2
■
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
GREEN GUIDE
The Daily Cougar
EDITOR’S NOTE
Table of Contents
Begin recycling now Since I started working in the ’paper industry, I’ve witnessed the amount of waste even a small business like The Daily Cougar puts out. We do what we can to control it. Our offices have industrial-sized recycling bins and newspapers are printed on recycled paper. But at the end of the day, there is still waste. Consider the very newspaper you are holding in your hands. We are responsible for it but have no way of determining what you will do after you have finished reading it. Will you frame the cover and hang it by your bedside? Will you seal it in a plastic sleeve and keep it as a collector’s copy? (It may be worth something one day when newspapers become a rarity). Will you scan its pages every night and proclaim it the most awe-striking piece of literature you’ve read? These are our hopes, but we dream big. No, what you will probably do is throw it away — in the trash, where it will eventually find its way to a landfill. Why not break this habit? Start by recycling this very paper. It’s
almost a fool’s errand to attempt to convince people to recycle if they haven’t started already. Your average defeatist will say that recycling only works if everyone does it and it’s not worth it otherwise. Most people give up before even trying. At least, that is the way I felt about it before I started. However, every Sunday my old notions are proved wrong when I make my weekly visit to Recycle Xpress, 5004 Dincans St.The driveup recycling center parking area is always full, making a resemblance to a fast-food line during lunch hour. It’s exciting to see a recycling center draw a crowd, each knowing he or she is fulfilling a civic duty. To find out where to recycle your wastes, from disposables such as papers and plastics to dangerous chemicals and electronics such as cell phones, visit the City of Houston’s Web site at http://www.houstontx.gov/ or, if you live outside Houston’s city limits, visit http://search.earth911.com. So enjoy the second edition of The Daily Cougar’s Green Guide, but after reading it, please recycle it.
3
4
Metro rail to expand Which energy provider is greenest? Profs lead air study Go green by going vegetarian
6
Riders on the Storm: Critical Mass in Houston
Green Staff Editor
Signe Cluiss
Production Cover
9
Greener Grasses Purchasing Power Paper or Plasma? Grow gardens
7
8
Colby Kibbe
Stan Le
Copy Editors
Ruth Rodriguez, Kelsie Hahn
10
The Daily Cougar
GREEN GUIDE
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
■
3
Metro Solutions plan to expand rail system By John Arterbury THE DAILY COUGAR
PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE BARON
NEWTON LIU THE DAILY COUGAR
A Houston streetcar picks up riders in this 1935 photograph (top) showing a streetcar stop on Fannin Street. The streetcar system of the 1930s connected Downtown with suburbs such as Montrose and The Heights. The Metro’s modern-day Red Line that traverses Main Street and Fannin (bottom) is limited to one track that connects the northernmost point of Downtown with the Medical District.
www.uhoutdooradventure.com
In the 1930s, Houston was a changing city. Its population had doubled in the past decade as people moved to urban centers from rural outposts, the petroleum industry was rapidly expanding and the downtown skyline blossomed with new buildings. Complementing these developments was an elaborate streetcar network connecting Downtown with suburbs such as Montrose and the Heights in what was then the nation’s 27th largest city. Despite its relative popularity, the streetcar system would not survive past 1940, and except for a short-lived monorail experiment in 1956 rapid transit would drop off Houston’s radar for decades to come. Today the city’s efforts in rapid transit pales in comparison even to some smaller U.S. cities, but rail advocates say Metro is finally heading in the right direction with its Metro Solutions plan to increase the city’s rapid transit by 2012. “The success of the Main Street line, whose ridership already exceeds the projections from 10 years out, speaks for itself,” Charles Kuffner, who maintains a Texas-driven political blog for the Houston Chronicle, said. “There’s a lot of excitement in the
outdoor activities!
neighborhoods where the new construction is coming. They have waited a long time for this.” According to Metro’s Web site, the organization intends to add roughly 30 miles of light rail by 2012 in addition to more than 40 miles of bus rapid transit — specially marked bus routes that function in traffic as a rail — and signature suburban bus routes. According to the plan, bus rapid transit lines could later be converted to light rail if the ridership warranted it. Metro also plans to introduce 28 miles of commuter rail lines extending to Cypress and Missouri City, with further plans for a commuter rail extending to Galveston. The end result would mean more rapid transit in the city than ever, eclipsing the 90 miles spanned by the long-gone streetcar routes of the 1920s and 1930s. The planned expansion includes the Southeast Corridor, which would run adjacent to UH on Scott Street and Wheeler Avenue, and the University Corridor, which may run down Scott and Elgin Avenue. Although rail critics chide the plan for being too large and ambitious, certain elements were dropped before a 2003 voter referendum, decreasing the system’s planned size. see METRO, page 5
4
■
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
GREEN GUIDE
The Daily Cougar
UH profs lead atmosphere study By Denise Choi THE DAILY COUGAR More than 65 scientists from 17 major research institutions will come to UH during the next six weeks to participate in the UH-led Study of Houston Atmospheric Radical Precursors (SHARP). Participants include Harvard University, Rice University, Italy’s University of L’Aquila and Pennsylvania State University, from which the weather-forecasting media company AccuWeather was founded. The main objective of the study is to measure the air quality in the Houston area, which has failed to meet federal regulation standards for the 38 years of their existence, said UH earth and atmospheric science assistant professor Barry Lefer, who is helping lead SHARP. “Houston has been in noncompliance for Ozone with Clean Air Act of 1970 (CAA) for 38 years. The CAA allows three days above EPA ozone limit in a three year period” Lefer said. “Houston used to have 30-plus ozone days above 120 parts per billion by volume for a 1-hour average. Now it only has about five, so that is good news. “The bad news is that new EPA limit is 75 (parts per billion in volume) for 8-hour average. The Houston and Galveston area usually has from 20 to 30 days each year above this limit. Air has become cleaner, but we still have work to do. The reason the limit was lowered is because health studies have
shown lower levels of ozone are still harmful.” The study employs extremely sensitive instruments, including some that are the only instruments of their kind the world. “There are mirrors placed on top of buildings of various height at the Marriot Hotel, JP Morgan building, as well the George R. Brown Convention Center,” Lefer said. “They reflect a laser beam shot from the trailer on top of the Moody Towers. When it bounces back, it measures the air pollution level in between.” The study’s instruments also include two vans drive around Houston collecting emissions information from automobiles, as well as a five-airplane fleet known as the UH Aztec Aircrafts. The Planes are strapped with measuring instruments and fly over the smokes stacks in the Houston Ship Channel area, where most of Houston’s chemical plants are located. Lefer said that though UH takes from 10 to 12 types of measurements year-round, a comprehensive study requires considerable amount of resources, which dictate the length of the entire study. “To do it properly, you need from 20 to 30 scientists from several different universities and national labs and airplanes and mobile labs and instrumented balloons and satellite data,” Lefer said. “All very expensive, so we can only do this for six weeks or so.” The findings of SHARP will pave the way for air quality control across
Steven Oster THE DAILY COUGAR
Earth and atmospheric science assistant professor Barry Lefer explains the UH-led Study of Houston Atmospheric Radical Precursors (SHARP) to visitors on a research site on top of Moody Towers. the globe, Lefer said. “We do this because we want to improve human health,” Lefer said. “Many of the chemicals and meteorological processes that are important here in Houston are very likely happening in other urban areas. So our results should not only help residents of Houston but the people living in many other cities around the world.”
Lefer said UH took steps towards becoming a leading institute for Houston air quality research after the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration performed the Texas Air Quality Study in 2000 that focused attention on Houston’s air quality problem. The study showed that Houston industries were emitting much more highly reactive volatile organic compounds (HRVOCs) than previously estimated. “Part of the problem is the method the EPA requires industry to report their emissions is flawed. Another problem is industry had many un-detected leaks,” Lefer said. After the Texas Commission’s 2000 study, UH Vice President for Research Art Vailas (now President of Iowa State University) decided that UH should have an Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling Team. Vailas brought in federal funding for the project, which the University used to hire world-renown Air Quality Modeler, Daewon Byun, who authored the EPA’s Air Quality Model.
At UH, Byun set up a computer system to forecast Houston’s ozone each day. “Dr. Byun realized that he needed high-quality measurements of the atmosphere to compare to and improve his model,” Lefer said. To improve Byun’s newly developing program UH recruited atmospheric scientist Bernhard Rappenglueck. “That is why we came here in 2004 — to work with Daewon and Bernhard with the goal of improving Houston’s Air Quality,” Lefer said. “Last year UH hired Xun Jiang, an expert at measuring carbon dioxide from satellites, because we recognize that air quality and climate change are related and both important problems in Texas.” Earth and atmospheric science professor Byun’s daily ozone forecast can be found at http://www.imaqs. uh.edu/ozone_forecast.htm. The UH research team is planning another SHARP in 2012. “With lower EPA ozone standard, pollution transported from other see ATMOSPHERE, page 5
GREEN GUIDE
The Daily Cougar
METRO continued from page 3
“I would like to see Metro revisit the routes that were originally in the 2012 plan but were dropped before the 2003 referendum out of concern that the plan wouldn’t pass because it was too big,” Kuffner said. “That includes extending the North line to Greenspoint and Intercontinental Airport, and the Inner Katy line.” Houstonians For Responsible Growth Executive Director Joshua Sanders said expansion to the north side is critical and bus services must not be sacrificed in Metro’s rush to light rail. “We have a much greater need
for mass transit out in those coming out from Metro about areas,” Sanders said. “They need how much this is going to cost to make sure they don’t take a ton us,” Sanders said. of funding from other areas.” A 2006 Metro town hall for Some Richmond and people, Afton Oaks “The success of the Main including residents Street line, whose ridership area a handful drew about 500 of business attendees, and already exceeds the owners and most of them projections from 10 years Rep. John opposed the out, speaks for itself.” Culberson, Richmond line, R-TX, have the Chronicle — Charles Kuffner reported. questioned Houston Chronicle blogger the University “The Corridor line construction down Richmond Avenue, and will kill businesses and rail will others, such as Sanders, have not support businesses there,” called for greater transparency hair salon owner Christina from Metro. Campbell told the Chronicle. “There seems to be different Kuffner said business owners discussions and different ideas along Richmond Avenue should
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
have nothing to fear from Metro’s developments and that the organization should take cues from its construction of the Main Street line. “I would tell business owners on Richmond that the traffic on that street is bad and getting worse, and that having an alternative like light rail will be helpful to them in the long term,” he said. “Metro has learned from the mistakes it made in building the Main Street line and will build this line in a manner that is far less disruptive to their businesses. “Because of that experience, and because they have been so vocal, there will be a lot of pressure on Metro to be responsive to their needs during construction.”
5
ATMOSPHERE continued from page 4
areas is much more important,” Lefer said. The 2012 study will involve more aircraft, more upwind and downwind ground stations, more satellites, and perhaps a ship in Gulf of Mexico, Lefer said. “Once you look at transport means that you need cooperation with cities in other states.This is probably how air pollution will be handled more in the future,” he said. “Houston still needs to clean up, but we will also need help from other states and other countries.” Information on the SHARP study can be found at http://sharp.hnet. uh.edu/.
GREEN IDEAS WASTE STREAM M MANAGEMENT NT ing Tray-less Dining Think Green, Dinee In Recyclemania 2009 009 Garbage to Garden Composting ing Sustainable to-go packaging ing in our venues wherever possible ble Recycle “Drink to the Earth” th” mugs available in C-stores res ENERGY SAVINGS GS Tray-less Dining ng Earth Hour 2009 09 SUSTAINABLE FOOD D Meatless Mondays days ys Zero Trans Fat Oils ls Fair Trade coffee available att Einstein’s Bros Bagels, els, Java City, y Starbucks rbucks and RFoC Earth Day Da Celebration 2009 Fair Trade Coffee Break 2009
www.uh.edu/dining
■
(713)743-FOOD
6
■
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
GREEN GUIDE
The Daily Cougar
GREENER GRASSES Director says Custodial and Grounds uses natural landscaping, avoids chemicals By Sarah Tucker THE DAILY COUGAR As students stroll across campus, few pause to think about the amount of work that goes into maintaining UH’s many green spaces. Alex Alexander, Plant Operations director of Custodial and Grounds, said the department’s goal is to keep the approximately 560-acre campus “as safe, presentable and as comfortable” as possible. In making decisions regarding the aesthetics of campus, Alexander said he constantly asks himself, “If I were a student, what would I want to see here? What would make my experience better?” A former student, Alexander said he remembers thinking of the campus as looking “boring.” “The campus looked a lot different then. It was boring — different shades of green,” Alexander said. “Now, some places are really attractive, like a garden or a park.” All decisions regarding plant options and maintenance are given careful thought, especially in regard to sustainability. “UH has an ecosystem, (and) we do a lot of things to keep it healthy,” Alexander said. When it comes to animal control, Plant Operations uses natural solutions whenever possible. For example, hawks and owls maintain the squirrel population, while feral cats control the rodent population. In Fall 2007, a large beehive was
discovered in the walls of the Cullen College of Engineering. Rather than exterminating the colony, Plant Operations took into consideration the vital role bees play in pollinating plants and maintaining aesthetics on campus and relocated the hive. “We look at it from a larger perspective,” Alexander said. The same care is given to the plant life on campus, he said. Few chemicals are used on campus, and every effort is made to recycle food waste from the dining halls and garden waste such as leaves and grass clippings for use as natural fertilizers, Alexander said. “Anytime I see an opportunity to keep things from going to the landfill, I take it,” he said. Trees on campus are only cut down if they pose a safety hazard. After Hurricane Ike made landfall in September, fallen trees and branches were everywhere. When Plant Operations cleaned the grounds, they turned the debris into woodchips to be used around campus. “Hardly any of it left campus,” Alexander said. Careful consideration is also made when choosing what to plant on campus. “Even though we’re in Houston (and it’s) semi-tropical, we have a lot of irrigation,” Alexander said. Plants requiring minimal irrigation and maintenance are important for economic and sustainability reasons. For example, perennials, plants that grow year after year, are chosen over
ZUHAIR SIDDIQUI THE DAILY COUGAR
ZUHAIR SIDDIQUI THE DAILY COUGAR
Originally a donation to the M.D. Anderson Library, the magnolia tree outside the Technology Commons has been transplanted twice before it was settled in its current location. The magnolia family is one of the most primitive groups of angiosperms, and is believed to have existed for 95 million years.
Students play soccer near a fenced-in mesquite tree in the Intramural Fields outside the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. This honey mesquite may not look like much on its side, yet it is the largest one in Harris Country, with a height of 36 feet and a circumference of 80 inches.
annuals, plants that only last for one growing season. “(There are) economic considerations,” Alexander said. “(We’re) using resources that can be used for something else.” Plant choices also depend on location, and a balance has to be kept between tree and lawn areas to maintain the aesthetics of the campus. That doesn’t mean Plant Operations is afraid of trying new plants. On the contrary, Alexander said the department experiments with the grounds, using more and more native plants and moving toward more natural landscaping. “We know what does well on campus,” Alexander said. “But, as UH is diverse, UH (also) needs diversity of plant material. (The grounds) have been evolving over the years.” Future plans include reducing
Plant Operation’s carbon footprint by limiting the amount of motorized vehicles that travel across campus. Alexander is experimenting with the use of three-wheeled bicycles. “It’s just a pilot thing we started. I want to expand it, but it has to be economically feasible to do it,” Alexander said. A project is also under way next to the Architecture Building. With a projected completion date of Fall 2009, the project consists of a natural pond that is “unlike anything else on campus.” Bamboo, banana trees and palms will be planted around the pond and koi, or Japanese goldfish, will fill it. Stone and wood benches will surround the pond to keep with the natural look. “There are reasons why landscaping is the way it is,” Alexander said. “(It’s) not just the bottom line; there’s more going on.”
Landscape Benefits Proper landscaping protects water quality by reducing nitrate leaching from the soil into the water supply and reduces surface water runoff, keeping phosphorus and other pollutants out of our waterways and preventing septic system overload. Trees in a parking lot can reduce on-site heat buildup, decrease runoff and enhance night-time cool downs. A dense cover of plants and mulch reduces flooding and holds soil in place, keeping sediment out of lakes, streams, storm drains and roads. Protecting older trees is important. A big tree removes 60 to 70 times the pollution as a small tree. Source: Project Evergreen
PURCHASING POWER By Steven Oster THE DAILY COUGAR
STEVEN OSTER THE DAILY COUGAR
Many Houstonians flex their purchasing power by buying produce directly from farmers. The Central City Co-op sells fresh produce from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Wednesday at Taft Street Coffee, 2115 Taft St.
Humans must consume to live, and a new term has been given to the growing trend of consuming ethically —“conscientious consumerism.” The premise of this concerted effort is to understand and influence the far-reaching effect of one’s impact as a consumer. The manufacture and purchase of consumer goods affect the environment, economy and society. Most consumers place a higher value in the economics of manufacture rather than the environmental and social impact, according to the nonprofit Environmental Research Foundation. As a result, some companies choose to outsource labor to foreign countries where labor is cheaper to stay competitive. While the most basic labor rights were won in the U.S. long ago with the establishment of the minimum wage, the standards of foreign manufacturers are ambiguous at best, and environmental laws are nearly nonexistent in some Third World countries. Organizations such as Human Rights First work to pressure the U.S. government to use its influence to benefit the welfare of worker conditions in foreign
countries that many American companies outsource production to; however, often these concerns take a back seat to other global issues. When consumerism spreads without regulation, the incentive for responsibility declines. This can affect the environment and global health as well. For instance, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden published an article describing the environmental impact of India’s pharmaceutical companies. Certain factories are releasing large amounts of antibiotics and pharmaceutical waste products into India’s water system. Indian villages that rely on these water sources have no choice but to consume the byproduct. This is a global concern because there is a risk that certain bacteria will become immune to the effects of these antibiotics. This means a deadly strain of bacteria could spawn with no medicine available to effectively combat it, which could create a worldwide epidemic.. “It is therefore important that the production chain is made transparent. If consumers are given an opportunity to choose pharmaceutical products they know to be produced in an environmentally friendly way, this
could encourage manufacturers to become more environmentally friendly,” Sahlgrenska Academy associate professor Joakim Larsson said in the report. Choosing a product or brand that is made ethically can, at times, cost more money up front, but money is not the only way to measure the cost of a product. If all the raw materials, energy and pollution factoring into the goods and services an individual consumes during his or her lifetime was totaled, the sum total would be staggering. “Disposable” products are probably the worst offender, according to the Container Recycling Institute. The U.S. consumes 70 million plastic bottles of water a day, 60 million of which end up in landfills, waterways, streets, and parks. Only 4 percent of recycled plastic water bottles are converted to new plastic bottles. This means new bottles must be made almost entirely from fresh petroleum resin. The demand is 15 million barrels of oil annually; this is enough to power 100,000 cars for a year. The way that food is grown can have an impact on health and environment. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has defined “organic” see CONSUMER, page 9
GREEN GUIDE
The Daily Cougar
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
■
7
RIDERS ON THE STORM Critical Mass rides trek through Houston streets to raise awareness By Steven Oster THE DAILY COUGAR More than a hundred bicyclists have hijacked the road. A handful of them are blocking traffic while the others cruise through the intersection on road, mountain and BMX bikes. One cyclist is even riding a pink Barbie bicycle with a basket in the front. This is Critical Mass, a monthly ride to raise motorists’ awareness of bicyclists. Mountain biker Burt Ceballos said some motorists become upset by having to share the streets with cyclists, which can lead to dangerous situations. “This ride is to let drivers know that it’s OK to let (cyclists) have their space, and that it’s OK to pass in a safe manner,” Ceballos said. The riders typically meet up on the last Friday of the month at Tranquility Park, 400 Rusk St., and someone will plot a course for the group to take. The ride may trek through Montrose, the Medical Center, Rice Village or midtown and usually ends for most people with a celebration at a bar. The group ranges from 30 to 150 riders, composed of every type of cyclist, from bike messengers on carbon fiber
race bikes to older couples equipped with “ultra-wide” saddles. Critical Mass rides are organized in cities all across the country, and they are meant to let motorists feel the presence of cyclists by dominating the road. The event is en-masse and informal, without official leaders. A single slogan is associated with the movement: “We aren’t blocking traffic; we are traffic.” While Critical Mass was conceived as a peaceful protest, some individual riders employ an aggressive “in-yourface” style of riding. Traffic laws are ignored and all lanes are occupied in order to make the cyclists’ numbers visible. Though the Houston Metro is looking to expand public transportation, the city has a notoriously poor reputation for being inhospitable to the needs of pedestrians and cyclists. As a result, Houstonians depend on personal vehicles, though a 2007 Houston Area Survey found many residents think increased public transportation would help cut down on traffic snarls, the Houston Chronicle reported. Ceballos said he thinks Mayor Bill White has done a good job of improving the number of bicycle
lanes throughout the city, but would like to see more. “A lot of times there’s no bike lane, or it’s filled with water or trash, so we have to take a lane in the street, but some drivers don’t give respect,” Ceballos said. Not all cyclists agree with the methods of Critical Mass. Justin Blandford, a sales associate for a Houston area bicycle shop, said he participates in group rides frequently, but does not participate in Critical Mass. Blandford said the irony of Critical Mass is that while cyclists demand respect from motorists, they show disrespect by ignoring traffic regulations and hogging the road. “How are motorists going to respect cyclists when they are breaking every law? It’s an ‘us versus them’ mentality, and it’s a bad idea because a car is always going to win,” Blandford said. Blandford said the best way to send a message to motorists is to commute by bicycle every day to work and school, during rush hour traffic. Cycling as a form of transportation can be beneficial for a person’s health, city traffic, and air quality. Sharing the roadway requires a mutual respect for one’s fellow man.
STEVEN OSTER THE DAILY COUGAR
Critical Mass participants Martin Ivy, Chris Gros, Brexton Higgs and Austin Bowden show off their preferred means of transport in Houston’s Downtown, near the bike ride’s meeting point. The next Critical Mass will meet Friday at Tranquility Park, 400 Rusk St.
Cycling Statistics Bicycling is the second most preferred form of transportation after the automobile, ahead of public transportation, according to a Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) survey. A short, four-mile round trip by bicycle keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air. A 130-pound cyclist burns 402 calories while pedaling 14 miles in an hour. A 180-pound cyclist burns 540 calories while pedaling 14 miles in an hour. More than 40 percent of trips are made within 2 miles of home, and 50 percent of workers commute less than 5 miles to work. Yet more than 82 percent of trips are made by personal motor vehicle, according to the Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey. Shorter car trips pollute more on a per-mile basis than longer trips. Source: League of American Bicyclists
@
b lu
Env
.
C o r i
Brought to you by
Love your planet!
Earth Week 2009 4/20 - Hemp Day
11am-2pm@ PGH Learn about the sustainable crop Hemp and see some of its uses! Win Prizes!
4/21 - Yoga in the Park
11:30am@ the Fountains Join us for free yoga instruction to help relax you before finals.
4/22 - Eco-Mart
11am-2pm@ PGH Tasty Vegan and Organic treats! Cool handmade items and more!
4/22
Earth Day Carnival
11am-2pm@ Butler Plaza Fun games, prizes, and educational information on the environment!
4/22
CoH Earth Day Forum 7pm@ Rockwell Pavilion
Connect with the local community and government about sustainability topics!
8
■
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
GREEN GUIDE
The Daily Cougar
WHO’S THE GREENEST OF THEM ALL? Source
Company
4.0
tal nmen y Enviro res arenc ost Transp C measu
4.0
3.0
3.0
GPA
Reasoning
3.5
Green Mountain: This nationwide company makes big business of green energy. They offer carbon offsets and the price per kilowatt-hour is for a 100 percent wind plan. The company offers online viewing of their energy sources and includes differences in rates for plans centered around traditional energy methods.
$0.16/kwh
2.0
2.0
2.0
3.0
2.25
Spark: Spark energy is a small retail energy provider also headquartered in Houston. There is little transparency to the corporate structure and the rates are competitive, but the environmental offsets are sparse. The company’s primary nod to environmental responsibility is a Web site prescribing energy efficient home modifications.
1.75
Reliant: This company is headquartered in Houston and is the largest retail energy provider for the city. They have a large corporate structure and are primarily sourced through coal and natural gas, though they use small amounts of hydroelectric power and some wind power. They do have the lowest rates in town, but few green interests.
2.75
Bounce: Bounce Energy falls into a middle ground between Spark and Reliant Energy. They are a larger company with some energy offset options and a 100 percent environmentally responsible option but do not clarify what sources are used. Their size allows them the option of reducing costs somewhat, but there are transparency issues that accompany larger organizations.
3.25
NEC: Co-ops are traditionally the cheapest energy providers, as they serve a rural cooperation of consumers. NEC has just signed a contract with a Texas wind farm outside Kingsville and has members, not customers. Any member can run for the board that governs how the coop spends its money. They also receive payouts from the company if there is a surplus.
$0.132/kwh
2.0
2.0
1.0
2.0 $0.16/kwh
2.0
3.0
2.0
4.0 $0.11/kwh
Nueces Electric Cooperative
3.0
3.0
4.0
3.0 $0.13/kwh
About this chart: Information compiled by Shai Mohammed. Grades were given on a 4.0 scale.
dCATALINA
THE DAILY COUGAR
VILLAGEd
Texas-Sized Energy Texas is the leading crude oil-producing State in the U.S. (excluding Federal offshore areas). Texas produces and consumes more electricity than any other State, and per capita residential use is significantly higher than the national average. More than one-fourth of total U.S. natural gas production occurs in Texas, making it the Nation’s leading natural gas producer. Texas also leads the Nation in wind-powered generation capacity; there are over 2,000 wind turbines in West Texas alone. Texas’s 26 petroleum refineries can process nearly 4.8 million barrels of crude oil per day, and they account for more than one-fourth of total U.S. refining capacity. Source: Energy Information Administration
y European-style cabinetry y Full-size washer/dryer y Nine-foot ceilings y Two tone paint
y Wood plank flooring y Spacious walk-in closets y Small pets accepted y Expansive bay windows y Remote-access gates
Move in by May 15th and be entered to win a laptop! One Bedroom 1003 SQ. FT.! Two bedroom 1322 SQ. FT.!
1 BDRM from $699 w 2 BRDM from $869 DIRECTIONS: Exit Holcombe Boulevard off Hwy. 288, toward US 90/Old Spanish Trail. Turn west on OST (away from medical center), turn left onto Tierwester. Turn left onto Dixie Drive. Leasing Center is on your left.
Catalina Village (713)747-7238 3560 Dixie Drive E-mail: catalinavillage@yahoo.com Houston, TX 77021 www.catalinavillageapts.com
www.thedailycougar.com
FEATURES:
Where do I get the latest UH news?
Come check out the biggest apartments in town, our new look will move you!
GREEN GUIDE
The Daily Cougar
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
■
9
Go green by cutting meat from diet By Mike Damante THE DAILY COUGAR Going green isn’t just about saving the environment — it’s also about treating its non-human inhabitants with dignity. Our climate crisis, global warming and alarming rates of pollution are just mere parts of why people are “going green.” While scientists strive to save our natural resources, we as consumers can help save ourselves and another important resource: the species of animals that are just as important to the earth as the rain forests. A vegetarian diet consists of the non-consumption of animals. True vegetarians do not eat any animal, including fish. The vegetarian lifestyle differs from veganism in that vegans don’t take in any animal byproducts at all. Vegans stay away from dairy products and eggs in addition to not eating the actual animal. Many people who become
vegetarians do so for health concerns, while others make the change for humane reasons. Most vegetarians have lower levels of saturated fat and cholesterol and increased amounts of carbohydrates, fiber, magnesium, potassium and antioxidants. Iron and vitamin B-12 are the most notable nutrients lacking in the diet, but they can be replaced through supplements. It’s a common dilemma for veggie rookies to not know what to eat. Cutting out meat from your diet leaves a void in your daily need for protein. Vegetarians get protein from nuts, beans, tofu and various forms of “fake meat.” Food manufacturer Morning Star Farms offers a wide array of frozen foods tailored to look and taste similar to dishes vegetarians can no longer eat. Fake chicken patties, veggie burgers, meatless ground, veggie dogs, breakfast sausage and Boca burgers are some of the options the line
supplies. Eating out is also easier than most think. The majority of mainstream restaurants offer vegetarian friendly dishes. Even fast food giant Burger King has a veggie burger on its menu. Some local restaurants specialize in vegetarian cuisine, such as Pepper Tree, 3821 Richmond Ave., and Field of Greens, 2320 West Alabama St. Longevity and a longer life span are other benefits vegetarians tout. A 21-year study by the German Cancer Research Center said vegetarian men reduced their risk of early death by 50 percent and vegetarian women by 30 percent. Lower blood pressure rates and cholesterol content have been vastly studied by many, all leading to similar results: vegetarians tend to live healthier lives. Lives of animals are also spared, as one vegetarian can save more than 100 farm animals per year by not eating meat, according to a study by the Web site GoVeg.com.
Vegetarianism isn’t just about consumption. Wearing leather or fur is as inexcusable an offense to some vegetarians and vegans as eating meat. Faux leather isn’t hard to find and the cost is substantially cheaper than the real thing, plus nothing had to die in order for you to look good. Macbeth Footwear released its first vegan shoe in 2002, and since then the vegan line of the company has grown, winning Peta2’s “Best Vegan Skate Shoe” award in 2007. The shoes are designed by vegan advocates and musicians such as AFI’s Hunter Burgan, Tegan and Sara and Alkaline Trio. Macbeth Footwear was founded by blink-182 guitarist Tom Delonge, and he continues to work hard on expanding the shoe line and its ethics. Adopting a vegetarian lifestyle will impact one’s diet, health and consumer habits, but for many, it is a first step in adopting habits that promote environmental sustainability.
Reasons To Go Veg More than 1.3 billion human beings could be fed each year from the grain and soybeans that go to livestock in the U.S. Cows produce significant amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, three gases largely responsible for global warming. 85 percent of U.S. topsoil loss is the result of livestock production, with each pound of steak resulting in 35 pounds of eroded topsoil. 260 million acres of U.S. forests have been cleared for cropland to produce grain for livestock. The annual beef consumption of an average American family of four requires more than 260 gallons of fuel. The result is 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Nearly half of the total amount of water used annually in the U.S. goes to grow feed and provide drinking water for livestock. Sources: Vegetarian-rescources.com, Meatjunkie.com
CONSUMER continued from page 6
as “food produced by farmers, who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation.” Scientific surveys by organizations such as the Organic Materials Review Institute show that organic farms contain significantly less pesticide on produce. Sustainable practices prevent the release of pesticides into the soil, water system, air and wildlife. Conventional farms are usually dependant on fertilizers; the soil will not yield crops without pumping nutrients into the system. Organic farms rely on sustainable practices so that the soil nutrients remain intact. Recycling compost, and allowing the organic matter to reintegrate with the soil keeps the farm self-sufficient. Organic produce doesn’t have to be expensive and arcane. Every Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at Discovery Green Park at 1500 McKinney, there is a group of organic farmers sell fresh produce from noon to 4p.m. on Sundays at Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney Ave. The farmers make a higher profit margin than if the produce was purchased in a grocery store. Another place to go is the Central City Co-op. Fresh produce is sold from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Wednesday at Taft Street Coffee, 2115 Taft St. Also available is local organic honey, which can alleviate allergy symptoms, bulk grains such as beans, lentils and dried fruits. For more information, visit http://www. centralcityco-op.org. As a consumer, you are able to vote for practices you would like to see sustained. You can make an impact with your purchasing power or how you spend your dollars.
Learning & Assessment Services celebrates
Earth Day 2009 Workshops Learning Support Services Room 321 Graduate College of Social Work Must register on line at 'workshops-signup' at www.las.uh.edu/lss
Improve your critical thinking Wed, 4/22 at 4 pm & Fri, 4/24 at 1 pm Understanding learning style using a personality inventory Mon, 4/27 at 3 pm & Tue, 4/28 at 10 am
UH Wellness Moody Towers Cafeteria (lunch purchase required) Please call 713.743.5430 to register.
Alcohol: Shaken, Not Slurred Thur, 4/23, 11:30 am–12 pm & 12–12:30 pm Don’t Stress: It’s Only Finals Tues, 4/28, 1-1:30 pm & 1:30-2 pm
Surveys
available online
www.survey.uh.edu Student Satisfaction Survey Funded by Student Service Fees
Transfer Student Survey National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) (selected Freshmen and Seniors)
Tutoring
Learning Support Services Schedule and courses tutored www.las.uh.edu/lss Mon and Tue Wed and Thu Friday
9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Room 321 Graduate College of Social Work
www.las.uh.edu
10
■
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
GREEN GUIDE
EDUCE •
GET IN THE HABIT OF SWITCHING THE LIGHT OFF WHEN YOU LEAVE A ROOM — SAME WITH FANS AND AIR CONDITIONING. IF YOU’RE OVER 21, ORDER A BEER ON TAP THE NEXT TIME YOU’RE AT A BAR. FOR PARTIES, RENT A KEG INSTEAD OF THROWING AWAY EMPTY GLASS BOTTLES THE NEXT MORNING. CUT DOWN ON WATER USE BY PUTTING A MASON JAR IN THE TANK OF YOUR TOILET.
•
•
EUSE •
•
•
USE TUPPERWARE INSTEAD OF SEALABLE PLASTIC BAGS, HANKIES INSTEAD OF TISSUES, AND HAND TOWELS INSTEAD OF PAPER TOWELS. USE NALGENE OR ALUMINUM WATER BOTTLES IN PLACE OF OVERPRICED BOTTLED WATER. FILL UP FROM A REFILLABLE TANK OR JUG, RATHER THAN BUY WATER FROM PLASTIC GALLON CONTAINERS. MOST CONTEMPORARY URBAN FASHIONS CAN BE EASILY MIMICKED WITH THRIFT STORE FINDS. IT’S CHEAPER, A LOT OF FUN AND AVOIDS BUYING CLOTHES MADE BY SWEATSHOP LABOR
ECYCLE •
• •
RECYCLING BINS FOR PAPER AND PLASTIC BOTTLES ARE VISIBLE AND READY FOR YOUR USE THROUGHOUT CAMPUS. IF YOU AREN’T IN A ROOM THAT HAS ONE, IT ONLY TAKES A SHORT WALK TO PREVENT WASTE FROM ENDING UP IN A LANDFILL OR IN OUR OCEANS. TO FIND THE RECYCLING CENTER NEAREST YOU, VISIT HTTP://EARTH911.COM. IF YOU LIVE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ORDER A CURBSIDE PICK-UP RECYCLING BIN BY CALLING 311.
Grow gardens with UH Horticulture Society By Sylvia Saumell-Baston THE DAILY COUGAR One aspect of “going green” is growing a green thumb, and a flourishing student group on campus is encouraging UH students to do just that. UH’s Horticulture Society hopes to fill its greenhouse with an array of plants as well as members by fall. The group formed last semester in an attempt to learn more about plants and their cultivation. Members garden for a variety of reasons, from trying to improve crop quality and their resistance to insects and disease to the sheer enjoyment of watching the plants grow. The group has much to offer UH’s student population, said biotechnology freshman Yosef Kerzner, a founding member of the Horticulture Society. “There’s potential, mostly for the educational value,” Kerzner said. “It gives people a chance to see where their food comes from.” Kerzner has been growing potted plants for five years and is confident his love of gardening can be passed along to other students if the group gains momentum. The greenhouse, located next to the Science Building, provides a warm and humid atmosphere for a variety of plants and flowers. Amid the essential materials such as plastic pots, bags of fertilizers, a working sink and heating lamps is an assortment of well-known plants such as jalapenos, banana peppers, cactus and tomatoes. Yosef said he has experimented with different fertilizers such as cottonseed meal, greensand and earthworm compost. He has been planting mostly “tropicals,” which are plants that require a tropical or sub-tropical climate to grow. He said they are relatively inexpensive and easy to grow inside a
greenhouse environment. The largest and most eclectic plant in the greenhouse is the Chandelier plant, or Kalanchoe tubiflora. The plant, native to Madagascar, is slender and erect with red petals at the tips that hang down like chandeliers. They can grow up to 10 feet tall. Members have also planted an orchid and a Venus flytrap, and Kerzner plans to plant eggplant, a heavy-blooming flower called zinnia, bananas and a fruit tree called a loquat for the summer. Horticulture Society members are allowed to plant whatever they like as long as they are season appropriate and legal. Costs of materials such as fertilizers and seeds are the responsibility of the members until the group has established itself. Unlike schools such as Sam Houston State University and Texas A&M University, UH does not have a horticulture department to support it. Future goals of the group are to have guest speakers, become involved in competitions and eventually gain sponsorship for education and trips to local arboretums and other places of horticultural interest. Kerzner said if the group can grow enough vegetables and other plants, they could sell them at farmer’s markets to raise funds to purchase fertilizer and other materials. The group is still in its infancy, and part of its focus is on visibility and garnering more support from students. Members’ involvement is self-determined. “It doesn’t take a lot of time,” Kerzner said. “An hour spread over the course of the week is really all you need to be involved.” The Horticulture Society held its final Spring meeting Friday. Interested parties can reach Kerzner at ykerzner@gmail.com.
The Daily Cougar
PAPER OR PLASMA? Prof says recycled paper better for environment than e-materials By Sarah Krusleski THE DAILY COUGAR
Not everyone on campus is ready for a paperless society. Despite the shift in many businesses and schools toward online assignments and electronic resources, some professors and students say they prefer traditional paper for studying and assignments. Jeannie Downey, electronic resources coordinator for M.D. Anderson Library, said students continue to print electronic materials from sources such as WebCT and Blackboard rather than read them onscreen. “I work the reference desk and (students) frequently come and say ‘We’re having problems with this printer. My Cougar 1Card doesn’t work to get to the printer.’ They’re printing articles, but they’re also printing papers and other course assignments,” Downey said. Adam Banh, management information systems junior and information technology assistant for The Honors College computer lab, said that before the Honors College limited its students to 500 pages per semester, an estimated 12,000 pages were printed a week. “It was upward of thousands of pages a day. Because there was no print quota, people were printing whatever they wanted — entire textbooks, stuff for their friends,” Banh said. Students have differing views on printing electronic materials. “I try not to print (materials) out. Usually I use my laptop or PC. If it’s for practice stuff, like for chemistry,
I print it out,” anthropology sophomore Zarana Trivedia said. Art history senior Steven Thompson said he prints out the electronic texts his professors post online. “I had a semester where I committed to reading online and taking written notes, but that was inefficient. When other people referenced a section in class, I couldn’t read it,” Thompson said. Jose Parr, a media productions junior and producer for The Honors College Club Theatre, e-mailed his 70-page script to cast and crew members in January. Parr said all ten members of his troupe printed out their own individual copies of his script, which resulted in at least 700 printed pages. He said performers need hard copies for taking notes and memorizing lines. “You need to highlight your lines,” Parr said. Lucy Arner, assistant music professor and conductor for the Moores School of Music’s Spring 2009 opera Grapes of Wrath, said CDs are popular alternatives to physical sheet music for music collectors who want to save storage space. She nevertheless does anticipate paper leaving music classrooms or performance halls. “You write markings, you write notes from rehearsals — things that you have to really look out for, cues, figuring out how something is put together for structure,” Arner said. Arner said she knows a pianist who hooked up a pedal to his tablet computer. During performances he would tap on the pedal when he
needed to see the next page of the sheet music. “That’s kind of unwieldy. For actual usage, the best thing is some kind of printed format that you can use,” Arner said. Creative writing professor John Harvey said students from his creative writing workshops print out hard copies of assignments for each of their classmates to take home and review. With one workshop having 18 students, potentially 324 sheets of prose are circulating for one section’s sonnet assignment. However, Harvey said he prefers to review the initial drafts of creative writing senior honors theses through e-mail. He waits until the concluding stages of the process to start printing a student’s thesis, which can total from 40 to 100 pages. “Toward the end, the charges are more precise, and then you have all the issues with formatting,” Harvey said. In addition to printing his essays and textbooks on paper, Kamyar Biazar, a fourth year architecture student, uses traditional wood and paper products to create models of buildings. “This would include museum board, chip board, probably card stock and corrugated wood,” Biazar said. He said a typical one-eighth scale model in his architecture courses would measure 10 inches wide by 24 inches long. Though a single project can cost him $150 to $200 for materials and prints, see PAPER, page 11
Environmental Club Earth impact: The Environmental Club at UH acts two-fold both as a “watch-dog” and a resource for how to protect and improve the campus environment. Accomplishments: Bringing recycling bins and the nationwide RecycleMania college competition to campus. Members have served on the UH Sustainability Task Force.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB AT UH
Current projects: The Environmental Club is celebrating Earth Day this week by holding educational events to get UH students involved. (See Page 7 for Earth Week’s Schedule of Events). The student group will lead an awareness field trip to visit a landfill from noon to 2 p.m. on May 2. Get involved: Meetings are on the second Tuesday of every month at 4 p.m. in the University Center, Spindletop Room. For more information, visit http://enviroclubatuh.com.
Students For Fair Trade Earth impact: The Fair Trade certification system strictly prohibits the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), promotes integrated farm management systems that improve soil fertility and limits the use of harmful agrochemicals. Accomplishments: After passing a Fair Trade bill in the UH Student Government Association in Spring 2007, UH venues began to offer Fair Trade certified coffee. Current projects: Lobbying the UC’s Java City to employ the company’s 100 percent fair trade business model, and encouraging the administration to sign onto the Coalition of Immokalee Workers agreement, which gaurantees laborers who work on produce farms a fair wage.
PHOTO COURTESY OF STUDENTS FOR FAIR TRADE AT UH
Get involved: Next meeting is 7 p.m. Thursday at the Rodeo Room, University Center. For more information, visit http://uhfairtrade.org.
GREEN GUIDE
The Daily Cougar
PAPER continued from page 10
the architecture student opposed replacing physical models with computer-generated models. “When you build something, you see a lot more detail and you see how materials come together,� Biazar said. Lannis Kirkland, associate dean of the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture, said computer models of buildings would never replace physical models. “You can achieve a visual reality, but not a physical reality,� Kirkland said. “The physical act of building a model is partially analogous to building a wooden building.� Technology professor Jerry Waite
argued electronic substitutes to paper harm the environment. Waite called trees a “harvested grown product, just like corn or wheat,� used to produce paper, mulch and lumber. “It is relatively easy and cost-effective to recycle paper. Virtually all paper used today has some recycled content. Paper is made from a naturally occurring, renewable resource. Cell phones, computers, computer monitors, fiber optics, wiring — everything that is required to get you an e-mail from one place to another — all of these things are made of nonrenewable and difficult to recycle materials,� Waite said. Waite also said technological alternatives to books and paper are less sustainable.
“There is a book in my lab that was printed in 1642. You can handle it, touch it, and it is 400 years old. That paper is all natural and there was nothing used that is going to tremendously pollute the environment,� Waite said. “On the other hand, you probably have had three cell phones in your life. And each of those cell phones is chock full of bad stuff.� Holly Eaton, program director of Scenic Houston, said electronic methods of transmission are not necessarily less damaging to the environment since consumers will use technology anyway. “I don’t think your computer will be turned off when you’re not looking at that one specific document. In the age of multitasking, your computer is
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
on because you’re checking your e-mail and you’re researching a recipe,� Eaton said. “The cost of logging the tree, using the water and the energy to create the paper and ship the paper to Office Depot, that must be much higher of an energy cost than letting your efficient flat screen monitor run for five minutes while you read the document.� Waite said our society would continue to make paper and paper products as long as it uses packaging. However, he said remembering to recycle paper waste is key to preserving the environment. “One of the biggest faults that we have as human beings is that we throw stuff on the side of the road,� Waite said. Eaton also suggested that paper-
â–
11
users remember to recycle. “The next step is just not printing it in the first place, but when you have printed it, make sure it gets recycled,� Eaton said. “The recycling rate of the business community is abysmal and close to zero.� Eaton acknowledged that society is still adapting to electronic media. “We’re all adapting and doing a lot of our reading and editing on screen, but at the same time as a green advocate and as a person who recycles everything, I do understand the need to have things in front of you,� Eaton said. “What I really don’t like is people who say ‘I don’t have time to read my e-mail, so I print them out and bring them with me.’ Isn’t there a better way?�
Plant Operations Contributes to Earth Day Every Day The Plant Operations Department is committed to doing its share of helping to preserve the earth’s resources. And those efforts start right here at the University of Houston, where each department daily implements various sustainability measures that conserve energy, save money and make the environment safer. PLANT OPERATIONS s 4HE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT PARTICIPATED IN THE NATIONWIDE 2ECYCLEMANIA CONTEST STAFF WAS EDUCATED ON WHAT ARE hGOODv RECYCLABLES AND MADE AN INCREASED EFFORT IN RECYCLING MIXED PAPER ALUMINUM AND PLASTIC UTILITY SERVICES s %NERGY CONSERVATION EFFORTS SAVE THE UNIVERSITY BETWEEN MILLION PER YEAR s !FTER THE #50 %XPANSION 0ROJECT IS COMPLETE THE ESTIMATED REDUCTION OF ./8 EMISSIONS WILL BE LOWER THAN OUR EXISTING LEVELS BUILDING MAINTENANCE s %XPANDED 2ECYCLING 0ROGRAM TO INCLUDE PAPER CARDBOARD PLASTICS METALS WOOD PALLETS ALUMINUM TIRES s %XPANDED 2ECYCLING #ENTERS AND ADDED HUNDREDS OF COLLECTION SITES ACROSS CAMPUS s !DDED THREE -ILES %LECTRIC LOW SPEED GAS FREE UTILITY TRUCKS TO ITS mEET s !DDED WATER SAVING AND WATER FREE RESTROOM lXTURES FINANCE AND OPERATIONS s !UTOMATED THE PROCESS FOR ROUTING INVOICES AND MADE THE PROCESS PAPERLESS s 3ET UP SYSTEMS THAT REDUCED PAPER CONSUMPTION & / INSTALLED % #ABINET WHICH ELECTRONICALLY STORES ALL 0LANT /PERATIONS lNANCIAL RELATED DOCUMENTS s #REATED AN ELECTRONIC LEAVE REQUEST FORM CUSTODIAL SERVICES s 4ESTING NEW AUTOMATED DISPENSING METHODS THAT EXCEED GREEN SEAL STANDARDS s !DOPTING GREEN CLEANING PRODUCTS s !DOPTED RESOURCE SAVING SOAP TOWEL AND TOILET PAPER DISPENSERS GROUNDS SERVICES s 0LANTED AND MAINTAINS 5( S lRST CAMPUS PRODUCE GARDEN FOOD IS DONATED TO 5( $INING 3ERVICES s 3ET UP AN OFF CAMPUS STAGING AREA TO STORE COMPOST ITEMS SUCH AS SOILS YARD WASTE PLANTING AND LANDSCAPE MATERIALS CAMPUS RESTAURANTS FOOD WASTE IS ALSO ADDED TO THE COMPOST PILE s !DOPTED GREEN PEST MANAGEMENT AND GROUNDS PRODUCTS s !DDED WATER CONSERVING LANDSCAPING s )NSTALLED (OUSTON S lRST GREEN FULLY LANDSCAPED ROOF AT +EELAND #ENTER FACILITIES PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION s !DOPTED ,%%$ CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS AND CONSTRUCTING lRST ,%%$ BUILDING #EMO (ALL ,%%$ 'OLD s !LL OTHER NEW BUILDINGS WILL BE DESIGNED AS ,%%$ 3ILVER AT THE MINIMUM s 5SED ADDITIONAL INSULATION FOR NEW ROOFS AND ROOF REPLACEMENTS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND RISK MANAGEMENT s 2EDUCED HAZARDOUS WASTES IN CLASS AND RESEARCH LABS s 2EDUCED SILVER AND OTHER WASTES FROM PHOTO LABS RESIDENTIAL MAINTENANCE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON s )NCREASED USE OF INSTANTANEOUS WATER HEATERS WHICH PROVIDE AN EFlCIENT WAY TO HEAT WATER PLANT OPERATIONS s 5SES A COMPUTERIZED ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT CONTROLS (6!# OUTSIDE LIGHTING Pride in Service.
12
■
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
ADVERTISING
The Daily Cougar
:Vgi] 9Vn
8Vgc^kVa 6eg^a ''cY &&Vb"'eb
Eco-Mart @ PGH
Tasty Vegan & organic treats! Handmade & recycled goods! Environmental Club’s T-Shirt sale!
Earth Day Games @ the Fountains Play green games and win prizes!
Get Active! Get Green
Learn how you can get involved in the Environmental Club & Green UH!
Sustainable Dining @Butler Plaza
.
12:30pm Balloon Launch See how scientists obtain data from the atmosphere.
12:30-1:30pm Electric Car Rides @ University Center Take a ride in an electric car!
12:30- 1:30pm Vegetable Planting @ Lynn Eusan Park
RE DU CE S
@
Come celebrate our school’s final results in the nationwide competition.
Help plant veggies in our school’s garden!
iro Cl
ub
ES US RE
Env
See what our school is doing to make campus dining greener!
HeZX^Va :kZcih 12:00-12:30pm Recyclemania Ceremony @ Butler Plaza
RECYCLES
www.uh.edu/af/greenUH
enviroclubuh@gmail.com