Harvard's Green Campus Initiative

Last evening, Dan, Connie, and myself attended a meeting for the Council of Student Sustainability Leaders (CSSL) hosted by the Harvard Office for Sustainability. There we learned about Harvard's green building goals as a way of meeting the university's 2016 carbon reduction goal. You can find information on Harvard's Green Building Standards and case studies of LEED certified buildings on campus at the following link:

http://green.harvard.edu/theresource/

What are your thoughts on Harvard's progress/current initiatives around green building?

COMPETITION

ARCHITECTURE AT ZERO is an international open ideas competition with a focus on the specific challenges of creating urban zero net energy (ZNE) buildings. The competition seeks creative and feasible approaches to urban ZNE building to broaden the conversation around how a site zero net energy project will be approached now and in the future. Further, it seeks to raise the profile of ZNE building among built-environment professionals, students, and the general public in California and beyond.

Green Energy Systems

Interesting discussion on WNYC about the efficacy and economics of green energy systems with homeowners who have employed them in their homes:
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/2011/oct/28/open-phones-energy-audit/

HARVARD THINKS GREEN

http://green.harvard.edu/thinksgreen


Great upcoming event! It will feature 6 of Harvard’s leading environmental faculty presenting their big green ideas for 10 minutes each, including Professor Christoph Reinhart from the GSD and leading faculty from FAS, HMS, HBS, and HLS.
http://green.harvard.edu/thinksgreen

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=239210092803509

SENSE AND SUSTAINABILITY

A member of the Council for Student Sustainability Leaders through Harvard Office for Sustainability runs a great podcast worth checking out. Here's some info from Jisung:


PREVIOUS AND UPCOMING EPISODES OF NOTE:
· Jeffrey Sachs on "The Price of Civilization" (coming soon)

· Jagdish Bhagwati on Globalization, International Trade, and Climate Mitigation Frameworks (Episode 21)

· Garikai Nyaruwata on The Role of Private Equity in African Development (Episode 19)

· Mike Gerrard on Environmental Law and Climate Change (Episode 6)

· Bryan Norton on Philosophical Bases of Sustainability: A Pragmatist Approach (Episode 17)

· Shahid Naeem on Valuing Biodiversity (Episode 2)

· David Keith on Geo-Engineering Solutions and Climate Hyperbole (Episode 14)


GETTING INVOLVED
We are currently looking to fill a number of Executive Board positions for our organization, including Chief Development Officer (whose primary role will be grant-writing and fundraising) and Regional Outreach Directors for Harvard and MIT. In addition, we are looking to recruit a few full-time bloggers for our parallel blog (http://www.senseandsustainability.net/category/blog/).


If you are interested in any of the above positions, or getting involved in another way, please email me at jisungpark@fas.harvard.edu. Of course, suggestions for episode topics and future guests for the program are always welcome!


http://www.senseandsustainability.net/

[Conference] A ROADMAP TO SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE & GREEN CITIES

Wednesday evening, September 14th through Friday, September 16th
Harvard University Graduate School of Design, 48 Quincy Street, Cambridge
Sponsored by the Zofnass Program for Sustainable Infrastructure


CONFERENCE WEBSITE: http://www.gsd.harvard.edu/research/research_centers/zofnass/conference.html
Measuring impacts on the environmental, social, and economic aspects of our cities and infrastructures is only a first, albeit essential, step towards a sustainable future. With limitless moving parts, and many stakeholders with varying degrees of interest, incentives, and motivation, making a compelling case for sustainable infrastructure projects requires a clear and well-structured road map.
This two-day conference at the Harvard Graduate School of Design will bring together leading thinkers and practitioners for a precise and accurate design of a road map to green cities and infrastructures. Through presentations, panel discussions and ample time for networking, the attendees will gain valuable insights and lessons learned that they can put to action now.


Conference Highlights Include:
COMMISSIONER OF NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, Janette Sadik-Khan
- On New York City’s Sustainable Streets Program
DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, DENVER, COLORADO, Peter Park
- On Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure: Creating Value by Design
Representatives from US DEPT. TRANSPORTATION, US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERING, US EPA, NASA
- OnKnowledge Development for Sustainable Infrastructure
PRESIDENT, AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION, George Crombie with COMMISSIONERS OF PUBLIC WORKS FOR CITIES OF BOSTON, WORCESTER, MA, & PALM BAY, FLORIDA
- On What Public Works Directors Need from an Infrastructure Sustainability Rating System
Representatives from HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL, MOODY'S INVESTOR SERVICES, INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
- On Creating a Compelling Business Case for Sustainable Projects
PRACTICE LEADER SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, STANTEC, Marty Janowitz
- On Linking and Leveraging Sustainable Infrastructure Development with Integrated Community Planning
PROFESSOR OF DESIGN, TECHNOLOGY, & MANAGEMENT, HARVARD GSD, Spiro Pollalis
- An Overview of Harvard/Zofnass Infrastructure Sustainability Rating System
PRESIDENT, EFCG, Paul Zofnass & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE, Bill Bertera
- On the Strategic Alliance between Zofnass/Harvard Program and ISI
RICHARD BRANSON'S VIRGIN GROUP,SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTOR, Eileen Donnelly
- On The Low Carbon Lifestyle Conglomerate
Plus Speakers from AUTODESK, EXP, HALCROW, HDR, HNTB, MWH, IBM, CISCO, among others
View the full program


Click to Register


Non GSD Students and GSD Alumni (local area students may register as Harvard Community): $50.
Academic and Non Profit Employee: $100
Industry Professionals: $250.
Current Harvard Community and Government/Public Agency Employees: Free


Contact infrastructure@gsd.harvard.edu for more information or with questions.