News / Archives / 2008

*By James M. Mazurek* p(image-right). !/assets/4507/mazurek.jpg(mazurek.jpg)! Sustainability is commonly defined as the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. It relates to the continuity of economic, social, institutional, and environmental aspects of human society, as well as the non-human environment. Beyond some sufficient level of continuous functioning, however, sustainability at a university represents more than just the mere ability to survive and get by. It also represents the shaping of new generations of leaders, as well as the institutional trade-offs that are made daily between equity, economics, aesthetics, and the environment.

*By Brandon Sparks* p(image-right). !/assets/4509/sparks.jpg(sparks.jpg)! Large corporations will play a large role in charting a sustainable energy future, but individuals can also impact the future. The greatest role an individual can play is in saving energy. Not only does this action often lead to monetary benefit, but it also affects and pressures industries in a way that will lead to a sustainable energy future.

Join the leprechaun and ND student Connor Kobeski as they interview students about (un)sustainable energy practices.

*By Sallie Hood and Ron Sakal* p(image-right). !/assets/4508/sakal_and_hood.jpg(sakal_and_hood.jpg)! In the film "An Inconvenient Truth," Al Gore urged Americans to drive less, but he failed to mention how the places we live in are designed to keep us behind the wheel. Outside of campus, most of us have to drive in order to do much of anything, no matter how high gas prices go. We need to recognize and change these patterns so we can live better while using less energy.

The topic of sustainable energy is one that touches the lives of each of us. CEOs are seeking a "green" image for their company, current presidential candidates are preaching their solutions to the climate crisis, and local families are making financial decisions in response to rising energy costs.

What are your thoughts on sustainable energy? Take our online poll here: "http://enlighten.nd.edu/engage-in-dialogue/polls":http://enlighten.nd.edu/engage-in-dialogue/polls

*By Joe Kindt* p(image-right). !/assets/4506/kindt.jpg(kindt.jpg)! A nation’s economic development is tethered to its ability to produce energy. From the English industrial revolution, triggered by coal-fired steam engines, to today’s Chinese economic boom, backed by the construction of one coal-fired power plant per week, economies have long been concerned with harnessing greater production power. A nation with a sound energy policy that promotes sustainability will foster a healthy business economy.

*By Prashant V. Kamat* p(image-right). !/assets/4504/kamat.jpg(kamat.jpg)! During the last century the worldwide population quadrupled and the energy demand increased by sixteen times. The exponential growth in the energy demand is exhausting our fossil fuel supply at an alarming rate.

*By Margaret Pfeil* From the perspective of the Catholic social tradition, care for the environment flows from grateful appreciation of the interdependence of all of God’s creation. As Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his 2008 World Day of Peace Message, “...[I]t is essential to ‘sense’ that the earth is ‘our common home’ …”

*By Jim Yarbrough* p(image-right). !/assets/4510/yarbrough.jpg(yarbrough.jpg)! Several years ago, Notre Dame Food Services formed a Social Responsibility Committee that focuses on local purchases, fair-trade products, animal welfare, and environmental issues. The work of the committee filters down to the cooks that prepare your food, the staff that serves your food, and those responsible for maintaining our facilities.

*By Colleen Kelly* p(image-right). !/assets/4505/kelly.jpg(kelly.jpg)! I am the stereotypical idealistic student. I strongly believe that creativity and ingenuity can solve any seemingly insurmountable problem. In particular, the energy crisis is one of those solvable problems. The complex and multi-faceted energy concerns including dwindling supply, increasing demand, environmental degradation, geopolitical unrest, and infrastructure problems can all be resolved. However, my idealism was shaken when I went to Washington, D.C.

p(image-right). !/assets/3007/film_fest_poster.jpg(film_fest_poster.jpg)! Six original films exploring the theme of sustainability will be featured during the 2008 Notre Dame Forum Film Festival to be held Sept. 19 (Friday) at 7 p.m. in the Browning Cinema of the University of Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

p(image-right). !/assets/3008/energylogo_thumb.jpg(Energy Week Logo)! The University of Notre Dame will observe its second annual Energy Week Sept. 17 to 24 (Wednesday to Wednesday) with the theme “Be Enlightened,” in conjunction with “Sustainable Energy: A Notre Dame Forum,” to be held on campus Sept. 24.

*By Frank Incropera* p(image-right). !/assets/4098/fincropera.jpg(fincropera.jpg)! What kind of energy future would we like to see? Few would argue with continued access to abundant, low-cost energy supplies or elimination of energy as a barrier to economic development. We would probably also agree that supplies should be adequate to meet the basic needs of all humankind and accessible without geopolitical tensions or having to turn a blind eye to energy-rich but autocratic governments given to the abuse of human rights. And, finally, we would want energy to be used in an environmentally benign and sustainable manner. Regrettably, these conditions do not exist today, nor are they likely to be achieved any time soon.

Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. of Colorado, General Electric Co. (GE) chairman and chief executive officer Jeff Immelt, Sustainable South Bronx founder Majora Carter and Ernest Moniz, Cecil and Ida Green Distinguished Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will be the featured panelists participating Sept. 24 (Wednesday) in the fourth Notre Dame Forum.

GreeND and the Student Forum Committee for the 2008 Notre Dame Forum will host the Symposium of Undergraduate Research on Green Energy (SURGE) on Wednesday, October 1 at 6 pm in the Hesburgh Center for International Studies. Expanding on this year’s Forum topic of Charting…

By: William G. Gilroy and Nina Welding
Office of News and Information

In support of its mission to pursue the development of abundant and inexpensive energy sources that do not harm the environment, the University of Notre Dame’s Energy Center has announced…

By Mary Kaminski, NDAA Staff Writer

Whether it’s because they truly believe in bettering the environment, or because being “green” is the newest trend, many of today’s ND students are dedicating themselves to environmental issues. ND Senior Lourdes Long, president…

Joan F. Brennecke, Keating-Crawford Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and director of the University of Notre Dame’s Energy Center, has been named the 2008 Julius Stieglitz Lecturer by the Chicago section of the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the University of Chicago.

The University of Notre Dame will host the first annual, single day festival devoted to showcasing the best and brightest short films that engage the topic of the Presidential Forum. The 2008 topic is ENERGY: Charting a Sustainable Future. This year’s awards include:…

“This infusion of internal funds, combined with significant gains in external support, allows our scholars to significantly advance their contributions to the most pressing issues of our times,” said Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., Notre Dame’s president.

James M. Mazurek, most recently a partner in the Chicago office of the international consulting firm Accenture, has been appointed the first director of the University of Notre Dame’s new Office of Sustainability. He will join the University May 1.

On the surface, high performance computing and greenhouses appear to have little in common. But the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Research Computing and the City of South Bend have wedded them in a marriage that is environmentally friendly, economically beneficial and worthy of celebration on Earth Day.

The centerpiece of Earth Week events is the Earth Day festival, which will be held on Tuesday, April 22 at Fieldhouse Mall.

The 2008 Notre Dame Forum, which will focus on sustainable energy, will be held on Wednesday, September 24 in the Joyce Center Arena from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. To date, we have confirmed the participation of the Forum moderator and several panelists.

Notre Dame's Class of 2008 voted to make the inaugural gift to the EcoFund, a new fund established to advance environmentally responsible and sustainable practices at Notre Dame.

The University-National Park Energy Partnership Program (UNPEPP) has funded a joint project between the Notre Dame Energy Center and the National Park Service at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to provide energy related consulting services to the park during this coming summer.