Sustainable Duke (June 2011 - current issue)

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Learning to lead sustainability efforts at work

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oon after attending the “Leading for Environmental Sustainability” workshop, Courtney Stanion led a brainstorming session during a staff meeting to take action on what she had learned.

Within minutes, colleagues agreed to replace an energyguzzling coffee pot, request weather-stripping on office doors and investigate a programmable office thermostat.

“Once we started thinking about this topic, we had lots of ideas to reduce our office energy use,” said Stanion, a safety and health specialist for the Occupational and Environmental Safety Office.

That groundswell of department action is exactly what Casey Roe, outreach coordinator for Sustainable Duke, envisioned when she created the workshop at Duke for faculty and staff.

“We are trying to make it easy for people interested in sustainability to think about how they can influence others,” she said.

Sustainable Duke offers the three-hour class at no charge every three months. The class covers institutional commitments Duke has made to meet its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2024. But it also gives employees the opportunity to share about motivating coworkers to become more environmentally friendly. “Employees are a large part of Duke’s carbon footprint,” Roe said. “Their actions can make a huge difference.”

After completing the class, department representatives are invited to guide their offices through Duke’s new Green Workplace Certification process. This process involves reviewing a checklist of 57 items related to sustainability. Actions include energy conservation efforts, purchasing practices, transportation choices, waste reduction, hosting “green” special events and participating in the monthly Green Devil Challenges. The Sustainable Duke Office recognizes units that report routinely following at least 40 of the 57 actions as a “Green Workplace.”

Participants in the first two “Leading for Sustainability” workshops helped fine-tune the Green Workplace Certification process, and the Sustainability Office plans to foster a competition at the start of the academic year to encourage more staff to participate.

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Visit sustainability.duke.edu

Courtney Stanion, right, safety and health specialist for the Occupational and Environmental Safety Office, writes ideas for energy savings generated by fellow participants during the Leading for Environmental Sustainability class.

Kathy Peterson, administrative assistant in the Office of Divisional Deans, Arts & Sciences, participated in the Jan. 28 workshop and left with a goal of completing the certification this summer. She thinks the hardest part may be getting everyone to take responsibility for turning off computers and peripheral devices when they leave the office.

“A lot of people here work late, so we can’t just go in and turn things off at the end of the day,” she said.

Roe hopes that the class and certification process will help employees like Stanion and Peterson create a network of staff committed to sustainability in the workplace and willing to share ideas, challenges and solutions.

“It helps to know you aren’t doing this on your own,” Roe said. 䡲

BY MARSHA A. GREEN

Get Involved 䡲 Register for the next “Leading for Environmental Sustainability” class on July 27 through hr.duke.edu/training.

Find the class under “Work Skills Development.”

䡲 Join the “sustainable staff” email list at https://lists.duke.edu/sympa/info/sustainablestaff

䡲 Learn more about the Green Workplace Certification and other actions you can take at sustainability.duke.edu/action

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Connecting the Bull City Fare-free bus marks one year in service

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sually once a week, Kevin Davis walks a couple blocks from his downtown Durham home to the corner of West Main and Gregson streets, where he catches a short, free ride to his office at the American Tobacco Campus.

As one of the hundreds of passengers who hops a hybrid Bull City Connector each day, Davis likes to get a start on work or catch up on The Bull City Connector runs between Duke and downtown Durham. reading while someone else drives.

“I’ve never been a fan of being He said the service has been a “successful and stuck behind the wheel,” said Davis, assistant tangible representation of the partnership director of service management and between Duke and our hometown.” operational integration in the Office of “We’re happy to see how many Duke Information Technology. “With a couple students and employees have discovered the thousand Duke employees now downtown, Bull City Connector as a cost-effective, having the Bull City Connector really makes environmentally friendly and convenient way it more feasible to be car-free at Duke.” to commute and travel between campus and Since its launch on Aug. 16, 2010, the downtown Durham for entertainment and Bull City Connector has provided more than business,” Wynn said. “I look forward to 252,000 passenger trips in its first nine seeing more and more employees make that months. This spring, the number of daily discovery as we continue to offer and passenger trips serviced reached averages of improve the service.” about 1,300.

Under an agreement with the city of Since its start last August, interest in the Durham, Duke provided $375,000 in Bull City Connector prompted an matching funds so Durham could receive a enhancement of operating hours. The service $3 million federal grant and $375,000 state now begins at 6:22 a.m. from the Golden grant to buy new hybrid diesel-electric buses, Belt, which allows commuters to get to the which will debut on the route in 2012. In Duke Medical Center before 7 a.m. the meantime, the City is using four existing Phail Wynn, Jr., vice president of 2010 model hybrid buses. Duke also Durham and Regional Affairs at Duke, said contributes toward the annual operating the fare-free bus service is a benefit for costs, while the city and Triangle Transit Durham and the entire Duke community. manage the service.

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For the schedule and stops, visit bullcityconnector.org

Erin Gasch, director of alumni relations for the Fuqua School of Business, rides the Bull City Connector each month. She first started riding because it was fun for her son, Winston, and daughter, Tate. Now, they all occasionally hop on the bus near their home in the Cleveland-Holloway neighborhood to run errands on Ninth Street or to attend Duke football and basketball games on West Campus.

“I appreciate the investment Duke has made in supporting the Bull City Connector because it’s another contribution to Durham that is valuable to me as a resident and a Duke employee,” Gasch said. “It does a great job at bringing the university closer to downtown, which helps to build a stronger community.”

BY BRYAN ROTH

Bull City Connector Schedule Monday-Friday Service every 15 minutes from 6:22 a.m. to 6 p.m.; every 20 minutes from 6 p.m. to midnight.

Saturday and holidays Service every 20 minutes from 6:27 a.m. to midnight.

No service Sunday.

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The Duke Carbon Offsets Initiative’s project at Loyd Ray Farms in Yadkinville installed a new synthetically lined and covered anaerobic digester that captures methane generated from hog waste, reduces air and water pollution and generates renewable electricity. The digester replaces the existing open-air hog waste lagoon at right.

Duke carbon offsets available for purchase

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tarting in October, Duke community members can lower the emissions they can’t reduce or avoid by supporting greenhouse gas emission reduction projects sponsored by Duke.

Employees and students can buy “offsets” through the Duke Carbon Offsets Initiative to lower their own carbon footprint and support local projects. The offsets have been generated as a way to meet Duke’s climate neutrality commitment and provide local and regional benefits beyond carbon reductions.

“This is another opportunity to help educate students, faculty and staff on ways they can become more sustainable, while making a difference in North Carolina,” said Tatjana Vujic, director of the Duke Carbon Offsets Initiative. “This is a major part of getting the campus prepared to become climate neutral by 2024.”

Carbon offsets are created when a person or group funds activities or projects that reduce or avoid greenhouse gases. For example, at Loyd Ray Farms in Yadkinville, Duke created an offset project to capture methane gas from a lined and covered anaerobic digester to help control emissions, reduce pollutants and generate renewable energy. Because of that, Duke is entitled to the greenhouse gas emission reductions the project achieves.

Currently, self-reported results from Duke’s carbon calculator show the average

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Visit sustainability.duke.edu

employee contributes about three metric tons of carbon emissions per year to Duke’s overall carbon footprint based on habits related to diet, commuting, air travel, and computer use. That’s equivalent to burning 336 gallons of gas or three months of powering a home.

Through Duke’s Offsets Initiative, employees and departments can purchase offsets to address emission footprints starting at $10 per ton of carbon dioxide equivalent, meaning an average employee would only pay about $30 to offset an entire year of Dukerelated carbon emissions.

Tavey Capps, Duke’s director of environmental sustainability, said buying offsets through Duke will better North Carolina instead of supporting projects unrelated to Duke.

“While our first priority is helping individuals reduce their carbon footprint, we recognize that offsets will be necessary to reach our goal of neutrality,” Capps said.

“This isn’t just any offset, it’s one that directly benefits our local communities.”

The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions will be among one of the first units to buy offsets.

A key priority for the Institute is to become carbon neutral, said Director Tim Profeta.

“We see this as a means to walk the walk and ensure that the activities of the Nicholas Institute aren’t worsening the global warming situation we’re trying to help solve,”

Profeta said. “Any solution needs to be from the ground up, meaning it will take individuals to spur change.”

In addition to the Yadkinville hog farm, Duke is considering other offset projects such as reforestation of North Carolina lands and energy efficiency in homes and businesses across the state.

“We want our initiative to be similar to investing in a mutual fund, where you can support a variety of projects that make up a diverse portfolio,” Vujic said. “Making these offsets available gives everyone a chance to make a difference far beyond what they are already doing to address climate change.”

BY BRYAN ROTH

To Purchase Offsets Duke students, faculty and staff can buy offsets now. An online portal for buying offsets will be available this fall to the Duke community at sustainability.duke.edu/carbon_ offsets. Or, buy offsets by contacting Tatjana Vujic at tatjana.vujic@duke.edu or (919) 660-1411 or David Cooley at david.cooley@duke.edu or by calling (919) 613-7466.

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Certifiably Green Pratt units gain ‘Green Workplace Certification’

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athy Kay greeted conference attendees as she stood by receptacles in front of a large “TRASH” sign.

“Let me take that,” said Kay, taking a plate that contained the remains of lunch.

She separated items from the plate, placing the empty chip bag in the trash, tossing a plastic cup and utensils into a recycling bin and piling food scraps and compostable paper products into another bin.

“We tried just leaving up signs, but we found people don’t always take time to follow instructions,” said Kay, assistant manager for special events at the Pratt School of Engineering.

Kay works in the dean’s office at Pratt, which hand-sorts trash at events as part of its commitment to sustainability. The office also purchases recycled office supplies and enables energysaving printer settings.

These practices helped the office become the first unit at Duke to receive certification as a Duke Green Workplace in September. Soon after, another Pratt department, the Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics, became the second certified Duke Green Workplace.

“We have lit a little fire over here, and now it is spreading,” Kay said.

The Green Workplace Certification recognizes work areas that formally assess how they are reducing their environmental footprint.

Duke’s Office of Sustainability administers the process, which begins when a representative from a work area attends the free “Leading for Environmental Sustainability” workshop. As part of the workshop, participants receive a checklist of sustainable practices ranging from double-sided printing to using eco-friendly dishwashing soap in a break room.

A work area that can demonstrate it follows at least 40 of the checklist’s 57 items can apply for certification and permission to post the Duke Green Workplace seal in its office and on materials.

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Pratt School of Engineering employees Kathy Kay, left, August Burns, center, and Jim Gaston, right, sort compostable scraps from recyclable plastics during Pratt Parents Day Weekend.

The dean’s office at Pratt turned the checklist into an online survey for its 34 employees and color-coded the answers as they came in – red for not practicing, green for yes. “It was quite clear that we would easily surpass the requirement of 40 practices,” Kay said. “The answer sheet was a sea of green.”

With 46 of the 57 practices firmly under its belt, the dean’s office completed the application and received its Duke Green Workplace seal in September.

The office will survey itself again before the end of the academic year to track improvement in areas such as encouraging use of public transportation and reusable mugs.

According to Casey Roe, outreach coordinator for Sustainable Duke, 97 university and health system employees have attended the free “Leading for Environmental Sustainability” workshop since January 2011. So far, five units have received certification.

“Duke is committed to being carbon neutral by 2024, but a lot of the change will have to come from students, faculty and staff,” Roe said. “The Green Workplace Certification helps us recognize those efforts.” 䡲

BY MARSHA A. GREEN

Get Green Certified Information about the Green Workplace Certification process, including a list of certified units at Duke, is at sustainability.duke.edu.

Visit hr.duke.edu/training/workshops for details about the “Leading for Environmental Sustainability” workshop. The next one is 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 26.

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Join the ‘Green Devil Smackdown’ sustainability challenge

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tarting this month, students, faculty and staff can participate in the first “Green Devil Smackdown,” an eightweek team competition to encourage sustainable behaviors on campus.

Teams of Duke community members earn points for “green” actions, such as taking the bus, carpooling or completing the Duke Carbon Calculator. At the end of the competition, the team that earns the highest average points per participant will be crowned champion and receive a customdesigned Green Devil championship belt similar to belts presented to boxing or professional wrestling champions. Duke will also purchase offsets for individuals on the winning team to neutralize their carbon emissions at Duke.

Tavey Capps, sustainability director at Duke, said the competition should raise visibility and increase support for Duke’s Climate Action Plan and efforts to be carbon neutral by 2024.

“We need support from the campus community because behavior change is one of the most important aspects to meet our sustainability goals,” Capps said.

“Hopefully this competition will be a fun way to encourage students, faculty and staff to take action.”

Beginning in early February, Duke community members can join the competition by visiting

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sustainability.duke.edu/smackdown and registering with a NetID at the “My Profile” page to get started. Participants are encouraged to join or form teams by department, by building/residence hall or by organizational group or club of between 10 to 100 members.

The competition runs from Feb. 27 to April 20. Points will be awarded on a sliding scale based on difficulty. For example, a competitor receives 25 points for “liking” Sustainable Duke on Facebook. A one-time amount of 625 points is given for obtaining an alternative transportation permit to bike or carpool to campus instead of driving alone. Participants can also earn points by taking special Green Devil Challenges that encourage individuals to make small changes in their daily lives to help reduce carbon emissions at Duke.

Sophomore Jessye Waxman will sign up for the Smackdown, which she likened to the Eco-Olympics, an annual energy, waste and water reduction competition between residence halls on East Campus.

“The Green Devil Smackdown, like Eco-Olympics, will bring sustainability to the public eye and make environmental consciousness a fun and engaging experience by means of friendly competition,” Waxman said.

During the competition, online leaderboards on the Smackdown website

Sign up for the Green Devil Smackdown at sustainability.duke.edu/smackdown

will display results for top-performing teams.

Leaderboards will also show results for individuals, affiliation (students, faculty, staff), school and class year for students.

“We’re excited to see how this competition encourages and rewards sustainable behavior in a way we haven’t really attempted on a campus-wide basis,” Capps said. “It’s amazing what a little competition can produce and how these small changes can add up to big results.”

BY BRYAN ROTH

Join The Smackdown, Win Prizes Students, faculty and staff can sign up for the Green Devil Smackdown in early February. The competition begins Feb. 27.

A full list of points and how to report sustainable actions is available at the Smackdown website at sustainability.duke.edu/smackdown.

A drawing will be held at the end of the competition to award three individuals with grand prizes, including an Amazon Kindle, bicycle and tickets to Duke basketball games.

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Duke Moving Toward Carbon Neutrality Climate Action Plan continues to push ‘green’ behaviors

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uilt more than 80 years The reason lies not only in the ago, the steam plant way Duke uses energy, but on West Campus is supplies it as well. undergoing a major Last April, the giant pile renovation that marks the end of black coal outside the West of coal at Duke.

Campus Steam Plant Furnaces that once burned disappeared, signaling Duke’s coal are being replaced with three final step of reducing to zero the giant natural gas boilers that production of about 80 percent provide steam to sterilize surgical of its steam from burning coal. It hospital equipment, maintain was a move recommended by the proper humidity for art and lab Climate Action Plan that got research and heat academic and Duke off of coal for the first time medical buildings across Duke. since the 1920s. In addition to a In addition to being sustainable, cleaner-burning fuel at the the retrofitted plant will save plants, Duke is now uses a solarDuke up to $400,000 a year thermal system on the roof of the in operational costs.

Bryan Center that provides “Moving to cleaner fuels about 40 percent of the in the campus steam plants was building’s domestic hot water. one of the big moves that Duke This is a rendering of what Duke’s West Campus Steam Plant will look like once completed.

“Ultimately, utilizing these could make as an institution to solar panels is going to displace meet our climate goals,” said an amount of steam we use at the Bryan Center to heat water, which Tavey Capps, Duke’s sustainability director. means we'll be using less steam and burning less natural gas,” said As Duke works to complete the steam plant project, the campus Steve Palumbo, energy manager for Facilities Management. “It's a continues its march toward carbon neutrality by 2024 – the main chain effect of sustainable practices.” goal when President Richard Brodhead signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment in 2007. Five years after signing the pact, and three years after establishing Duke’s Climate Action Plan, the university’s carbon footprint is continually shrinking. Greenhouse gas emissions, which include energy use and on-campus transportation and commuting, are down 11 percent from a 2007 baseline, a decrease in carbon output equivalent to the April 20, noon to 5 p.m. emissions of about 6,113 cars over one year.

A festival, including a bike parade, music, food, Among the reasons for the shift has been the adoption of games and more, will be held outside the sustainable energy policies. According to an audit of Duke’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2007, 78 percent of all of Duke’s Levine Science Research Center. Get the full emissions came from energy consumption such as heating buildings list of events for April’s Earth Month at and powering computers. Last year, it was 72 percent, despite a larger sustainability.duke.edu. footprint with new offices and buildings like the Smith Warehouse.

Earth Day Celebration In April

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How To Save On Fuel And Parking Fees On Your Commute

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ith Duke parking steps and tips for being a bike permit rates set commuter on campus. More to rise in August, information: Duke transit officials parking.duke.edu/bike. encourage faculty and staff to consider alternative transportation Carpool to cut costs associated with driving Yanqiang Yang, a senior alone to work. research associate in the Division “There are choices available of Cardiology, started carpooling that save money and give you time with a coworker last spring. By to be productive,” said Brian traveling from Chapel Hill to Williams, Duke’s transportation West Campus in a carpool, he demand management coordinator. saves hundreds of dollars a year “Duke ridership has increased in gas. “I encourage people to over the last four years on DATA carpool, which can save money and Triangle Transit buses. Why Orla Swift boards a Triangle Transit bus from West Campus to Raleigh. She uses on your gas bill, reduce wear on GoPass to ride for free and used transportation savings to buy an iPad. pay $80 a month for gas to drive your vehicle, cut emissions for our to work when a GoPass lets you environment, reduce traffic and ride for nothing?” reading. “I couldn’t have excused buying an save our parking spaces,” Yang said.

Duke’s efforts to bolster its transit iPad were I not going to make the money Registered carpoolers receive reduced system earned national recognition from the back from riding the bus,” Swift said. “I’d permit rates, depending on how many Duke National Center for Transit Research as one say about 80 percent of my use of the iPad community members ride together. Four or of the “Best Workplaces for Commuters” is while I’m riding to and from work.” more participants in a carpool get free and a “Bicycle Friendly University” by the GoPass offers unlimited rides on DATA, parking in a “preferred” lot. All carpoolers League of American Bicyclists.

Triangle Transit, Capital Area Transit and receive up to 24 daily parking permits to use Here are ways to put money in your C-Tran, the town of Cary’s transit service. in case they must drive to campus alone. pocket and cut your carbon footprint: Learn more: parking.duke.edu/gopass.

Learn more: parking.duke.edu/carpool.

Bus Duke community members can try the GoPass, a free public bus pass that allows all students and eligible employees to ride regional and local bus lines for no charge.

Orla Swift, director of marketing and communications at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, got a GoPass last fall. She bought an iPad and used savings from riding Triangle Transit buses to work to pay off the tablet. On rides between Raleigh and Durham two-to-four times a week, she uses the iPad to check email and get caught up on

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Bike In April, the League of American Bicyclists named Duke a “Bicycle Friendly University.” The recognition reflected enhanced infrastructure on and around campus like “sharrow” bike safety signs painted on campus roadways. Registered bike commuters also receive up to 24 free parking passes and may use showers at Wilson or Brodie recreation centers until 9 a.m. Monday to Friday without a membership. There’s even a website – bikeduke.com – that features registration

Learn more about transportation options at parking.duke.edu/alternative

Emergency ride in a pinch Duke employees who work or live in Durham, Orange or Wake counties and use alternative transportation are eligible for an Emergency Ride Home through Go Triangle. The program provides a voucher for a rental car or taxi ride for carpoolers, bikers, bus riders and walkers who need to leave work at a moment’s notice. More information: parking.duke. edu/emergencyride.

BY BRYAN ROTH

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Overall Water Use Drops as Duke Population Rises

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ince 2006, Duke has of its highest water consuming reduced its overall use of buildings across the university to water by nearly 200 million identify sources of environmental gallons – a 30 percent and financial savings. decrease in consumption.

After the water audit review It’s impressive considering is completed, extra efforts will be that in the past six years, Duke has made to educate Duke community added an additional 500,000 members on water-saving square feet of building and natural techniques. Capps, Duke’s space and hundreds of additional sustainability director, said that students.

Duke plans to expand water “Our continued focus on conservation aspects of its green conservation and efficiency is not building guidelines, which requires only beneficial to the campus but all new construction and major to our surrounding community as renovations to achieve certification well,” said Tavey Capps, Duke’s in Leadership in Energy and Crews with Duke’s Facilities Management Department use reclaimed water to care sustainability director.

Environment Design (LEED) by for grass and flowers around campus.

“Even with the significant the U.S. Green Building Council. that chiller plant uses about 40 million reductions we have achieved over the past “We’ll assess where we can have the gallons of non-potable water from alternative few years, Duke is still the largest water largest impact and focus on strategies that sources to produce chilled water to cool customer in the city of Durham.” include operational elements such as campus buildings, labs and hospital areas.

Duke has incorporated numerous bathrooms and labs as well as further “Students, faculty and staff can even ways to conserve and use water, such as education of the campus community on help us maintain sustainable practices storage cisterns located across campus their personal impact,” Capps said. “Because by reducing unnecessary water use and that hold as much as 150,000 gallons of the consistent drought we’ve seen in reporting things like leaking faucets,” recent years and the importance of this of rainwater to be reused for watering said Steve Palumbo, energy manager for resource, it’s imperative to keep responsible athletic fields and landscapes.

Facilities Management. water use a priority.”

Upcoming projects like a water Duke is stepping up efforts to cut reclamation pond on the fringe of West

BY BRYAN ROTH water use, Palumbo said. This summer, Campus will allow Duke to pump water Duke performed water audits on some from the pond to one of Duke’s nearby chilled water plants to be used in the production of chilled water for cooling and Every Drop Counts dehumidifying campus and medical buildings. Duke officials expect the initiative Report leaks, dripping faucets and running toilets — a dripping faucet wastes will significantly decrease the amount of more than 600 gallons a year; a running toilet, more than 131,000 gallons. potable water use on campus.

University buildings: (919) 684-2122 The reclamation pond, which will take Residence halls: (919) 684-5320 (East), (919) 684-5486 (West), about a year to complete after its spring 2013 (919) 684-5813 (Central); start, is in addition to what Duke’s West Medical Center: (919) 684-3232 Campus Chiller Plant already accomplishes:

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Learn more about Duke sustainability at sustainability.duke.edu

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Celebrate All Things Food In October Duke hosts events leading up to Oct. 24 national ‘Food Day’

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hile Durham is known As part of the Food Day for its locally-themed celebration, the Duke Campus Farm food scene, Duke will hold its first Beet Festival from students, staff and 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 20. Open to all Duke faculty can go hyperlocal right on community members, the event will Duke’s campus. feature music, lawn games and food This October, Duke community like beet salad, beet gnocchi and beet members can take part in a celebration chocolate cake. of food all month as part of ongoing Students and employees can also activities leading up to Food Day show off their love for food through on Oct. 24, a nationwide celebration Sustainable Duke’s Food Day photo to highlight health, nutrition and competition. To participate, students, people’s connection to food they eat. faculty and staff can submit a photo Duke will host its own community and caption beginning Oct. 1 on the dinner on West Campus to celebrate Sustainable Duke Facebook page and that day. explain what food means to them.

Amelia Chen, a Duke undergraduate student, won last year’s Sustainable Duke photo contest with this photo of her younger brother preparing “Every day, we make choices From Oct. 15 to 19, voting will take about what we eat and October’s Food Chinese food. place to see which picture can Day celebrations highlight a search for accumulate the most “likes.” One options that are more sustainable,” said Casey Roe, outreach winner will receive free registration to a Duke Campus Farm coordinator for Sustainable Duke. “Events focused around food workshop and other prizes. are a fun way to bring together the Duke community, while “We are celebrating sustainable, local and healthy food choices, promoting local, organic and healthy food options.” but everyone has their own personal story to tell about food,” said Events, which will be hosted by student organizations and Roe, the sustainability outreach coordinator. “We want to hear from Sustainable Duke, include contests, a beet festival and more. the members of the Duke community what food means to you.”

To get a sense for how Duke is committed to healthy and

BY BRYAN ROTH sustainable food, students and employees need only start at the Duke Campus Farm, where each week, at least 10 volunteers help care for a variety of produce. This fall, carrots, beets, salad greens and more will go straight from the farm into Duke’s dining halls.

“Spending time at the farm is a wonderful way to connect with the earth in a very fundamental way,” said Jennifer Masat, a clinical nurse in Duke’s Neurodiagnostics Lab who volunteers at the Duke Campus Farm. “It helps people realize where their food is coming from, and they can see where it goes. I’m all about organic and local food, so the farm is the best of both worlds.”

Masat is excited for October’s Food Day events because they will provide a chance for Duke community members to learn more Special events will be held throughout about Duke’s efforts to promote healthy eating choices. In addition October to celebrate Food Day. See what’s to being used in Duke’s dining halls, produce from the Duke going on by checking the calendar at Campus Farm was also sold for the first time this summer at the sustainability.duke.edu.

Duke Farmers Market.

Find Food Day Events In October

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Learn more about Duke sustainability efforts at sustainability.duke.edu

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Sign Up for Green Devil Smackdown Teams form for sustainability-themed team competition

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he battle for the belt has begun, but it’s not too late to step into the ring.

About 850 students, faculty and staff have signed up to prove their mettle in the second “Green Devil Smackdown,” Duke’s sustainability-themed competition that runs through March 2013. Duke The Pratt School of Engineering’s “greengineering” team displays the Green Devil community members Smackdown championship belt after winning it in the last sustainability competition, can sign up and form which ran Feb–April 2012. teams any time to The belt, which has been proudly displayed in earn points for “green” actions, such as a case by Twinnie’s Cafe in the Fitzpatrick riding the bus, carpooling or completing Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, the Duke Carbon Calculator.

Medicine, and Applied Science, is now “Ultimately, the Smackdown is all about awaiting its new home. how we can inspire and challenge our peers to August Burns, departmental business be more sustainable,” said Tavey Capps, Duke’s manager for the Fitzpatrick Institute sustainability director. “The last competition for Photonics, was a member of Pratt’s was one of our most successful outreach efforts, “greengineering” team. She said and I can’t wait to see how this year’s program participating in the Green Devil extends the reach and impact of sustainable Smackdown isn’t just about winning. initiatives across campus.”

She’s adopted more sustainable behaviors – The team that earns the highest like using WeCar, Duke’s car-sharing average points per participant will be program, and buying a hybrid car. crowned champion and receive a custom“The Smackdown gave me a little designed championship belt. In addition, extra nudge because I was thinking about a drawing will be held at the end of the sustainability when I was looking for a car,” competition to award an iPad to a Duke said Burns, who traded in her 2001 Nissan community member who completes at least Altima and bought a 2012 Kia Optima after seven challenges during the competition. last year’s Smackdown. “It’s among the best In the last Smackdown challenge, a Pratt decisions I’ve ever made because I get my School of Engineering team with 13 staff money back by saving on better mileage, members and a graduate student won the and I’m not burning as much gas.” challenge and claimed the championship belt.

2012 Smackdown Numbers

292 Participants ate at a campus eatery with local/organic fare

236 Participants attended campus Earth Month event

67 Students, faculty and staff who made donations to Duke Free Store

35 Volunteers at Duke Campus Farm

50 Staff members who completed the Leading for Environmental Sustainability workshop

10 Offices/departments that earned Green Workplace Certification

BY BRYAN ROTH The first Smackdown ran February-April 2012.

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Sign up for the Green Devil Smackdown at sustainability.duke.edu/smackdown

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37 ‘Green’ Offices and Growing

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ince September 2011, 37 offices and departments at Duke have pledged their commitment to sustainability by adopting sustainable practices and earning a Green Workplace Certification.

That number will grow.

Starting this winter, Sustainable Duke has more “green” certifications that include laboratories, dorm rooms, classrooms and events. The goal of certification is to train and foster student and employee sustainability leaders to help Duke reduce its environmental footprint.

“Duke’s commitment to carbon neutrality relies on grassroots efforts, so it’s exciting that more students and employees can now get involved,” said Casey Roe, outreach coordinator for Sustainable Duke.

“Our certifications can now recognize steps being taken everywhere on campus.”

Randy Smith, departmental manager in the Department of Biology, helped create a checklist used for the new Green Lab Certification, which was available last year in a pilot phase. Smith worked with Sustainable Duke to design the certification to address distinct functions of lab spaces as compared to offices.

The biggest issue labs face, Smith said, is being energy-intensive because labs must run fume hoods to suck out hazardous air during research, storage or experiments.

On a per square foot basis, research labs can require five times more energy to operate than classrooms and office spaces.

“We’re already paying to condition, humidify or dehumidify the air, but then it just gets sucked out the chimney, so to speak,

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This energy-efficient ventilation system is a key reason why the Department of Biology's Magwene Lab earned a gold level Green Lab Certification.

and has to be replaced,” Smith said. “So we’re using up energy and money to then replace that air.”

By installing fume hoods with multispeed fans, Duke labs can use less energy and even save money, Smith said. The average fume hood costs about $5,000 a year to run, while a multi-speed fan that can slow down and use less electricity throughout the day costs about $2,000 a year, he said. That difference can add up fast in a single building like the French Family Science Center with 275 fume hoods in labs.

Labs earn points for how many sustainable actions they take, earning bronze, silver or gold certifications. Along with fume hoods, steps include installing recirculating water systems to avoid waste, buying and installing energy efficient appliances, recycling all applicable plastics, glass, aluminum batteries and more. So far, the Department of Biology has six green certified labs–all earned gold.

“I have grandchildren, and the bottom line for me is to make sure the environment is not worse for them when they’re grown up,” Smith said. “I think a lot of people at Duke share the same passion.”

Among those like-minded Duke employees is Marilyn Weisz, who led an effort in Duke’s Fetal Diagnostic Center to earn a Green Workplace Certification. Weisz, an ultrasonographer, pushed to change drinking cups from Styrofoam to paper cups made from recycled content, among other initiatives.

“Duke is a leader in so many things, so it makes total sense we should strive to be a leader in sustainability,” Weisz said. “We should always look at how we can become more efficient and more sustainable.”

BY BRYAN ROTH

These recycling stations are set up in the Fetal Diagnostic Center, which earned a Green Workplace Certification.

Get Green Certified Sustainable Duke offers a full set of certifications for students, faculty and staff. Students can take the Green Dorm Room Certification, staff can earn Green Workplace or Green Lab Certification, and faculty can distinguish their courses with the Green Classroom Certification. Green Event Certification can be used by any member of the Duke community. For more information on these certifications, visit sustainability.duke.edu/action.

See how you can earn a green certification at sustainability.duke.edu/action

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Carbon Emissions Down at Duke University still has areas of growth for sustainable practices

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are registered as fullince establishing time or part-time a carbon bicycle commuters – emissions a number that almost baseline in 2007, doubled from 2011 Duke has reduced its to 2012. footprint 16 percent, or roughly 53,200 But even as the Duke metric tons of carbon community focuses on dioxide. That’s the transportation, it’s only equivalent to the energy 29 percent of the used by 2,738 homes a university’s overall year or the emissions carbon emissions. The from 11,083 vehicles. majority – 70 percent – It’s a lot, but as comes from energy use.

Duke celebrates Earth Since 2007, Duke has Month in April, it still reduced its energy has a way to go. A emissions by progress report by 18 percent and cut the Sustainable Duke shows Duke has taken many steps to lower its carbon footprint in recent years, including renovations of two steam use of coal on campus, that the university is on helping to drastically plants, buying hybrid-electric buses and installing solar panels on the Bryan Center roof to help heat water its way to carbon in the building. decrease carbon neutrality by 2024. Still, emissions. Other areas for growth include emissions, and participation emissions, although it can be projects like a solar-thermal transportation: Emissions by in programs has grown in hard to influence, especially as system at the Bryan Center students, faculty and staff rose recent years: Duke continues to grow its provides 40 percent of the 12 percent since 2007, despite China campus. She highlighted building’s hot water for n About 1,300 students and an increase in alternative technologies like Duke’s Cisco bathrooms, dining facilities and employees are members of commuting options.

TelePresence conference call more.

WeCar, a car-sharing “We’re getting to the point units as ways to avoid long“There’s only so much service on campus that where we need the campus distance travel.

Duke can do operationally features 16 vehicles, community to really think On campus, 74 percent of before it comes to what actions including four electric about how our sustainable Duke employees drive to work individuals can take,” Capps Chevrolet Volts. efforts impact them,” said Tavey alone, according to Sustainable said. “To become carbon n About 8,400 Duke Capps, Duke’s sustainability Duke’s report, with carpooling neutral, it’s going to take community members have director. “As we move closer (10 percent) and the bus everyone on campus thinking the GoPass, which allows to our neutrality goal, it takes (6 percent) as the other most about their own carbon for fare-free use of regional everyone on campus embracing popular choices for employees. footprint and the choices they bus lines. the idea and taking action to Duke continues to offer make to get us to our goal.” help Duke cut emissions.” alternative transportation n Nearly 700 Duke

BY BRYAN ROTH Capps said air travel plays options to help cut down on community members a large part in transportation

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Audit To Help Drain Water Use Duke will cut up to 8 million gallons of water a year

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Millionss o Million off Gallons of of Water Water per Ye Year Year

his spring, Duke employees took back the Projected Pr ojected Water Water Savings Savings After After Audit Aud dit tap, the toilet and the urinal.

20 16% In an effort to help cut water use on campus, J Pr Projected ojected e Savings Savings Duke’s Facilities 15 Base Water Use B W U J as e a at er se Management Department oversaw a water audit to 110 identify potential water41% saving opportunities, 11% 25% 40% which included updating 5 faucets, toilets and showers 28% in six academic buildings.

With hundreds of retrofits 0 Bryan University Fitzpatrick French Family Fuqua School Levine Science Physics Building and a couple dozen Center CIEMAS Science Center of Business Research Center replacements, Duke is expected to save up to 8 This chart shows potential water savings for domestic water use, not total building water use, million gallons of potable in six academic buildings that were part of a water audit by Facilities Management. water per year, while also cutting some energy to heat hot water.

The six buildings identified buildings impacted from From March 11 to April 3, changes is projected at 23 as top water users and selected crews went from bathroom-topercent. for the conservation measures bathroom in each building and To test the efficiency of included the Bryan Center, changed valves in 353 toilets, each unit, crews measured how French Family Science Center, 120 urinals and 1,299 faucets much water would flow from a Fuqua School of Business, while replacing 27 toilets and faucet in 10 to 15 seconds and Physics Building, Levine urinals to allow for a lower, captured the amount of water Science Research Center and more efficient flow of water. used in each toilet or urinal the Fitzpatrick Center for “The work wasn’t anything flush. Armed with the data, Interdisciplinary Engineering, fancy, but it will lead to Facilities was able to determine Medicine and Applied Sciences. significant water savings,” said which valves or electric sensors While the project cost Casey Collins, energy engineer needed to be fixed or replaced. $150,000 to complete, it’s with Facilities Management and Collins said laboratories expected to save up to the project’s manager. “No generally use a lot of water for $120,000 a year in water and one will notice any functional research and experiments and energy costs for Duke. The difference in restrooms or he hopes to see a decrease in average decrease in domestic labs, either.” water use because of the project. water use across all the

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Find out more at sustainability.duke.edu

Labs typically have two different faucets – one for high purity water for research and another with city-provided water for everyday use.

“We didn’t touch the high-purity faucets, but we retrofitted others with an aerator that helps to restrict the flow of water a little,” Collins said. “It’s perfect for hand washing or rinsing instruments because it restricts enough to make a difference but doesn’t impact functionality.”

Casey Roe, outreach coordinator for Sustainable Duke, said Facilities’ latest project fits perfectly with other steps Duke has taken to educate on water conservation.

“As a large institution within Durham’s watershed, it’s important for us to reduce our consumption any way we can on campus,” Roe said.

“Teaching about the use of less water is part of our Green Workplace Certification, campus events and even signage around campus. Smaller actions add up.”

BY BRYAN ROTH

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Sorting Trash for Sustainable Treasure

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Duke introduces new way to recycle

taff and faculty in the The recycling and waste program Sanford School of Public may roll out to other buildings in Policy, Smith Warehouse the future, Buchholz said. The pilot and the Wilson and Brodie complements Duke’s normal recycling recreation centers are taking part efforts, which service about 1,600 bins in a trash and recycling pilot across campus. program to help cut waste, increase “Typically speaking, businesses recycling and get the community that use mixed recycling see a 20 to thinking about composting items 45 percent increase in collections like coffee grinds and paper towels. when switching to a mixed recycling Participants in the pilot collection,” she said. “By collecting project are switching to singlepost-consumer compost and mixed stream recycling, which allows recycling, we want to get as much out paper, plastic and aluminum to of our waste stream as possible.” be collected in one location. Over As part of the pilot project, the summer, employees working in compost bins have been placed in Nancy Shaw, human resources manager in the Sanford School of Public Sanford and Bays 1 to 3 of Smith break rooms or bathrooms in Sanford, Policy, is among the first Duke employees to begin using new mixed recycling bins.

Warehouse received new recycling Smith Warehouse and Wilson and bins and smaller wastebaskets that Brodie recreation centers to collect could have been composted. That means will be emptied by each user at a centralized only 12 percent of what was thrown away materials like coffee grinds and paper towels station in each building. For example, and cups. was actually trash. employees in Sanford can empty their trash Karen Kemp, assistant dean for “We knew that a significant portion at drop-offs in hallways. communications and marketing at Sanford of the waste stream would be compostable “Recycling is very important, so it’s and a co-leader of the school’s “Green material and recyclables, but didn’t realize exciting that we get to set an example for Team,” said the pilot helps sustainability it would be such a large percentage of the whole university,” said Nancy Shaw, efforts by reducing confusion about what the waste,” said Arwen Buchholz, Duke’s human resources manager at Sanford. She can and can’t be recycled. recycling and waste reduction coordinator. drops off recyclable items like drink bottles, “Pursuing sustainability is connected to “Based on research from other universities paper and more.

Duke’s academic mission and it’s important and municipalities, we’re confident that The pilot was created after waste making the switch to single-stream recycling for us to walk the walk,” Kemp said. “The audits by Facilities Management’s Recycling waste we generate is our responsibility, will help us better capture the 40 percent of and Waste Reduction Unit in Sanford, so making us responsible for recycling or recycling that was put in the trash.”

Biological Sciences Building, Fuqua School composting our own trash may make us The findings were presented to of Business and the School of Nursing think twice about what we’re doing.” members of Duke’s Campus Sustainability showed 45 percent of items thrown away Committee, which supported the

By Bryan Roth could have been recycled and 43 percent implementation of the project.

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New Pavilion for Events at Campus Farm

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Duke community members can schedule group outings

ots of growth took funding provided by The Duke place at the Duke Endowment. Additional money Campus Farm this was donated by Keith and Brenda summer, but it wasn’t Brodie – Keith Brodie served as necessarily sweet potatoes Duke’s president from 1985 to or corn sprouting up.

1993. Brenda Brodie said that Construction crews worked supporting the Campus Farm is weekdays at the one-acre farm important, as it serves as a place from July through September where volunteers are able to learn to build two new structures to about agriculture and become improve the agricultural venture more mindful eaters.

– a tool shed and pavilion “You can never fully design to host events. As the Duke a sustainable human world, but Campus Farm continues to get with work and determination more involved in providing you can create something produce to sell at local farmers meaningful and lasting,” she The Duke Campus Farm celebrated the unveiling of its 1,700-square feet pavilion markets and on campus, the new in September. The space is open to use by the Duke Community. said. “The spirit of the Duke buildings help create a greater Campus Farm will be part of faculty and staff to use for retreats, team sense of community, said Emily the participants for a lifetime.” building or other events at the farm at 4910 Sloss, the farm’s manager.

The new spaces will allow the Friends School Road in Durham. It’s now “We started the farm three years ago Campus Farm to upgrade other facilities. available for use and Duke community under this idea of ‘one year, one acre’ to A greenhouse that’s partially used as members can schedule the pavilion by see what we could provide to Duke and storage space will be rebuilt after items are contacting Sloss at emily.sloss@duke.edu. its students and employees,” Sloss said. moved into the new shed, and an older, The roughly 1,700-square-foot “It’s exciting to see that we’re cementing smaller storage shed is being converted pavilion and 144-square-foot shed cost ourselves in the Duke community and into a “coolbot,” an enclosed space kept at about $75,000 to build, with some investing in what we do to make temperatures around 50 degrees to the farm run better.” store produce.

While the shed will provide “When we harvest produce, Get Involved ample space to store equipment we have to deliver it immediately, All Duke community members can volunteer with the Duke Campus Farm. Workdays are 6 to 8 p.m. Sundays and like tillers, hoes, rakes and other so having flexibility with storing Thursdays at the farm, 4910 Friends School Road in Durham. materials, the pavilion is something items would be wonderful,” Sloss Typical work includes planting, harvesting, weeding and work all Duke community members said. “It’s great to be able to make on small construction projects. No farming experience is will be able to enjoy. Sloss said the these changes.” ■ necessary. pavilion will be free for students,

By Bryan roth

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Your Chance to Body Slam Waste ‘Green Devil Smackdown’ returns this winter

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re you ready to Jake Gordon, a lab technician re-enter the ring? in the Department of Biology Beginning and last year’s team leader for Jan. 6, students The Green Monkeys, said he’s and employees can form teams excited to defend the title with and take part in Duke’s annual his coworkers so he can put new Green Devil Smackdown, the emphasis on living sustainably. sustainability-themed team That will include a renewed competition that has participants focus on keeping up participation make sustainable decisions to through in-person and online rack up points and prizes. communication and hosting Last year, about 1,400 monthly team gatherings, like a students, faculty and staff vegetarian potluck. participated in the Smackdown “We want to avoid a common of “The Green Monkeys,” the Green Devil Smackdown winners in 2013, by finding their carbon footprint Members problem of taking a quiz or doing pose with their ceremonial championship belt. with Duke’s Carbon Calculator, the minimum and forgetting about always see coworkers and student groups taking quizzes on Duke’s sustainable history the rest,” he said. “It’s about keeping up having fun with it.” and hosting meatless potlucks. the spirit of the competition – that making Sign up will be available Jan. 6 at While teams compete for the grand changes in our lives become what we always sustainability.duke.edu/smackdown. prize – a wrestling belt and recognition at do, not just what we’re encouraged to do.” n New aspects of the competition include an annual sustainability awards luncheon

By Bryan Roth a “Smackdown on the Quad” with games – individuals compete for weekly prizes and relays, as well as more ways to earn like a bicycle pump, free Duke Campus points by interacting on social media and Farm produce and more. Everyone who a recycled art competition. participates regularly will also win a set of Join the This year’s teams will be working to travel bamboo utensils. Over eight weeks knock off reigning champion, “The Green (Feb. 3 to March 28), participants accrue Beginning Jan. 6, students and Monkeys,” a group of Duke community points for each action; teams are ranked employees can begin signing up teams members from the Biology and Evolutionary by average points per participant. for the Green Devil Smackdown.

Anthropology departments. In the 2012-13 “Each year, we look forward to the Register at sustainability.duke. competition, The Green Monkeys compiled Green Devil Smackdown as a way to edu/smackdown. The competition an average of 3,062 points for each of its 32 highlight how being sustainable doesn’t is from Feb. 3 to March 28, and the team participants, amassing about 500 more have to be hard or boring,” said Casey Roe, winning team receives the Smackdown championship belt. points than the second-place team, DUSON outreach coordinator for Sustainable Duke.

Green Team, from the School of Nursing.

“From group videos to organized events, we

‘Smackdown’

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Drivers Go It Alone

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Duke hopes to cut solo commuting by 1,750 drivers in five years

ith three For Laura Alvis, out of four assistant controller for employees the Medical Center’s driving General Accounting and alone to work, Duke Financial Reporting, recently announced a joining a vanpool was an new goal of reducing easy choice to cut down overall drive-alone her commuting costs while rates by 5 percent over putting time back in her the next five years. day. Along with 11 other That means 1,750 employees, she pays $66 Duke employees will need a month to ride to work to switch to one of several from Mebane, taking her alternative transportation newfound time to catch options such as carpooling, up on emails, reading or public transit or bicycling. checking Facebook.

Traffic on Highway 147 in Durham can easily get backed up come rush hour. A recent study “We’ve made a “My favorite part is found that for 75 percent of faculty and staff, they’re spending that time alone in their car. conscious effort in recent the fact I’m saving money, years to offer new alternative but it’s also nice to not have gas emissions in 2013, which is still above transportation options and enhance those to drive every day and be able to do other intended levels. in place,” said Alison Carpenter, manager of stuff,” Alvis said. “Riding to work becomes “One of the most important areas Duke’s transportation demand management more relaxed when you can sit back and do where we can reduce Duke’s carbon program. “We’ve seen several programs take what you want to do.” ■ footprint is by cutting down on emissions

By Bryan Roth big steps forward, including more people related to transportation,” said Tavey Capps, utilizing public transit and vanpool.”

Duke’s sustainability director. “However, it’s Currently, 75 percent of all University up to individuals to make this choice. Even and Health System employees drive alone using alternative transportation one day a to work, but that number has dropped from week can have a lasting impact on helping a high of 85 percent in 2004, when annual Duke become carbon neutral by 2024.” employee surveys began. Duke’s ultimate Duke has been working to make it Mode Employees goal is to reduce the drive alone rate to easier for employees to choose an alternative Drive Alone 26,250 45 percent by 2050 to reduce Duke’s carbon commute. emissions and help decrease demand for Carpool 2,800 With a free GoPass, all students and parking on campus. eligible employees can save on fuel and Bus 2,450 Last year, 8,750 of about 35,000 parking and receive free rides on public Telecommute 1,400 Duke employees were registered to use buses throughout Durham, Chapel Hill, Bike 1,050 an alternate commute to get to and from Raleigh and in between. Vapoolers see an campus. Employee commuting accounted Walk 700 average savings of nearly $174 per month in for 13 percent of Duke’s total green house fuel costs.

Vanpool 38

How Duke’s Workforce Commutes

Source: Parking and Transportation Services

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Green On Your Plate – and Off Duke Dining’s ‘green’ approach is about more than food

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s part of ongoing efforts to incorporate sustainability into campus eateries, Sustainable Duke and Duke Dining have made it a priority in 2014 to best define “sustainable food.”

That’s meant a growing focus on a variety of things, from local farmers and vendors to fair trade coffee and using reusable food containers instead of Styrofoam. But there is still more to consider, like supporting the local economy and educating the campus community.

“Do you focus on health, local, humane treatment of animals, organic agriculture practices, farm worker rights, cost or something else?” said Tavey Capps, Duke’s director of sustainability. “As part of Duke’s Sustainability Strategic Plan, we’re working toward defining and prioritizing these issues.”

In the future, Duke will incorporate food into its ongoing sustainability strategic plan.

That will reflect on campus, where Duke is already taking actions to promote a healthy relationship with the environment as much as healthy food on a plate.

“By striving for an environmentallyconscious program today, we will help ensure a brighter tomorrow and help Duke reach carbon neutrality by 2024,” said Robert Coffey, director of Duke Dining. ■

By Bryan Roth

Duke Dining serves

4 million meals annually

w x w x w x

Ingredients come from

........

62 farm-to-fork vendors

Duke Campus Farm provided more than

6,000 pounds of produce

6 E 6 E 6 E 6 E 6 E 6 E

In all, Duke Dining composted

150 tons of food

waste from 2012 and 2013

Duke Dining also saved 5,100 gallons of waste oil to recycle as bio-diesel SOURCE: Duke Dining, 2012-13

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Growing a Green Thumb at Duke Campus Farm Duke community logs about 2,000 volunteer hours at farm in 2013

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etting her hands brown with food,” Castillo said. “I hope I can use the dirt has unlocked Lauren expertise of the people I’ve met at the farm Castillo’s appreciation for to start a garden of my own.” having a green thumb.

In addition to successful crops, the Once a month, Castillo, along with farm has also celebrated two construction a few coworkers from Duke’s Prospective milestones, including a 144-square foot tool Study of Infant Development, travel to the shed to store equipment and a 1,700-square Duke Campus Farm, where they volunteer foot pavilion for hosting events. The to care for the one-acre plot of land. Since pavilion is available to students, faculty and she started spending time at the farm last staff to use for retreats, team building or summer, Castillo has planted flowers and other events at the farm at 4934 Friends herbs, learned how to grow mushrooms, School Road in Durham. and helped harvest a variety of vegetables.

This spring, Agata Rocka and about “I come from a line of gardeners, but 30 staff from the Duke Global Health it’s fun to learn about organic farming Institute (DGHI) used the pavilion for practices,” said Castillo, a senior bilingual an annual staff outing. The group hosted research aide with Prospective Study of a food truck, took tours of the space and Infant Development. “It’s great team learned about agriculture. building for my office. It’s nice to get out “Compared to spending time at a and do things together in a different kind restaurant or a ball game, going to the farm of environment than the office.” offered an outdoor activity that would be Castillo’s experience is one that many fun for everybody,” said Rocka, a special Duke community members have shared events coordinator with DGHI. “It’s a great in the past year. Students, faculty and staff place for Duke employees to spend time combined to work about 2,000 volunteer because it’s close to campus and offers a lot Emily McGinty, farm fellow with the Duke Campus Farm, hours at the farm in 2013. They helped of flexibility for what you can do.” n picks tomatoes at the one-acre farm.

By Bryan Roth cultivate 5,600 pounds of crops that were sold to Duke Dining Services to be used in dining halls or directly to consumers at the Duke Farmers Market or Get Dirty at Duke Campus Farm Mobile Farmers Market.

All students and employees can volunteer at the farm every All Duke community members can volunteer with the Duke Campus Sunday and Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. during the summer. Work Farm, or host an event at the pavilion. Summer workdays are may range from planting seeds to harvesting or small construction 6 to 8 p.m. Sundays and Thursdays at 4934 Friends School Road in Durham. Typical work includes planting, harvesting, weeding projects. No farming experience is necessary. and work on small construction projects.

“I think it’s really important to learn how to grow your own

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Putting Waste to Work Sarah P. Duke Gardens creates own compost for gardens

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arah P. Duke Gardens has been doing some home “cooking” this summer but not necessarily with ingredients found in a kitchen.

Standing as tall as 5 feet, three piles of compost near the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden have slow roasted at internal temperatures as high as about 150 degrees, spurred by summer sun. Garden trimmings, straw, eggshells and more compose the piles, each at different stages of decay, the heat eliminating weeds, seeds, harmful insects and disease pathogens.

As the compost rests within contained, concrete areas for three months, Duke Gardens employees locate spots throughout the Gardens’ 55 acres to use the organic material. Using compost provides plants in Duke Gardens with more nutrients for growth, strengthens soil structure and increases soil’s water retention.

“I’ve always done it on a small scale at home, but it’s also nice to be sustainable and follow best practices at work,” said Jason Holmes, curator for the Doris Duke Center Gardens. He developed and manages the composting program. “We have the equipment, people and biomass to do it, so we set it up and rely on Mother Nature to do the rest.”

Holmes estimates that last year, Duke Gardens created as much as 30 yards of compost, which was used in the Discovery Garden, Culberson Asiatic Arboretum and H.L. Blomquist Garden of Native Plants.

The amount of compost created on-site not only provided fresh, organic compost for Gardens’ staff, but it also cut $3,000 to

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Sarah P. Duke Gardens collects compostable material and stacks it in this area to begin the degrading process.

Lindsey Fleetwood, a horticulturist at Duke Gardens, uses a front-loader tractor to shift compost and encourage breakdown of materials.

Jason Holmes, curator for the Doris Duke Center Gardens, spreads compost over plants at the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden.

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$5,000 that would’ve been spent on bringing in compost from an outside business.

For his work developing and maintaining the program, Holmes received a campus Sustainability Award in April for outstanding leadership in waste reduction.

He was nominated by Bobby Mottern, director of horticulture at Duke Gardens, who noted that the mantra of “reduce, reuse, recycle” has become woven throughout many daily actions at Sarah P. Duke Gardens because of Holmes’ work.

“Having this compost program points us in the direction of sustainability which everybody is trying to strive for,” Mottern said. “When you buy products off the shelf, there may be other additives blended into them so you’re not sure what may exactly be in the compost. With this, it’s clean, reliable and we know where it came from start to end.”

In addition to the large compost piles at the Charlotte Brody Discovery Garden, Gardens volunteers also suggested Holmes start vermicomposting, the process of creating compost using worms. As many as 2,000 red wiggler worms in a 2-by-4 foot box chew through newspaper, lettuce, cardboard and other roughage to create high-nutrient compost for planters and raised beds throughout Duke Gardens.

“You’re talking about all the material that normally would’ve been taken to some bin and you’d never see it again,” Holmes said. “With our composting, we see what goes in and what comes out. It’s like making an investment in the Gardens.” n

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Duke Targets ‘Zero Waste’ at Football Games Fans can recycle and compost at Wallace Wade Stadium throughout the season

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his football season, Blue Devil fans will be able to do more than just cheer on Duke.

They’ll help the campus community tackle its carbon footprint, too.

In August, Duke began a push to make football game days a “zero waste” event by encouraging fans to recycle and compost waste. Special waste stations now stand throughout the Wallace Wade Stadium concourse and Blue Devil Alley. Also, bag stations have been placed in parking lots for fans to pick up bags for trash, recyclables and compostable materials.

At the Aug. 30 home opener against Elon University, fans recycled just over three tons of materials and composted another 1,320 pounds of food scraps, paper products and more.

“Feedback from fans was extremely positive, and they seemed genuinely excited about the new system,” said Tavey Capps, Duke’s director of sustainability. “It aligns with broad goals on campus and offers an opportunity for Athletics to pursue excellence on-and-off the field.”

The goal is to divert as much as 90 percent compost and recyclable material from trash, allowing Duke to become the first ACC school to reach the “zero waste” mark, according to national guidelines. At the Elon game, 46 percent of waste was diverted to be composted or recycled.

“As part of building this program, I encourage our players to leave a place better than you found it in every way,” said football head coach David Cutcliffe. “Part

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As part of the zero waste effort in Wallace Wade Stadium, crews set up 99 trash bins and 154 receptacles that allow for sorting of compost and recyclables.

The three-feet tall, circular receptacles are color-coordinated for each kind of waste that also match bags used in tailgate areas: waste (gray), compost (green) and recycling (blue).

Large flags stand by each receptacle to highlight correct placement of waste as a recyclable, trash and compost, which includes paper napkins and food scraps.

“As a leader in academics, athletics and sustainability, Duke has a responsibility to take a part in diverting as much as we can from the landfill,” said Arwen Buchholz, Duke’s recycling and waste reduction coordinator. “With the help of the Duke community and campus visitors, our zero waste football games will be another big step toward accomplishing this.” n Duke Football fans at the Aug. 30 opener in Wallace Wade Stadium recycled over three tons of materials and composted another 1,320 pounds of food scraps, paper products and more.

of that is taking pride in your facility. Fans can help us make Wallace Wade Stadium the first zero waste stadium in the ACC.” Moving toward a sustainably-focused football game came after a study of waste following a home game last year. The study of collected trash found that 87 percent of waste generated was actually recyclable or compostable, which is in line with waste audits performed on other campus buildings in the past two years.

Learn 15online  Working@ Dukeabout all of Duke’s sustainability initiatives at sustainability.duke.edu

By Bryan Roth

Types of Waste Recyclables Aluminum/tin (cans, foils, trays without food) Plastic bottles, cutlery, trays without food Newspaper Glass Compost  Paper products (cups, plates, napkins, etc.) Food scraps Pizza boxes Trash Food wrappers Styrofoam

Plastic Chip

wrap bags

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Join Duke’s Unpark Yourself Challenge

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Sustainability competition offers bike-electric vehicle as grand prize

his spring, a goal of reducing the driveshow off your alone rate by 1,750 motorists commitment to by 2018. sustainability and For the challenge, each “unpark” yourself from team must have a minimum the daily commute. number of five members, In lieu of driving alone, but no more than 20. At employees can walk, bike, the start of every week, carpool or ride a bus to competitors will receive an work as part of the “Unpark email prompting them with Yourself Challenge,” a new, a variety of actions to earn team-based competition to points, from 25 points for encourage University and correctly answering a oneHealth System employees question quiz up to 600 and graduate students to points for registering as a fullOne lucky participant in this year’s Unpark Yourself Challenge will win an ELF, a bikebecome familiar with and use time alternative commuter. electric vehicle that is road-safe, uses no gas and travels up to 35 miles per hour. sustainable commuter options.

Duke community members Each week from March already signed up for programs hope is that by participating in the Unpark 16 to April 13, competitors earn points by or initiatives still earn points for those Yourself Challenge, we’ll introduce more taking actions to make travel to campus actions throughout the competition.

Duke community members to the ease of more eco-friendly – everything from trying “Transportation makes up about a third alternative commuting options that can an alternative mode of transportation of Duke’s greenhouse gas emissions, so it’s save them money while also cutting Duke’s to sharing a photo of the commute on important to give people a reason to try carbon footprint.” social media. Prizes will be available to a new way of getting around,” said Casey According to most recent data Duke community members, from weekly Roe, outreach coordinator with Sustainable collected in April 2014, 71 percent of Duke giveaways like T-shirts and travel coffee Duke.

“The Unpark Yourself Challenge University and Health System employees mugs to larger rewards like an Apple Watch. drive by themselves to work, down from 85 rewards big and small changes, which are The individual with the highest point percent in 2004. Even with the reduction in easier to make when you team up with your total at the end of the competition will friends and coworkers.” n single-occupancy vehicles, Duke still has receive an ELF, a recumbent bike-electric

By Bryan Roth vehicle hybrid that uses no gas, is road safe, travels up to 35 miles per hour and parks at a bike rack.

“The way faculty and staff travel to Registration for the Unpark Yourself Challenge begins March 2. The team-based campus is a pivotal part in Duke’s effort competition runs March 16 to April 13 and encourages participants to take actions to to become climate neutral by 2024,” said become familiar with and use sustainable commuter options. Completed actions are tracked online, and team and individual leaderboards will refresh each night.

Alison Carpenter, manager of Duke’s Prizes range from T-shirts and an ice cream party all the way to a bike-electric vehicle transportation demand management called an ELF. program, which is co-sponsoring the For prizes, registration information and more, visit sustainability.duke.edu/unpark. program with Sustainable Duke. “Our

Unpark Yourself and Win Prizes

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Visit sustainability.duke.edu/unpark for information 15online  Working@ Duke

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Get Money for Sustainability Projects

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She applied for funding as part aculty and staff of the Nicholas School of the who want to make their offices and Environment’s staff sustainability departments more committee. sustainable can get some “With kitchens on each green to go “green.” floor of the building and singleWith help from Duke’s stream waste management Green Grant Fund, an annual stations designed to reduce the fund made available to support amount of non-compostable a range of projects that benefit waste, we want to encourage the Duke and Durham everyone to use real dishes communities, Sustainable instead of disposable options,” Duke is providing money to said Sell, a staff specialist in the employees who want to purchase Emily Derbyshire, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry, browses Nicholas School’s marketing through materials in a special freezer that minimizes energy use. sustainable office supplies like and communications office. energy-efficient desk lamps.

“We want sustainability to be $5,000 was earmarked for offices and Faculty and researchers can also apply for second nature so people don’t have to another $5,000 for labs. financial backing to update equipment in think about it.”

Since 2011, 138 workplaces and labs labs to cut energy or water use.

Additionally, greening labs across Duke have received certification by Sustainable The goal is to provide assistance for has become a priority. On a per square foot Duke. About 30 have also applied for Duke community members to earn a financial assistance through the Green Grant basis, research labs can require five times Green Workplace or Lab Certification, more energy to operate than classrooms Fund after it became available in 2013. which recognizes efforts to reduce the and office spaces, This fall, Donna Sell received $600 to environmental footprint of a workspace. said Randy Smith, outfit kitchens in the new LEED Platinum “Even purchasing a few small departmental certified Environment Hall with reusable environmentally-friendly items for manager in the dishes, utensils, drying racks and more. the workplace can wind up making a Department difference for lowering carbon footprints of Biology. across campus,” said Casey Roe, outreach Smith helped coordinator with Sustainable Duke. “The create a Green Lab Certification checklist more reusable or high-efficiency items we that recommends tactics for energy and water To obtain a Green Workplace or can use daily, the better.” conservation, as well as chemical storage and Lab Certification, employees must To begin the application for funding, a use. He said Green Grant funding could help attend a sustainability workshop cover part of the cost for things like energyrepresentative from an office or department hosted by Sustainable Duke. Each free, three-hour program provides efficient freezers, glove boxes or incubators. should write sustainability@duke.edu with insight into sustainability resources at a brief description of the project idea.

“If it doesn’t take extra effort or cost to Duke, tips to lower a carbon footprint Green Grant applications for the individual to do something a little better, at work and a guide to earning workplaces and labs typically range between why not do it?” Smith said. “We can reduce certification. For a schedule and to $50 and $500, but employees can request costs and do our part for better stewardship sign up, visit sustainability.duke.edu/ any amount to budget for sustainable items. of the planet.” n workshop.

In this year’s pool of Green Grant funding,

By Bryan Roth

How to Go ‘Green’

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ForDuke more info about the Green Grant Fund, visit sustainability.duke.edu/greengrant 15online  Working@

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Duke Turns Attention To Trees Sustainability Strategic Plan to evaluate natural resources

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ith 7,052 acres of wilderness surrounding Duke’s campus, it’s no wonder the nickname “university in the forest” aptly describes Duke’s place in Durham.

As the campus continues to evolve – whether through renovations or new construction – Duke’s footprint may change, but not its commitment to natural resources.

Duke’s Campus Sustainability Committee organized a group in 2015 to focus on natural landscapes and make recommendations for broad goals in campus planning and evaluation of open spaces. The group includes representatives from Facilities Management, Office of the University Architect and graduate students from the Nicholas School of the Environment.

They’ll create a framework for evaluating the health and importance of landscapes and prioritize improvements to inform future planning efforts.

“Our goal isn’t necessarily to create a methodology to say we can’t build here or there, but really to find a way to show that certain areas have high value,” said Mark Hough, campus landscape architect who serves on Duke’s Campus Sustainability Committee. “We want to try to quantify the value of our resources because there are lots of benefits, from aesthetics to helping with storm water runoff.”

Duke’s efforts mirror a growing trend among higher education institutions, including Stanford, Cornell and Indiana University. Hough said that identifying sustainability best practices is becoming more common as college campuses expand.

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An aerial view of campus in 1939 shows the forestry that has surrounded Duke’s campus for decades. Photo courtesy of Duke University Archives.

To start the ongoing conversations, Hough consulted landscape architects and ecologists on a pilot project analyzing Chapel Woods behind Duke Chapel. The consultants are conducting quantitative and qualitative research, studying the history, biodiversity and ecology of the area in order to better articulate the value the woods add to the campus.

Among other aspects, the assessment is tracking diversity of trees, topography, drainage and its use as a habitat for animals.

Maps will be created to highlight these aspects and others, and then layer them with human use to get a better idea about how to preserve spaces as necessary.

In February, Duke’s Board of Trustees approved the dedication of Chapel Woods and the newly named Lewis E. Anderson Woods, between the Bryan Center and Towerview Road, as protected landscapes.

“The more we know about what we have on campus, the better decisions we can make when we have conversations about construction and our master plan,” Hough said. “It’s not about just finding valuable spaces and minimizing others, it’s about identifying areas that can be left alone, areas that may need restoration or finding spaces that may not last much longer unless we do something.”

Duke hopes to use the process in other campus areas to aid in planning.

“Focusing on natural resources allows us to explore the give-and-take between growth and preservation,” said Casey Roe, outreach coordinator for Sustainable Duke.

“By cataloging natural spaces and exploring their natural and social value, we’ll be able to ensure smart growth on campus.” n

Learn 15online  Working@ Dukemore about land management practices at sustainability.duke.edu/naturalresources

By Bryan Roth

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Program Makes Solar More Affordable

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‘Solarize Duke’ cuts residential solar installation cost

uke is area and receive a free home offering solar assessment by Southern faculty Energy Management or Yes! Solar and staff Solutions. Assessments provide one of its most unique custom estimates for each home employee discounts yet based on electricity needs. to not only cut costs, but Program sign-up runs carbon footprints as well. through June 30, and participants Through June 30, who decide to have panels employees can sign up installed must sign a contract by for the “Solarize Duke” July 31 to receive all discounts pilot program, which available. compounds state and When considering federal tax credits along participating, Duke employees with a discount to reduce Duke employees can receive discounted installation for solar panels at their homes through need to factor in historic Solarize Duke, a special program available through June 30. the cost of solar panel preservation and building codes, installation for their and other guidelines applicable homes. The program is a to local municipalities. These and economic benefits to our surrounding partnership between Duke’s Carbon Offsets may require additional inspections or communities.”

Initiative and Bass Connections in Energy approvals before work begins. n The same version of the Solarize with NextClimate, a North Carolina-based program has been offered to other area

By Bryan Roth nonprofit focused on sustainable actions. companies and municipalities, including Savings for at-home solar panels can Chapel Hill. be cut by nearly 60 percent through the That’s how Catherine Lavau, an program. For example, an average retail price associate professor in pediatrics at Duke’s of $21,250 for a 5-kilowatt system would be Department of Pediatrics, saved thousands reduced to approximately $8,640, according on solar panels for her family’s home as Average retail price $ 21,250 to Solarize Duke estimates. With good sun part of “Solarize Chapel Hill.” Installed in Solarize price, Tier 1* $ 19,750 exposure, the system is estimated to generate January, Lavau said her panels cover her about $700 of energy savings in the first year. monthly energy bill, which would run about 35% NC tax credit $ 6,913 “This project is a perfect example of $60 a month. how we continue to leverage our academic “It’s an investment we slowly recover Estimated federal tax credit $ 4,197 resources and talent on campus to address now but will get back when we eventually real world challenges in order to make Duke sell the house,” Lavau said. “It’s a moral Net cost $ 8,640 and the Triangle region more sustainable,” obligation to minimize our carbon footprint, said Charles Adair, program manager for and it’s great to know we’re producing our Costs are estimates for a typical 5-kilowatt home installation. An average 5-kilowatt panel system can the Carbon Offsets Initiative. “It’s a way own electricity, too.” create up to 600-kilowatt hours a month – about half for students, staff and faculty to come To participate in Solarize Duke, faculty what the average U.S. home uses in that time. Source: together and provide social, environmental and staff must own a home in the Triangle Solarize Duke. *Based on how many employees sign up.

Save on Solar

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Learn 15online  Working@ Dukemore at solarizenc.org/duke or write Charles Adair at charles.adair@duke.edu

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Striving for Zero Waste

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Effort to reduce trash continues at home football games

n recent years, Duke football has found itself among the best teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, but they’re looking to get to the top in another way.

The upcoming season is the secondstraight attempt to turn Blue Devil home games zero waste and make Duke the first school in its conference to do so. To obtain the mark, 90 percent of compost and recyclable material must be diverted from trash, according to national guidelines.

Across seven home games in 2014, Duke averaged a 51 percent diversion rate of recyclable and compostable material. In all, nearly 40,000 pounds of recyclables were collected at games, nearly four times more than the previous season.

The effort placed Duke 12th nationally among 53 colleges and universities from Divisions I, II and III participating in a zero waste program. Duke was the second-ranked ACC school, behind University of Virginia.

“It’s exciting to think about what we’ll be able to achieve this season now that fans are used to helping us work toward zero waste,” said Tavey Capps, Duke’s sustainability director.

What makes Duke’s program stand out is its commitment to make an entire game day waste-free – from tailgate until fans leave. Most participating schools focus only on waste created in a stadium.

At each Duke home game, special zero waste stations are set up throughout the stadium’s concourse and the Blue Devil Alley tailgate area between Card Gymnasium and Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Zero-waste bags are available in parking lots for fans to use for the disposal of trash,

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Casey Roe, Sustainable Duke outreach coordinator, stands by bins that collect trash, recycling and compost.

recyclables and compostable materials. Last season, about 70 student and employee volunteers helped fans properly dispose of food scraps, trash and recyclable materials.

“The volunteers were pivotal to last season’s success because the biggest challenge

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we faced was educating fans on what we were doing and how they could help,” said Arwen Buchholz, Duke’s recycling and waste reduction coordinator.

Sustainable Duke staff and volunteers will introduce several new efforts this season to promote more recycling and composting, including coordination with caterers on proper waste disposal and more.

An increased volunteer presence will also be seen before, during and after games.

Kurt Meletzke, assistant director for executive education at the Duke Center for International Development, volunteered at five games last season and said he saw interest from fans grow each week.

“People weren’t used to recycling anything at games, but having people manage the stations showed Duke employees and students really cared about this effort,” he said. “Each year it’ll get easier and easier as people expect it.” n

By Bryan Roth

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Campus Water Stations Save 400,000 Plastic Bottles Duke installs 50 water bottle filling stations

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Center, Perkins Library uke community and Gross Hall. Some of members are the newest stations getting trading in heavy use are in the Brodie disposable plastic Recreation Center on water bottles for reusable East Campus. Installed in ones, highlighting a growing August 2014, one station effort to “take back the tap.” in the men’s locker room With the help of water tallied almost 4,000 water refilling stations across the bottles saved in its first university, Duke students, month. A second station is faculty and staff last year in the center’s weight room, saved about 400,000 plastic and there are plans to install bottles by filling up their own them in the women’s locker reusable containers. That’s room. enough bottles to stretch from “Most of our members West Campus to Greensboro. do bring their own water Since January 2014, Duke With the help of water refilling stations like this one, Duke community members last year bottles, so it’s been great has installed 50 water bottle saved about 400,000 plastic bottles. for them to be able to refill filling stations in athletic and the new bottle-filling stations, but their use easily and know they’re not academic buildings throughout as well. wasting any more bottles in the process,” campus. In addition to a quick-fill tap that In partnership with the Nicholas said Meghan Weiseman, facility coordinator pours filtered water downward into bottles, School of the Environment, Sustainable for Brodie. “The new stations help you fill the stations have a traditional water fountain Duke provides every first-year student with a whole bottle in a few seconds and you can attached. Each machine tracks the number a reusable water bottle. For faculty and staff, go about your day.” n of bottles saved, and Sustainable Duke staff Sustainable Duke offers assistance to supply compiles the savings.

By Bryan Roth water bottles as part the Green Workplace “We’ve had students promoting Certification process, providing reusable reduced water use since 2009 through options for employees in Duke’s Leading for national campaigns like ‘Take Back the Take Back the Tap Environmental Sustainability Workshop.

Tap’,” said Casey Roe, outreach coordinator Duke buildings that saved the “Ultimately, the goal is to reduce for Sustainable Duke. “Plastic bottles take most plastic water bottles in demand on campus for bottled water and petroleum to make and gas to transport, so 2014 with water stations: change the mindset of how people can get improving on-campus water infrastructure Bryan Center........................70,231 it,” Roe said. helps minimize our carbon footprint.”

Perkins (at The Link).........60,582 Last year, the most-used water bottle Sustainable Duke has taken a proactive filling stations were located in the Bryan approach to not only promote installation of Gross Hall.............................34,630

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To check the availability of installing a water refill station

15online  Working@Duke in a building, email sustainability@duke.edu

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