Center for Sustainability Spring Programs & Events

February 

  • Feb 17th via Zoom Electric Vehicle Panel Discussion at 6pm

  • 2022 FOOD JUSTICE SUMMIT: FEEDBACK: MEETING IN THE MIDDLE, FEBRUARY 23 & FEBRUARY 24, Sponsored by the PSC Center for Sustainability. Contact sustainability@paulsmiths.edu if you’d like to attend this 2 day virtual summit. The 2022 Food Justice Summit, hosted by AHI in collaboration with Adirondack Food System Network.


 

 

 

 

March

  • March 21-25 Sustainability Grant Vote

 

April 

   Keynote Address: Robin Wall Kimmerer: The Honorable Harvest

May

  • Trade- A-Palooza April 29th through May 7th

Fall 2021 Center for Sustainability Programs

Monday, September 6th – Club Fair

Find the Smitty Sustainability Committee table while you’re checking out other club tables on the Great Lawn!

Saturday, September 11th – Blue Line Compost Tour Field Trip

10 am van pickup at the post office. Awesome tour and valuable learning experience! Visit the sign-up sheet outside Kate Glenn’s office (Student Center 101) if interested in joining. For more info, visit https://bluelinecompost.com/

September 25th – Cider Pressing! 

10 am-2 pm – Outside the Student Center. We’ll be using an old fashioned double barreled cider press to make fresh press apple cider. Hot cider will be sold in wide-mouth glass pint jars for the suggested donation of 3$ a jar. Come check out the bike powered apple masher we borrow from Ravenwood Homestead.

October 5th – Northern Power and Light speaker Emmett Smith

Paul Smith’s College is powered 100% by Local Small Scale Hydroelectricity from Northern Power and Light, CEO of Northern Power and Light, Emmett Smith will speak on campus about local hydro in the Adirondacks and how you can support local renewable energy in the North Country. Pine Room @ 6:30pm. More information: https://www.npandl.com/

October 9th – Azure Mountain Hydroelectric Tour

Tour this beautiful old hydroelectric plant in St. Regis Falls, which helps power Paul Smith’s College. Plant Operator Everette Smith will show us around this facility built in the 90’s using 100 year old equipment on a dam on the st regis river. 1 pm van pickup at the post office -Sign up at the Center for Sustainability, Student Center 101

November 2nd- Zoom Panel on Electric Vehicles

Are you thinking of purchasing an Electric Vehicle? Hear from a panel of PSC employees who’ve all made the transition to electric. Speakers include Nicholas Hunt-Bull, Dan Kelting, Scott Van-Lear, and Andrew Kelly. There is more than one way to drive electric, our panel reflects that. You’ll hear from people driving 100% electric vehicles, as well as plug in hybrid EV.  Program is held in Freer Auditorium and Zoom, 4:30 pm-5:30 pm

Meet Our Staff!

Sustainability Coordinator, Faculty, Department of Environment and Society

I am often asked what a Sustainability Coordinator does, the primary focus of my position is to help make our campus and community more resilient, by mitigating and adapting to the affects of climate change. I focus mostly on reducing the college’s greenhouse gas emissions levels, I champion and oversee renewable energy and energy efficiency projects on campus. I also coordinate our STARS (Sustainable Tracking and Rating System) strategic plan and reporting. This includes various initiatives regarding sustainable dining, waste minimization, and other initiatives related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. I’ve been teaching for about 7 years. I teach about four classes a year, primarily upper division classes in our Sustainability BS program. check out my faculty page to learn more about myself the classes I teach. I also direct the Center for Sustainability, this semester we have a staff of about 4 student employees and Sustainability Fellows working on various campus initiatives and programs.

Looking to get involved? Have an idea? Have questions? Reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Stop by the Center for Sustainability (Student Center 101) or e-mail me at kglenn@paulsmiths.edu. Check us out on social media @pscsustainability (Instagram) Paul Smith’s College Center for Sustainability (Facebook).

Center for Sustainability Staff

Name: Sean Jackson ,

Title: Sustainability Fellow: Transportation

E-mail: sjackson@paulsmiths.edu,

Major: Sustainability BS

 

 

Name: Nicole Distasio ,

Title: Sustainability Fellow: Sustainable Dining

E-mail: ndistasio@paulsmith.edu

Major: Sustainability BS, Minor: Entrepreneurial Business

Paul Smith’s College Installs 5 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

By  Sean Jackson,Sustainable Transportation Fellow

        In the Adirondacks one of the largest contributors of carbon emissions is transportation. That being said, the future of transportation is looking up and green. With more and more electric vehicle and plug-in electric hybrid models becoming available every quarter, the necessary infrastructure (charging stations) to charge them has been following. I’m proud to say that over Spring Break, Paul Smith’s College and Apex Solar completed the installation of 5 electric vehicle charging stations with the ability to accommodate up to 10 vehicles at a time. This $90K project was supported entirely by grant funding from NYSERDA’s (New York State Research Energy and Development Authority)  Paul Smith’s College Installs 5 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Charge NY Grant and National Grid’s Electric Vehicle SE Charging Station programs. What this means is that the project was completed at no cost to the college. 

     Supported by ChargePoint software, our Phase 2 chargers (pretty fast!)are located across three different locations both on campus and at the VIC. Each station has 2 charging ports on either side to accommodate charging of up to 2 vehicles at a time. The most visible station is located in the commuter lot, out in front of Currier Hall with a total of two ports. The other on campus stations (2 more) are located behind our facilities buildings in parking lot 1. The remaining 2 stations live at the VIC to serve visitors to the VIC.  

       These new additions to our campus infrastructure are great- but what next? Coming in the Fall of 2020 the Center for Sustainability will be hosting an event to showcase our new charging stations to work with owners of electric vehicles, local car dealers, and energy providers to address the benefits of electric vehicles and hybrids in the North Country. Another key component of this event is to connect the North Country’s electric vehicle initiatives and give potential EV customers a chance to get behind the wheel! These are efforts to connect the charging network laterally with the help of organizations like the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) and the Green Energy Consumer Alliance (GECA).  

       We may be in uncertain times, but we must stay encouraged. State leaders are pushing to make New York a front runner in the transition towards a sustainable energy system and economy- and many corporations are listening. These ambitious goals are supported by legislation such as New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act as well as commitment of companies like GM announcing things like 400+ mile electric vehicle ranges and the release of 20 new electric models by 2023. Change is coming to transportation and Paul Smith’s is going to be ready to welcome these exciting developments when they arrive.  

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Smith’s College Receives STARS Bronze Rating for Sustainability Achievements

Paul Smith’s College has earned a STARS Bronze rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) for its sustainability achievements. STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System, measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.

The STARS program, which has more than 800 participants in 30 countries, is the most widely recognized framework in the world for publicly reporting information related to a college’s sustainability performance. Participants report achievements in five overall areas: academics, engagement, operations, planning and administration, and innovation and leadership.

Kate Glenn, sustainability coordinator and lecturer at Paul Smith’s, said that the college performed especially well in curriculum, which tracks sustainability-specific courses such as Sustainable Food Systems, Alternative Energy, and Sustainable Development. Glenn also noted that every department on campus offers courses that have sustainability-related objectives.

“Another area we excelled in was campus engagement,” added Glenn, “including campus outreach, sustainability student employment opportunities, and campus programming that includes guest speakers and trips.”

The college’s Sustainability Grant Program, which provides funds for faculty, staff and students, also plays a role though backing a wide variety of projects. Meanwhile, energy initiatives announced earlier this year include the installation of a wood pellet boiler that has offset 28,000 gallons of oil annually and a partnership with Northern Power & Light and the Northern Forest Center’s Feel Good Heat Initiative, which focuses on locally-sourced wood fuel. Paul Smith’s also signed on with Northern Power & Light, a Saranac Lake-based company with a hydroelectric facility in nearby St. Regis Falls.

“STARS was developed by the campus sustainability community to provide high standards for recognizing campus sustainability efforts,” said AASHE Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. “Paul Smith’s College has demonstrated a substantial commitment to sustainability by achieving a STARS Bronze rating and is to be congratulated for their efforts.”

Glenn said a goal for next year is STARS Silver. Planned efforts include expanding sustainability efforts in the areas of energy, food and dining, grounds, and transportation. Two students will also work as Sustainability Fellows, an employment opportunity geared toward furthering the college’s sustainability goals.

“Paul Smith’s College is committed to being a model for sustainability in our region,” Glenn said. “In addition to lowering our carbon footprint, we want to strive to practice sustainability across all aspects of our institution.”

About Paul Smith’s College
At Paul Smith’s College, it’s about the experience. We are the only four-year institution of higher education in the Adirondacks. Our programs – in fields including hospitality, culinary arts, forestry, natural resources, entrepreneurship and the sciences – draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. For more information, visit www.paulsmiths.edu.

About AASHE
AASHE is an association of colleges and universities that are working to create a sustainable future. AASHE’s mission is to empower higher education to lead the sustainability transformation. It provides resources, professional development and a network of support to enable institutions of higher education to model and advance sustainability in everything they do, from governance and operations to education and research. For more information about AASHE, visit www.aashe.org.

For more information about the STARS program, visit stars.aashe.org.