Nora Mahlberg reports on another NY Times article looking at different avenues for harnessing the energy produced and stored in the ordinary settings and events around us.  This time the energy to harness is being produced by us, while we excersise.  Could the REC center power itself?  Could this be a student-initiated project funded by the SRF?

Farms in Wisconsin and Vermont are already using cow manure to generate electricity, in some cases enough to power up to 350 homes from one farm.  The process not only produces energy but reduces the GHG emissions emitted by the manure by buring methane into CO2.  Living in a town that has cows in the moto, this may bear looking into.

Over the past several years, college sustainability rankings and ratings have popped up all over the place but the STARS ranking, to be launched by AASHE in January 2009 will be the most comprehensive ranking yet.  It deserves serious attention from Carleton as both a ranking and a resource for future action.

The Bay Area is a hub for our national food movement. I spent three months in San Francisco and Berkeley with the objective of seeing and experiencing the diverse range of initiatives being undertaken that all contribute to the objectives of the larger network of individuals – activities, authors, politicians, gardeners, farmers, educators, community leaders – organizations and schools. It is unclear to me whether I chose to immerse myself in the food movement or whether it chose me.

In the Oct. 20th edition of the Arb Notes Mira Alecci discusses the Best Woods region in the northern section of the Carleton Arboretum.  What is "Best" about it?  How close is Best Woods to the historical land cover of the Carleton Arboretum?  And where do all the garter snakes go in the winter?  Do they have garter snake parties? 

Vitis riparia! Though the name might be unfamiliar to some of you, the sight of this plant is quite a common thing in the arb. Better known as frost grape, or riverside grape, this ubiquitous vine is just dripping with fruit this time of year.  And it's edible!  John Vigeland breaks down how to create a successful jam from its berries.

Katie Blanchard recaps a speech given by Micahel Braungart, author of the book Cradle to Cradle.  Braungart emphasized his belief that the degradation of the topsoil is the world's greatest environmental problem, but also discussed how in general the approaches that are taken to changing environmentally harmful behaviors are not very fun or productive and can be seriously improved.

Carleton recently recieved an A- for the second straight year from the Sustainable Endowments Institute and was an honorable mention for the Sierra Clubs "Top Ten Cool Schools" list.  But Carleton has been conspicuously absent from other list.  Ray McGaughey explains how these rankings are very subjective and differ in their grading criteria.

While numeric classifications tend not to shape members of the Carleton community, rankings of all sorts determine the way that others view our college. Evaluations of campus sustainability efforts form the latest lists. So I’ll cut to the chase—does Carleton measure up? We have been placed on some and absent on others, and while the value of magazine blurbs and ever-changing ranking remains dubious, I offer the following observations and comments about Carleton’s place among the Green:

This past summer, I had the opportunity to receive a professional development leave from Carleton to take a six-week graduate course at the University of Oslo in Oslo, Norway.  The course, titled, “Energy Planning and Sustainable Development” was held at the University’s Center for Development and the Environment at the Blindern Campus in Oslo from June 20th through August 1st.

On a warm, windy afternoon in mid-September, the Carleton Wind Turbine quietly celebrated its fourth anniversary doing what it knows how to do best; making electricity.  Four years ago, on September 17th, the 1.65 megawatt, 253 foot giant with the 270 foot wingspan began making energy and money for the College.