UCSB Announces ‘Green Initiative' Grant Recipients for Sustainability Projects

UC Santa Barbara's The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) Grant Making Committee has announced its grant recipients for the 2010-11 funding cycle.

The committee, composed primarily of undergraduate and graduate students, received 37 applications for various campus sustainability projects from UCSB students, staff, and faculty. In the end, 18 projects were selected to receive awards totaling $177,080.

"This year, The Green Initiative Fund has funded more projects than ever before, aiding the campus in reaching ambitious reduction targets in waste, water, and energy," said Jasmine Syed, UCSB's new sustainability coordinator. "I hope that many of this year's projects will set examples for further implementation at other campuses. TGIF offers the entire campus community –– especially students –– an opportunity to meet environmental challenges with creative solutions, in a very tangible way."

Some examples of the TGIF-funded projects:

Isla Vista Theater LED Light Project will replace all of the theater's halogen lights with energy-efficient, low-wattage LED fixtures, $37,604. This is the fourth theatrical venue on campus to convert to LED lighting, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to energy savings.

Student Food Collective Sustainable Food Cart will help with the construction and operation of a student-owned cooperative food cart, $30,000. The students will sell

items such as sandwiches, wraps, and salads, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. The cart will provide healthy food to the campus community at an affordable price, while also educating students about food sustainability and the local agricultural network.

Solar Power for the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration (CCBER) will provide half of the funding needed to install a solar array on the roof of the Cheadle Center at the Harder Stadium Annex, $21,000. The project is expected to result in a 40-50 percent energy reduction in the building.

Campus Pool Cover will provide funds for a cover on the campus pool, which will prevent heat from escaping and water from evaporating during non-operation hours, $15,000. The project is expected to cut energy costs $48,750 per year.

Other TGIF-funded projects are Family Housing Composting and Trash Reduction, $10,800; Extension of Campus Reclaimed Water Line, $10,050; Santa Cruz Island Reserve Solar Hot Water, $9,163; Extending the Central Irrigation Control System, $9,000; Santa Cruz Island Reserve Lighting, $5,842; Smart Water Use Project, $4,500; Campus Aerator Retrofit Program, $4,136; Commingled Recycle Bins for Student Affairs Buildings, $4,050; Intercollegiate Athletics Recycling Project, $3,950; Recycling the Brine from Campus Reverse Osmosis Systems, $3,555; Solar-Powered Attic Fans for Campus Greenhouses, $3,190; Project to Implement Educational Campaign to Highlight Benefits of Using Reusable Clamshell Containers in Place of Styrofoam, $2,050; Improving the Gathering of Campus Recycling Systems, $1,990; and production of a CCBER Native Algae Book, $1,200.

TGIF will begin soliciting applications for the 2011-12 funding cycle in fall 2011. Anyone who has an idea for a project that would aid UCSB's sustainability efforts is urged to contact Syed at (805) 893-8367, or by e-mail at jasmine.syed@vcadmin.ucsb.edu.

The TGIF Committee is a student-majority governing body selected to oversee TGIF allocation of approximately $150,000 annually. The fund was created in 2006 when the UCSB student body overwhelmingly voted for a $2.60 per quarter lock-in fee. The money created by the lock-in fee is used to finance sustainability projects that help reduce UCSB's impact on the environment.

For more information on TGIF, please visit http://sustainability.ucsb.edu/tgif.

Related Links

TGIF

UCSB Sustainability