MPUSD solar suitcase builders graduate

MPUSD students who participated in the solar suitcase project had a "graduation" ceremony on May 20 at Spanish Bay, courtesy of the Pebble Beach Co.

"We had a good turnout with many students and parents who participated in the project," writes Alan Jensen, the teacher-coordinator for the program. The highlight of the evening was that Dr. Laura Stachel who started We Care Solar gave a very inspirational and motivational speech. She talked about visiting Africa and seeing that women were dying because they couldn't get adequate maternal care because of the lack of electricity."

Jensen learned about We Care Solar at a conference in Denver, and decided his students would benefit from participating in a project like this. The group built two solar suitcases that have already found homes in Africa.

"We used them as our inspiration for this project," Jensen writes. "For the students to actually meet and hear the story by this incredible woman is something they will remember the rest of their lives. I just saw that the students are pictured with Dr. Laura on the We Care Solar facebook page."

Which you can find here.

Congratulations, Mr. Jensen! You've inspired these young people to look at the world and do something good for it!

It's the season to be solar

And Cal State Monterey Bay has been listed as one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S. and Canada, according to the Princeton Review. The education services company selected CSUMB for inclusion in the third annual edition of its free downloadable book, “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2012 Edition.”

CSU Monterey Bay was praised for its initiatives including the revolving Energy Innovations Fund that supports energy-saving projects on campus and repays itself through energy savings, and the 6.4-acre solar installation that is meeting 16 percent of the university’s electricity needs.

Also drawing praise was the university’s food service operations, which include organic foods, compostable packaging and serving products, recycling of cooking oil and joining the “Meatless Monday” movement. All buildings on campus have designated recycling areas, and the ubiquity of the blue recycle bins has helped the university achieve a 50 percent waste diversion rate.

Even more impressive, according to the guide, is that 90 percent of campus buildings have undergone energy-related retrofits in the past three years.

The green learning opportunities, which allow students to take courses in subjects as diverse as environmental writing and food ethics, were also cited.

The guide pointed out that CSU Monterey Bay's commitment to green continues all the way to graduation – when students cross the stage to receive their degrees in gowns sewn with material made from recycled plastic bottles.

The guide can be downloaded here. More information on CSUMB’s commitment to sustainability can be found here.