2012 Sustainability Yearbook

2012-2013 Sustainability Yearbook Appalachian State University find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

1

Letter from the Chancellor Dear Friends: Thank you for taking time to learn more about Sustainability at Appalachian. Sustain Appalachian is an essential part of who we are, and while we know there is much work to do, we do our best each day to walk the walk. Truly a community effort, our students, faculty, staff and administration all continue to take the leadership roles necessary to transform our campus and to educate our students with the skills necessary to become the leaders of tomorrow.

In this past year there have been numerous “points of pride” related to sustainability on our campus: • In October 2011, Appalachian’s entry into the prestigious U. S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2011, the Solar Homestead, competed and won the coveted People’s Choice Award; • In April 2012, a group of talented students won Appalachian’s fourth Phase II Award in the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency’s People, Planet and Prosperity Grant program for designing and building a community-based “living machine” for water filtration; • This past June, Appalachian received a Gold rating from the AASHE’s STARS program, signaling excellence in sustainable practices throughout our University’s curriculum, operations, and administration; and • The Appalachian Energy Summit, a system-wide transformational initiative guiding The University of North Carolina, was held on our campus in July and featured world-renowned author, physicist and environmental scientist Amory Lovins of The Rocky Mountain Institute.

Because we are located in one of the most beautiful places on earth, our focus on sustainability comes naturally as we strive to be good stewards of our 3,333 foot-high home in the Appalachian Mountains. The rich cultural heritage and the abundant biodiversity of the region are resources we celebrate and seek to preserve on a daily basis.

Our advances in sustainability have been transformational both to our campus and to me personally. I see more clearly the resources saved when we install renewable energy on our buildings, as we increase the local food content in our dining facilities, and as we aspire to become a zero-waste University. These campus actions and commitments impact all of us in our daily lives, as they certainly have in my own day-to-day living.

I invite you to continue to learn more about our efforts and to take part in the educational and leadership endeavor we are proud to call Sustain Appalachian.

Sincerely,

Kenneth E. Peacock Chancellor

2

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

Mission Statement & Table of Contents Sus ta in a b i l i t y: Mission S t at ement Appalachian State University leads in creating a world where environmental, societal and economic qualities exist in balance to meet the resource needs of today and of future generations. Our community of students, faculty and staff continually advance our understanding, capabilities and practices in this vital journey. As an institution of higher learning, we lead and educate by example, inspiring new generations prepared to share this knowledge, ingenuity and passion.

On the Cover: Appalachian’s Solar Homestead won the People’s Choice Award at the 2012 Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C. See pages 20-21 for details.

Table of Contents Commitment and History...................6-7 Academics....................................... 8-13 Engaged Students.......................... 14-23 Campus Initiatives.........................24-35 Tomorrow and Beyond..................36-39

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

33

Letter from Ged Moody, Director of Sustainabil

“Sustainability at Appalachian is a story with a rich past and an exciting future.”

- Ged Moody Director, Office of Sustainability

Sus ta in a b i l i t y: Essential Character Appalachian has a decades-long commitment to sustainability, offering multiple degree programs and engaging our community through innovative initiatives. We honor this history, and boldly move forward, inspired by our unique mountain setting and with a genuine respect for the natural environment. We recognize sustainability is a journey, and “sustain Appalachian” is our commitment to advance our knowledge, to demonstrate innovative practices and to lead by example.

4

Greetings, This year’s Sustainability Report is a celebration of leadership. We celebrate the many individuals who are making a difference on our campus and in our world. Our philosophy is that sustainability has to be ingrained in our actions for it to have a true lasting effect. It is not the job of an individual department, or even a group as diverse as our 50+ member Sustainability Council, but rather it is an opportunity that exists for each member of our campus community.

As you flip through the pages you will meet many of our leaders - the students, faculty, staff and administrators who lead by example. Behind every accomplishment is an individual or a team, and my sense is that when they apply their efforts towards these sustainability solutions, they are following a passion, and therefore, creating a deeper sense of satisfaction in their work.

Colleges and universities are at the forefront of the sustainability movement, and today there are many ratings systems allowing us to benchmark our progress with our peers. In these exercises, we are very proud that Appalachian continues to achieve high levels of recognition. However, we remain keenly aware that sustainability is a collaborative effort and not a competition, and thus across higher education we share the challenge to build the future in which we wish to live and learn. On our sustainability journey, we have much continued work to do and we embrace the opportunity to educate our students, the leaders of tomorrow.

From our classrooms and our research labs to virtually every aspect of our campus operations, sustainability as a concept and as a practice continues to be woven into the fabric of Appalachian.

These advances are the product of people like you who take the time to learn more and to participate in our campus’ efforts, and for that we are genuinely grateful.

Very best regards, Ged Moody Director, Office of Sustainability

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

S us t a i n a b i l i t y : V i s i o n • Engage faculty, students and staff in ongoing dialogue, inquiry and discovery of more sustainable practices through curriculum, degree programs and scholarly research.

• Empower students across the curriculum with an awareness in sustainability issues and a capacity to contribute to the construction of sustainable societies.

• Integrate sustainable practices into all aspects of university planning and operations, focusing both on the current and future implications.

• Design, build and operate a campus environment that minimizes its ecological footprint, contributing to the goal of climate neutrality.

• Create new paradigms for energy, transportation, water, waste and food systems that contribute to best practices in higher education.

• Participate in research initiatives and outreach activities that educate our communities, nourish our natural ecosystems and enrich our cultural experiences.

• Embrace health, diversity, tolerance and human rights as principles by which policy and process are designed.

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

5

Commitment and History

S us t a i n a b i l i t y : Values

Commitment to Sustainability

Sustainability is more than an initiative at Appalachian State University – it is a way of life that is becoming increasingly ingrained in the campus community’s individual and institutional decision-making.

Appalachian is located in an aesthetically pleasing ecological setting that is culturally and recreationally rich. Together, the setting and the people create a strong sense of place that binds community members to each other and to the natural world. This foundation provides a unique opportunity to demonstrate how to build and maintain a sustainable community.

Appalachian has a rich history of commitment to sustainable practices. Besides having the nation’s oldest, recognized Sustainable Development and Appropriate Technology academic programs, Appalachian rethinks common practices and implements state-of-the-art technologies related to energy production and energy conservation on campus. This offers considerable cost-savings and exceptional research opportunities for faculty and students.

Engaged Leadership

Appalachian’s adherence to sustainability principles exists through all levels of the organization. The actions taken demonstrate the university administration’s commitment to sustainability and its desire to be a positive role model for progressive change for students as well as the community as a whole. The commitments listed below are symbolic statements and also contain specific measurable benchmarks to guide a wide range of campus initiatives: • Signing of the 1990 Talloires Declaration – our first, official commitment of higher education to environmental sustainability symbolizing Appalachian’s commitment to incorporating sustainability and environmental literacy into its teaching, research, operations and outreach.

• Signing of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), which

6

• Focused on our roles as educators and researchers, instilling the knowledge and values of sustainability into our entire community.

• Understand that decisions throughout the university have sustainability implications which must be considered and addressed.

• Realize that sustainability must focus on interrelated environmental, societal and economic issues and resources at both the local and global levels.

• Open to continually educate ourselves on the principles and possibilities of sustainability and willing to pursue innovative solutions.

• Committed to transparent reporting of our

sustainability goals, initiatives and progress to the Appalachian community and beyond.

• Respect the planet’s natural environment and our unique mountain setting, embracing our interconnectedness with these ecosystems. provides a framework and support system for colleges and universities to implement comprehensive plans in pursuit of climate neutrality.

• Appalachian was one of 86 pilot institutions in the Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) and is a STARS Charter Participant in this comprehensive, industry-standard scorecard developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Appalachian received a Gold STARS rating in its first submission, one of only 18 schools to receive a Gold rating at the time of submission.

• Establishment of the Sustainability Council, which includes representatives from all academic and operational areas across the university.

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

Commitment and History Recognized Leadership

Every year, the Princeton Review designates a “Green Rating” evaluation of colleges and universities based on their environmentally related policies, practices and academic offerings. In 2009, 2010 and 2011, Appalachian State University scored an impressive 98 out of 99 possible points.

In 2010, Sierra Club Magazine included Appalachian in its list of “Cool Schools,” an annual list of schools doing the most for the planet. In 2011, Appalachian made the magazine’s list of “Coolest Schools.” These recognitions can be traced to Appalachian’s holistic approach to pursuing sustainability as demonstrated by our: • rich commitment and history • comprehensive academics and research • actively engaged students

• exemplary campus initiatives • progressive future direction

“We are proud of our heritage and history of environmentalism and we are pleased to celebrate the diverse efforts that our dedicated students, staff and faculty have made through the years to show their commitment to sustainability at Appalachian State University. It will continue to be a top priority for this institution.” - Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock Guiding Commitments

These documents and organizations provide language and directives that guide Appalachian in creating a roadmap toward sustainability: • State of North Carolina; Executive Order 156 (1996, Gov. Hunt) • Signatory of the Talloires Declaration (1997) • Created Appalachian State University Sustainability Council (2007) • UNC Tomorrow Commission Final Report (2007) • “Reach Greater Heights,” Appalachian State University Strategic Plan (2008) • Created Research Institute for Environment, Energy and Economics (2008) • Signatory of the Presidents’ Climate Commitment (2008) • AASHE STARS Sustainability Reporting (2008, ongoing) • Office of University Sustainability (2009) • UNC System-Wide Sustainability Policy (2009) • Appalachian 2020 Campus Master Plan (2010) • Climate Action Plan (2010) • Appalachian Energy Summit (2012) • Waste Reduction Strategic Plan (2012)

Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock, center, joins Sustainability Director Ged Moody and graduate student Sean Hayes in recognizing Earth Day on campus.

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

7

Decades of Commitment Appalachian’s leadership in sustainability education can be traced back more than 25 years. The university houses the nation’s longest running Sustainable Development Program (est. 1991) and has offered Appropriate Technology programs since 1984.

More than 115 faculty members representing all 7 colleges conduct research as it relates to sustainability. Topics include food production, land use, climate change, gender issues, renewable energy and sustainable business. A survey conducted in the fall of 2011 revealed that 27 percent of course offerings are sustainability focused or related.

C H amp i o n : D r e w B a s i n g e r

Academics & Research “I am grateful for the fortunate opportunity to study at a university that is deeply committed to sustainability. Learning about sustainability in the classroom has taught me the importance of making sustainability conscious decisions outside of the classroom.”

- Drew Basinger, ’09, ’12 Technology graduate now working in the Office of Sustainability as a web developer

Sustainability-Focused Majors/Programs BS, MS in Appropriate Technology BS, MS in Building Science BS, Environmental Science MS, Renewable Energy Engineering BS, BA, MA Sustainable Development

Biology graduate student Jason Harkey conducts a tree inventory of all campus trees in partnership with the Physical Plant and New River Light & Power.

8

Sustainability-Related Majors/Programs MA in Appalachian Studies BS in Anthropology (Sustainability) BS in Biology (Ecology, Evolution, & Environmental) MS in Biology (Ecology Research Focus) MBA- Business Administration (Sustainable Business Concentration) BS in Community & Regional Planning MA in Geography (Planning Concentration) BA, BS in Geology (Environmental Geology) BA in Interdisciplinary Studies (Environmental Policy & Planning) MS in Physics (Environmental Physics) MA- Political Science (Environmental Politics & Policy Analysis) BS in Recreation Management

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

Academics & Research

CHampion: Heather Kinsey

First Year Seminar The First Year Seminar is an interdisciplinary introduction to Appalachian’s General Education program. Freshmen “The way I think of my part select a seminar from a variety of topics ranging from in this world has evolved Appalachian Music to Youth Culture. The most popular because of Appalachian.

First Year Seminar, with more selections than any I applaud and thank the other, is “Contemporary Green Living: Life Choices for school for the opportunity to Sustainability.” In addition, this course is taken by all commit to sustainability and the residents of the Living Green Community, who live for providing the tools and learn together on the “green floor” of Frank Hall, necessary to challenge Appalachian’s first Gold Certified LEED residence hall. myself and further societal The seminar emphasizes the importance of individual consciousness.” choices in everyday life, as we work towards our goal of sustainable living. Students explore the diverse realms of - Heather Kinsey, ‘11 energy, transportation, manufacturing, buildings, food Appropriate Technology and production, and more. The three pillars of sustainability Building Science graduate (environment, equity and economy) are addressed and and alumna of the 2012 Solar students are encouraged to avoid “green washing” Decathlon Team and instead, develop feasible solutions to current sustainability issues. This course includes field trips to local community-based sustainable technology projects, participation in service-learning activities such as “Recycle at the Rock,” Habitat for Humanity green building projects, Kraut Creek river clean-ups, K-12 sustainability education and more.

Sustainability-related Fall 2012 First Year Seminar offerings • $45 Trillion Wealth Wipeout • 21st Century Limited: Planet Earth • About Our Trails • Conflict and Peace • Consciousness • Fermented Foods • Food, Culture and Sustainability • Global Understandings • Into the Wild • Paying Tribute to Hunger • Perspectives on Global Citizenship • Sacred Spaces – B • Social Change and Social Issues • The Arts, Community, and Change • The Beauty of the Earth • Women’s Social and Environmental Activism

in Appalachia • You and the Flat World

Appalachian’s academic programs prepare students to live and work in a complex network of local, regional and global communities.

For more information about Appalachian’s First Year Seminar program, visit firstyearseminar.appstate.edu

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

9

Academics & Research Research Institute for Environment, Energy and Economics (RIEEE) “The research institute is intended to help Appalachian expand its research and develop partnerships with other institutions, organizations and with business and industry. Together, we can bring greater insight to energy and environment-related problems and help our communities.” ‑ Dr. John Pine, RIEEE director The Appalachian Research Institute for Environment, Energy and Economics (RIEEE) was established in November 2008 to enhance research opportunities for faculty and students whose interests are associated with environmental science, energy and economics issues. Faculty members in disciplines across campus conduct research in these areas. Their varied and innovative research projects also provide further research opportunities for students such as: • designing energy-efficient homes • monitoring water quality and working with farmers • helping communities collect landfill gases to heat to identify environmentally viable crops for biofuels and power buildings For more information about RIEEE, visit rieee.appstate.edu

AppalAIR

The Appalachian Atmospheric Interdisciplinary Research program (AppalAIR) monitors air quality and atmospheric conditions and their impact on ecosystems in the region.

The team is comprised of six faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences who conduct research with students to help interpret air quality and climate data from high elevations, which is essential Faculty meet with students at to understanding a number of regional atmospheric the AppalAIR facility. issues.

Projects include the study of air pollution transport, high-impact weather events, climate variability and climate change.

AppalAIR collaborates with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Grandfather Mountain, and the North Carolina Division of Air Quality and Mountain Research Initiative (MRI).

The primary AppalAIR site is located behind the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center near the highest point on campus, approximately 3,500 feet in elevation.

It is the only monitoring station east of Illinois that has been invited to collaborate with NOAA’s global network of aerosol monitoring stations. Data from the station is uploaded regularly to the United Nations’ database, and is available to scientists worldwide.

For more information about AppalAIR, visit appalair.appstate.edu

10

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

Academics & Research The Collaborative Biodiesel Project

The Appalachian Biodiesel Research, Development and Production Facility, located at the Catawba County EcoComplex, provides valuable feedstock, fuel quality, and emissions data to the biodiesel industry in the North Carolina. The site is modular in nature which allows for substitution of specific equipment in the production line to determine optimal engineering design. The research purpose of the facility is to convert different feedstocks to biofuels while maximizing positive fuel properties and minimizing the negative impact on air and water quality.

The facility allows experimentation with different processing elements to determine which components work together to provide the best overall production performance, fuel quality, and combustion emissions. Fuel quality and combustion emissions are analyzed well beyond ASTM and EPA standards using advanced chemical analysis techniques.

The Appalachian Biodiesel Research, Development and Production Facility was established in partnership with Catawba County with funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the University of North Carolina General Administration, the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, Catawba County Government, and the North Carolina Department of Commerce and State Energy Office. The facility represents a collaboration of the faculty and staff of the Appalachian Energy Center and the Department of Technology and Environmental Design.

Building strong external partnerships with entities such as Catawba County enhances Appalachian’s research, educational and outreach efforts by providing a vibrant learning environment within the state’s growing industries.

For more information about the EcoComplex, visit catawbacountync.gov/ecocomplex

Standing beside an algae research photo-bioreactor, Brian Witmer ‘10, MS Building Science and Appropriate Technology graduate and current staff member in the Appalachian Energy Center, discusses potential to use algae as a biofuel feedstock in North Carolina.

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

11 11

Academics & Research EPA P3 Grants - National Awards

Appalachian’s Department of Technology has had huge successes in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s annual P3 (People, Prosperity and the Planet) Competition, winning more projects than any other university in the state and ranking among the top participating schools in the nation.

In the last six years, Appalachian has had nine Phase I winners and four Phase II winners out of ten chosen winners.

Appalachian is one of the only non-Research 1 institutions with multiple Phase II awards, which provide funding for continued research and development.

The competition promotes innovative thinking for moving the world toward sustainability. Projects must benefit people, promote prosperity, and protect the planet through innovative designs that address challenges to sustainability in both the developed and developing world.

For more information about the EPA P3, visit epa.gov/P3/

Appalachian’s EPA P3 Winners

2009-2010

2011-2012

On-site Biological Graywater Treatment System Suitable for a Small Business

Gasification for Agricultural Energy Sources and Soil Enrichment

Phase II funding Students develop an artificial wetland suitable for recycling of graywater from small businesses for immediate reuse.

Phase II funding Students developed an affordable gasification production that can cogenerate electricity, heat and soil amendment for agricultural production.

2010-2011

2008-2009

Sun, Bottles and Beeswax: Local solutions for clean water using solar disinfection

Closing the Carbon Loop: Growing Algae Using Sustainable CO2 from Bio-waste

Phase I funding Students research the potential of using solar UV and heat to disinfect water in waste soda bottles to create clean water for the developing world.

Linking Wastewater Purification and Biofuel Production

Phase I funding Students are researching the potential of running animal manure waste lagoon water through troughs in order to efficiently grow and harvest algae which can be used for biofuel production.

12

Biology graduate student Jennifer Johnson, left, and Dr. Jim Houser are assisting Bobbie Jo Swinson ‘12, right, develop a miniature wetland system that could be used to clean gray water for other uses.

Phase II Honorable Mention Students designed and built a sustainable algaculture facility for producing biofuels.

Fair Trade Ethanol: Fuel Production from Coffee Wastes

Phase II Honorable Mention Students designed and developed a coffee wastewater treatment system to improve the sustainability of coffee production.

Phase I funding Students developed and implemented a community-based program to encourage the use of bicycles for commuting. (This became the Boone Bicycle Initiative.)

2006-2007 The Affordable Bioshelters Project: Testing Technologies for Affordable Bioshelters

Phase II Funding Students designed and built affordable greenhouses powered renewably to conserve energy, reduce the demand for fossil fuels, and allow more food to be grown locally at lower economic and ecological cost.

2005-2006 Closing the Biodiesel Loop: Self Sustaining, community-based Biodiesel Production

Phase II Funding Students developed a sustainable 2007-2008 education facility to promote and The Boone Bicycle Initiative: A Community demonstrate small-scale biodiesel Based Project to Promote Bicycles as an processing while providing hands-on Alternative Mode of Transportation research opportunities.

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

“Conserving our Earth’s fresh water resources is one of the most responsible and important actions that we can all take to create a healthier planet for everyone. This research project has been an amazing opportunity to work with students, faculty, local business owners, and community members that are devoted to developing technologies that will perpetuate sustainability for generations to come.”

- Bobbie Jo Swinson, ‘12

Appropriate Technology graduate

“It is great to work in the Appropriate Technology program of the Department of Technology and Environmental Design because we have highly motivated and committed students eager to do research on solutions to our resource management problems.”

- Dr. James Houser

assistant professor in the Department of Technology and Environmental Design and the faculty leader of the EPA P3 gray water treatment project

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

CHampion: Dr. James Houser

On-site Biological Graywater Treatment System Suitable for a Small Business In spring of 2012, Bobbi Jo Swinson, an Appalachian State University appropriate technology major, won phase 2 of the EPA P3 (People, Prosperity and the Planet) student design competition. The award is for $90,000 to continue researching mini wetlands that treat wastewater from businesses.

The project is titled, “On-site Biological Graywater Treatment System Suitable for a Small Business.” The award will support work to combine biology, chemistry and appropriate technologies to create an on-site biological graywater treatment and reprocessing system.

Drs. Jim Houser and Jack Martin, from the Department of Technology and Environmental Design, and Dr. Michael Hambourger, Department of Chemistry, serve as faculty advisors to Swinson.

Swinson’s inspiration for the project came from her job as a hair stylist in Boone. “I really began to notice how much water we were using in the salon as well as the chemicals and hair products we were pouring down the drain,” Swinson said.

“This project is motivated by the fact that maintaining freshwater is really important,” Houser said. “One of the key problems the world is starting to confront is running out of fresh water and the price to clean water.”

The research team will collect water from the shampoo bowls in the salon and analyze the chemicals and the amount of water entering the waste stream.

They will then run the salon’s graywater through a living system modified from a system originally constructed as part of the university’s biofuels project (20052006 EPA P3 Phase II winner “Closing the Biodiesel Loop”).

CHampion: Bobbie Jo Swinson

Academics & Research

13

Engaged Students The students at Appalachian State University have always been, and continue to be, essential to the sustainability movement on campus and beyond. Whether creating a student-led committee to initiate and implement on-campus renewable energy projects, developing a sustainable living community, applying for grants or just joining a club, Appalachian students always have been conscious and motivated in leading the way.

Renewable Energy Initiative (REI) In February 2004, a group of motivated students initiated the arduous process of creating a student-led committee to allocate student fees for renewable energy projects on campus. In March 2004, a referendum was presented for a campus-wide vote. It was approved, and in 2007 it was reaffirmed by 92 percent of the student body.

Each year, more than $150,000 in student fees is directed towards the implementation of renewable energy.

This money is managed by students and designated to help offset the university’s dependence on fossil fuels.

REI provides outreach and education to students and community members about the benefits of renewable energy. Established as a student-run organization, the REI relies upon faculty and staff members as advisors.

Each year, the REI recommends, manages and installs multiple projects across campus. Appalachian’s “E3” House is one of these projects. Designed to be an energy efficient, economical and environmentally-responsible alternative to typical FEMA trailers, the prototypical, selfsufficient dwelling is designed and constructed for use in remote or disaster relief situations where electricity and access to public sanitation are unavailable.

The most visible of the REI projects is the 100 kW wind turbine at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center.

Situated at the highest point on campus and standing more than 153 feet tall, it was selected specifically to depict an industry-scale wind turbine, thus educating the entire region. As of May of 2012, the turbine had produced over 311,000 kilowatt hours, enough energy to sustain 336 homes for one month.

14 14

REI Mission Statement “Reduce the environmental impact of Appalachian State University by replacing the university’s existing sources of energy with cleaner forms of renewable energy technology on campus and serve as a resource for students and faculty by identifying and investing in the most appropriate energy projects.”

Major REI Projects and Funding Broyhill Conference Center Wind Turbine

$319,000

Student Union Solar Thermal

$153,000

Summit Hall Solar Thermal

$131,000

Raley Hall 4 kW Photovoltaic Array

$65,000

AppalCART Bus System Biodiesel $62,500 Blackburn Farm PV & Solar Thermal

$42,000

E3 House Photovoltaic Array

$30,000

Library Photovoltaic $30,000 BigBelly Solar Trash Compactors

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

$20,500

Engaged Students The informational kiosk at Plemmons Student Union is an REI project dedicated to education. This kiosk has two monitors that display data and information about REI projects across campus. Although the REI has meetings that the public can attend, the kiosk is a quick and convenient way to get recent information about current and upcoming projects. Also at the kiosk is a mini solar-powered wind turbine and a North Carolina Leadership award from the NC State Energy Office. Most recently, the REI funded BigBelly Solar trash compactors on campus. Current projects and future ideas include a photovoltaic “A” on Athletics’ Sofield Indoor Practice Facility, Summit Residence Hall solar thermal, a photovoltaic array on the Belk Library bus shelter and photovoltaics and solar thermal systems at the newly acquired Sustainable Development Agroecology Teaching and Research Farm located at the Blackburn Vanoy property in Ashe County.

For more information about REI, visit rei.appstate.edu

A particularly photogenic REI project is the Raley Photovoltaic (PV) installation, a 4 kW system designed to look like the mountain landscape and educate people about the feasibility of harnessing the sun’s energy to produce electricity. Installed by Appalachian graduates, this picturesque installation generates close to 6000 kWh per year, which offsets 2.5 tons of coal.

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

1515

Engaged Students DAISEE

The Delivering Appropriate Innovative Sustainability Energy Education (DAISEE) trailer is on the move, bringing sustainable and green technologies to events around the state. DAISEE is a mobile trailer that showcases sustainable practices such as fully-functioning solar photovoltaic panels, solar thermal panels, a wind generator and green building techniques.

Originally designed by the Department of Technology, the local green building industry and Appalachian State University chapter of the American Solar Energy Society (ASUSES), DAISEE shows off green technology and acts as a mobile outreach station. DAISEE’s hands-on approach allows onlookers a chance to better understand renewable energy and green building techniques. DAISEE continues to make appearances at several regional events, including festivals, trade shows and musical events. More than 150,000 people have visited the trailer to learn about sustainable energy and green building.

As is evidenced by the forty clubs, organizations and groups that are sustainability focused or related, Appalachian students care about sustainability. These clubs and organizations are dedicated to providing a venue for discussion and activity around the health of our planet, fiscal responsibility and equity for all people.

AIESEC Appalachian Geological Society Appalachian Campus Antiwar Network Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway Habitat for Humanity HEMP Native American Council Renewable Energy Initiative Sustainable Energy Society Sustainable Transportation Club Trail Crew UNICEF Campus Initiative Wine to Water Campus Chapter Biology Graduate Student Association College Democrats Do something Edible Schoolyard Face AIDS GREEN Growing Sustainable Futures Habitat for Humanity

16

Highlands Biology Club impACT Team International Relations Associations Invisible Children at Appalachian State Multicultural Culinary Club The Net Impact Club The Order of the Black and Gold People Fighting Poverty Power vote Student Builders Association Student Planners Association Student Wellness Peer Educators Sustainable Development Student Alliance Sustainable Transportation Sexuality and Gender Alliance Sustainability Council (faculty, staff and students) TransAction Watauga Animal Guardian Society Women’s Club For more information, visit sdr.appstate.edu/sdr/clubs

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

Appalachian & the Community Together (ACT) Appalachian & the Community Together (ACT) is the campus clearinghouse for community service, service-learning, and community-based research within the NC High Country, the state, nation and world. ACT offers diverse opportunities to get involved in human services and environmental advocacy, and assists faculty members and community partners with integrating service projects into their courses and agencies. Collectively, ACT students contribute more than 13,000 hours of community service each year.

For Earth Day 2012, ACT coordinated a Sustainable Farm Day of Service. Students worked on one of four sustainable farms located in the High Country.

ACT’s Sustainability-related Programs Don’t Throw it Away collections: Over the past four years, more than 237 tons of material have been diverted from landfills and sold at the BIG Sale in the fall. Local community partners apply for Energy Efficiency Mini-Grants and supply food and volunteers during collection days.

The BIG Sale: Items collected from Don’t Throw it Away are sold at a yard sale on campus. Over the past four years, almost $60,000 was raised from the sale to benefit the energy efficiency initiatives of various local agencies including Mountain Alliance, N.C. Cooperative Extension, The Farm at Mollie’s Branch, and Holston Presbytery Camp and Retreat Center. The sale also supports a fund for international service-learning scholarships.

ACTs of Service: These one-time service opportunities target students who have never been involved in service. Past projects

Instead of going on a routine vacation, lots of Appalachian students engage in experiential learning and join one of the Alternative Service Experience programs hosted by the ACT Office (Appalachian and Community Together).

Students explore and serve a community different from their own.

include working with Wine to Water, Mountain Mission Farms, Gardens for Humanity and other environmental organizations.

Window on Wales: This biennial trip is co-sponsored by ACT and Outdoor Programs. The course explores sustainability in many forms and engages in environmentally-based service-learning projects. It also incorporates a plan to offset the carbon emissions of the group’s travel.

Alternative Service Experience: Through Appalachian’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program, students forgo a traditional spring break experience in favor of service. In 2012, 322 faculty, staff and students took carbon-neutral, spring break trips to U.S. locations, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru and Jamaica.

For more information about ACT, visit act.appstate.edu

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

17

Engaged Students

The Goodnight Family Sustainable Development Program is a 21-year-old interdisciplinary academic and outreach program. The Sustainable Development major offers students a unique opportunity to explore concepts from social and natural sciences, as well as the humanities.

Students studying Sustainable Development utilize a nearby Teaching and Research Farm and Agroecology Laboratory to enhance their classroom lessons about agroecology, agroforestry, environmental and resource economics and sustainable farming practices. Instead of lectures and assignments inside a laboratory, students spend time working in the fields applying their studies to practice.

Students plant, maintain and harvest organic produce nurtured by the compost that is created at the university.

They grow experimental crops of broccoli, garlic, strawberries, lettuce and other vegetables and fruit trees.

Information about the suitability of various crops for the area is shared with area farmers to encourage sustainable agricultural practices in the region.

The farm is also home to livestock to give students insight into production methods. The farm has a meat handler’s license from the N.C. Department of Agriculture, and is able to sell pork from the farm-raised pigs on occasion, which is processed by a USDA-licensed meat processor in Wilkesboro.

In addition, students learn about soil management, farm business management and marketing, and ecologically- based pest management.

18 18

CHampion: Brooke Kornegay

Goodnight Family Sustainable Development and Teaching Research Farm

“The farm is a safe place to practice the art of growing food in an ecologically responsible way. It’s not just a place for students to get some credit hours; it is a place they bring their friends, a place where community members gather to work together and learn about taking back some of the power that our society has given up.

At the farm, we reclaim the power to cultivate not just food, but also an awareness of community and ecological interconnectedness.”

- Farm Manager Brooke Kornegay Sustainable Development instructor

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

Engaged Students Farm Stand

Students in the Sustainable Development program grow produce on the program’s teaching and research farm. During the spring and fall semesters, students hold an on-campus market and also sell their wares at the local farmers market. Proceeds help support the farm’s operations. This process provides learning benefits to students, explains farm manager Brooke Kornegay ‘00, who honed her experience as a Peace Corps volunteer and now teaches in Sustainable Development. “The students learn about business and farmer-consumer contact, what customers like and how to market to them. They also learn how to successfully sell what they have put so much energy into growing, and it’s a way for us to interact with the community.”

Sustainable Development students sell in-season produce, including tomatoes, squash, potatoes, garlic, salad greens, onions, radishes and carrots.

Recycle at the Rock

Katie Cavert, former Recycle at the Rock volunteer coordinator, pictured with Yosef before a football game.

Photo submitted by Katie Cavert.

Recycle at The Rock is Appalachian’s home football and tailgate recycling program. Developed and implemented during the 2008 football season, this program is a two-fold program. Bottle and can recycle containers in stadium concourses and cardboard collection from the inside vendors captures part of the game day waste. Student interns manage another part of the process by distributing green recycling bags and black trash bags to all tailgaters. The tailgate bag distribution program is made successful through the assistance of student volunteers. It is estimated that over 200 students assist in this initiative every football season. Over the last four years, Appalachian has successfully diverted 36.87 tons (73,740 pounds) of recyclable material from the landfill through the Recycle at The Rock program.

For more information, visit recycle.appstate.edu

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

19

Engaged Students Solar Decathlon

In December 2011, Appalachian received the Green School of the Year Award from the N.C. Triangle Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council for its 2011 Solar Decathlon Team.

Appalachian was one of 19 schools that competed in the biannual solar decathlon which charges schools with designing, building and operating solar powered homes that are cost effective, energy efficient and attractive. The homes were judged for affordability, consumer appeal and design excellence with optimal energy production and maximum efficiency. The international event included entries from China, New Zealand, Belgium and from across the United States.

Being green is nothing new at Appalachian, whose sustainable development and appropriate technology programs date back to the 1970s and are recognized as being among the nation’s oldest.

“Appalachian has been a leader in efficient building techniques and renewable energy technologies for years,” stated Bret Sowers ’11, a building science alumnus who was the team’s market coordinator.

“We are passionate about what we do, and use that passion to drive innovation.”

Appalachian’s entry in the Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon 2011 competition, propelled the mountain homestead into the 21st century with its bifacial solar panels, great porch and outbuilding modules that can be reconfigured based on living needs.

Coined the “Solar Homestead,” the house’s design hearkens back to the cabins of early settlers of the North Carolina mountains, employing photovoltaic outfitted sheds (reborn as OMs, or “outbuilding modules”) to power the main house, arranged to bring the focus of the space to a comfortable “great porch,” much like the traditional architecture of the region. “Appalachia has a rich tradition of self-sufficiency and pioneering spirit,” said Katharine Lea ’11, who served as the architectural project manager for the Solar Homestead team. “What better place to draw inspiration from than that?”

The student-designed, student-built, net zero-energy house won the People’s Choice Award, receiving the majority of the nearly 93,000 total votes. It placed 12th overall in the biannual competition that challenges college teams to design, build and operate solarpowered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, attractive and affordable.

20

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

Engaged Students

Members of the Solar Decathlon Team represent Appalachian in Washington, D.C.

In addition to winning the Solar Decathlon People’s Choice Award, the Solar Homestead placed in individual areas of the competition: first place (seven-way tie), hot water; second place, communications; third place, architecture; third place tie (with the University of Maryland), home entertainment and sixth place, market appeal.

“The Solar Homestead is a shining example of Appalachian’s academic excellence, commitment to sustainability and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock.

“Students from multiple disciplines formed a cohesive and intellectually adventurous team whose work will continue to showcase our university as a place where the next great generation of leaders are already creating solutions that make a difference in the world.”

For more information about the Solar Homestead, visit thesolarhomestead.com

One of two bedrooms in the 995 square-foot Solar Homestead.

The multipurpose living and dining space transforms between day and night.

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

21

Engaged Students Nicaragua: Sustainable Development

2012 marks the 7th annual outreach program focusing on sustainable development projects and the installation of renewable energy systems at the Finca Esperanza Verde ecolodge and coffee farm. Students live with Nicaraguan families, learn about the flora and fauna, the culture of the region, and explore environmental issues in Nicaragua. Several visits are made to renewable energy projects and sustainable development programs in the region.

For more information about international opportunities, visit international.appstate.edu Photo: Jeremy Ferrel, Appalachian Energy Center

Sustainability and the Arts

The Arts Subcommittee of the Sustainability Council seeks to increase the number of Appalachian community members that actively participate in sustainable arts, thus creating awareness of sustainability efforts on campus. To help achieve this vision, this active subcommittee developed a Sustainability in the Arts Competitive Grant program. To date the program has awarded $5000 to arts projects that communicate sustainability.

One of the recipients was a Visiting Artist Residency by PearlDamour with Shawn Hall, who created the performance installation “How to Build a Forest.” PearlDamour is a collaborative team of Katie Pearl and Lisa D’Amour. During their 10-day residency at Appalachian, the artists worked with students from classes in theatre and dance, art and from the residential learning communities Living Green and Art Haus.

The installation piece was inspired by the loss of 100 trees on D’Amour’s family property outside of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. They said of their project, “We have been thinking about habitat loss and the folly of thinking we humans can just put it all back together again after it’s ruined. In building a fake forest inside a theater, we want our audience to think about the relationship of process to product, of what goes on behind the scenes of our lives vs. what happens ‘on stage’ in our lives.”

Photo: Angela Hensley, Student Programs

22

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

Engaged Students Graduation Pledge: “I pledge to explore and take into account the social and environmental consequences, and the civic and community responsibilities, of any job or career I consider and will try to improve these aspects of any organizations for which I work.”

Appalachian recently joined the international movement among college graduates to take part in the national Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility. This pledge is offered at more than 100 colleges and universities around the world, and graduates who take the pledge at Appalachian wear a green ribbon on their gowns during graduation. Appalachian began taking this pledge in the 2009-2010 academic year, and since then, more than 300 students have participated.

Graduation is green in another way: the graduation gowns now offered by the bookstore are made of renewable wood fiber from responsibly managed forests. While the gown looks like the polyester version worn by past graduates, the gown and its plastic packaging are designed to decompose in a landfill.

Sustainability Film Series

Brian Zimmer, Department of Geology adjunct faculty member, visited the Office of Sustainability in 2009, after having watched “Food Inc.” and remarked how it had changed his life. Having been personally so deeply affected by the film, Zimmer wanted to begin a sustainability film series.

Spring 2012 marked the third spring semester of the sustainability film series. The sustainability film series is designed to raise awareness of current social, economic and environmental issues and help provide solutions.

Each film is followed by a panel discussion with local activists, community leaders, academics and students who will answer questions and discuss ways of personally getting involved on local, national and international levels.

Some films previously screened include “Taking Root,” “Addicted to Plastic,” “The Last Mountain,” and “Deep Down.” The screenings are held in Greer Auditorium holding 300 seats. Although these films are free, nearly every film ‘sells out’ indicating how popular a film can be for instigating thought-provoking dialogue and discussion.

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

23

Campus Initiatives Acting Locally

With more than 17,000 students and nearly 3,000 employees, Appalachian’s campus environment is a microcosm of the larger world. Its campus environment showcases state-of-the-art technologies, processes and innovative financing mechanisms. Community members and visitors alike are able to witness the efforts of Appalachian’s hardworking staff as they explore our university’s grounds and operations.

LEED® Certified Buildings

In 2007, Appalachian’s Board of Trustees decreed that all future campus construction should meet LEED standards developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. These recognized standards for environmentally friendly construction address human and environmental health, sustainable site development, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. Jim Deal, chairman of the Board of Trustees at the time, noted that working toward LEED standards was “the appropriate thing to do for the environment and the appropriate thing from an educational perspective.” Appalachian State University has eight buildings that are either LEED certified, registered or built to LEED standards.

•

• • • •

2424

AppalCART Operations and Maintenance Facility Belk Library and Information Commons Cone Residence Hall Frank Residence Hall* George G. Beasley Broadcasting Complex

• • • •

Mountaineer Residence Hall* Plemmons Student Union Addition Reich College of Education Summit Residence Hall

*Indicates LEED Gold certified

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

Campus Initiatives Frank Hall - A Green Living Community

A group of 34 students embody sustainability in the popular Living Green residential learning community (RLC) in Frank Residence Hall.

The students live together on one floor, and take a First Year Seminar course, “Contemporary Green Living: Life Choices for Sustainability,” which inspires them to make small lifestyle changes to reinforce their sustainability goal. The TV and lights are off if no one is in the student lounge, recycling and composting is available in a special area, every other hall light is off to save energy, and residents consider it a point of pride to walk to their floor instead of taking the elevator.

Components of LEED certification for Frank Residence Hall • • • •

• • • • • •

Energy efficient water source heat pumps Low-flow shower heads and sink faucet aerators Students in the Living Green RLC work Energy efficient electric hand dryers together to use existing resources Dual flush toilet valves (which save up to 1/2 gallon to create everyday items. Here they of water per flush) are turning polystyrene boxes into a ENERGY STAR appliances community beanbag chair.

T-8 and T-5 florescent lighting utilizing motion sensors in public areas Non-PVC resilient floor tile Recycled/repurposed lobby furniture Pervious concrete outside 42 solar panels on the roof to preheat domestic hot water and assist heat pumps with preheating

Information Technology and Sustainability

In 2011, Technology Support Services (TSS) was involved with several sustainability efforts throughout campus in public printing areas in order to conserve resources and save money. Duplex printing was set as the default on printers in all public printing areas. As a result, during spring semester of 2012, 710 less reams of paper were purchased than in same time period in 2011. Power-save management tools are used to conserve energy during down times and TSS will no longer be powering computers up in the morning. The first user will now be responsible for turning them on. Future initiatives include adoption of these programs for faculty and staff and increased utilization of electronic delivery mechanisms.

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

25

Campus Initiatives Greening the Union

In 1986, before Appalachian had adopted recycling procedures, students desired to start a recycling program. Dave Robertson, director of student programs, was enthusiastic and very supportive.

Later, Robertson would form a group dedicated to making Plemmons Student Union more sustainable while simultaneously saving money to be directed toward other student activities.

“I have always been focused on our need as humans to protect the earth for future generations, and to teach our students their responsibility to do the same,” Robertson said.

The first initiative of the Greening of the Union group was to hire SEO/Waste Reduction Partners from Asheville to conduct a study targeting the building’s lighting and HVAC systems. A subsequent bulb replacement project led to annual savings of $18,000 a year, and also positioned Plemmons Student Union to become one of the earliest sites in North Carolina to do a wholesale experimental installation of dimmable LEDs. Since then, more than 20 different sustainability actions have been taken at Plemmons Student Union. Robertson’s goal is to have the addition to the student union, now under construction, to be LEED Gold certified.

Rendering of the new Plemmons Student Union addition to be completed Jan 2013.

Yearly Savings from Plemmons Electric lighting retrofits (cost $20,000)

Removal of lights $350 from vending machines per machine Installation of aerators on faucets

$450

Solar thermal panels for water heating

$14,000

The Plemmons Student Union solar thermal system was the first of the REI-funded projects. It serves as a pilot commercial-scale domestic hot water (DHW) solar thermal system for the area and the university.

The DHW solar thermal system consists of 42 flat plate collectors, seven of which have experimental glazing technology, three 400-gallon EPDM rubber lined storage tanks, nine stainless steel perforated heat exchangers, and 200-plus feet of copper pipe.

The total cost of the system was $153,000. The solarheated water produced by the system is utilized on site, reducing the emissions and costs associated with the use of the central steam system and is estimated to generate annual energy savings of approximately $11,000 to $14,000.

26

$22,000

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

Campus Initiatives Greening the Union

CHampion: Dave Robertson

Director of Student Programs Dave Robertson cares about sustainability. On a recent tour of the University of Kansas in Kansas City, he learned about a piece of software that interfaces with a building’s reservation system software. When tied together, the software cuts off unnecessary heating and cooling when meeting spaces are not in use. This software will substantially reduce the carbon footprint of the Plemmons addition, reduce energy costs and will likely qualify for a LEED ‘Innovation’ point as well when the building is commissioned for LEED certification.

The following are features of the new Plemmons Student Union addition that will contribute to the LEED certification.

• Use of natural daylight • Dimmable LED lighting technology • Second and third floor common area flooring made from reused tires • All wood is harvested from certified sustainable forests • Fastest, most energy efficient hand dryers currently available • High efficiency heating and cooling systems (30% more efficient than ASHRAE Standards) • Concrete structures are made from sand, gravel and

Portland cement, carrying a smaller carbon footprint than a “We all need to remember that

comparable steel structure everything we can do to reduce, • Utilizing building automation to control the heating, reuse and recycle leaves a little

ventilation and air conditioning system in meeting bit more of our precious and finite

and conference rooms when not in use resources for future generations. The • Solar hot water heating system student union has • Water bottle filling station with display to

an obligation to set an communicate how many bottle of water have been example for the campus filled using reusable bottles in many ways, not the • All furnishings are certified sustainable in their

least of which is to be manufacturing process and methods a leader in practicing • Local granite for outdoor retaining walls sustainability.”

• Carpet in signature large-scale meeting room is

100% wool - Dave Robertson • All offices have operable windows director of • Utilizing motion and light sensors to ensure

student programs optimum efficiency of artificial lighting • Low-emissions glass and argon gas-filled windows

for increased retention of conditioned air • Use of building materials are minimized, e.g.,

acoustical drop ceilings are only used in limited locations where overhead pipes, ducts, wiring, etc need to be hidden for aesthetic reasons • All paints are VOC-free

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

27

Campus Initiatives Campus-Built Environment

Appalachian has a strong focus on financial efficiency as well as environmental impact. Improving the performance of our buildings is critical to these efforts, and emphasis is placed on continually improving building planning, design and proactive maintenance.

Climate Action Plan

On Earth Day, April 22nd, 2008, Appalachian State University joined over 500 colleges and universities when Chancellor Kenneth Peacock signed the American College and Universities Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). In accordance with our commitment to the ACUPCC, the university’s 2010 climate action plan, “Toward Climate Neutrality,” declares that Appalachian will be climate neutral in 2050 and defines an interim goal to reduce the carbon footprint by 51 percent by 2025. The university will perform an annual greenhouse gas inventory to track efforts toward climate neutrality.

The goal of carbon neutrality, given uncertainties such as climate-oriented policies, future fuel mix and costs, technological advances and offset markets, is a challenging goal. Appalachian’s focus on greenhouse gas reductions will come from the two largest contributors: electricity consumption and the production of hot water and steam.

Strategic Energy Reduction Plan

28

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

British Thermal Units

Gross Square Footage

Appalachian is dedicated to reducing overall energy to meet sustainability commitments and to achieve increased fiscal responsibility. To assist in this endeavor, the university has developed a strategic energy plan declaring a 30 percent reduction on overall energy consumption by 2015. The plan outlines seven targeted areas of focus – operations, policy, source management, materials/ Energy Consumption per Gross Square Foot equipment, education/outreach, Energy Consumption per Gross Square Foot transportation and water 5,000,000 180,000 management strategies.

Implementation of the strategic 4,500,000 160,000 plan requires the commitment 4,000,000 140,000 of the campus community and 3,500,000 dedication from the entire Physical 120,000 Gross Square 3,000,000 Plant team including the electrical 100,000 Foot and HVAC group and the newly 2,500,000 BTU/GSF 80,000 established system controls group.

2,000,000 To date, as a result of the strategic 60,000 1,500,000 plan, Appalachian has succeeded 40,000 1,000,000 in reducing energy consumption by 28 percent based on the identified 20,000 500,000 key performance measure: British ‐ ‐ Thermal Units (BTUs) per square 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 foot. (see graph)

Campus Initiatives Financing

In fiscal year 2011, energy cost the university over $7 million.

Rising energy costs, budget reductions and Appalachian’s leadership role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions drive the desire for energy conservation and efficiency. Grants and performance contracts are fundamental to Appalachian’s energy conservation and efficiency programs. These types of financing enable the university’s ability to retrofit buildings’ lighting and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

In the last four years, Appalachian obtained over $600,000 in grants and completed an energy savings performance contract for $5.3 million. Energy performance savings contracts (ESPCs) allow the university to accomplish energy savings projects without up-front costs. These financing methods are currently saving the university close to $1 million per year in avoided energy costs (difference between current cost and precompleted project cost).

Most recently, the university is undertaking another ESPC for $16 million. The current phase of the ESPC is expected to take 6-8 months during which time the contractor will investigate approximately 24 buildings on campus to determine how to get the most energy and financial savings for the upfront costs.

By utilizing building automation to control lighting and HVAC, Walker, Sanford and John E. Thomas Halls are achieving up to 50 percent reductions in energy.

Electricity Consumption and Cost Electricity Consumption and Cost

Appalachian State University Fuel Mix

72,000,000

$5,100,000 $4,900,000

70,000,000

$4,500,000

66,000,000

$4,300,000 $4,100,000

64,000,000

Cost ($)

Electricity (kWh)

$4,700,000 68,000,000

Electricity Consumption Cost

$3,900,000 62,000,000

$3,700,000 $3,500,000

60,000,000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

29

Campus Initiatives Landscape Services

CHampion: Jim Bryan

Landscaping Services has a practice of using native plants to emulate the natural environment, but Appalachian’s lush, green campus and beautiful grounds are green in another way: no “restricted use” pesticides are used anywhere on campus. In fact, Appalachian’s Landscape Services department uses all organic fertilizers (most of which come from the nearby Boone Waste Treatment Plant) and all on-campus compost from autumn leaves, wood chips and food waste collected on campus. Instead of toxic pesticides, the staff uses horticultural oils, which are safer for everyone on campus, including the grounds crew.

“Other than people, the Landscape Services Superintendent Jim Bryan’s most valuable resources priorities also include the use of native plants. Most of we have are our soil and the landscaping on campus utilizes native perennials, a water, and we need practice called xeriscaping, which reduces the need for to do all we can to flower bed irrigation. Other than what is necessary to protect them.” maintain the soccer and softball fields, landscape watering is used only while getting new plants established. The - Jim Bryan use of native plants also helps manage the challenge of landscape landscaping the sloped topography. In the past, many services of these slopes were maintained with handheld weedsuperintendent trimmers, which create greenhouse gas emissions and are labor-intensive for the crew to operate. Bryan’s latest project is to re-landscape these slopes with native plants and grasses, which maintain the stability of the slopes, and provide added benefits of increasing the efficiency of state resources while also reducing carbon emissions.

30 30

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

Campus Initiatives Waste Reduction and Recycling

Diverting waste from landfills through reuse, composting, and recycling are fundamental to sustainability. Through planning, community education and targeted programs, Appalachian’s faculty, staff and students diverted 38 percent of campus waste (1,228 tons) during the 2010-2011 academic year.

The waste diversion rate is increasing every year.

Our diversion efforts are successful due to recycling and composting in all areas of campus operations. In all academic and residential buildings, recycling bins exist for common recyclable items like all types of paper, plastic, aluminum and steel bottles and cans, all glass, and cardboard. A few recycling areas are staged for special items like electronic waste (e-waste), compact fluorescents, and rigid plastics. The university recycles confidential paper items through Foothills Sanitation and Recycling Inc. The campus also features a new compost facility which opened in October 2011. The first of its kind in North Carolina, this new composting facility

allows the university to expand operations to postconsumer food waste. Pre-consumer collections began in 1999.

In order to take a more responsible approach to waste management on campus, Appalachian is committed to becoming a zero waste campus. Zero waste seeks to rethink the way resources and materials flow through the university by taking a whole system approach. The university’s goal of 90 percent diversion by 2022 is a high one, but achievable. Over the next 10 years, Appalachian will work toward zero waste through initiatives identified as part of a strategic plan involving various key stakeholders from across campus.

This approach will strive to reduce overall consumption, return material goods for reuse, compost all applicable organic matter and recycle goods and materials at the end of their useful lifespan.

For more information, visit recycle.appstate.edu

Opened in October 2011, the new composting facility allows for expansion of food waste composting (275 tons annually compared to 100 tons previously), increased research potential for students, and ongoing collaborative efforts across campus as Appalachian works toward the goal of zero waste.

31 31

Campus Initiatives Appalachian takes its water consumption seriously, and water usage is another area in which cost savings go handin-hand with resource conservation. The water used on campus comes from a 360-million-gallon reservoir and a state-of-the-art micro filtration plant owned and operated by the university. Appalachian’s Physical Plant began monitoring water use in 2006, largely in response to a drought in the North Carolina mountains.

While past average daily water consumption had reached as high as 400,000 gallons per day in 2007, the installation of water-efficient plumbing fixtures helped reduce water consumption by 39 percent in 2011 from a 2004 baseline.

Appalachian State University has implemented many water-efficient fixtures on campus. A few examples include: • Dual-flush toilets and low-flow shower heads in

restrooms • Low-flow aerators in more than 800 sink faucets • ENERGY STAR-rated, front load, water-saving washers that are standard in all campus laundry rooms.

CHampion: Lona Woodring

Water Usage

Cleaning

- Lona Woodring

housekeeper, Turchin Center for the Visual Arts

Appalachian has implemented “green” cleaning in all academic, support and administrative buildings on campus. Cleaning using environmentally- and people-friendly cleaners is also practiced in all residence halls, the student union, bookstore, the university’s Broyhill Events Center, and campus dining facilities. Currently, most of the 4.5 million square feet on Appalachian’s campus is cleaned using Green Seal-certified standards.

Appalachian’s Building Services staff member Lona Woodring has been with the university since 2003. She says the new cleaning system is not only more environmentally-friendly, but it saves money and is less damaging to the local surface water ecosystem. The new system automatically mixes the chemicals with water, allowing for more efficient use of the chemicals and discourages overuse.

With micro-filtration technology, Appalachian’s water treatment plant has a capacity of two million gallons a day.

32

“I welcome change that is kind to the environment.

Anything we can do to make it better for the ones that come after us is a plus. I like the green cleaning for myself as well as others.”

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

“Leading sustainability and local food sourcing initiatives for Appalachian Food Services is very rewarding. We are committed to making our operations more sustainable by reducing, reusing and recycling, and we plan to continue growing our percentage of locally sourced products.

I am proud of what we have accomplished and look forward to seeing what the future holds.”

- Heather Brandon

Food Services

At the end of 2011, Appalachian Food Services reached their goal of purchasing 10 percent local.

This would not have been possible without its local partners, including Moretz Mountain Orchard and Farm, North Fork Farm and The Pasta Wench. These relationships were also invaluable to the success of their monthly local meal series, ‘Carolina Chowdown: A Local Food Feast.’

Food Services

Appalachian Food Services practices environmental sustainability while striving to serve healthy and nourishing meals. Additionally, they are strengthening their commitment to locally grown food, which benefits neighbors and the local economy.

Based on research by Sustainable Development graduate student Cameron Farlow, Food Services has created an operational model that emphasizes environmentally and socially sustainable food choices grown and produced within a 250mile radius of campus. Identifying local products resulted in an “Always Local” list. In 2011, a goal of procuring 10 percent local food was surpassed. Currently, a 2014 target of 15 percent is the new goal. Beginning in summer 2012, Food Services and the Office of Sustainability are working together to define what ‘sustainable food’ means.

In the 2011-2012 academic year, Food Services held a ‘Carolina Chowdown’ on the first Wednesday of each month.

These events served meals replete with locally sourced food.

Food Services advocates the concepts of reduce, reuse and recycle in all campus food services operations. According to Food Services estimates, the amount of food-related garbage going to the landfill has been reduced 70-80 percent since 2001.

CHampion: Meagan Brown

CHampion: Heather Brandon

Campus Initiatives

“Appalachian Food Services has made a firm commitment to increase local food purchases every year. As a Sustainable Development student it has been an empowering experience to apply my studies to practice in working toward this goal of creating a more sustainable food system on campus.”

- Meagan Brown

Sustainable Development major and Office of Sustainability research assistant

33

Campus Initiatives Transportation

Appalachian State University is a national and regional leader in sustainability in both curriculum and operations.

As students focus on sustainability, Appalachian rises to the challenge. Parking and Traffic in conjunction with the Office of Sustainability proudly offers ridesharing, car sharing, and local and regional mass transit options. All of these alternative transportation services help alleviate parking and driving issues on campus and around town for students, faculty and staff, decrease the university’s carbon footprint and help community members save money.

Ridesharing

Appalachian offers Zimride as its ridesharing service to students, faculty, and staff. Zimride is an online social network that helps students find friends, classmates, and co-workers who are interested in carpooling. In its first year, nearly 1,500 users registered to use the system, posting over 1,000 rides.

Mass Transit

Appalachian is serviced by AppalCART, the local bus transit system for Watauga County. The campus community is able to use this service free of charge. Each year the ridership is increasing as AppalCART sees an everincreasing number of passengers using the bus service.

Carsharing

UHaulCarShare is a car checkout service available to the campus community. Three vehicles are permanently placed on campus with community members having 24/7 access to these low emission vehicles. Carsharing is an incentive for the campus community to carpool knowing that in emergency situations they will have quick and reliable transportation.

Non-motorized Transportation

The Transportation Subcommittee of the Sustainability Council is evaluating our culture of biking and skateboarding on campus. Due to high interest, the subcommittee is examining the potential of becoming a ‘Bike Friendly University’ and legalizing skateboarding in the town and on campus.

For more information, visit sustain.appstate.edu/transit

34

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

Campus Initiatives AASHE Stars

Appalachian State University is a Pilot and Charter participant in STARS®. The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS) is a transparent, selfreporting tool for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability progress. STARS was developed by Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) with broad participation from the higher education community and other stakeholders.

The rating system includes environmental, economic, and social indicators, which are divided into four categories related to campus activities: Education & Research; Operations; Planning, Administration & Engagement; and Innovation. All of the requirements for evaluating and scoring institutions are transparent and made publicly available.

Appalachian views participation in STARS as a leadership opportunity. Most major universities that have aggressive sustainability programs take part in this ever-expanding, collaborative platform. The ratings methodology is robust, transparent and vetted. STARS supports Appalachian and other institutions of higher education as they push the boundaries of sustainability.

Highlights • All seven colleges at Appalachian are represented in research activities related to sustainability • Over 27 percent of courses are sustainability focused or related • Ten percent of food served on-campus is local within 250 miles of Boone • Achieved all four Innovations points: student-funded wind turbine,

carbon neutral student break trips, mobile sustainable energy and building trailer and partnerships in

Food Services For more information, visit sustain.appstate.edu/stars

35

Tomorrow and Beyond Appalachian Energy Summit

In July 2012, Appalachian State University hosted the first annual Appalachian Energy Summit. To help reduce the UNC system’s significant energy expenditure, Appalachian has taken a leadership role by hosting the Appalachian Energy Summit July 9-11 for leaders from all 17 UNC institutions, as well as representatives from Catawba College, Davidson College, Duke University, Wake Forest University, and Warren Wilson College.

The event, funded by private giving, featured experts from the Rocky Mountain Institute, including its Chairman and Chief Scientist, Amory Lovins. The author of 29 books, Lovins has been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine and one of the 100 top global thinkers

by Foreign Policy magazine. His 2011 book “Reinventing Fire” offers a detailed strategic plan for eliminating U.S. oil and coal use by 2050.

The summit included keynote addresses, educational workshops and planning discussions. It was the first event in a multi-year, system-wide initiative to reduce energy costs and protect the environment, said Appalachian Sustainability Director Ged Moody. “We have lots of expertise within the UNC system in both academics and operations,” Moody said. “The energy summit offered an opportunity to come together with an industry visionary to create common educational goals and action plans to reduce our energy consumption. These energy savings activities can then be measured over time.”

At current levels, Moody said, a 25 percent reduction in energy usage would yield a 20-year savings in excess of $1 billion. This event is also in support of the UNC system sustainability policy which includes a goal to achieve “Climate Neutrality” by 2050.

Amory Lovins

The author of 29 books, including “Reinventing Fire,” Lovins has been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine and one of the 100 top global thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine.

Photos courtesy of RMI.

36

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

Tomorrow and Beyond Appalachian Energy Summit The Opportunity The UNC system spends $226 million on energy each year, according to the North Carolina State Energy Office – or about $1,000 per student per year. That amount is likely to increase over time with rising costs of fossil fuels and growth within the university system. Our hope is to arrest this rising cost to create significant value by reducing future energy bills.

Our Goals The Summit has many goals associated with the successful staging of the event; however, its true success will be measured over the years with the following longterm goals in mind: • Educate our students to be the leaders of tomorrow through our active and demonstrative pursuit of the initiative’s goals.

• Reduce the university’s average annual energy expenditures equaling $1,000 per student. Target costs associated with the University’s rising annual $226 million expenditure on energy. Focus on initiatives that will cumulatively save the university system in excess of $1 billion over 20 years.

• Transform and stimulate the North Carolina economy through the support of Green Energy business infrastructure, creating jobs in the new energy economy.

• Position the University of North Carolina system and our Private University colleagues as national leaders in sustainability education and for reducing reliance on environmentally damaging fossil fuels.

• Create a culture of environmental and economic sustainability across the UNC system through administrative leadership, student involvement, curricula development, campus operations, and new partnerships between the university, its benefactors, and industry.

Leadership The 200+ participants in the 2012 Summit were each assigned to various breakout groups meant to serve as collaborative leadership areas in the coming years.

These seven breakout groups are as follows.

• • • • • • •

Leadership Opportunities Financial and Regulatory Considerations Academic Integration Building Efficiency Transportation Energy: Operations and Management Energy: Planning and Systems Integration

Energy efficiency through lighting upgrades and building design will assist with Appalachian’s energy and financial goal to save $1 billion over 20 years. File photo.

37

Tomorrow and Beyond - The Sustainability Council The Sustainability Council at Appalachian State University seeks to position the university as a national leader in sustainability by ensuring that sustainability principles and policies are integrated throughout the campus’ facilities, outreach efforts, programming, educational programs, research initiatives and other activities.

Ten subcommittees, staffed with experts within their disciplines, comprise the Council. These subcommittees are Climate Action Planning & Energy, Curriculum, Grants & Funding, Housing & Dining, Natural Resources, Purchasing & Waste, Reporting & Institutional Data, Transportation, Outreach and The Arts. It is a point of pride and commitment to Appalachian sustainability that this Council has the largest and most diverse representation of any council or committee on campus.

SUSTAINABILITY COUNCIL Dr. James Houser, Co-Chair Ged Moody, Co-Chair Faculty Positions College of Arts & Sciences: Brett Taubman College of Arts & Sciences: Shea Tuberty College of Business: Alan Singer College of Business: Eva Hyatt College of Education: Vachel Miller College of Education: Lisa Gross College of Fine & Applied Arts: James Houser College of Fine & Applied Arts: Lisa Stinson College of Music: Liz Rose College of Music: Melody Schwantes College of Health Sciences: Eric Frauman College of Health Sciences: Mandy Harrison University College: Sandra Lubarsky University College: Kristan Cockerill Student Positions SGA Environmental Affairs Officer: Jake Cox Graduate Student Assn.: Jacob Florence Renewable Energy Initiative: Matt Allenbaugh Green Living Community: Mallory Harrell Solar Club: Tess Scanlon Permanent Positions University Sustainability Director: Ged Moody University Sustainability Specialist: Crystal Simmons Director of the Physical Plant: Mike O’Connor Director of Design and Construction: Carole Acquesta University Resource Conservation Manager: Jennifer Maxwell University Energy Manager: Jerry Marshall General Manager, New River Light & Power: Ed Miller University Purchasing Manager: Dwane Odvody Director, Institute for Environmental, Energy, & Economic Research: John Pine Director of the Energy Center: Jeff Ramsdell Director of the Center for Economic Research & Policy Analysis:

38

Todd Cherry Director, Southern Appalachian Environmental Research & Education Center: Howie Neufeld Athletics Department: Doug Justice Housing & Residence Life: Tom Kane Food Services: Art Kessler Equity Office: Susan King Student Development: Dave Robertson University Advancement: David Taylor University Communications: Jane Nicholson Information Technology Services: Laramie Combs Faculty Senate: Jeanne Mercer-Ballard Staff Council: Jenny Primm Institutional Planning & Research: Bobby Sharp Director of Parking & Traffic: Barry Sauls Environmental Health, Safety & Emergency Management: Seth Norris Research & Sponsored Programs: Patricia Cornette Info Technical Director: Tom Van Gilder At-Large Positions Chancellor’s Office Chief of Staff: John Earwood Department of Theatre & Dance: Laurie Atkins VC Business Affairs: Greg Lovins Department of Technology: Lee Ball Communication: Cindy Spurlock Appalachian and the Community Together/Community Outreach: Todd Mortenson External Affairs & Community Relations: Susan McCracken Office of Sustainability Staff: Crystal Simmons General Education: Kristin Hyle Faculty Member: Jeff Tiller College of Arts & Sciences: Mike Madritch University Recreation: Rich Campbell

find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

Get Involved We encourage you to participate in this exciting effort. If something in this story touches you, we invite you to join us. We greatly value your encouragement, ideas, efforts and support.

In a way, this is a path we all walk together, on a journey we call “sustain Appalachian.”

JOURNEY WITH US: Visit our website where you will learn all about our campus sustainability efforts including academics, research, student and campus initiatives, and a helpful resources section. sustain.appstate.edu/

VISIT US: Plan a visit to our Boone campus in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains or take a virtual tour. sustain.appstate.edu/strides EDUCATE WITH US: Apply your interests, knowledge and expertise as a complement to our classroom and research efforts. Our students have a lot to gain from your experience.

PARTNER WITH US: Lend your or your company’s practical experience to one of our campus projects such as energy, buildings, waste, transportation and food.

SUPPORT US: Financial support enhances our educational mission and helps our campus operate more responsibly.

For information on how to help advance sustainability initiatives on campus, call 828-262-2090.

Find out more at sustain.appstate.edu

CHampion: Crystal Simmons

BE PRESENT WITH US: Each week there is a diverse set of campus events in which you can come and experience sustainability at Appalachian State University. sustain.appstate.edu/calendar

“Our shared efforts have combined to create a beautiful story of our commitment…to ourselves, to sustainability, and to the Appalachian Way. I am inspired and motivated by the passion of our faculty, students and staff.

Together, we will create a healthier, life-affirming world.”

- Crystal Simmons university sustainability specialist

About This Publication

This publication is printed in limited quantities being mindful of natural resources. The publication is intended for widespread distribution. Please share this electronic version with your colleagues, friends, family and others interested in sustainability at Appalachian.

In the event a printed copy is needed, contact the Office of Sustainability at 828-262-2659 or sustain. appstate.edu. Thank you.

Photos by Marie Freeeman and Troy Tuttle, University Communications, unless otherwise noted.

Design by Leila Jackson.

39

Office of Sustainability PO Box 32161 Boone, NC 28608