SDSU competes with universities across the country to reduce electricity and water use on campus.

For the next three weeks, students at San Diego State University and across the country will compete in the 2013 Campus Conservation Nationals, a nationwide electricity and water use reduction competition.

Residence halls from more than 200 colleges and universities will participate in the program, which was created by The Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council through its Students Program and in partnership with Lucid, Alliance to Save Energy and the National Wildlife Federation. More…

Congratulations to the crew of the R/V Point Sur for their Jan. 26 arrival at Palmer Station on Anvers Island, Antarctica.  Their journey has already spanned nearly two months since departing from home – Moss Landing Marine Laboratories in the Monterey Bay area. More …

The campus community has reduced its waste in recent months with the help of new compost and recycling bins. Since the new bins were introduced in September, the campus has doubled its composting rate and increased the recycling rate by ten percent.

“It’s a wonderful result, especially to see composting doubling so quickly,” said Sustainability Programs Manager Caitlin Steele. “The waste diversion we’ve measured is far above what we expected with the new bin system.”

The bins were installed at 120 locations throughout campus, and provide disposal for compost, recycling and waste materials. The metal bins and new signage replace older concrete bins and provide campus-wide composting for the first time.
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CSUMB News

Former Marine works to establish Veterans’ Conservation Corps

You could say that being called to active duty following the 9/11 terrorist attacks interrupted Ben Haberthur’s education at Cal State Monterey Bay. Or you might say that his active military service refocused it.

Either way, Haberthur’s work both as a restoration ecologist and a veterans’ advocate received a major boost recently when he was recognized with a TogetherGreen Fellowship Award from Toyota and the National Audubon Society.

Haberthur, who works for the Forest Preserve District of Kane County near Chicago, will use the $10,000 grant on an effort to encourage veterans dealing with the aftermath of their war experiences to work with nature. More…