Blog@Case Topics: Environment

Case Western Reserve University's Fulbright winners going green with overseas research

2008-05-09T16:15:45Z

Students Olivia Corey and Michael Davidson combine research with cultural experiences

Case Western Reserve University's 2008 Fulbright Scholars, Olivia Corey and Michael Davidson, are taking their "green" research projects to study in Europe and Asia next year.

Corey, of Lakewood, plans to study sustainable building materials at the Technical University of Munich in Germany with her Fulbright. Davidson, of Eugene, Ore., is heading to Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, where a new initiative involves installing and tracking the use of renewable energy sources.

The road to the Fulbright Scholarships followed similar paths for the two students where each has majored in a language and also spent a year abroad as undergraduates to regions they will return to next year for research. Both seniors will graduate with their bachelor's degrees from Case Western Reserve during Commencement ceremonies on May 18.

Both also have known each other over their years at the university. "I envision that Michael and I will someday be sitting on some international committee discussing green issues," Corey said. "Our lives seem to run in parallel directions."

Governor's energy adviser to deliver keynote address at Fourth Annual Ohio Energy Education Conference

2008-05-08T14:30:17Z

Mark R. Shanahan will speak to conference participants at May 9 event at Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University is hosting the Fourth Annual Ohio Energy Education Conference, which will be held Friday, May 9, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Millis Science Center, 2074 Adelbert Road.

Mark R. Shanahan, energy adviser to Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and executive director of the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority, will deliver the lunchtime keynote address at noon. In his role as Strickland's energy adviser, Shanahan, who earned his doctorate from Case Western Reserve, is responsible for coordinating state agencies' efforts to develop a comprehensive Ohio energy policy and to implement the governor's order to significantly reduce state agency energy consumption.

Shanahan also oversees the work of the Ohio Coal Development Office, one of the nation's leading clean coal technology research, development and deployment programs. He has served as Ohio's Clean Air Ombudsman for small business since 1994.

Case Western Reserve University, city of Cleveland and Cleveland Clinic make landmark commitment to social responsibility

2008-04-22T17:28:57Z

Organizations position themselves as regional leaders for sustainability and social responsibility by signing on to United Nations Global Compact

Case Western Reserve University, the city of Cleveland and Cleveland Clinic marked Earth Day 2008 with a joint commitment to corporate responsibility towards the environment, human rights, labor rights and anti-corruption. The three organizations became members of the United Nations Global Compact today (April 22) at city hall with President Barbara Snyder, Mayor Frank Jackson and Oliver Henkel, Chief External Affairs Officer from Cleveland Clinic, signing on to support and advance the 10 principles of the compact.

"Case Western Reserve University prides itself on being a leader in sustainability and social responsibility," said Snyder. "By bringing the university, city and Clinic together through the United Nations Global Compact, we can begin to work with one another to address social, economic and environmental issues both locally and globally."

The Global Compact is an international initiative to promote responsible corporate citizenship. With over 4,000 worldwide corporate members, including companies such as Coca-Cola and Microsoft, it is the world's largest social responsibility movement.

Black box brings attention to energy usage on campus

2008-02-18T14:41:24Z

By now, the campus community has probably seen the big black box resting near the Binary Walkway.

Measuring 8'x8'x4', the box was designed to show the campus community the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere from approximately 250 hours of laptop usage. The university's sustainability office and ΔE (pronounced 'delta E'), an undergraduate club aimed at making positive changes in campus energy consumption, constructed the project.

"When you think about the fact that there are 4,000 undergraduates and numerous faculty, staff and graduate students all using computers, the "boxes" start to pile up pretty quickly," said Mark Wrobleski, vice president of ΔE and a third-year chemical engineering undergraduate. "We have to use computers to stay connected and complete assignments, but we can reduce the size of our own personal black box by adjusting the power settings on our laptops to ensure that they use minimal power during periods of non use, and making sure that we turn them off when we go to sleep at night."

Case Western Reserve University planetary geologist part of NASA's Messenger mission to Mercury

2007-12-21T15:05:14Z

Assistant professor in geological sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences to help lead collection, analysis of data

NASA has selected Case Western Reserve University geophysicist Steven A. Hauck II as one of 23 "participating scientists" to join a team collecting and analyzing data from the MESSENGER mission to Mercury. MESSENGER, an autonomous spacecraft, is expected to reach the innermost planet in January.

Hauck, an assistant professor in geological sciences in the university's College of Arts and Sciences, is leading the six-year, $560,000 NASA-funded project. His research will use data from MESSENGER to refine information about Mercury's interior and how the planet has evolved. Andreas Ritzer, a doctoral graduate student, will also be involved in the project with Hauck.

"It's exciting to be involved in this project," Hauck said. "Data collected by MESSENGER will be critical to understanding how Mercury and terrestrial planets in general formed and evolved, and scientists will be studying these data for many years ahead."

As part of the project, Hauck has joined the mission science team that will guide the MESSENGER spacecraft's collection, calibration, initial analysis and archiving of data aimed at addressing major unanswered questions about Mercury's origin and history.

Case Western Reserve University receives $3.6 million to support startup of Great Lakes Institute for Energy Innovation

2007-12-18T21:26:47Z

Cleveland Foundation grant will support recruitment of faculty for new energy institute

Case Western Reserve University's new Great Lakes Institute for Energy Innovation received a large boost on Tuesday, December 18, with the awarding of a $3.6 million grant from the Cleveland Foundation.

Based at the Case School of Engineering and building on the universityâ€™s strengths in fuel cell research and materials science, the new institute will generate and implement achievable solutions today to build and sustain tomorrowâ€™s industries through development of innovative energy technology platforms and farsighted energy research and energy-use strategies. Three major areas of research are envisioned: renewable power, energy storage and efficiency of larger energy systems.

The goal of the institute is aimed at developing economically viable, reliable and sustainable energy resources for all.

â€œThe greatest challenges and opportunities for engineers and scientists of the 21st century likely will focus on the generation, transportation, utilization and storage of energy,â€ said Norman C. Tien, dean of the Case School of Engineering and driving force behind the Great Lakes Institute for Energy Innovation. "With this startup funding from the Cleveland Foundation, the Case School of Engineering is well-positioned to advance energy innovation in Ohio. We will be augmenting the engineering faculty with this funding by hiring mid-level, well-established players who will have an immediate impact on the school and on our energy initiatives."

Andean Highlands in Chile yield ancient South American armored mammal fossil

2007-12-12T15:32:48Z

Research team from Case Western Reserve, the American Museum of Natural History, U.C. Santa Barbara and Chile

A paleontological dig in Chile at an altitude of more than 14,000 feet in the Andes has yielded fossils of an 18-million-year-old armored mammal. It appears to be one of the most primitive members of a family of extinct mammals known as "glyptodonts," a group closely related to the modern-day armadillo.

Darin Croft from Case Western Reserve University, John Flynn from the American Museum of Natural History and Andre R. Wyss from the University of California Santa Barbara report the discovery and describe the mammal in the featured article for the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology .

Researchers have named the animal, Parapropalaehoplophorus septentrionalis. They derived the first part of the name from the new mammal's resemblance to a slightly younger animal from Argentina (Propalaehoplophorus). Septentrionalis means northern in Latin.

Case Western Reserve University students test potential new food sources for African countries

2007-11-29T14:12:58Z

Christopher Cullis's biotechnology class characterizes DNA of native African plants in hopes of domesticating them

Case Western Reserve University students in Christopher Cullis's biotechnology lab are testing wild, native plants from South Africa to determine if the legumes have the potential to become domesticated crops and help feed the hungry there.

The students will be assigned lab experiments that focus on unraveling the genetic codes for the Bambara nut, cowpea and marama bean plants. These plants have been described by the National Academy of Sciences as the underutilized "lost crops of Africa."

Case Western Reserve University to host United Nations Global Compact Northeast Ohio Partnership

2007-11-26T21:34:22Z

Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit brings UN to campus on November 29

More than 400 business leaders and educators from over 40 countries met on the Case Western Reserve University campus as part of a United Nations Global Compact forum in October 2006, bringing together the corporate and academic worlds in the corporate responsibility movement.

Now, the Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit or BAWB is again bringing the Global Compact to campus, this time on a regional level. This first meeting of the United Nations Global Compact Northeast Ohio Network on Thursday, November 29, will mark the beginning of an opportunity to position the region as a leading hub for sustainability.

Report by Case Western Reserve University researchers shows progress in Ohio's efforts to curb tobacco use

2007-11-21T14:10:59Z

The Center for Health Promotion Research's Tobacco Key Indicators Report says Ohio's youth and adults are getting the message

The first-ever Ohio Tobacco Key Indicators Report completed recently by the Ohio Tobacco Research and Evaluation Center (OTREC) shows a steady decline in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among Ohio adults and youth. The OTREC is part of Case Western Reserve University's Center for Health Promotion Research in the School of Medicine. The report shows that since 2000, adult smoking rates dropped from 27.6 percent in 2001 to 22.4 percent in 2006. The rate outpaces the national decline.

The report, using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Key Outcome Indicators for Evaluating Comprehensive Tobacco Control programs as a guide, assesses the progression of tobacco control efforts in Ohio, focusing on three areas: preventing initiation of tobacco use by young people; eliminating non-smokers' exposure to secondhand smoke; and promoting quitting among adults and young people.

Several factors have contributed to the decline in the prevalence of cigarette smoking. Anti-tobacco media campaigns have influenced Ohio youth with over 80 percent reporting having heard anti-tobacco messages during the past year. Policies that prevent youth access to tobacco also played a role. More than 80 percent of Ohioans strongly supported policies that restrict stores from selling tobacco to youth and require retail licensure to sell tobacco. Eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke was also a component as evidenced by the passing of Issue 5 in November 2006. The majority of Ohio voters (58.5 percent) supported the law that restricts smoking in all public places and places of employment.

Professor David Cooperrider named Aspen Institute faculty pioneer

2007-11-20T15:04:51Z

For his work in integrating social and environmental issues into academic research, educational programs and business practice, David Cooperrider, Case Western Reserve University professor of organizational behavior, has received a 2007 Faculty Pioneer Award from the Aspen Institute's Center for Business Education.

Cooperrider (GRS '86, organizational behavior), Fairmount Minerals Professor of Social Entrepreneurship and director the Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit (BAWB) at the Weatherhead School of Management, received the External Impact Award. The award is given for positive and visible impact on business and organizational management practices in social impact and/or environmental areas.

"This award is meaningful because the academic sector is following the steps of other major awards such as the Nobel Prize," said Cooperrider. "The last two Nobel Peace prizes were given to individuals and organizations that were finding ways for business to address social and environmental issues."

He added, "I am proud that our school received this award because our work has shown clearly that sustainability is the biggest opportunity of the 21st century. It's a huge opportunity for corporate leadership; it's a huge opportunity new sources of innovation."

Elevated nitric oxide in blood is key to high altitude function for Tibetans

2007-10-31T14:54:14Z

Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic researchers find Tibetans have 10 times more nitric oxide

How can some people live at high altitudes and thrive while others struggle to obtain enough oxygen to function?

The answer for Tibetans who live at altitudes around 14,000 feet is increased nitric oxide (NO) levels. High levels of NO circulate in various forms in the blood and produce the physiological mechanisms that cause the increased blood flow that maintains oxygen delivery despite hypoxia—low levels of oxygen in the ambient air and the bloodstream.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation report that Tibetans have 10 times more NO and have more than double the forearm blood flow of low-altitude dwellers. The findings from a comparison of NO levels in the high and low altitude dwellers are reported in the article, "Higher Blood Flow and Circulating NO Products Offset High-Altitude Hypoxia among Tibetans," in the current Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The low barometric pressure of high altitudes generally causes low arterial oxygen content among Tibetans, yet the researchers have found that Tibetans consume oxygen at normal rates.

"We asked how that could be done," said Cynthia Beall, the S. Idell Pyle Professor of Anthropology at Case Western Reserve University. For two decades, Beall has been one of the world's leading researchers in the studies of high altitude adaptation in different populations in Ethiopia, South America and Tibet.

Faculty Senate chair testifies before Ohio Senate committee that is pondering Ohio's energy future

2007-10-30T14:20:36Z

Engineering Professor David Matthiesen speaks to Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee in support of Senate Bill 221

David H. Matthiesen, associate professor of materials science and engineering at Case Western Reserve University testified in support of a sweeping energy bill that would require new standards including re-regulating electricity rates. In addition, the bill would require the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to adopt rules that require 25 percent of electricity sold in the state to be generated from advanced energy sources. Matthiesen, also chair of the university's Faculty Senate, spoke before the Ohio Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee on Tuesday, October 23.

Matthiesen, who is leading the university's effort for the Great Lakes Offshore Wind Energy Demonstration Project and Research Center, testified in favor of the provisions within Senate Bill 221 concerning the creation of a Renewable Portfolio Standard as part of the Advanced Energy Portfolio Standard. The project and research center is a collaboration of the School of Engineering and the Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners and its Energy Development Task Force.

Weatherhead School students support ties with local agencies, creating a better campus environment

2007-09-13T15:03:32Z

Known for developing future business and management leaders, the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University also plays a leadership role in reaching out to the community.

During the past year, dozens of Weatherhead School students have volunteered with various local agencies, as well as the campus community. Some of the area agencies that have benefited include:

The Cleveland Foodbank: Weatherhead School students recently hosted a drive that netted several hundred pounds of canned foods to benefit needy Cleveland families
Shoes and Clothes for Kids: Shoes and clothes were donated to the agency's warehouse
Granville Academy: Graduate students volunteered as workshop facilitators for this nonprofit organization devoted to preparing inner city children for successful transition into the college and business worlds

College of Arts and Sciences Engages in Community Outreach

2007-09-11T15:05:22Z

The College of Arts and Sciences houses several community outreach programs that involve active participation of students, faculty and staff.

Several of these programs, conducted by the Center for Science and Mathematics Education, focus on outreach to educators and middle and high school students:

University, Cuyahoga County team up to create wind energy research center on Lake Erie

2007-08-24T17:00:17Z

Collaborative study will be conducted first to determine feasibility of construction and operation of center that can efficiently and durably harness wind power

Case Western Reserve University and the Board of County Commissioners of Cuyahoga County (BOCC) and have entered into an agreement that could make Ohio - and especially Northeast Ohio - a national and international focal point for energy innovation and a world leader in technologies that provide sustainable, reliable and affordable energy.

At its regular meeting on August 23, the BOCC approved a resolution for the county's Great Lakes Energy Development Task Force that authorizes Case Western Reserve University to partially sponsor a feasibility study to develop and potentially manage the operations of a Great Lakes Wind Energy Research Center, which would be the first fresh water, offshore wind project in the world. The commissioners also approved a resolution authorizing the task force to negotiate a contract with the project manger for the feasibility study for the wind turbine demonstration project and research center.

The university will collaborate with other universities, government laboratories and industry - including in the field of commercialization and industry-sponsored research - to conduct the feasibility study for a wind energy demonstration project.

Weatherhead School at Case Western Reserve University earns second place in national campus greening program

2007-08-13T14:35:39Z

The Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University pulled ahead of dozens of other competitors to take second place in the Net Impact Green Challenge 2007. Net Impact is the largest M.B.A. student club in the nation.

Sponsored by Seventh Generation and Office Depot, the Net Impact Green Challenge participants are actively involved in one of two Net Impact change programs: Impact at Work for professional members and Campus Greening Initiative for student members.

The student winners are members of business school chapters of Net Impact chosen and recognized for creating positive environmental change at their university or college through the Campus Greening Initiative. The inaugural competition involved student chapters from 14 colleges and universities.

Case Western Reserve University's Sobel tithes research time to environmental issues

2007-04-05T21:56:41Z

BioScience article by Weatherhead School of Management professor and an international team of researchers on forecasting global warming impact on biodiversity is one result

Case Western Reserve University faculty member Matthew Sobel has joined a team of international scientists calling for better forecasting methods in predicting how climate changes will impact the earth's plant and animal species. They have reported eight ways to improve biodiversity forecasting in the BioScience article, " Forecasting the Effects of Global Warming on Biodiversity."

Sobel, the William E. Umstattd Professor at the Weatherhead School of Management, began consciously tithing a portion of his research time 40 years ago to critical environmental concerns at time when those issues were not fashionable in most of academia.

In addition to predictions about global changes, the researchers also want better forecasting to unravel "the Quaternary conundrum," which is evidence suggesting that many of the estimated 1.5 million species on earth are in danger of extinction from global warming, yet over the past 2.5 million years little extinction is documented in the fossil record.

Case's "Sustainable Design Factory" helps propel Green Mountain Coffee Roasters as a top corporate citizen

2007-03-13T16:54:20Z

Ranked for the second consecutive year as No. 1 on the list of " 100 Best Corporate Citizens" by CRO (Corporate Responsible Officer) magazine, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) credits part of its success to using "The Sustainable Design Factory" at Case Western Reserve University and working with the university's Weatherhead School of Management faculty.

"We are thrilled by this unprecedented honor," said Robert Stiller, president and CEO of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. "Our partnership with Case Western Reserve University's Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit has been a powerful and positive, key catalyst to our company," said Stiller, "especially the Appreciative Inquiry (AI), a multi-stakeholder innovation tool used in their Sustainable Design Factory."

This is the fifth straight year that Green Mountain Coffee Roasters has appeared on the CRO's prestigious list. The company is the only one to attain the top spot for two years running. The only other company to receive the top honors twice is IBM.

Why I found Collapse so depressing

2007-02-22T15:40:01Z

On Monday, Mano Singham wrote about The odd response to global warming warnings, and this reminded me that I never finished my response to Jared Diamond's Collapse. I finished reading the book some time ago, and unfortunately continued to be more convinced by the doom-and-gloom side of the argument...than the hopeful side.