Adirondack Youth Climate Summit

A video highlighting Clarkson University’s integrated food production and waste management facility (a.k.a. the EPA P3 funded greenhouse/digester project) has been posted on the Planet Forward web site for national dissemination. This student designed, constructed and operated facility is proving that leafy greens can be grown locally, even in the dead of our northern New York winter. The energy efficient greenhouse is coupled with renewable energy systems to provide heat from the sun and wood pellets and heat and power from our campus food waste.

Planet Forward is a project of the Center for Innovative Media at George Washington University.  They work to disseminate environmentally friendly and sustainable ideas through this web site and their partners at PBS and National Geographic.

http://planetforward.org/idea/year-round-greenhouse-gardening/

View the video and vote if you like the video or think this is a viable project. The more Comments, “Likes”, and Tweets @Planet_Forward that this story gets, the better the chances are that it will appear in one of our weekly webisodes, blog posts, or even on television.  Please feel free to share this message with your networks of colleagues, family and friends!

Congratulations to Jerry Jenkins who was featured in the New York Times.  Read more here.

A new guide written directly for the people who design, construct and manage school buildings offers step-by-step recommendations to halve energy costs without commissioning costly, time-consuming energy analysis.

The guide recommends a variety of energy-saving practices and equipment, including energy-efficient lighting.

ASHRAE’s Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings

On Oct. 12, 2011, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) released its “Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings” to offer best practices for architects, design engineers, energy modelers, general contractors, facility managers and building operations staff. Developed in concert with the Department of Energy and three Alliance Associates – the U.S. Green Building Council, the Illuminating Engineering Society and the American Institute of Architects – the school guide is the second in a series of guides on achieving 50% energy savings in various building types. These recommendations go further than the minimum code requirements of ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2004.

Highly informative and very specific, “K-12 School Buildings: 50%” – which ASHRAE calls the guide for short – is divided into chapters aimed at different specialties. By speaking directly to building professionals, the guide promotes lower construction costs, faster payback and reduced operating costs without the need for planners to spend the time and money commissioning detailed energy models and analysis.  Read more here.

Youth Service America has many grant opportunities.  Sign up to receive the latest information about grants from them and other partner organizations.

Tupper Lake Schools’ Superintendent, Seth McGowan announced that the Board of  Education recognized Kathy Eldridge as November’s Employee of the Month at their regular meeting.

“It should be no surprise that Kathy’s recent efforts with recycling in the District have been noticed by the community in Tupper Lake, the surrounding area, and even overseas. Sparked by the Youth Summit on Climate Change a few years ago, she has led a group of “Green Teamers” to new heights in learning about, and educating others in the effects of climate change. The small group of students has consistently multiplied in numbers, and is now a genuine force for positive change.

Kathy’s enthusiasm and energy for the District and students is exciting. She is consistently thinking about the “next step” for us, and focuses on projects with the end in mind. This spirit is important when considering the long-term viability of investments the District makes in programs for students. Things never stand still in Kathy’s world. The students are inspired by her to explore new ways of doing things, and acting in proactive and positive ways.

[Irony Spoiler Alert]

During the time that I am writing this e-mail, I received an update from Kathy regarding a donation from Coca Cola of a rain barrel for each school building.

This is just the kind of PK-12 thinking that will help sustain our efforts in the District well into the future.

Congratulations, Kathy, and thank you for all that you do for all of the students and schools in Tupper Lake.”

Congratulations Kathy!

Local Programs in Company Communities Supported

The Walmart Local Community Contribution Program provides support to local nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and K-12 schools and higher education institutions located in communities with Walmart Stores, Logistics Facilities, or Sam’s Clubs. Churches and other faith-based organizations with projects that address the needs of the community at large are also eligible for support. Applying organizations must address one of the following focus areas: education, workforce development/economic opportunity, health and wellness, environmental sustainability, or hunger relief. Grants generally range from $250 to $5,000. Applications are accepted from February 1 through December 1, annually. Online application guidelines are available through the Walmart website.

Youth-Led Projects in the U.S. and Canada Funded

Do Something is a national nonprofit organization that inspires young people to believe that change is possible, and trains, funds, and mobilizes them to be leaders who work to strengthen their communities. Do Something Seed Grants are available to U.S. and Canadian citizens, age 25 or under, who want to create a community action project or further the success of an existing program. Examples of funded projects include a community-run organic farm, a youth-written literary magazine for women of color, and an organization that teaches sick kids how to fly. One grant of $500 is awarded each week. Applications may be submitted throughout the year. Visit the Do Something website to create a project posting and submit an online application.

“Document Your Environment” Contest Runs Through January 6, 2012

WASHINGTON – The National Archives in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced the launch of a student multimedia contest, “Document Your Environment”.  Drawing inspiration from a collection of environmental photos from the 1970s, this contest invites students ages 13 to 18 college and graduate students to create any type of graphic art, a short video, or a poem using a Documerica photo as a prompt.  The grand prize for this contest will be $500, courtesy of the Foundation for the National Archives. The contest is hosted on challenge.gov, the federal government’s online challenge platform. Entries will be accepted from November 1, 2011 to January 6, 2012.  View contest details online at: http://documerica.challenge.gov/.

Finalists and the grand prize winner will be announced in February 2012. Finalists may be featured in an upcoming exhibit at the National Archives and a traveling exhibit with the EPA.

“Document Your Environment” contest categories are:
Graphic Art: This category covers any type of graphic art, including scans of paintings, photos, cartoons, photo mash-ups, etc.  All entries must be sent as .jpgs, and high resolution (300 dpi) copies must be available.
Video: This category can include documentary-like videos and more artistic approaches to the contest.  All entries must be less than two minutes in length.  Videos must be uploaded to YouTube and entered into the contest with a link to the video.
Poetry: Any form of poetry is accepted in this category, but there is a 300 word limit to each entry.  Poems must be submitted in either a PDF or Word doc format.

Contest judges include: Graphic Art category, former Documerica photographer and graphic artist Michael Philip Manheim; video category, Cokie Roberts, author and news analyst for National Public Radio and ABC News; and Poetry category, Sandra Alcosser, the first Poet Laureate of Montana and professor of poetry at San Diego State University.  Of the nine finalists, one grand prize winner will be chosen by the Archivist of the United States, David S. Ferriero.

Documerica
In the 1970s, the EPA commissioned freelance photographers to capture images relating to environmental problems, EPA activities, and everyday life in the seventies.  This project, called Documerica can now be found at the National Archives, which has digitized more than 15,000 images.  Today, the EPA has continued the spirit of Documerica with their recent photo project, State of the Environment. EPA put out a global call for photos that document our environment today. The EPA photo project kicked off on Earth Day 2011 and will continue accepting submissions until Earth day 2012. The winning photos may also be featured, along with the National Archives “Document Your Environment” winners, in an upcoming exhibit at the National Archives and a traveling exhibit with the EPA.

Documerica Photos on National Archives Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usnationalarchives/collections/72157620729903309/
Documerica photos online in National Archives Online Public Access (OPA): http://research.archives.gov/search?expression=parent-id-lnk%3A542493+lod-display-lnk%3AItem&pg_src=brief&data-source=selected-archival-data-records&data-source=archival-descriptions-with-digital-objects
Environmental Protection Agency’s State of the Environment Project: http://blog.epa.gov/epplocations/