Earth Day, celebrated each year on April 22, was established 40 years ago to inspire appreciation for the Earth and environment. UH offers experts, Earth and eco-related story ideas, research programs, and Earth Day events for Earth Day 2010.
UH Earth Day Carnival: The Earth Day Carnival takes place Thursday, April 22, from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Butler
Plaza, in front of the M.D. Anderson Library, UH central campus. The carnival will
highlight the sustainable efforts of UH, including green commuting and transportation,
tips on energy conservation, demonstrations on composting and making recycled paper,
a departmental computer equipment and furniture free-cycle, recycling games, campus
eco tours, dumpster diving and the launching of a weather balloon by the atmospheric
sciences department. UH will also reveal the results of RecycleMania 2010, a competition
among colleges and universities. For detailed information go to https://www.uh.edu/af/greenUH/news/EarthDay2010.pdf . For media parking information contact Shawn Lindsey at 713-743-5725 or selindsey@uh.edu.
Green UH- reducing the campus' carbon footprint: The University of Houston strives to reduce its carbon footprint. UH recently ranked
among the top 10 universities in the nation in waste minimization through recycling
(over 200,000 pounds recycled Jan.-March 2010), composting and the elimination of
styrofoam in residence halls. Jonas Chin is available to talk about Green UH Initiatives
and the strategic plans of the UH sustainability task force. He can be reached at
832-842-9107 or jrchin@uh.edu (See video below or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIRnHhEH-mM).
Video Experts Guide: Jonas Chin on Green UH Initiatives
Reducing greenhouse gasses: Capturing greenhouse gasses and burying it deep beneath the ground could be one way
to significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. UH geophysicist
Chris Liner is part of a federally-funded project to assess the feasibility of storing
carbon in vast subterranean reservoirs. Using advanced seismic imaging and simulations,
Liner is studying whether such reservoirs can safely hold hundreds of thousands of
tons of carbon without leaking. Chris Liner can be reached at 713-743-9110 or cliner@uh.edu.
Biofuels- Algae to Oil: Biomass sources such as algae offer a renewable way to convert CO2 into liquid fuels
through new types of processes. Researchers at UH are examining a mixture of algae
and other aquatic biomasses to find the next conventional oil alternative. For more
about biofuels , contact Mike Harold, principal investigator of UH's Texas Diesel
Testing and Research Center, at 713-743-4322 or mharold@uh.edu.
Food Wars- Organic vs. Genetically Engineered: Genetically engineered (GE) crops were introduced in 1996 and now account for 80-90
percent of soybean, corn, and cotton acreage; this, as many Americans are opting to
go organic. One UH professor believes this should not be a "growing" debate, and although
Earth Day advocacy groups have good intentions, a greater perspective is needed. Prof.
Thomas Degregori has studied GE crops and can speak on its impact domestically (including
just-released research from the National Research Council), and the potential affect
of GE crops on world hunger and poverty. To learn more, contact DeGregori at 713-743-3838
or trdegreg@uh.edu. (See video below or at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJFOzcWq9dY)
Video Experts Guide: Thomas DeGregori on organic vs. genetic engineering
Environmental Chemicals: Chemical Not many people realize that the average person is exposed to thousands
of different chemicals per day, such as arsenic, lead, mercury, benzene and carbon
monoxide. Maria Bondesson, a research assistant professor in biology and biochemistry,
is working with the EPA to link pollutants to birth defects like heart malformations
and spina bifida. To learn more, contact Bondesson at 832-842-8805 or mbondessonbolin@uh.edu.
UH Green Building Components: Green Building Components is the college of architecture's research initiative to
design, develop and implement sustainable, renewable building components for the architecture,
engineering and construction industries. UH architecture professor and applied research
director Joe Meppelink says the work represents the potential to affect the built
environment through sustainably designed components that will have a broad impact
across the architecture, engineering and construction industries. Projects include
SPACE, a solar-powered, off-grid field office made from an up-cycled shipping container
(www.adaptivecontainer.com). To learn more, contact Meppelink at jmeppelink@uh.edu or joe@metalabstudio.com.
Harnessing solar energy: Researchers at the UH Center for Advanced Materials are looking to the sun for alternative-energy
answers. Recent developments in high efficiency solar devices could drive down the
cost of electricity and bring power to millions of homes across the country. To learn
more about how solar energy will create a pathway to energy efficiency, contact Alex
Freundlich at 713-743-3621 or afreundlich@uh.edu.
Rebuilding and securing coastal cities: As residents of the area prepare for the 2010 hurricane season, concerns remain over
beach erosion, the relative sea-level rise and seaside development. To find out more
about the vulnerability of coastal communities and the ability to maintain the coast's
natural appearance, contact Bill Dupre at 713-743-3425 or wdupre@uh.edu.
Making our mark on the marshes: Amid the global competition for water, the planet's wetlands are in what seems to
be a losing battle. What once were rich, abundant breeding grounds for plant and animal
life are slowly disappearing as rivers and streams dry up and as humans develop the
land. UH's Steven Pennings has spent years in the trenches of the wetlands on all
three of America's coasts, and he's not afraid to get his hands dirty - or his feet
wet. To find out more about the use and conservation of wetlands, contact Pennings
at 713-743-2989 or spennings@uh.edu.
Reducing diesel combustion emissions: Diesel fuel burns much more efficiently than gasoline, so the development of effective
technologies for reducing emissions of diesel combustion pollutants nitrogen oxides
(NOx) and particulate soot offers great promise for reducing energy consumption and,
in turn, the production of carbon dioxide, which has been linked to climate change
diesel technologies, contact Mike Harold, principal investigator of UH's Texas Diesel
Testing and Research Center, at 713-743-4322 or mharold@uh.edu.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston is a comprehensive national research institution serving the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. UH serves 37,000 students in the nation's fourth-largest city in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the country.