An Online Green Career Fair
The Penn State Green Careers web site is an effort between the Center for Sustainability at Penn State and the Sustainability Coalition. The site connects sustainability-minded students to environmental careers at green companies.The collaboration's first promotional event is called "Sustain U" and it will be held on September 2 on the HUB lawn. Green organizations are encouraged to attend and set up a table to speak with interested and motivated students.
On the site, there are several ways students can enhance their resumes to attract green employers. The site features Sustainable Action Icons, which signify how active the student is in the environmental community. The icons are an easy way to observe the student's involvement by tracking his or her organizations, courses, internships, conferences, and more.
The site also introduces careers and employers to students by recruiting green companies to sign on and list their organization on the site.
Energy Conservation Policy Adopted
Penn State has adopted a wide-ranging Energy Conservation Policy (AD 64) designed to lower the University's energy consumption through employee and student action. The policy contains guidelines to encourage employees and students to reduce energy use and support Penn State's greenhouse gas reduction goals. Employees and students will be expected to reduce their use of energy through the intelligent use of lighting, computers, heating, cooling, appliances and office equipment.With the current economic climate and the rising need to reduce energy use, Penn State's new policy should result in substantial savings and have a positive impact on the environment.
Get energy saving tips >>
Penn State Expands its Recycling Collection May 5, 2009
Writing tablet backs, and cereal and gift-type boxes can now be recycled at Penn State. As of this spring, Penn State began accepting paperboard in its mixed-office stream of recycling. This expansion of the types of products accepted will enable the University to increase the amount of waste presently diverted from our landfill, which at the present time is 53%. Paper goods (office paper, cardboard, and newspaper) represent 31% of the University’s waste stream and 35% of the national municipal waste stream. “This is good news for our program,” said Al Matyasovsky, Manager of Penn State’s Recycling Program, “because it allows us to increase our waste capture, diverting paper from the landfill, and putting it into the recycling stream to be converted into new products.”
The paperboard should be clean, not soiled, and flattened before being placed into the Mixed Office Paper Recycling bins. Please remove any plastic liners as well.
For more information, please contact Al Matyasovsky at aem3@psu.edu
Congratulations!
These students took the Take Charge survey and won $25 in LionCash+.Sophia Appiagyei
Joshua Guzman
Margaret Olin
ll Kyong Keil
Curtin and Stone Halls Top My 20 Challenge Results
The residents of Curtin and Stone Hall did the most to conserve energy during the My 20 Challenge. During the week-long event (Oct. 19 to 25) students turned off lights, shut down computers, and unplugged cell phone chargers in order to use less electricity and reduce their hall’s carbon emissions. In all, 14 residence halls combined to eliminate over 2000 pounds of carbon emissions during the challenge.
North Halls Repeats as Recycling Challenge Champs
Penn State residence hall students took part in the weeklong Great Recycling Challenge to see which residence area students were the best recyclers. During the school week of November 9, Office of Physical Plant employees separated recycled materials from trash and weighed it to determine the winner.
Recycled Batteries Accepted
What can you do with your batteries once they are out of power? They can be recycled. The Office of Physical Plant?s Environmental Health and Safety staff accepts used batteries.Students, faculty, and staff can request delivery of a Battery Recycling Container by emailing Al Matyasovsky or calling 814-863-4719. When the Battery Recycling Container is full, please email Al and someone will pick it up on a regular Friday pick up day. This free service is provided by the Penn State Waste Management Team.
Batteries for the following items can be placed in the Battery Recycling Container:
- Cell phone
- Flash light
- Camera
- CD/DVD player
- Laptop computer
- TV remote control
Bill Nye Headlines Student Environmental Forum
As a scientist, engineer, inventor and comedian, Bill Nye knows about momentum: "if it keeps moving and has mass, it has momentum." The sustainability movement at Penn State has been gaining speed for years—but it has not reached its full potential. At 8:00 p.m. on October 14 in Rec Hall, Nye will talk to Penn State students about sustainability topics at the Student Environmental Forum.
Right now, the drive toward an environmentally-friendly campus is growing with initiatives from students, faculty and other units. STATERS, a new student-recycling group, has encouraged Nittany Lion tailgaters to recycle their bottles and cans at football games, resulting in a major decrease in waste sent to the landfill. Many students volunteer to turn off lights in campus buildings to save electricity through the Friday Night Lights Out program.
To encourage more initiatives and collaborations, Bill Nye will meet with Penn State students on October 14 at Rec Hall to talk about what is happening on campus and ways that students can make a difference.
A student-produced video, presentations and speakers will celebrate past environmental successes, introduce future initiatives and make connections to foster collaborations. Penn State’s Finance & Business Environmental Stewardship Key Initiative Team and the Take Charge Program are sponsoring the event.
Forum for the Future: An Energy and Environmental Discussion.
Where: Founders Lounge at the Bryce Jordan Center
When: October 24 at 8:15 a.m.
Take part in an environmental discussion that may lead to changes in the way Penn State operates. Learn what you can do to change the habits of the world, Penn State, and yourself. Join together with University leaders from across the Penn State system at the Forum for the Future: An Energy and Environmental Discussion.
On Wednesday, October 24 at the Founders Lounge at the Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State will be taking a big step in its trek to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The goal is transform Penn State into the most sustainable University possible. The event begins at 8:15 a.m. with an introduction from senior vice president for Finance & Business/treasurer Gary Schultz. A panel discussion featuring University leaders will follow a keynote presentation by Evan Pugh Professor of Geoscience, Dr. Richard Alley.
The University’s Finance & Business’ Environmental Stewardship is a key initiative that aims to move the University toward more energy efficient, environmentally-friendly, and sustainable practices. Visit Take Charge to learn more about what you can do. Penn State Encourages Conservation with Earth Week Challenge
Penn State is challenging faculty, staff, and students from every department and office across its campuses to reduce resource consumption. During this year’s Earth Week (April 20 to 26), the University community is encouraged to cut down on its consumption by 20 percent. The objective of the challenge is to promote conservation efforts in hopes to create long-term habits. Be sure to check Take Charge! and Green-PSU in the coming months for more information about Earth Week and Penn State’s challenge.
New Videoconferencing Program Saves Time and Money
Instead of driving across campus, why not hold your meetings right from your office? Thanks to Adobe Connect, Penn State employees can save time, money, and gas by using this new videoconferencing program. >>
Earth Day Seeded Card Planting >>
Winners of Take Charge! Student Quiz. >>
Spanier Announces Environmental Initiatives. >>
EPA Names Penn State a Top Purchaser of Green Power. >>
