University of Idaho showing the rest of the Inland Northwest how it’s done
Let's take a trip down the Palouse to check in with the most progressive university in our region (come on local schools, that ought to light a fire).
It seems like we're always talking (link to U of I stories) about new and exciting environmental stories coming from our neighbors to the south, and today is no dissapointment.
U of I taking care of e-waste
From iPods to cell phones to DVD players, we're always upgrading. But at what cost? Our electronic waste is a growing environmental and public health concern, and figuring out what to do with it is a problem many local governments, businesses, and universities are dealing with. The University of Idaho has a plan. They have taken a proactive approach to this issue, “developing its own processes for proper disposal that ensure public safety, consumer health and fiscal responsibility,” according to a recent press release. “All e-waste from the university’s main campus will be sent to a vendor, who will recycle the materials and certify that they are handled in the most environmentally-friendly manner possible. While the new standards require a modest disposal fee, they allow the university to comply with regulations and manage their own e-waste in a safe and efficient manner. According to the guidelines, “if a unit has a plug, battery, or microchip, it will be considered e-waste.” This will enable the university to meet e-waste disposal needs for years to come.” Read more about this HERE.
Climate Action Plan at U of I
Great news out of the Moscow campus where they announced last week that the University's Sustainability Center, “has released a Climate Action Plan, the first step in a long-term, comprehensive strategy to make the University of Idaho a zero-emissions campus by 2030.” In an earlier release, University president M. Duane Nellis said, “It is up to our generation to initiate the social, economic and environmental efforts needed now to reduce the effects of climate change and mitigate its future impact.” According to the most recent press release, “To comply with ACUPCC, the university’s Energy/Greenhouse Gas working group set 2030 as the target date for climate neutrality, with the following intermediate goals: 25 percent reduction in emissions by 2012, 50 percent reduction by 2016, and 82 percent reduction by 2023. The Climate Action Plan lays out a framework for achieving these goals.” Read more HERE.
Sustainability Conference in March
Forest managers, landowners, conservationists, and federal, state and
private agencies will benefit from a natural resource conference
focusing on climate change, bioenergy and sustainable forest management
coming to U of I in on March 3 and 4. According to a release, the
conference will help people connect global-scale issues – regarding
renewable energy, carbon emissions and more – to potential effects on
forests in Idaho and Montana. Read more HERE.
A new climate change program delivered by the University of Idaho McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) aims to help educate Idaho seventh through twelfth graders about the impacts of climate change and how it affects their everyday lives. Entitled “Inquiry for a Changing Planet,” the program, according to a recent release, consists of five- to 10-day expeditionary science learning experiences that will occur in students’ classrooms, in natural areas in close vicinity to their schools and in the mountains and forests of central Idaho near the MOSS campus. Read more HERE.
