?”

In combination, the cards reveal the most impactful actions one can take.  Examining all of the cards on the table, REP Captain Annie Baldwin ’13 noted, “It was interesting to see which actions make the biggest difference. I didn’t realize that taking shorter showers is one of the most substantial ways to reduce individual energy use among the things that students have control over in the dorm.”

The activity is part of a larger energy awareness campaign over the month of March, which in included highlights on Harvard’s energy supply (23% renewable!) and on combined heat and power technology at Harvard’s Blackstone steam plant.