stumbling towards a green infrastructure

A lovely and much-anticipated bike rack arrived at the off-site space today, made of recycled plastic (not only ecological but unattractive to scrap metal thieves).

Unfortunately there’s no way to park a bike on it. Our bike commuters couldn’t wrangle an angle that would get a U-lock around the bike and the rack.

Facilities is on the case and hopefully we’ll soon have something that functions. Our parameters are somewhat limited at the off-site space since the owners of the building are not on board with the University-wide green initiatives. They are content to devote resources to car parking but don’t give a hoot about cyclists.

Until then we’re left wondering — what’s the deal with manufacturers who make bike racks that don’t fit bikes? This is a wider problem that discourages cycling. Take a look sometime at bike parking around campus and you’ll see scores of bikes falling over, being damaged, crammed into inappropriate racks. Because, um, the bike racks don’t fit bikes.

What’s that in the sky?

When the Northridge earthquake caused the loss of electrical power in Los Angeles in 1994, Joe Sharkey reported recently in the New York Times, officials received calls from anxious residents who saw a “giant silvery cloud” in the sky.  They were told not to worry, that what they were seeing was the Milky Way galaxy.  Many city dwellers rarely see stars in the night sky.  Even in New Haven, it is difficult to see many stars at night due to what is called light pollution, excessive exterior lighting that shines up into the sky.  Many individuals, businesses and communities are finding ways to improve their viewing of the night sky by using recommendations from The International Dark-Sky Association.

15 minute bike map

Thanks to Holly Parker, Yale’s Director of Sustainable Transportation Systems, for sharing this 15-minute commute map during a Yale University Library-wide convening of “green-minded” librarians. The circles represent the radius within which pedestrians (inner circle) and bicyclists (outer circle) can commute to the central Yale campus within 15 minutes.

Note too, the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies’ Getting Around by Bike resource page.

Every little drip counts!

The drip, drip, drip of that pesky kitchen faucet is annoying, but did you ever wonder how much water was just going down the drain?  The U. S. Geological Survey has a handy Web site where you can calculate just how much water is being wasted.

Yale Sustainable Food Project launches a blog

Look to the Yale Sustainable Food Project’s new blog when you want information on what’s happening at the Yale Farm, food and agriculture in the news, recipes, and dispatches from Yalies across the country and the world working on sustainable food and agriculture. Learn more about the Yale Sustainable Food Project at their website.

Check out the OneThing Expo

The OneThing Expo: Home of a Million OneThings will be held at the Connecticut Convention Center October 10-12.  Conceived as a “World’s Fair of Energy Conservation” the Expo will explore how schools, businesses, and residents can save energy and protect the environment.  Read more about it here.

Built-In Sustainability

We’re working hard to green our library.  This entails incorporating sustainable products into our routines and projects as much as possible, including new building initiatives, such as the use of eco-friendly materials like linoleum and medex in our new off-site processing space.  And we’re just getting started.  It’s inspiring to see our friends in the museum-world also focusing on sustainability.  Especially with new construction ventures such as the California Academy of Sciences, which opens in eight days and is considered one of San Francisco’s greenest buildings, and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, which is having its grand-opening this weekend and is slated to be the first “green” museum in New York City.  So if you’re looking for something interesting and green to explore this weekend — your local library and museum may just be the answer.

Image of California Academy of Sciences from Renzo Piano Workshop

Friendly e-Reminder

Many green reminders are now appearing in email signatures across campus.  The most common includes an image followed by a simple reminder:

Some people love ‘em, and some people aren’t so fond of ‘em.  Either way, here’s how you can configure your email signature in Microsoft Outlook (Yale ITS also provides directions for Eudora-users here):

-Tab: Tools, Options
-Tab: Mail Format
-Signatures
-Add eco-message, such as “Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail” after your signature.
-You can also insert an image before the message, such as the popular one shown above.  To insert this image select “Webdings” from the list of font options.  Insert a capital “P” and the picture should appear.
-Once you’re satisfied with your message, click “Ok”.
-The message should now follow your signature.

Green Moves

For many tied to the academic schedule September brings the beginning of a new year and often a move.  While most students and faculty will have already uprooted and resettled, it’s refreshing to know that for those planning on re-locating there are now green moving options available.  These include the biodiesel-fueled trucks from Go Green Moving and re-usable packing solutions from Earth Friendly Moving.  And there’s always the tried, true, and free option of obtaining old packing boxes from local retailers.

Earth Friendly Moving Box

Yale Office of Sustainability highlights Beinecke blog

Well, what do you know? The Yale Office of Sustainability highlighted our little ol’ Greening of the Beinecke blog on their home page.

Bicycle racks on Yale Shuttles and New Haven city buses

There are now Bike Racks on the Yale Shuttles and many New Haven city buses! Click here for a video demonstration on how to safely load and unload your bicycle.

Bike to Work for Free Breakfast!

Advertisement for Overman Wheel Co. Bicycles, 1896

Bike to Work Fridays continue…

When: September 12, 2008 at 7:30-9:30 a.m.

Where: New Haven City Hall, Church Street (across from the Green)

What: Free breakfast, brought to you by members of Elm City Cycling. Pick up free information and bike accessories and chat with fellow cyclists about best commuting routes.

More info: 203.287.9811 or visit www.elmcitycycling.org

Bike racks in Woolsey Plaza

Unidentified women and man with bicycles, ca. 189-?

With a jump in bicycle commuters to the Beinecke and nearby buildings, Holly Parker, Yale’s Director of Sustainable Transportation Systems, is keeping a list of locations on campus where additional bike racks are needed. Please email holly.parker@yale.edu or erin.pascale@yale.edu with suggestions. A warm thank you from all of us commuting by bicycle, or planning to in the near future.

School is in session, and the Beinecke is looking very green

Turning lights on, and keeping them off

Tasteful, non-threatening “Please turn off the lights when you leave” signs will soon be provided as reminders in a number of locations within the library.

Beinecke security guards are leaving lights off first thing in the morning, saving a few hours of light use each day.

Biodegradable totes in the Reading Room

With increased security measures for the Beinecke Reading Room, researchers will now be provided with a small, clear, biodegradable tote to accommodate pencils, cell phones, reading glasses, etc. We like to think of it as a little souvenir, or perhaps a goodie bag, with which to remember their research visit.

Green-ness in the kitchen and the restrooms

Due to increased re-usable mug use, use of paper cups has dropped from three sleeves (150 cups) to one sleeve (50 cups) per day. Definitely a reason to clink paper cups (or, for that matter, re-usable ones).

New toilet paper dispensers produce zero waste. Daily use has been reduced from 14 to 7 rolls. (Applause!)

A new, automated paper towel dispenser in the kitchen has eliminated considerable waste of paper towels. Exciting statistics forthcoming…(More applause!)