Event - Green California Schools & Community Colleges Summit and Exposition

The 9th annual Green California Schools & Community Colleges Summit and Exposition will be held October 29 - 31, 2015, at the Pasadena Convention Center 300 East Green Street in Pasadena California. The Green Market Oracle is once again proud to be an outreach partner for this important event.

This is the first and largest green schools event in California it offers insights into achieving the full range of benefits associated with a high performance green school. Among the benefits are cost savings that can free up funds for core needs and improved student performance. Districts that have made a strong commitment to sustainability have also earned respect and gratitude from the communities they serve.

Middlebury Institute’s IEP Program: Focused on Today’s Sustainability Issues (Video)

Middlebury Institute’s International Environmental Policy degree program is designed to attract students who want to play a part in setting international agendas for worldwide sustainability issues and initiatives.

Event - Colorado Green Schools Initiative September Meeting

This meeting will take place on September 16, 2015, from 7:30 AM MDT to 9:00 AM MDT at The Alliance Center, 1536 Wynkoop St, Denver, Colorado CO 80202. This is one of several meetings planned, these meetings are free for all to attend.

Agenda

Educational Tool Assesses Scientific Veracity of Online Content

An educational tool has been developed that can assess the veracity of climate related online content. The resource helps to separate fact from fiction in the complex world of climate science to the general public. This tool is an ideal companion for those engaged in climate education. The resource was developed by Dr. Emmanuel Vincent, a tropical cyclone expert at the University of California.

Colorado Parents Support Green Initiatives in Schools

Parents in Colorado support green values and want to support environmental initiatives in their children's schools. This was the finding in a 2014 survey by the Colorado Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

In addition to support for a range of green school initiatives the results of this study indicate that there is also strong support for the teaching of sustainability.

key findings from the survey

Sustainability Ranking of US Colleges and Universities Reveal the West is the Best

Sierra magazine's much anticipated annual ranking of colleges and universities is now in its ninth year. This year the Cool Schools top ten ratings known as the "Eco-Valedictorians" is dominated by west coast schools and the state of California in particular. Two campuses of the University of California (Irvine and Davis) are at the top of the list. A total of five campuses belonging to the UofC have won half of the 10 best spots. When you add Seattle's University of Washington and Portland Oregon's Lewis and Clarke, a total of seven of the ten top schools are located on the west coast.

Role of Business in Managing Climate Change by UNFCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres

On Thursday, November 7, there was a live Q&A with Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC, in which she addressed the urgent need for business action at COP19/CMP 9 and in the wider challenge of combating climate change. Here are ten comments she made through Twitter:

1. COP19 is a pivotal moment to both step up and showcase climate action

Video - Chip Conley: Measuring what makes life worthwhile

When the dotcom bubble burst, hotelier Chip Conley went in search of a business model based on happiness. In an old friendship with an employee and in the wisdom of a Buddhist king, he learned that success comes from what you count.

Using Trees to Generate Electricity is Not Green Energy

Despite the value of trees to human and planetary health, an increasing number of American companies are cutting down forests to convert trees into pellets for electricity. It is tragically ironic that trees are being destroyed in the name of renewable energy. It is often said that trees are the Earth's lungs, they sequester carbon, produce oxygen, prevent erosion and are one of nature's most aesthetic creations. While coal is widely understood to be environmentally destructive, many do not understand that burning wood for electricity is even more harmful.

According to a Dogwood Alliance article, "burning trees for electricity will actually result in increased carbon emissions, when compared to coal." While it is good that European utilities are transitioning away from coal, it is a travesty that they are adopting wood based biomass as a replacement. 

Second Nature | Education for Sustainability (Video)

Second Nature, a national non-profit based in Boston, works to create a healthy, just, and sustainable society by transforming higher education. Second Nature envisions a world in which all current and future humans are healthy, live in socially vibrant communities, and are personally and economically secure within a flourishing and sustainable life support system.