Brown and Green
The Office of Sustainability and Resiliency Newsletter
AVP's Message
This fall has ushered in new and exciting resiliency initiatives here at Brown. I am pleased to announce the newly-created position of Assistant Director, Resiliency and Adaptation as a key measure to integrate resilience into University operations and decisions. The University will embark on an effort to ensure resiliency and adaptability in the face of current and future climate change risks. OSR aims to partner with other organizations to assure Brown has the best available predictive data on climate change hazards impacting campus operations. OSR, in collaboration with internal and external partners, will create a campus Resilience and Adaptation Plan, and will partner and advocate with local and regional governments, NGOs, and utilities where appropriate. We are excited for this next chapter of integrating resilience into the sustainability efforts at the University and we look forward to sharing our future work with you.
- Jessica Berry, AVP, Office of Sustainability and Resiliency
NEWS@BROWN
Strides Towards Electric Fleet
Last semester, a purchasing policy was adopted by the University requiring that all new fleet vehicles be electric or plug-in hybrid electric. This policy codifies Brown’s commitment in the Sustainability Strategic Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2040. Through extensive research on the various impacts of gas-powered vehicles and groundskeeping equipment, advocacy across various departments, and invaluable input from the staff members working with this equipment on a daily basis, we are pleased to report that 95% of our groundskeeping equipment is now fully electric. Additionally, the Department of Public Safety, the University Library, Facilities Management, and the Brown Bookstore have received the first five electric vehicles purchased as a result of this change. Read more about this shift, the impacts it will have, and the individuals leading the charge at the link below.
EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Clean Break
At the end of each academic year, thousands of students leave campus for the summer. This mass exodus means the University undergoes a spring cleaning of grand proportions. Students lighten their suitcases by donating clothing, housewares, electronics and books as part of the University’s Clean Break Program. Last semester, the Office of Sustainability and Resiliency, along with a team of 30 student volunteers, Custodial Services, Facilities Management, and Residential Life, partnered with 3 campus and community organizations to redirect student items from the landfill.
Donations such as winter coats, other cold weather clothing, and toiletries were given to Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE). HOPE is a student-run Swearer Center program that combats homelessness, by contributing to community-based research that identifies discrimination against housing-insecure individuals. Donations provided to HOPE will be made available to individuals experiencing homelessness in Rhode Island.
Clothing, home goods and miscellaneous items went directly into the hands of students and community members in need through donations to Goodwill of Southern New England. Brown is proud to work with Goodwill of Southern New England’s Rhode Island campus which uses revenue from donations to provide job training, and education programs for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment.
Brown is committed to supporting groups that give back to the community, including the Mt. Pleasant Library Friends. The Library accepted donations of books in addition to clothing and home goods which they will use to raise funds for adult and child enrichment programs.
In total, 130lbs of goods were donated to HOPE, and 2,857lbs of goods were donated to Mt.Pleasant Library Friends. The majority of donations were delivered to GoodWill and final donation weight totals are forthcoming. The Office of Sustainability and Resiliency would like to extend an enthusiastic thank you to Facilities Management, Custodial Services, Res Life, our student volunteers, and community partners for undertaking this herculean effort every year!
Sustainability Seed Grants
Have an idea that could make Brown a more sustainable and resilient community? Apply for the next cycle of Sustainability Seed Grants! Awards can be put towards research, education, and engagement expenses. Previous recipient projects include Quantifying Carbon Dioxide and Methane Concentrations in Providence, Detection and Measurement of Methane Gas Leaks on Brown’s College Hill Campus, and a Fashion Sustainability Conference. Apply by March 15, 2024 at 5pm, following the instructions provided at the link below.
BEYOND BROWN
R.I. News:
Clean Water Act Settlement with Kenyon Industries
In May of this year, a settlement was reached between Environment America and Kenyon Industries pursuant to the lawsuit brought against the latter under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The lawsuit alleges that, since 2017, Kenyon Industries has committed 1,784 violations of the CWA and polluted the Pawcatuck River. Namely, a textile mill subsidiary of Kenyon located in Richmond, RI is accused of discharging excessive amounts of copper, a highly toxic water pollutant, into the river.
On March 12, 2019, the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed (which includes the 35 mile Pawcatuck River) was designated as a Partnership Wild and Scenic River by the National Park Service. The Wild & Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 states that:
"It is hereby declared to be the policy of the United States that certain selected rivers of the Nation which, with their immediate environments, possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural or other similar values, shall be preserved in free-flowing condition, and that they and their immediate environments shall be protected for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Congress declares that the established national policy of dams and other construction at appropriate sections of the rivers of the United States needs to be complemented by a policy that would preserve other selected rivers or sections thereof in their free-flowing condition to protect the water quality of such rivers and to fulfill other vital national conservation
purposes."
According to the National Parks Service, the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed is the longest Wild and Scenic rivers system in New England, totaling 110 miles. Part of the settlement in the lawsuit against Kenyon requires a $40,000 payment to the Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Council. While this money will be focused on areas downstream of the Richmond textile mill, the highly polluted Pawcatuck River is nonetheless connected to the remaining 75 miles of federally protected waters. As discussed at great length in the recent Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA, ‘waters’ is a disputed term in CWA jurisprudence. In the next section of Brown & Green, we will discuss this ruling and its potential impact on lawsuits like the one against Kenyon. You can read more about the Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed and the settlement with Kenyon at the links below.
U.S. News:
Supreme Court Decision on Sackett v. EPA
In this case from the Supreme Court’s most recent term, Michael and Chantell Sackett sought to appeal a decision made by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Clean Water Act (CWA) prohibiting them from constructing a house a few hundred feet away from Priest Lake. Priest Lake is a popular tourist destination in Idaho encompassing a State Park of the same name. The Sacketts began filling the wetlands on their property with gravel and were eventually told by the EPA to remove the gravel and halt all construction without a permit as the wetlands in question were protected under the CWA. In 2008, the Sacketts sued, alleging that the wetlands on their property were not federally protected. In the 2023 SCOTUS decision for Sackett v. EPA, the justices ruled unanimously that the wetlands in question are not under the jurisdiction of the CWA. However, four justices filed and/or joined concurrences in judgment that dissented with the broader rule the majority agreed upon. Essentially, the case was split off into two decisions:
One unanimous decision that the Sacketts should be able to develop a home on their land, and
A second, 5-4 decision, where the majority holds that the current interpretation of ‘waters’ under the CWA as being too broad.
In the latter, the majority also establishes a new rule for the interpretation of 'waters of the United States,’ which is as follows:
“To determine when a wetland is part of adjacent “waters of the United States,” the Court agrees with the Rapanos plurality that the use of “waters” in §1362(7) may be fairly read to include only wetlands that are “indistinguishable from waters of the United States.” This occurs only when wetlands have “a continuous surface connection to bodies that are ‘waters of the United States’ in their own right, so that there is no clear demarcation between ‘waters’ and wetlands” (Sackett v. EPA).
According to Jon Devine of NRDC, the EPA must now adapt their current policies that rely on the long held jurisdictional interpretation that ‘waters of the United States’ includes not only those that meet the criteria above, but also “all the relevant parts of an aquatic ecosystem, including streams, wetlands, and small ponds—things that aren't necessarily connected to the tributary system on the surface, but that still bear all kinds of ecological relationships to that system and to one another" (NRDC). These surface connections can be natural or man-made, making this change even more troubling. In excluding certain portions of the ecosystem simply because they lack a continuous surface connection to a larger body of water, this decision will have devastating impacts on aquatic life nationwide.
Read more of the justices’ opinions and their potential impacts at the links below.
World News:
Wildfire Smoke Crossing International Borders
This year’s summer skies were frequently dulled by blankets of smoke crossing the border from Canada; locking many Americans inside due to air quality warnings. Climate conditions are at least partially to blame for the increase in both frequency and intensity of Canadian wildfires, specifically, the abnormally high and dry temperatures we’ve seen this year provide the perfect conditions for these fires to thrive. As scientists continue to note the record breaking temperatures 2023 has brought, it is important to recognize that these records will only continue to be broken in the coming years. We need to prepare for the impacts that we know are coming, and the drifting of such harmful pollutants across international borders is a strong reminder that global cooperation is necessary to protect our future. See how current wildfires are impacting air quality nationwide at the link below.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Not only is Puerto Rico gravely under-surveilled at the federal level (see Research@Brown section), but it also faces extreme environmental hazards that are compounded by a lack of actionable remediation efforts. In East San Jose, Puerto Ricans are fighting for expedited cleanup efforts on a massive fuel spill that occurred eight years ago. The spill contaminated the soil, groundwater, and air in this community, placing its residents at high risk for harmful exposures. Yet, many of these individuals remain unaware of the dangers they face every time they leave their home or even inside of it, and they are often unable to move elsewhere if they do learn about or become concerned by the pollutants. Learn more about this community and its fight for a safer environment at the link below.
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
The Brown University Student Birding Club was revived during the 2022-2023 academic year by a group of students who were inspired by a course called ‘Birding Communities’ taught by Dr. Nancy Jacobs. In the past year, the group has organized many trips across Rhode Island to observe its various species of birds in their natural habitats. The group’s leaders also applied for and received a grant from the National Audubon Society to establish a native plant garden on Brown’s campus. This garden is specifically geared towards birds and, as part of the grant, the group will have access to the Audubon Society of RI’s garden coordinator Katie Schortmann to assist in creating the ideal environment for them.
This past Spring, the students behind the project were able to turn their plans into reality. The photos above show the labor of love that went into it, and the garden is now flourishing. The plants include a mix of trees, shrubs, and wildflowers that will attract many different species of birds, including cardinals, woodpeckers, mockingbirds, and so many more. The Birders hope that this garden will act as a sanctuary for birds, insects, humans, and all other living beings for many years to come. In less than a year, the students who revived Birders at Brown (many of them upperclassmen) were able to ensure a legacy of respect for the environment that so many of us consider a temporary home bound by the edges of campus. For the plants and animals surrounding us, their environment is broader and consistently intruded upon by modernity.
The students who led this project—Nina Tafapolsky, Talia Fernandez, Jessica Bennett, and Penny Robinson—would like to thank:
Nicholas Mol (Grounds Superintendent)
Lauren Parmelee (Education Director at ASRI)
Katie Schortmann (Garden Coordinator at the Audubon Society of RI)
The Dept. Of Facilities Management
Emma Miceli of the Office of Special Programming
Cassie Sutton Coats (they/them) — SAO advisor
Loren Smith (he/him) Director of Center and Sanctuary Operations at the National Audubon Society
Diana Braithwaite (Director of Audubon on Campus Program)
and SLUG, for sharing their space and collaborating on this project.
LOCAL VENDOR SPOTLIGHT
Iggy's Bread
Iggy’s Bread, one of the local vendors that works with Brown Dining Services, is a bakery based in Cambridge, MA that also provides daily delivery services to those in surrounding communities. Beyond their status as a local bakery, Iggy’s Bread has a mission aligned with environmental sustainability, human health, and slow business practices. When possible, they use ingredients that haven’t been treated with chemicals and they allow their goods to rise naturally (which can take 9-16 hours) rather than rushing the process. As stated on their website:
"Our Mission is to make breads of the Highest Quality and then deliver them daily to our customers with the Highest Standards of service and Integrity. Our priority is to Learn to work well Together, and to create an environment that fosters communication and personal growth. Honesty, mutual Respect, Sharing and Caring for the People and the Planet are the values on which our business is based.”
RESEARCH@BROWN
Elizabeth Fussell, MS, PhD
Dr. Elizabeth Fussell is a Professor of Population Studies and Environment and Society whose research focuses on the societal and environmental causes of population change. Dr. Fussell worked at Tulane University from 2001 until 2007, directly witnessing the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina as well as its aftermath. Much of her research follows New Orleans’ population recovery following Hurricane Katrina as well as the societal factors that make individuals more susceptible to post-disaster migration or trauma. Currently, she is working on a similar project that will assess the migration patterns of Puerto Ricans following Hurricane Maria. Alongside Dr. Narayan Sastry at the University of Michigan, Dr. Fussell is also working towards the expansion of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) to include Puerto Rico in its data collection and thereby deepen our understanding of the complex migratory dynamic between the United States and its territories. Her commitment to social justice in climate research is admirable, especially as we anticipate increasingly frequent and extreme weather events as climate change worsens. Read more about Dr. Fussell and her work at the link below.
SUSTAINABILITY TIPS
Seasonal Produce:
Fall is the perfect time to try out new recipes and even new foods altogether. Make sure to shop locally for in-season produce—not only will the quality be better, but it'll likely be less expensive and more beneficial to the local economy.
Check out the Providence farmers markets (and whether they accept SNAP or WIC) here.
E-Waste Disposal:
Electronics release toxic chemicals into the air, water, and soil as they degrade in landfills. Instead of throwing outdated electronics away, find appropriate recycling centers near you to donate or safely dispose of older technology. For more information on e-waste disposal at Brown, please visit our website.
Leave the Leaves:
The sight of falling leaves marks the onset of autumn, prompting many to view it as an extra task, such as raking and discarding piles of leaves. However, it's beneficial to leave the leaves on your lawn. These dead leaves play a vital role in the natural processes of plants and soil. They emerge from the ground, die, decompose, and enrich the soil, supplying essential carbon that supports soil ecology and fosters robust microbial activity.
Stay Warm Sustainably!:
As the outside temperatures begin to decrease, our first instinct is often to adjust the thermostat. But before you do that, consider layering up with sweaters, thick socks, and additional blankets.
For example, consider curtains for insulation. Thermal curtains can enhance window insulation by trapping warm air inside and blocking cold air from entering. Drawing your curtains at night provides an extra layer of insulation to keep your home cozy.
Hydration Map:
It is important to stay hydrated throughout the year. Take a look at this map that shows the locations of filtered water fountains and water bottle refill stations around campus. Remember to bring your reusable bottle!
When Getting Takeout:
Invest in a good set of reusable utensils. Many come with a case for easy travel, and since plastic utensils are still widely distributed, this is one easy way to keep excess waste to a minimum.
Suggested Listening
If you feel confused by the near constant production of frequently conflicting sustainability-related news, policies, and interventions, then the Possibly podcast might be for you!
In five minute (or less) episodes, the team at Possibly explains what you really need to know about complex sustainability news on a scale ranging from questions local to Providence all the way to global climate change mitigation. Read more about the team—which is full of Brown students, alumni, and faculty—and submit your own questions at the link below.
