Episode 8: Campus as a Living Laboratory

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(Left to right) Rachelle Haddock, Liska Richer, and Caroline Savage with Elke Schreiner at the 2017 California Higher Education Sustainability Conference at the University of California, Santa Barbara

(Left to right) Rachelle Haddock, Liska Richer, and Caroline Savage with Elke Schreiner at the 2017 California Higher Education Sustainability Conference at the University of California, Santa Barbara

Guests:  

  • Liska Richer, Manager of SEEDs Sustainability Program at the University of British Columbia

  • Rachelle Haddock, Project Coordinator Campus as a Learning Lab at the University of Calgary

  • Caroline Savage, Campus as a Lab Director at Princeton

Host: Dave Karlsgodt, Principal, Fovea, LLC

In this episode you’ll hear a round-robin interview with three different thought leaders who run programs focused on using their campuses as a test-bed for sustainability. They all facilitate the use of campus resources to connect students, faculty and staff to hands-on, sustainable projects at their universities.  They discuss the many common terms used for these programs including "campus as living lab", "campus as a learning lab", "applied learning." Each guest talks about the logistics of how their programs are structured, funded and evolving. They also share their insights on the major challenges and opportunities related to Campus as Lab projects in the broader picture of sustainable development and higher education.

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Episode 8: Campus as a Living Laboratory - Transcript
 

Episode 7: Fuel Switching and Sustainability at Iowa State University

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Jeff Witt, Director of Utilities and Merry Rankin, Director of Sustainability at Iowa State University

Jeff Witt, Director of Utilities and
Merry Rankin, Director of Sustainability
at Iowa State University

Guests:  Merry Rankin, Director of Sustainability and Jeff Witt, Director of Utilities at Iowa State University
Host: Dave Karlsgodt, Principal, Fovea, LLC

In this interview, we get an inside look inside look at the decision-making process for an on-site power plant and how a land grant institution pursues sustainable energy while balancing institutional energy demands and fiscal responsibility.  Merry and Jeff describe the roles on campus and how they work together to advance the three facets of sustainability (environmental, economic, and social) on their campus.

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Episode 7: Fuel Switching and Sustainability at Iowa State University - Transcript

Episode 6: The Path to 100% Renewable Energy: an interview with Bronte Payne of Environment America

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Guest:  Bronte Payne, Environment America

Host: Dave Karlsgodt, Principal, Fovea, LLC

Production Assistance:
Tymber P. Felts

Bronte Payne, Clean Energy Advocate, Environment America

Bronte Payne, Clean Energy Advocate, Environment America

We know it’s time to wean ourselves from fossil fuels and invest in a future of renewable energy instead, but that’s easier said than done. This episode, we’ll discuss a recent report that Bronte Payne, campaign director for Environment America’s 100% Renewable Campuses Campaign, co-authored with the Frontier Group. It’s called Renewable Energy 100, The Course to a Carbon-Free Campus and it acts as a blueprint to the future of renewable energy on college campuses and the nation. In the report, Bronte emphasizes how college campuses and students are at the forefront of the fight for renewable energy.

We’ll also discuss an ongoing campaign by Environment America that aims to move colleges and universities to commit to 100% renewable energy and how students, faculty, and staff can get involved with this campaign on their own campuses. Prepare to be inspired by Bronte’s ambition and passion for sustainability that will make you want to get your activist on.

 

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Episode 6: The Path to 100% Renewable Energy: An Interview with Bronte Payne of Environment America

Episode 5: Exploring the nexus of sustainability and research with My Green Lab

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Guest:  Allison Paradise, My Green Lab
Host: Dave Karlsgodt, Principal, Fovea, LLC

Allison Paradise, Executive Director at My Green Lab

Allison Paradise, Executive Director at My Green Lab

In this episode, Dave interviews Allison Paradise, Executive Director at My Green Lab. Allison explains the history of the organization, their recent efforts to get an ENERGY STAR designation for Ultra-low temperature (UTL) freezers, an exciting new nutrition-like labeling program for research products and equipment as well as My Green Lab's broader work promoting sustainable practices in the scientific research community.

 

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Episode 5: Exploring the Nexus of Sustainability and Research with My Green Lab - Transcript

Episode 4: What can Flint, MI teach us about Sustainable Water Systems?

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Guest:   Melinda Friedman, PE, Confluence Engineering, LLC
Host: Dave Karlsgodt, Principal, Fovea, LLC

Melinda Friedman is the founder and President of Confluence Engineering Group, LLC, based in Seattle, Washington. She has more than 2 decades of experience providing services around source and distribution system water quality, regulatory compliance, comprehensive planning, and optimized treatment practices.

Melinda is the 2017 recipient of the American Water Works Association-Pacific Northwest Section George Warren Fuller Award for Engineering Excellence. She is the third woman in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho to receive this award since its inception in 1937.

During this interview, Melinda helps to unpack what went wrong during the recent water distribution crisis in Flint, MI as well as laying out some of the friction she runs into between the goals of water conservation with water quality and safety.

 

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Episode 4: What Can Flint, MI Teach Us About Sustainable Water Systems - Transcript