News from Sustainability at Caltech

Caltech Makes the Grade on Sustainability

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The 2009 College Sustainability Report Card was just released, and Caltech earned a B for overall campus sustainability. This represents a significant improvement over last year's grade (C). Caltech ranks in the top quartile of schools in the U.S. and Canada. Highlights on this year's report card include top marks in the categories of Food & Recycling, Green Building, and Investment Priorities. The complete report card can be viewed here.

Caltech Solar Project Receives City Rebate

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Caltech and EI solutions, a leader in solar solutions, announced today that the City of Pasadena has granted a rebate to the city's largest-ever solar-energy facility as part of the Pasadena Water & Power Pasadena Solar Initiative (PSI) program. The facility is located on top of Caltech's Holliston parking structure and will begin operation in the next few months. The project is the city's first large-scale power purchase agreement in the area. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place November 4.

The Race for New Biofuels (pdf)

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Building better bacteria to turn plants into fuel for your car.

Solar Fuels I: Rods and Stones (pdf)

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The future of solar-power technology may lie within nanorods of silicon.

Solar Fuels II: The Quest for the Catalyst

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The sun could meet all our energy needs, if we could store its energy as chemical fuel.

From Solar Fuel Back to Electricity

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Cheaper and more efficient fuel cells ar finding their way into our energy economy.

Green Matters

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The Institute's ongoing commitment to sustainability sparks three new student start-ups.

Caltech Commended for On-Campus Energy Conservation

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 +0000

In their annual Campus Environment report, Princeton Survey Research Associates International and the National Wildlife Federation recognized Caltech as one of 37 national universities that "stand apart for harnessing on-campus clean energy sources and using cogeneration for their energy demands." Campus Environment 2008, a report card on sustainability in higher education nationwide, can be viewed here online. The report was based on responses by 1,237 universities to an online survey conducted between January and May 2008.

Green Pasadena Leadership Summit

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

At the Green Pasadena Leadership Summit on June 7 and 8, local leaders will discuss plans and examine options for building an environmentally sustainable community for the future. The event, which will take place at the Pasadena Convention Center, will include lectures, workshops, Town Hall meetings, and more.

Rosario Martin, California's secretary for the State and Consumer Services Agency, will present the keynote address. As chair of the governor's Green Action Team, she is actively engaged in all aspects of California's sustainability programs. Charles Elachi, director of JPL and professor of electrical engineering and planetary science at Caltech, will also speak at the event.

The Green Pasadena Leadership Summit was planned under the leadership of an advisory board chaired by Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard and composed of a diverse group of Pasadena-area leaders, including Professor Elachi. For details and registration, go to http://www.green-technology.org/greenpasadena/index.html.

Jim Woolsey: The Need for Energy Independence

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Former CIA director R. James Woolsey discussed how the end of foreign oil dependency could benefit U.S. national security and the environment. Woolsey is one of the most outspoken advocates for energy independence and has traveled throughout the country educating audiences on the need to end energy dependence by utilizing renewable fuels. He is currently of counsel at the law firm Goodwin Procter LLP in Washington, D.C., and serves as a senior executive adviser to the global consulting firm Booz Allen.