Green lecture series

By: Rachel | Monday, April 30, 2007 at 10:19 AM | |

Green appeal

Going green is challenging enough for businesses; how do they convince customers to go along?

Newsweek reported this week on how some companies are marketing a "green" business to customers. Read the stories and watch the videos of how some small-business owners have successfully made the switch.

By: Rachel | Friday, April 27, 2007 at 12:40 PM | |

Fun with Arbor Day

Hi Team,
For those that celebrate trees and plants like the photosynthetic divas they are, supplying oxygen and storing carbon dioxide with aplomb, there are a a few area activities you can participate in today.

So make like a tree, kids.

http://rodeo.cincinnati.com/getlocal/gpstory.aspx?id=100122&sid=110871

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20070421/NEWS0103/704210429/

http://consumer.discoverohio.com/default.aspx

And here's a little something to make you proud of your "roots:"

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/04-24-2007/0004572691&EDATE=

By: Ryan | at 12:01 PM | |

Update for Wednesday!

Hi Team!

According to Christopher Davis, there is not a great amount of action happening at Center Hill today due to a lack of materials. However, Luke Field will be delivering some of the powder coated steel to campus between 1 and 2. This would be a great photo-op for the website. If someone has any time to get footage this afternoon, it would be greatly appreciated.

Ryan

By: Ryan | Wednesday, April 25, 2007 at 11:03 AM | |

Green in action

Solar-powered homes is the new pink, it seems, in environmentally friendly architectural design. Check out recent articles on solar homes here, here and here.

By: Rachel | Tuesday, April 24, 2007 at 4:23 PM | |

Center Hill Outing

Hey kids,
If anyone is interested in going to Center Hill tomorrow to get footage, conduct interviews, etc., I will be heading up there around 2:30pm. If anyone needs a ride or just doesn't want to go alone, email me a we can meet up beforehand.

Ryan

By: Ryan | at 3:40 PM | |

UC Solar Home video online

Hello!

Take a look at what The Palestra has to say about the solar home--and see our own Erwin McIntosh in action!

http://www.thepalestra.com/archive.php?id=5060&sid=771

By: Professor Sonnenberg | at 1:41 PM | |

Earth Day Excitement!

To extrapolate more upon the fun and fabulousness that Earth Day can provide, the easiest way to reach earth consciousness is through your stomach. Some believe that the seat of the soul lies in the heart, some the head, but I believe it resides in our bellies, for it is through our bellies that true culinary enlightenment can be acheived.

You can be environmentally and nutritionally conscious every day by buying and eating locally. Many Cincinnati restaurants now exclusively use local produce.

Here are a few choice favorites:

Honey-Northside
Melt-Northside
Slim's -Northside
Pho Paris- Covington
Jean Robert at Pigall's-Downtown
Greenup Cafe-Covington
(Are we seeing a trend with Jean Robert restaurants? The man is veritable local produce junkie.)
Nicola's-OTR

There are more, but these are the ones that I have been to within the last year and am still obsessed with.

Also, the plethora of Greater Cincinnati farmer's markets pride themselves in making local produce readily available and absolutely delicious.

I recommend:

FINDLEY MARKET!!! In the summer, you can easily gorge your fridge, and yourselves, with natural goodness. Due to the fact that their veggies are produced locally, they have a larger percentage of nutrients than those veggies that are imported or travel cross country to the supermarket. I greatly appreciate the majestry of the fresh, local vegetable, and I am never without them in the spring and summer months. You can easily purchase a week's of veggies, fruit and fresh herbs from local vendors for under $25. Open during the week, but for best results, try Saturday morning before 11.

Northside Farmer's Market- Every Wednesday until 7 or so. Equally as good if you go early... I'm talking lunch breaks, people.

Also, for more info on the NOVA special http://www.cetconnect.org/television/schedule_new.shtml

By: Ryan | Monday, April 23, 2007 at 10:47 AM | |

Solar news on NOVA Tuesday

Love the Earth Day post--keep those ideas going.

For some current news on the viability of solar energy, check out this link and watch PBS on Tuesday, when Nova goes solar:

http://www.pbs.org/nights/tuesday/nova

By: Professor Sonnenberg | at 8:02 AM | |

Go green on Earth Day

Today is Earth Day, a time we remind ourselves just how fragile and precious our planet is and pledge to promote and improve environmental sustainability. Not everyone can afford a solar home, but you can still be good to the earth with these easy suggestions.

Switch to Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) - CLFs use much less power and last up to ten times longer than regular bulbs. That means an average CFL bulb saves $30 in energy costs over the course of its life. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, if every American household were to swap just one bulb to CFL, we would save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars.

Adjust fridge and freezer temps - Refrigerators eat up the most electricity in the household. Maximize efficiency by keeping the fridge at 37° F. and the freezer at 0° F.

Unplug idle appliances and electronic devices - Just because that camera charger isn't charging doesn't mean it isn't sucking up energy. Don't just turn something off: unplug it. The average household can save up to several hundred dollars a year just by pulling the plug.

Drive smarter - Keep tires properly inflated and aligned, and maintain tune-ups to save on gasoline consumption. Combine trips and consider carpooling for work or school. Drive less aggressively and slow down to make your tank go the distance.

Eat locally - Besides supporting farmers in your own communities, eating locally-grown foods reduces dependence on farms that ship food nationwide, which helps to cut back on oil and gas emissions. And don't forget to reuse bags or bring your own cloth sacks. It takes up to 1,000 for one plastic grocery bag to break down.

Got other suggestions on how to go green? Post 'em below.

By: Rachel | Sunday, April 22, 2007 at 7:51 PM | |

Solar Decathlon team woos, wows alumni

Students from the University of Cincinnati’s Solar Decathlon team wooed and wowed alumni Wednesday, with a detailed presentation and demonstrations of the team’s proposed solar home.

The interdisciplinary team of more than 200 students will enter its 800-square-feet home in the national Solar Decathlon, a select competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and corporate partners.

Twenty teams from across the globe will compete to create the most efficient and architecturally attractive solar-powered home. Homes will be displayed on the National Mall Oct. 12-20 in Washington DC.

Speaking before a crowd of alumni and industry professionals, alumni member Ed Ratterman called the team’s collaboration between multiple colleges a “groundbreaking first” for the university.

The interdisciplinary team includes students from the university’s internationally recognized College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) and Colleges of Business, Engineering and Arts & Sciences.

“It was imperative we work across lines to accomplish [the house],” said Christopher Davis, a member of the team’s executive committee. “We’ve learned a lot from each other.”

For DAAP Associate Dean Anton Harfmann, the cross-collaboration of students exceeded his expectations. Harfmann, whose background is in architecture, says the event was a learning experience for everyone on the team.

“We all got smarter on the deal,” he said. “It’s everybody doing what they do best and educating others in the process.”

Ratterman, a 1980 graduate of DAAP and current senior development officer for the city of Cincinnati, says the team’s integration of disciplines speaks well for his alma mater.

“The business world is more about teamwork and UC is changing to keep up,” he said. “This shows the university is starting to work like we do in the real world.”

Steven James, a 1973 graduate from the College of Engineering and a retired environmental engineer, says that although his generation marked the start of the environmental movement, today’s students are leading the way to make it affordable and practical.

“It’s still an expensive technology,” he said. “But incorporating technology in homes is important.”

And, according to Harfmann, the future of solar homes is bright, with thanks, in part, to teams like UC’s.

“The [competition] has instantaneously catapulted the university into the issues of sustainability,” he said.

By: Rachel | Thursday, April 19, 2007 at 9:29 AM | |

UC's team holds groundbreaking ceremony

After months of planning, a team of students from the University of Cincinnati are one wall closer to basking in victory.

In a groundbreaking ceremony held at the university, UC President Nancy Zimpher hammered in the inaugural nail before the team raised the first wall to its 800-square-feet, solar-powered home.

“This is an extraordinary moment for us,” said Zimpher. “A cornerstone of the University of Cincinnati is the way we work together across disciplines to make extraordinary and exceptional things happen.”

In October, the interdisciplinary team of more than 200 students will enter its house in the national Solar Decathlon, a select competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and corporate partners. The competition aims to increase public awareness of solar energy and inspire innovative solutions in ecological design.

Students have two years to plan a 500-800-square-foot house that receives all of its energy needs from the sun. As part of the competition, students have to provide a home with all the modern conveniences, including heating and air conditioning, refrigeration, hot water, lighting, appliances, and communications. Homes are judged on their energy production, efficiency, and design.

Houses from 20 leading schools across the globe will be displayed on the National Mall in Washington, DC Oct. 12-20.

For video coverage of the ceremony, visit http://www.magazine.uc.edu/exclusives/solarhouse.htm

By: Rachel | at 8:42 AM | |

UC team to compete in national, elite competition

In October, a team of students from the University of Cincinnati will compete head-to-head with leading schools across the nation and the world as part of the prestigious Solar Decathlon, a select competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, the American Institute of Architects, BP, DIY Network, Honeywell International, National Association of Home Builders and Sprint.

Covering the team’s evolution, from the raising of the first wall to the construction of the completed building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., are students in the university’s journalism degree program.

Follow this blog to read about the team’s progress, interviews with key members and faculty and staff who are overseeing the project, and learn about environmentally-friendly building techniques and what you can do to go green. Also offered will be podcasts and streaming video.

By: Rachel | Friday, April 13, 2007 at 7:21 PM | |