The IE's Work with the Town of Chapel Hill

A list of current work the UNC-Chapel Hill Institute for the Environment is conducting with the Town of Chapel Hill

• CRed: The Institute for the Environment (IE) is supporting City and Regional Planning graduate student Brian Callaway to work with John Richardson, the Town's Sustainability Officer, on a project to prepare annual greenhouse gas inventories for Town operations from 2005 to 2008, and analyze various reduction strategies currently being considered. This is an effort by the IE to help the Town achieve the goal they have set of reducing carbon emissions 60 percent below 2005 levels by 2050.
• Stormwater Management Project: The IE is partnering with the Town of Chapel Hill's Stormwater Management Division and other stakeholders in a project entitled "Improving Stormwater Management in the Commercial Sector." Principal Investigator for the IE is ERP Director and IE Associate Director for Outreach and Public Service Kathleen Gray, and for the Town is Wendy Smith, Environmental Education Coordinator for the Town of Chapel Hill's Stormwater Management Division. The project seeks to develop visually engaging, easy-to-use training materials to educate employees in two industry sectors about the hazards of stormwater runoff and water pollution associated with improper management practices. This project is supported by a grant from the Wallace Genetic Foundation and runs from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. This project is coordinated with the IE's current Carolina Environmental Synthesis Program (CESP) project.
• Student work through "Sustainable Practices" class: A class taught by Kathleen Gray called "Sustainable Practices" (ENST 205) allows students to explore the key dimensions of sustainability (environment, economy and social equity) in real world settings. Students engage in internships with university programs, local governments, nonprofit organizations and businesses to gain an understanding of the interplay among these dimensions as well as practical limitations. In fall 2009, a student is assisting the Town of Chapel Hill's Sustainability Office in improving its web communications; also, a team of students is assisting the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce's Institute for Sustainable Development in its efforts to identify businesses who are implementing sustainable practices.
• Capstone Projects: IE Capstone Coordinator, Research Associate and Lecturer Dr. Elizabeth Shay leads UNC environmental students on team research Capstone projects (ENST 698 Capstone: Analysis and Solution of Environmental Problems). Two projects this year work directly with the Town of Chapel Hill: one will inventory greenhouse gas emissions of employee travel and several other town-related activities, and the other will explore environmentally preferable purchasing. Past Capstone projects that served the Town of Chapel Hill include greenhouse gas emissions inventories for Chapel Hill Transit and for street lights and the municipal fleet, and a transit rider survey.
• Mayor's Youth for a Sustainable Future Initiative: Since the inception of MYSF during the 2008-2009 academic year, ERP staff have assisted with student recruitment and contributed to programming for this initiative that provides selected 9th-12th graders with hands-on sustainability and civic engagement experiences.
• Climate LEAP: In 2009, ERP received funding to develop and implement a Climate Leadership and Energy Awareness Program (Climate LEAP) for 9th -12th grade students in Chapel Hill and Carrboro for the next three years. Two sessions took place in summer 20090 Climate LEAP students participate in a one-week, non-residential Summer Institute on the UNC-CH campus and at least three out of four half-day Saturday Academies during the academic year. In addition, they conduct a climate change outreach project and receive community service hours towards their high school graduation requirement. In addition to serving local youth through this program, local community groups and organizations will be recipients of these outreach projects. This endeavor was funded by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
• Earth Day: For the past two years, the IE provided assistance to the Town of Chapel Hill in planning its annual Earth Action Day, which takes place on April 22. For Earth Action Day 2009, ERP hosted a five station, educational scavenger hunt for families, and also sponsored the premiere "The Last Time We Were Green," a locally-curated compilation of environmental films.