Women in Green Jobs Career Panel

This afternoon students had the opportunity to meet an inspiring group of women who are leaders in the local green movement. The Newcomb College Institute sponsored a career luncheon with the theme "Women in Green Jobs." The panelists were from a wide variety of careers, but they are all working in New Orleans to make it a more sustainable city.

Demetria Christo is the owner of sustainable landscaping company EcoUrban, LLC. Anne Churchill, owner and head chef of Karma Kitchen, makes all her food with seasonal local ingredients. Elizabeth Galante is the director of Global Green's New Orleans Resource Center and Office where she advocates for sustainable buildings and building policy. Molly Reid is a freelance journalist who writes a weekly column about sustainability in the home for the Times-Picayune's InsideOut home and garden section. Jennifer E. Ruley, PE is an urban planning specialist and engineer who works with the City of New Orleans Public Works department to improve bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in the city.

They talked about how they came to do the jobs they do and what young women can do now to prepare for a similar career. They all agreed that education is key and suggest going into disciplines such as science, engineering, law and public health with a working knowledge of business and accounting skills. For those seeking a position at a non-profit organization, fundraising will be key so get comfortable with calling people and being extroverted even if it doesn't come naturally. Experience is important, so consider summer jobs and internships with environmental businesses and non-profits. The most important thing to do is follow your passion.

A lot of green jobs don't exist yet, so consider creating your own green job by starting a small business. The City of New Orleans and the Small Business Administration can help you start your business. Tulane students can also take advantage of the Levy-Rosenblum Institute for Entrepreneurship and the Social Entrepreneurship Initiative of the Center for Public Service.

Selling your idea can be difficult, but the panelist had great advice on that, too. You should focus on the practicality and common sense of "going green" and you should make the case that the sustainable way is better than the old way. You should get potential customers to "imagine a world" where some aspect of life is better because of your green business.

Finally, check out this Green Careers Toolkit for information about Tulane's resources and a few tips for getting your foot in the door.

Committee Update

Though this blog has been quiet for the last few months, the Climate Commitment Advisory Committee has been actively working to develop a climate action plan. Efforts are underway to improve campus buildings, increase alternative transportation options, and explore renewable energy options for Tulane. In fact, an MBA class at the A.B. Freeman School of Business is working on group projects that will develop renewable energy options for consideration in the climate action plan. I'll post more about that in March after they've made their presentations.

The next Committee meeting is also in March and I will post minutes here. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to make suggestions for making Tulane more sustainable in the comments or via email.

Call for Climate Action Plan Suggestions

The fall 2009 semester began for Tulane last Monday and it seems like a good time to put out another call for suggestions for Tulane's Climate Action Plan. The climate commitment advisory committee has been charged with tracking Tulane's greenhouse gas emissions and developing a plan to reach climate neutrality and we need your help. Last fall we received a long list of suggestions that you can view here, and we're looking for more good ideas.

Email the committee if you have an idea for saving energy, a project that results in emissions reductions off campus (offsets), alternatives to fossil fueled transportation, or anything else that Tulane can do to reduce our impact on climate change. All suggestions are taken into consideration and the committee is working toward addressing many that we've already received.

The committee has been on hiatus for the summer, but check back in the coming months for meeting updates.

Climate Action Planning Guidance

Now that Tulane has almost completed its greenhouse gas emissions inventory, it’s time to start planning for climate neutrality. While that is a daunting task, more than 600 other schools face the same challenge as signatories of the Climate Commitment. In a recent article in Facilities Manager Magazine, retired University of Buffalo energy manager Walter Simpson makes the case that climate neutrality is achievable. While not all of Walter’s advice applies to Tulane equally (we don’t get much electricity from coal, for example), it is still a great guide for anyone interested in the basic process of climate action planning.

Check out the article, and if you want to delve further, check out the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Climate Action Planning Guide Wiki. More importantly, leave your ideas and questions in the comments here or email them to the committee.

Register with AASHE to view member-only content

Tulane University is a member of the Association for Advancement of Sustainabilty in Higher Education (AASHE). Their website offers information about all aspects of campus sustainability. All Tulane affiliates with a "tulane.edu" email address can view the member-only sections of their resource center. Just visit their website to register your email address and create a profile.

February Committee Meeting Minutes

The Climate Commitment Advisory Committee met on Tuesday, March 31 and approved minutes from the meeting February 3. Those minutes can be accessed here. If you have any comments, suggestions, or questions, please email the committee or leave them in the blog comments.

Nathan Gauthier speaks on Greenhouse Gas Reduction Planning

On March 12, Nathan Gauthier, Assistant Director in Harvard's Office for Sustainability, spoke on "Greenhouse Gas Reduction Planning: From Initial Commitment to Implementation" at the Tulane School of Architecture. His talk gave a detailed account of university greenhouse gas reduction efforts and their place in the larger challenge of addressing climate change. Mr. Gauthier met with students, staff, faculty and local architects during his visit, sharing his experience guiding Harvard's green building efforts. Many thanks to Dean Ken Schwartz and the School of Architecture for organizing and hosting Mr. Gauthier's visit.

You can view the presentation at
http://sustainabledcs.blogspot.com/2009/03/ghg-reduction-presentation.html

Climate Commitment Advisory Committee Membership

The following Tulane faculty, staff and students are members of the Climate Commitment Advisory Commitee appointed by President Cowen:

Mike Aertker, Primate Center
Richard Ager, School of Social Work
William Balee, School of Liberal Arts
Barbara Beckman, School of Medicine
Scott Bernhard, School of Architecture
Tony Bremholm, Libraries
Collette Creppell, Office of the University Architect
Tim Cullen, Associated Student Body
Faye Grimsley, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
Mike Guidry, Facilities Services, Health Sciences Center
Dan Haber, Residence Hall Association
Rob Hailey, University Services
Gunther Handl, Law School
Heather Hargrave, Facilities Services, Uptown
Kathryn Hobgood, University Communications
Ann Kovalchick, Technology Services
John McLachlan, Center for Bioenvironmental Research (Chair)
Matthew Miller, Environmental Law Society (Alternate: Barry Griffith)
Emily Orler, Environmental Studies Program (Alternate: Betsy Lopez)
Gerhard Piringer, School of Science and Engineering
Mara Saxer, Green Club
Todd Schill, Housing and Residence Life
Lina Alfieri Stern, A.B. Freeman School of Business

November Committee Meeting Minutes

The Climate Commitment Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes from November 6, 2008 have been approved and can be downloaded here. Please leave any feedback in the comments here or email the committee.

Tulane Scientists Prescribe "Unconventional Thinking" for Making Urban Coasts More Resilient

In the December issue of Nature Geoscience, Tulane professors Torbjorn Tornqvist and Douglas Meffert give their prescription for sustaining our urban coastal environment in the face of climate change. Check out the New Wave article here or go straight to the Nature Geoscience article here.

What do you think? How can coastal cities become more resilient? What role does Tulane play?