Green Profile- Andrew Cronholm, The Cadmus Group

Our first green profile in Andrew Cronholm of the Cadmus Group.

Andrew is a 2008 graduate of Drew University and currently a research associate with the Cadmus Group. Since it's founding in 1983 "Cadmus has grown to become a leading support contractor for EPA, not only in the area of drinking water but also in voluntary programs, indoor air and radiation, and energy efficiency. Cadmus has also grown the sides of our business devoted to private sector and non-profit clients. And branched into international development."

I recently sat down with Andrew to get his take on the issues of climate change and sustainability as well as the opportunity for college students to engage these policy areas:

Ryan: What first inspired you to get involved with environmental issues, and specifically your work with Cadmus?

Andrew: My father was a very outdoorsy guy...he grew up hiking sailing and doing pretty much everything outside. He wanted his children to experience nature and I decided that I wanted to make a career of it. With regards to Cadmus...you know this story...but I interned with DOJ's Environment and Natural Resources Division in DC my junior year and I feel in love with environmental policy, so I started applying to jobs in the environmental sector my senior year. the rest is history.

Ryan: What role do you see college students playing in the fight to stop global climate change and promote sustainability?

Andrew: Active college students, are of course, the next generation of leaders in the country. Their children will see the results of our action or inaction when it comes to climate change. Students need to put political pressure on the administration to make coherent, federal frameworks around policy. Students also need to engage the private sector businesses to they can prepare for a new regulatory matrix, and so they can realize that sustainability is appealing.

Ryan: What is one measure college students can take to make climate change a major focus on their respective campuses?

Andrew: Make climate change studies exciting and prevalent to everyday life.

Ryan: What advice would you give to soon to be graduates interested in making an impact in the working world?

Andrew: I'd tell them to store their "idealistic ambitions" away for the first few years, since their first job will likely be rooted in the pragmatic realities of government policy. Gain business experience, build professional networks and get the training you need so that you can land the job of your dreams and then dust off that idealism and put it to work!

-Ryan

CUA Students Commended for Solar Picnic Table Project

Check out this press release from The Catholic University of Ammerica on the campus' first solar picnic table!



CUA to Recognize Students’ Solar Picnic Table Design and Announce Expansion of Solar Energy System
Washington, D.C. – Six students from The Catholic University of America (CUA) are being recognized today by University President John Garvey for their innovative, one-of-a-kind, solar-powered picnic table that was recently installed on the patio outside the Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center. The table — equipped with outlets capable of charging laptops, cell phones, e-books and other electronic devices — was the winning design in a contest sponsored by the University. Students on the design team received scholarships provided by Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. (WGES).

The winning design team is made up of a graduate student in mechanical engineering, Joseph Cochrane of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania and five students in the CUA Master of Architecture and Master of Science in Sustainable Design programs. Lindsey Dickes of Baltimore, Maryland; Michael Doster of Wayne, New Jersey.; Cory Estep of Bradenton, Florida; John Lang of Ellicott City, Maryland; and Monica Perez of McLean, Virginia all contributed to this award-winning solar project.

CUA President Garvey also announced today the expansion of its solar photovoltaic (solar PV) system, which originally became operational in December 2009. The expansion will add 440 solar panels to the more than 1,000 panels already installed on four campus buildings. The expanded system will be one of the largest in the District of Columbia, and will now total 414 kilowatts and generate more than 500,000 kilowatt hours of power each year.

The solar PV expansion will be installed at no up-front cost to CUA and — like the original system — will be owned and operated by WGES. CUA has signed a 20-year agreement with WGES to purchase electricity generated by the solar panels at guaranteed prices, and the electricity will be used by the buildings where it is produced. Standard Solar Inc., of Rockville, Md., installed the original system and will install the new solar panels as well.

“Our Catholic faith calls us to be good stewards of the environment,” said Catholic University President John Garvey. “Today we are celebrating two forward thinking examples of how we are doing that. One – the installation of additional solar panels – is focused on making our University’s infrastructure more ‘green.’ The second is a collaborative teaching moment that has given our students the opportunity to apply what they learned in the classroom to actually building something that is environmentally friendly.”

CUA currently offers engineering courses in photovoltaics, hybrid gas and electric vehicles, and wind energy technologies and master’s degrees in architectural sustainability and urban design.

The expansion of its solar PV system is the latest accomplishment in CUA’s program of environmental commitment. In 2002, CUA was the first university in the Washington area to purchase a portion of its electricity from regional wind power projects. In 2008, the University received an Award of Excellence from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its recycling efforts. In January 2009, CUA opened the first new LEED-compliant student residence hall in Washington, D.C. Opus Hall has since been LEED certified.

“Catholic University’s leadership in advancing the use of renewable energy has clearly motivated others to do the same,” said Harry Warren, president of WGES. “As one of the very first large purchasers of wind power in the D.C. region, Catholic University can take great pride in the recent announcement by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that the District of Columbia is now the nation’s leading city for renewable energy use. As the first Washington, D.C. University to install a large scale solar power system, CUA serves an example to other area universities and colleges. Today, they compound this leadership example by announcing the expansion of this solar installation and recognizing these remarkable and talented students and their environmental ingenuity.”

MEDIA: For more information, contact Katie Lee or Mary McCarthy in Catholic University’s Office of Public Affairs at 202-319-5600; Keira Shein, WilkinsonShein Communications for Standard Solar, 410-363-9494, keira@wilkinsonshein.com or Leah Gibbons, Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc., at 703-793-7565, 301-509-1508 or lgibbons@wges.com.

-Ryan

What Are You Doing for Earth Day?

In the D.C. area but not sure what to do to celebrate Earth Day this weekend? The EPA has a few suggestions:

Earth Day on the National Mall
Date: April 16-17, 2011

The Environmental Protection Agency will host family friendly hands-on activities on the National Mall for Earth Day plus the National Sustainable Design Expo where EPA, green businesses, non-profits and college students from across the country will showcase their efforts to protect the planet.

Exhibitors will be located between 4th and 14th Streets. See a map of the National Mall. The best way to get around the city is to use public transportation. The closest Metro Stations are Smithsonian, Archives and L' Enfant Plaza. For suggestions of places to park, see a guide to parking near the National Mall.
7th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo.

Dates: April 15 - 17, 2011
Location: National Mall between 4th and 7th Streets, Washington, DC

The Expo brings together students, scientists, engineers, and business leaders whose innovative technologies are designed to advance economic growth while reducing environmental impact. A highlight of the Expo will be the technologies developed by student teams to address alternative energy, purification and distribution of drinking water, reducing pesticide run-off, green buildings, and more. The Expo also provides a forum for government, nonprofits, and the business community to demonstrate their diverse approaches to sustainability.

For more information about events or to get involved in clean up projects click here

-Ryan

Event Rescheduled

Our apologies for having to reschedule the Environmental Action Climate Change Panel that was originally going to be held last Monday. One of our presenters was ill and we wanted to ensure The Catholic University of America community had the opportunity to hear from these excellent presenters.

The event has been rescheduled for next Monday, April 18th at 7pm in Pangborn Hall Room 302. Our panel will feature speakers from Friends of the Earth, Casey's Trees, and possibly CUA's own Facilities and Maintenance Operations. The panel will focus on the impact college students can have on promoting sustainability and combating global climate change on and off campus.

For more information about our event please visit the Facebook Event Page.

-Ryan

Key Vote Alert- Protect the EPA's Ability to Regulate Greenhouse Gases

Last year President Barack Obama authorized Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to begin the process of regulating greenhouse gas emissions (notably carbon dioxide) in the United States. This move came after several efforts to pass climate change legislation passed the then Democrat controlled House of Representatives but stalled in the Senate. The most promising plan, proposed by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), called for the creation of a cap and trade system that would have set a maximum for carbon emissions and allowed firms to buy and sell carbon credits. From an economic perspective this plan would have provided an incentive for firms able to cut emissions least expensively so that they could then sell their allotted carbon credits for a profit. This variety of system has proven successful in Europe, however it has also been credited with increasing energy prices across the continent.

As part of the recent budget deal between Congressional Republicans and President Obama several item previously included in the budget will be brought up for individual votes. One such item is the EPA's ability to regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act. In order to ensure carbon levels are controlled in the United States please contact your legislators (both House and Senate) to urge them to vote in against stripping the EPA's ability to regulate carbon emissions. In order to find your representatives click here.

If your struggling finding correct wording for your correspondence with your Congressman and Senators we have a sample letter below. Feel free to use this template.

Dear [Senator or Congressman X]

My name is [Enter name] and I one of your many constituents concerned about the issue of global climate change. The effects of climate change could be drastic in the United States and I am encouraging you to vote against the current proposal to prevent EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson from regulating greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. Climate change is a public health risk and therefore fall squarely under the purvey of the EPA's jurisdiction.

I will be following this issue closely and intend to base my decision in future elections on the actions you take on this important issue.

Sincerely,

[Enter Name]

-Ryan

Casey Trees and Students Make Statement on Campus

This past Friday at The Catholic University of America, there was a Cherry Blossom Tree planting. The School of Architecture and FMO hosted and organized the event, which turned out to be a great success. A group called Casey Trees supplied the trees and helped plant them along with 35 or so CUA students. Casey Trees outreach also got Deer Park water, Crumb cupcakes, and The National Cherry Blossom Festival to sponsor the event. Together we planted 10 cherry blossom trees next to the architecture building. When the trees canopy and bloom, it will make a great backdrop to the commencement exercises that take place there.

The event was supposed to run for 4 hours, but the efforts and eagerness of CUA student planters was a little underestimated. Beginning at 9 AM, those trees were all planted and mulched by 10 AM. Most of us stuck around for lunch, which included a program that none of us were prepared for. During lunch, we had some VIPs talk a little about what they do. These VIPs included a retired US Ambassador to Japan, a worker from the Japanese Embassy, and the President of The National Cherry Blossom Festival. That was very impressive to say the least.

All in all it was a great event. I believe Casey Trees returns to CUA every year, so I encourage you to attend next year. We are lucky enough to have a speaker from Casey Trees at our event: Environmental Action: On and Off Campus - Monday, April 11 @ 7 PM in McGivney Auditorium, please feel free to spread the word about this event or visit our Facebook page to learn more.

-Dan

Launch Announcement

Welcome from Ryan and Dan. We are the founders of Environmental Action CUA, a group dedicated to educating college students about the steps they can take on and off campus to stop global climate change. We are currently planning a large panel discussion at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. that will bring together environmental experts to help us achieve this goal. Please stay tuned for future posts and more information regarding our event.

-Ryan