University of Illinois makes plans to improve sustainability

CHAMPAIGN, IL — With the release of the Office of Sustainability's Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP), the University of Illinois pledged to take steps toward carbon neutrality, less energy use and overall improved sustainability in the future, according to the Daily Illini.

As part of the university's signing of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment in 2008, the plan calls for carbon neutrality by 2050, which refers to net zero carbon emissions, the article stated.

Tom Abram, sustainability coordinator for facilities and services, said in addition to energy reduction, the plan calls for a "significant increase in renewable energy usage."

In the iCAP, the university pledges to use renewable energy generation systems to supply at least 5 percent of its electrical needs by 2015 and 25 percent by 2025, the article noted.

According to the article, officials said other projected goals include implementing a campus bicycling master plan and requiring that all new buildings and major renovations meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards by 2011.

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Janitor accused of stealing from students' lockers

ASHLAND, MA — A janitor at Ashland High School is accused of stealing iPod Touches, $900 cash and other items from students' bags and lockers, offices and classrooms during gym class and team practices, according to WBZ-TV.

After students reported thefts around times they had seen Wesley Jarrell, 22, in the girls' locker room, officers put the locker room under surveillance, encountered Jarrell, confronted him and he confessed, the story stated.

The thefts of which Jarrell's accused date back to late January and involve at least a dozen victims, the story noted.

Ashland police say Jarrell told them he was "dealing with some personal issues such as money problems as well as a medical problem," but did not say what it was, the article added.

According to the story, Ashland police have sent out a reverse 911 call asking anyone who believes they were victimized by theft at the high school to call the police department.

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Starbucks opens first LEED registered store in Canada

TORONTO — Members of the Toronto community and other guests gathered at Starbucks to mark the grand opening of their first-ever Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified store in Canada, according to a press release.

The new store format and design is part of Starbucks' Shared Planet initiative. Starbucks' Shared Planet environmental stewardship program represents the company's commitment to creating a better future for farmers, communities and the environment and significantly reducing its environmental footprint through recycling and green construction, the release stated.

"We are truly excited to have opened the first Canadian store in Starbucks' global LEED pilot project," said Robert Luciano, Starbucks' director of store development for Eastern Canada.

"This store is unique in terms of its design and the materials which have been used to construct it. Through this opening, and those happening around the world, Starbucks continues its commitment to delivering a specialty coffee experience while refreshing our store design approach with an amplified focus on local relevance and environmental responsibility," Luciano added.

According to the release, if the pilot is successful, Starbucks aims to achieve LEED certification for all new company-owned stores worldwide by late 2010.

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Georgetown Univ. Rafik B. Hariri Building has been awarded LEED Silver certification

As expected, the Rafik B. Hariri Building has been awarded LEED certification for its environmentally-friendly features. Georgetown applied for LEED Certification, which is awarded to buildings that are sustainable, and water, energy, resource, and material efficient, during the fall semester.

LEED certification is awarded by the U. S. Green Building Council, a non-profit organization which bills the award as the “nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings,” but LEED certification has been criticized for similarly weighting expensive green features with large environmental impacts and inexpensive projects with minimal impact.

According to a press release from the Georgetown McDonough School of Business, the following are some of the features that the LEED certification recognized:

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On a personal note, as part of Georgetown's Facilities Management team, this means a lot.

Washington State Univ. Custodians complain of doing too much with too little

PULLMAN, WA — The custodians at Washington State University at Pullman are complaining that they have more work piling up than they can complete, according to the Daily Evergreen.

Lately, the custodians have been asked to complete more tasks in significantly less time, something they find troubling as it could easily lead to the campus becoming unsanitary, the story stated.

Because custodians used to have over nine hours to complete their daily tasks and now only have eight, corners are being cut to meet productivity requirements, the story noted.

Lawrence Davis, associate vice president of facilities operations, said: "This isn't a problem unique to Washington State University or custodians. This is a problem across the board. We're all stretched thin."

Custodians are no longer required to empty trash cans in offices and classrooms and the frequency of tasks such as sweeping and dusting have been reduced, the story added.

According to the story, numerous custodians have also complained that work assignments are not divided evenly among staff, making it increasingly difficult for those with time-consuming tasks to complete them in a timely and orderly fashion.

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Allstate Insurance data center receives LEED-Gold certification

ROCHELLE, IL — The new Allstate Insurance data center recently received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification at the Gold level from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making it one of a handful of data centers in the nation to achieve the designation, according to a press release.

Some sustainable aspects of the data center include: A heat-reflecting white roof; use of natural lighting; use of recycled materials for making concrete; and native landscaping that requires minimal maintenance, the release stated.

Buildings that are LEED-certified use less water and energy and help taxpayers, businesses and families save money while contributing to a more healthy environment for workers, residents and the community, the release noted.

According to the release, the certification was verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).

The LEED-Gold-certified data center also uses technology that mixes heat generated from computers, mechanical equipment and outside air to keep equipment rooms cool and office areas consistently comfortable, the release added.

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Thousands may have been exposed to Legionnaires' disease

CUDAHY, WI — Thousands of people may have been exposed to Legionnaires' disease at Aurora St. Luke's South Shore hospital last month, according to TMJ4-TV.

According to the story, eight people have been officially diagnosed with the disease, which presents symptoms similar to pneumonia, and hospital officials have been making phone calls searching for others who may have been exposed.

Carol Wantuch, Cudahy's health officer, said: "I'm sure we're going to be getting more cases."

Two of the eight people diagnosed are still hospitalized with the disease that, although easily treatable, can be deadly if not caught early, the story stated.

Wantuch feels that the hospital is now safe after the facility was thoroughly cleaned by workers and that officials are close to determining the source of the disease, the story stated.

Symptoms include a high fever, cough and difficulty breathing, the story added.

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