News
Locally grown, right around the corner
Shop the NEW downtown Arlington Farmer’s Market every Friday in October, November and December 2009. 9:00 a.m. til sell-out, rain or shine. 215 E. Front Street. Typical items for sale will include locally grown vegetables, fruits and nuts, honey, dried or fresh-cut flowers, bedding plants and shrubs, firewood, ladybugs, butterflies, worms for composting, cider and homemade baked, canned or preserved items. Co-sponsored in part by UT Arlington’s Dining Services. Contact Downtown Arlington Management Corp. at 817-303-2800 or info@downtownarlington.org for more information.
Mavericks help Korean companies go green
Thomas Vinson-Peng, program director of Zero Waste Network at the UT Arlington Center for Environmental Excellence in Austin, has been selected for the 2009 Volunteer of the Year award from the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable for his work in educating Korean companies on cleaner production. The award will be presented Sept. 22 in Washington, D.C. Vinson-Peng led five teams of volunteers on site visits to over 60 companies. As a result, several companies have begun undertaking projects to conserve water, reduce electricity and more safely manage their chemicals. The companies also increased their knowledge of lean manufacturing and environmental management systems through workshops and site visits.
UT Arlington Recognized in AASHE National Report
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) released in August 2009 its annual digest of campus sustainability initiatives and developments across the nation, including many at UT Arlington. The green roof project, groundbreaking on the Engineering Research Building and release of the white paper on curriculum and research are examples of the University’s accomplishments. The digest is available at: www.aashe.org/files/documents/AASHEdigest2008.pdf.
Engineering Students Learning to Address Sustainability
Beginning in Fall 2009, engineering students will be part of concerted efforts to improve their knowledge of and competency in addressing sustainability issues in engineering design and problem solving. Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, sustainability concepts will be integrated via one-class modules into 12 core engineering courses. Also as part of the program, senior civil, electrical and industrial engineering students will have the opportunity to participate in a multi-disciplinary sustainable engineering senior design project to design, fabricate and assemble a portable biodiesel production refinery for the UT Arlington campus. Learn much more >
Library’s sustainability efforts recognized
The UT Arlington Library has recently been recognized for putting their sustainable thinking into practice. First, Texas Carpet Recycling recognized UT Arlington for recycling over 7,700 pounds of broadloom carpeting resulting from renovations on the fourth and fifth floors of the Central Library. Not only will the carpet be recycled into alternative fuel, but Texas Carpet Recycling will also plant one tree per ton of recycled carpet. Second, by purchasing six Canon Energy Star copiers, Canon will donate 60 trees – 10 per copier – to the Arbor Day Foundation.
National Wildlife Federation heralds UT Arlington as exemplary
The National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology program released a report entitled A National Report Card on Sustainability in Higher Education. UT Arlington was one of 334 institutions nationwide and 14 in Texas rated as “exemplary.” Highest marks were on energy efficiency/conservation/renewables and on recycling/solid waste/materials. Read more >
UT Arlington charter member of Air North Texas initiative
UT Arlington is the first and only university member of a new air quality consortium, Air North Texas. Air North Texas is a regional clean air partnership and campaign whose mission is to provide a comprehensive air quality resource; promote a consistent, regional air quality message; leverage existing resources and program strengths in a collaborative effort; increase public awareness of opportunities to reduce emissions; and motivate individuals and businesses to make clean-air choices.
Upcoming Events
SUSTAINABILITY SHOCK SHACK
Senior PR students promote environmental “cause and effect”
“Scary” images of the results of human carelessness and displays of the “good” and the “evil” of waste set the tone for the Sustainability Shock Shack, a sustainability awareness event planned for just three days before Halloween. Kristine Behrhorst, Brandi Foy, Gina Garza and Fabiola Salinas planned the Sustainability Shock Shack as part of a project assigned in a campaigns class at UT Arlington. The purpose of the event is to increase awareness of global environmental issues, and to inform students about the University’s commitment to sustainability via the efforts of the President’s Sustainability Committee (PSC). Inside the Sustainability Shock Shack visitors will find information on environmental action, give-aways, candy, door prizes and how to get involved on campus. “We are excited to have the opportunity to work with the President’s Sustainability Committee and its communications work group. Our team is looking forward to promoting this event to increase student awareness,” says Public Relations student Brandi Foy. Visit the Shock Shack tent on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. in the Library Mall.
Greening English Studies
A coloquium and part of the Hermanns Lecture Series
Wednesday-Saturday October 14-17
Hosted by the Department of English, co-sponsored by the UT Arlington Library and College of Liberal Arts, and presented by OneBook.
Events include:
Oct. 14, Film Screening
Oct. 15, Master Classes in environmental humanities and reception
Oct. 16, Festival of Ideas presentations on environmentalism including Vermin and Parasites: Shakespeare’s Animal Architectures, Embodied Time, Climatological Time, Sustainability, Extinctathon: Species Loss and Memory Practice, On Ice and the Cinema of Preservation, The Public Life of Environmental Literature and Criticism
Oct. 17, Roundtable Discussion entitled Environmental Conversations Across the Disciplines
For details, locations and speaker bios, visit the Hermann’s Lecture Series web site at www.uta.edu/english/hermanns or contact associate professor of English Dr. Stacy Alaimo at stacya@exchange.uta.edu
ONEBOOK SPOTLIGHT EVENT!
Petroleum Free In One Year: An Afternoon With Doug Fine
Thursday October 22 at 3:30 p.m.
Rosebud Theater, University Center
Held in conjunction with National Campus Sustainability Day
Community Empowerment Along the U.S. Mexico Border
Wednesday November 4 from 12-1:00 p.m.
Featuring Laura Treviño, Associate Regional Director, Lower Rio Grande Valley Colonias Program of the Center for Housing and Urban Development / College of Architecture at Texas A&M University. Sixth Floor Library Parlor. Refreshments immediately following. Presented by the Center for Mexican American Studies at UT Arlington and OneBook.
Approaches to Sustainability: A UT Arlington OneBook Poster Session
Friday, November 20 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Announcement of awards at 12:30 p.m.
Palo Duro Lounge, University Student Center. Presented by OneBook.
Environmental Events Calendar
For more environmentally-aware activities at UT Arlington
Photogallery
See environmentalism in action at UT Arlington. Photogallery hosted on Facebook
