From:
gary jones [mailto:gjones@email.wcu.edu]
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 5:37 PM
To: 'Shari Harris'
Cc: Gary Jones (Verizon); Brenda Killingsworth (FA Chair); Judith Wegner
(FA Secretary); George Harrell (Sustain GA TF); Rebecca Bizzell (Sustain GA TF);
Jeanine Rose (Sustain GA TF) ; Shari Harris (Sustain GA TF); Leslie Boney
(Sustain GA TF); Zack Abegunrin (Sustain GA TF); Jack Colby (Sustain GA TF);
John Noor (Sustain GA TF); Michelle Ralston (Sustain GA TF); Steve Baxley
(Sustain GA TF); Carolyn Elfland (Sustain GA TF); Cindy Shea (Sustain GA TF);
Jorge Quintal (Sustain GA TF); Cox, Ralph; Chip Arnold; Chuck Smith; David
McHugh; John Mattox; Linda Florence Callahan; Nancy Goldsmith; Pete Andrews;
Douglas Crawford-Brown; Dennis Grady; Bruce Henderson; Ronald A. Johnson; Louis
Buck; Phillip Sanger; Lauren Bishop; Jane Nichols
Subject: UNC system & sustainability
The UNC system and the issue of sustainability: A few questions to kick off the new year.
First, I note that a couple sustainability-related issues are on the BOG agenda.
1. President Bowles has publicly lamented the fact that energy-efficiency measures were "value-engineered" out of several billion dollars worth of capital construction before he arrived on the scene--on at least one occasion calling it "crazy."
What measures GA taking to ensure that energy-saving features are no longer being eliminated from new construction projects? Are there buildings under construction now that will not be LEED certified?
Reference BOG:
2. Why the wide range of campus conservation results regarding water consumption (Sept-Oct 2007)?
Reference BOG:
3. Related to the above, in addition to water conservation how is GA encouraging energy conservation and (smart) waste management across the system? We note the mandate of S688:
http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2007/Bills/Senate/HTML/S668v5.html
4. Also related to the above, would GA be willing to issue a press release, or make a public statement, supporting the system-wide observance of the "Focus the Nation" event on January 31?
Reference:
http://www.focusthenation.org/
5. Could UNC GA examine the sustainability reports issued by Chapel Hill and State and consider what elements of those plans (and reporting processes) could be reasonably encouraged from all UNC campuses (with existing personnel)?
http://sustainability.unc.edu/
(See 2007 report)
6. Of course, Chapel Hill and State have substantial resources. But, what, at a minimum, would GA like to see reported from each campus related to sustainability efforts? Perhaps the report from NCSA (with the addition of a column of estimated cost savings), could serve as an example(?) [linked from 'Sustainability' Web page -gj]
7. Could the UNC system issue annual reports concerning sustainability? Here is what the Office of the President, University of California is doing:
http://www.ucop.edu/facil/sustain/welcome.html
Related to this, could UNC maintain a system-relevant sustainability Website, along the lines of the UC page above? Here are a couple draft pages I have put up:
http://paws.wcu.edu/gjones/UNC-Sustainability-NC_Links.htm
8. Do we know what the GA response was to President Moeser’s cover letter for the final report concerning the Energy and the Environment in North Carolina? Were any of those suggestions feasible? [Linked from 'Sustainability' Web page - gj]
9. Are there additional steps that could be taken to establish clear links between sustainability issues (especially water and energy conservation) and the PACE initiative?
10. Could the UNC system make more clear the important connections between sustainable (smart) growth, the efficient use of scarce resources, economic development, and entrepreneurship?
http://www.ie.unc.edu/index.cfm
http://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/KI/cse/index.cfm
http://paws.wcu.edu/gjones/WCU_COB_Economic_Development.html
11. How is our GA Sustainability Task Force planning to interface with the UNC Tomorrow initiative to help ensure that sustainability concerns receive appropriate consideration? Should GA consider the establishment of a “Sustainability Scholar’s Council” to interface with the current Scholar’s Council and the UNC Tomorrow initiative?
Here is a link to Dr. Grady’s report (Scholar’s Council), with which many of you may be familiar.
http://www.aashe.org/index.php
13. Would it be possible to bring together, summarize, and disseminate UNC research efforts and grant activity in this domain?
14. Are we effectively engaging our respective civic communities in these discussions?
Thank you for your consideration of these questions.
Sincerely,
- Gary
Gary Jones, Assoc. Prof., WCU
Member, GA Sustainability Task Force