- FROGs (Flexible Response to Ongoing Growth)
The meeting started with an interesting presentation by Eileen Peppard on the FROG buildings, which were designed to be net zero (and in practice are net positive—they produce more energy than they consume). Here’s a two minute video about the buildings:
If you’re interested in learning more, contact Eileen (epeppard@hawaii.edu).
- ISR (Institute for Sustainability and Resilience)
Ketty Loeb provided an update on the Institute for Sustainability and Resilience. We learned that UHM recently earned a Bronze rating from AASHE’s STAR rating system. Here’s UHM’s report:
https://reports.aashe.org/institutions/university-of-hawaii-at-manoa-hi/report/2022-03-03/
A cursory look indicates that we’re doing quite well in the “Research” category, not so much for “Water”, “Purchasing”, and “Investment/Finance”. Perhaps it was just difficult to supply the required data? One possible application of the STARs report is to help guide the creation of a Climate Action/Sustainability Plan for the campus.
AASHE has a yearly conference and Ketty hopes more folks from UHM will attend in future because there is a lot of useful information as well as networking opportunities.
In other news, ISR is sponsoring a free film series and the final films of the semester are coming up on Friday, December 1. These films will be about sea level rise with a panel to follow. (Editor’s note: I saw the last two films/panels and they were awesome!) To get your (free) tickets:
https://honolulumuseum.org/events/17950
For more details, please contact Ketty (kloeb@hawaii.edu).
- SSC (Student Sustainability Council)
Arby Barone provided an update on the Student Sustainability Council, which filed to be an RIO this year. They have been collaborating with Food Science and Nutrition on food waste and with the English Department on book recycling. They organize a monthly community workday to help landscaping services with maintaining and improving campus grounds. Finally, they will be helping to organize Earth Day next year. It is always great to see that student-driven sustainability initiatives are alive and well at UHM!
To contact the Student Sustainability council, you can email uhearth@hawaii.edu. To join their mailing list:
https://forms.gle/5XScBTeQAieHFwyJA
- Sodexo updates
Donna Ojiri and Marcie Moribe report that the Food Recovery Network project continues, and that they are looking for more groups to collaborate on projects at Gateway and Hale Aloha. For example, they did a Stop Hunger Peanut Butter & Jelly making event at Hale Aloha, and Student Housing and Nursing groups made 770 PB&J sandwiches to donate to I.H.S.
And, of course, they brought us excellent vegetarian snacks!
For more information and to get involved please contact Donna (donna.ojiri@sodexo.com)