Learn more about Einstein’s Newest Environmental Club!

May 15th, 2012 by andreamoore

Einstein Environmental Sustainability and Conservation (EESC) seeks to promote environmental sustainability changes at Einstein, raise awareness on the connection between the environment and public health, and encourage students to take steps in making Einstein a greener place. EESC plans to initiate and facilitate grass root environmental consciousness and activism starting with Einstein and the Bronx, hoping that one day the movement will radiate well beyond the Bronx and contribute to the rise of an advanced and sustainable future on Earth.

Visit their blog here: http://einsteinesc.weebly.com/a-peek-at-the-future.html

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Recyclemania Results

April 23rd, 2012 by andreamoore

Recyclemania results were published last week and Yeshiva increased its total recycling by over 15,000 pounds! Additionally the university was placed in the Bottles & Cans Division at 14th Place out of over 150 schools. On a per student and employee basis, the university was ranked 106th place out of 339 schools. And by total weight recycled, the university came in 131st Place out of 296.

Thank you Students, Faculty and Staff for all of your hard work!

Below see how we did week over week since we began in 2009!

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Earth Week Composting Initiative at Einstein

April 20th, 2012 by andreamoore

The Einstein Gardening Club invites you to try out composting for a week. Starting Monday, save your kitchen scraps in a a tupperware container or large ziplock bag. On Friday, or whenever your compost bag is full, deposit your scraps in the wooden compost container at the back of the garden behind the 1945 student housing building. Scraps go in the container on the left.

Items from your kitchen that belong in the compost include fruit and vegetable peels, egg shells, napkins or paper towels (not soiled with oil, meat or dairy), and stale bread. Meat, oil, dairy, and other cooked foods should not be composted. These items attract attract animals and make the compost smell. When in doubt, just throw it out.

To keep the smell down in your kitchen, try keeping your compost container in the refrigerator or freezer if you have room.

Any and all are welcome to contribute to the compost beyond the end of this week, even if you’re not part of the gardening club.

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Earth Week 2012

March 23rd, 2012 by andreamoore

This April 22nd is Earth Day and to celebrate we are having a week of events from April 23rd to 27th.

Whether you are a student, faculty or staff member you can get involved! From Career Panels and Movie Viewings, to learning how to cook kosher from farmers markets. Look out for more information on this blog page.

Even if you are too busy to get out of the office, you can still help out by signing Yeshiva’s Sustainability Pledge and learn how you can help be more environmental friendly at work and at home.

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Yeshiva becomes an AASHE Member

February 21st, 2012 by andreamoore

Recently, Yeshiva University joined the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). AASHE is an organization of colleges and universities that are working to advance sustainability in higher education. You can see our school’s name on AASHE’s list of campus members. As members, we all have access to AASHE’s online resources and opportunities for networking, information sharing, collaboration, and professional development.

Here are more details about AASHE’s member benefits, services and programs:

Individual Member Accounts
Anyone at our institution can create their own account to access member-only pages on AASHE’s website and receive member discounts. To create an individual account, go to create member account and complete the user profile using your campus email address. After you receive your password by email, go to the login page, enter your email address (username) and new password, and you will have access to all locked resources. Email webmaster@aashe.org if you have any difficulty with this process.

AASHE Newsletters
We can subscribe to any AASHE newsletters. AASHE Bulletin is a weekly e-newsletter with the latest campus sustainability news, resources, opportunities, and events. AASHE Events notifies you about AASHE’s annual conference, workshop, webinars and other AASHE-hosted events. AASHE Announcements contains updates on important organizational news. STARS Update keeps you current on activities related to the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System program.

Online Resources
AASHE’s online Resource Center includes assessment tools, policy and program databases, best practices, campus profiles, how-to guides, reports, discussion forums, and other resources. Many of these are member-only so you’ll need an individual member account to access them (see above).

Professional Development
AASHE holds or co-sponsors workshops, webinars and conference calls throughout the year, plus an annual conference that brings together every sector of higher education as well as business, government, and non-profit participants. These events offer opportunities to connect with our colleagues at regional, national, and international levels to share resources. As members we receive discounts on all AASHE events. Check the AASHE calendar for upcoming events.

Product and Service Discounts
AASHE business and non-profit members offer occasional product and service discounts for AASHE members. To access the list of discount offers, you must have an individual member account (see above).

STARS Registration Discount
As a member, our institution receives a reduced fee for participating in AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), a standardized, self-administered assessment tool for campuses to benchmark their sustainability progress and compare with others.

Publicity and Recognition
We can submit campus sustainability news and job postings to the AASHE Bulletin (be sure to read the submission guidelines first). The Bulletin informs over 10,000 subscribers about campus sustainability news, resources, and opportunities. We can also submit a photo and text for the member spotlight, which highlights efforts at individual campuses and is featured on AASHE’s website and Bulletin.

Professional Awards
Our campus can submit applications for any of AASHE’s awards, including the Campus Sustainability Case Study Award, Student Sustainability Leadership Award, and Student Sustainability Research Award.

Sustainability Officers Directory
AASHE maintains an online directory of campus sustainability/environmental officers to enable us to find and reach out to colleagues doing similar work at other institutions. It’s a member-only resource, so you’ll need an individual account to access it (see above).

Discussion Forums
Anyone with an individual website account can participate in AASHE’s Campus Sustainability Discussion Forums (read the FAQs and Instructions first). The aim of the forums is to provide a central place for sharing ideas and best practices and for finding answers to questions on topics related to sustainability and higher education. It’s a great way to gain knowledge from our peers that will help advance our sustainability work.

AASHE Staff Blog
AASHE’s “Campus Sustainability Perspectives” blog features opinions and reports by staff and guests related to campus sustainability. You can read the blog, comment on posts, and request to submit your own items as a guest blogger. There is also a chronological archive page and a comprehensive list of blogs that are related to campus sustainability.

AASHE Member Logo
We can post the “AASHE Member” logo on our website to emphasize our commitment to sustainability. The logo may also be used on any signage, reports, brochures, and publicity or display materials. Be sure to read the usage guidelines first.

Governance, Councils, Committees
Anyone from our campus can participate on AASHE’s committees, councils, working groups, and board.

If you have any questions about AASHE or our benefits as a member, email info@aashe.org. Again, every individual on our campus can take advantage of these membership benefits from AASHE, so be sure to set up an account!

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Muss Hall wins YU Unplugged

January 6th, 2012 by andreamoore

This past November and December of 2011, the undergraduate students worked hard to reduce their dorm electricity usage as a part of Yeshiva’s Dorm Energy Competition. YU Unplugged, a competition that first began as an idea from the undergraduate Environmental Club, has continued annually since its conception three years ago.

This year’s two month program saw a huge increase in energy savings, saving an additional $18,600 as compared to the same period last year. Since the beginning of the program in early 2009, the competition has saved about $130,000.

This year, we congratulate Muss Hall for winning first place and as well as the 35^th Street dorm, our runner up. Thank you to all who participated and helped the university save money and meet our sustainability goals.

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Kicking the Bottled Water Habit.

December 20th, 2011 by andreamoore

Hard to imagine but only a few short years ago, bottled water was not available. Today, Americans buy a total of 8.8 billion gallons of bottled water a year. While it seems more convenient, advertising often misleads consumers into believing that bottled water is a cleaner and safer than tap water. However bottled water is less regulated than tap while over 90% of U.S. municipal water systems that provide tap water regularly meet or exceed the EPA’s regulatory and monitoring requirements.

So how can you kick the bottled water habit?

If you get thirsty, head to the water fountain or bring a reusable water bottle with you.
Keep a mug at your desk and bring it with you to the water cooler instead of using something disposable.
Learn more and consider starting a water bottle campaign in your community.

Sources:
1. Responsible Purchasing, Bottled Water
2. Corporate Accountability International

Posted in Sustainability, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Einstein Sustainability Week

October 19th, 2011 by andreamoore

Agenda for Einstein’s Sustainability Week:

MONDAY, OCTOBER 24
Recycle Day & Week, Forchheimer Lobby, Begins 10am – End of Friday
Recycle batteries, lightbulbs, printer cartridges,
plastic pens, and even clothes!

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25
Fall Harvest Day, 1945 Housing Building, 5:30 p.m.
Learn about the Jacobi Farmers Market,
join in carving pumpkins and learn more about the garden club.
To reserve a pumpkin contact zachary.katz@phd.einstein.yu.edu.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26
Sustain Yourself Day, Falk Recreation Center, all day, NO CHARGE
Free circuit training, yoga and swimming classes,
plus free week-long memberships!

6:30am -8:30am Open Swimming,
12p.m. – 30-minute Circuit Training;
5:15p.m. – Yoga,
5:30 – 7pm Swimming Lesson

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YU Sustainability Week

September 23rd, 2011 by andreamoore

Sustainability Week is coming October 24th to 28th. From a planting event in Highbridge Park to a Carbon Nation Movie viewing, this year’s 3rd annual Sustainability Week is going to show you what sustainability really means. Feel free to take part in events or just learn how can be more sustainable at home or in the workplace with Yeshiva’s Sustainability Pledge.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25
Sustainability Pledge, Beren & Wilf Campus, All Day
Come pledge to be more sustainable. Also bring your old batteries, lightbulbs, printer cartridges and even plastic pens to recycle!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27
Carbon Nation Movie Viewing, Furst Hall, 8:30pm
Come learn about climate change solutions and how these solutions address other social, economic and national security issues.
FREE Pizza and Popcorn!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28
Planting, 184th St & Laurel Hill Terrace, 10 am to Noon
Park planting in Washington Heights, Equipment Provided.
Students, Staff & Faculty are invited.

For more information, visit the Office of Energy & Sustainability’s Website: www.yu.edu/sustainability

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Visit your local Farmers Market: Sustainable and Healthy.

August 19th, 2011 by andreamoore

It’s Fresh. Today local farmers markets are popping up everywhere and for good reason! Local farmers markets provide the freshest possible products and often a more environmentally friendly one. On average, food travels between 1500 and 2500 miles to get to your plate, while food found at a farmers market typically doesn’t travel more than 100 miles.

It helps Communities. Not only is it fresh but it creates a unique relationship between farmers and city residents by revitalizing rural communities and improving consumer health with fresh and nutritious food. Normally only about 17 cents of every dollar you spend goes to a farmer,but at a farmers market all of your money goes to them.

Think your closest farmers market is too out of the way? Every Tuesday, Jacobi Hospital has Farmers Market from 8am to 4pm, only a 10 minute walk from Einstein! If you are on the Wilf Campus, every Thursday at 175th and Wadsworth & Broadway is your local farms market. To find other farmers markets near you, check out a map of Farmers Markets in NYC or more specifically Farmers Markets in the Bronx.