The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) is a rating system similar to LEED that helps universities gauge their progress towards sustainability. ASU and UA are listed as participating in the pilot and while NAU isn’t listed in the pilot they are highlighted on their page for their achievements in sustainability.

Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, AZ) is our current spotlight campus! High-efficiency LEED certified buildings, campus recycling, a food surplus donation program, reclaimed water and a master transportation plan are among NAU’s efforts to become a more sustainable institution. NAU has committed to climate neutrality through participation in the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. Learn more

I can’t wait until these ratings come and and we can see how our Arizona schools are doing. It seems that all three are making great strides at becoming more sustainable.

Here’s an article about STARS at University of Arizona. [Click Here]

Here is the STARS site if you’d like to find out more. [Click Here]

I recently sent some questions via email to Casey Brooks (Marketing/Media Relations) over at Arizona Green Dining to learn more about what they do. Arizona Green Dining collects waste vegetable oil from restaurants here in Arizona and their partners Az Biodiesel recycle it into biodiesel. Here’s what he had to say:

Q) What criteria do you use to classify a restaurant as “green”?

The most significant and quickest impact a restaurant can make to the local environment is to have their used fryer oil be recycled into clean burning biodiesel. This is a abundant local renewable resource that can make a significant impact on the air we breath in Arizona. And for the restaurant it is the easiest transition to make the biggest impact on the environment.

Q) How do you use the waste oil you receive?

Our partners Az Biodiesel recycle the waste oil into clean burning low emissions biodiesel fuel to only be sold here in Arizona. For every gallon of biodiesel that Az Biodiesel makes it will take away 16 pounds of co2 emissions out of the skies in Arizona.

Q) What would happen to the waste oil otherwise?

Some of the waste oil that is too polluted to be recycled into biodiesel fuel will be used for feed stock here in Az. But unfortunately most of the used oil is being shipped out of state or even out of the country. Used waste oil is a commodity and some oil collection companies are selling it to other biodiesel manufacturers in other states. Our partners at AZ Biodiesel have committed to use the oil for biodiesel fuel to be only sold here in Arizona. Its a resource that should be utilized here in Arizona and not shipped elsewhere.

Q) What is the benefit to the restaurants, consumers, local economy, environment, and what is the benefit to az green dining?

The benefit to the restaurant is that they can take advantage of the advertising campaign that Az Green Restaurant org. has launched to increase business into these participating locations. People these days tend to favor businesses’ that are doing their part in helping the environment, so the restaurants can also benefit by promoting themselves as a environmentally friendly establishment (that should also increase their business.) The consumers benefit knowing they are actually helping out the local environment by dining at these establishments. And the consumers also benefit from the cleaner air. To the local economy: Creating jobs in biodiesel processing, fuel distribution, equipment maintenance, and many other collateral business’ associated with any industry and this is just the beginning of a new local industry. Glycerin by product is reducing costs at local water treatment plants.
AZ Biodiesel maintains the cleanliness of the restaurants oil collection area and environmentally clean accidental spills and try to use as many “recycled” collection systems (used, high quality, easy pour, fluid visible, barrels) as possible.

Q) Is the biodiesel that is produced from this oil going to be available to the general public?

Absolutely.
From the commercial supply our target market is the school bus system first and foremost. But, we definitely want to make available to all the individuals that want to be environmentally friendly. Its the community effort that will determine the size of the success and our potential to use as much local resources as possible. Its all about the public and I think people would agree on the commercial side that school bus’ first makes sense.

Q) Will any of the biodiesel be shipped out of state?

NO

Q) What is done with the byproducts of biodiesel production?

Currently, the city of mesa uses it (for free) in their water treatment plant to increase the “energy” produced. Glycerin is like a food for the microbes they grow to consume the solid waste. This will save mesa a lot of money, we expect, and we feel is the true “community benefit” that should come from it. We aren’t interested in making every nickel by selling glycerin when the community should benefit as this is really a community effort.

Q) Anything you would like to add?

Please help clean the skies in Arizona but supporting local restaurants that donate their used fryer oil to be recycled into clean burning biodiesel by visiting www.azgreendining.com

WVO Storage Tanks at Az Biodiesel - Biodiesel Mixing tanks at Az Biodiesel

Az Biodiesel should be opening soon, they have already passed ASTM specifications on their biodiesel and are currently waiting for an EPA certificate.

What else can restaurants do to be more stustainable?

• Serve dine-in customers with reusable, washable plates, cutlery, utensils, and glasses.
• Serve take-out customers with biodegradable packaging, cutlery, and utensils. Eco-Products
• Watch their energy usage. I can think of many places where it’s so cold you need a jacket to dine-in.
• Watch their water usage. Don’t unnecessarily waste water.

I just ran across an article on azstarnet.com about Kyle Young, a man that has built his own house, is an organic farmer, and is nearly self sustaining.

A pioneer in the natural-building movement that took off in the late ’70s, Young built his 600-square-foot home in Arivaca entirely from natural materials such as cob and bamboo, creating a weather-proof fortress that is both environmentally friendly and cost-effective.

“Most of the materials came from excavations at the building site,” says Young, now 54. “I just dug in and added a little bit of straw for reinforcement.”

[Read More]

This has been changed from April 17th to April 22nd.

This is a great opportunity to meet Mark Edwards, Milton Summerfeld, and Hu Qiang ASU Polytechnic’s leading researchers of Algae for use in biofuels. They will be talking about their research and giving a tour of their lab. Head over there and learn about what is looking to be one of the next generation feedstock of biofuels.

Arizona State University
Polytechnic
Tuesday 22 April 08
Cooley A at MU, 3 pm

Map

Read the rest of this entry »

Wrigley Lecture Series
The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery
April 9, 2008 4:40 pm
Arizona State University Tempe Campus, Neeb Hall

Drawing on the ideas from his groundbreaking new book, Tim Flannery presents a straightforward and powerful exploration of the connection between climate change, global warming, and human activity. He has a gift for making complex science understandable for a lay audience, through a deft use of imagery, analogy and common sense. But Flannery does not just tell his audience what is happening to our planet. He very clearly lays out a game plan for halting current warming trends and beginning the long, but entirely achievable project of reversing the damage we have done. His goal is to mobilize his listeners—both personally and politically—to recognize that we are all “weather makers” and that the only choice, both logically and ethically, is to begin to address this problem before it’s too late. More Info