With support from Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC) in Cass Lake, Minnesota, solar energy infrastructure--as well as specialized training and well-paying jobs--are coming to the Leech Lake Nation. Rather than power LLTC's facilities, a 40- kilowatt solar garden installed on the college's campus during the 2017 fall semester, along with four similar…

In recent years, energy- and resource-reduction projects have compelled student leaders to create sustainability projects on campuses across the country. This paper examines the role that students play in green revolving funds, including identification, approval, and management. After speaking with numerous students on a variety of campuses, it is…

Few industries are as critical to the U.S. economy as transportation. Skilled automotive, railroad, and airline technicians shuttle the goods and people that drive every aspect of domestic and international commerce. The transportation sector offers some of the most exciting opportunities for workers to address critical issues of this time:…

Nearly every institution is faced with the situation of having to reduce the cost of a construction project from time to time through a process generally referred to as "value engineering." Just the mention of those words, however, gives rise to all types of connotations, thoughts, and memories (usually negative) for those in the…

For many schools, "Going Green" once meant turning out the lights after leaving the classroom, filling the recycle bins, and celebrating Earth Day. Not anymore. Although such activities remain staples of environmentally conscious school systems, that consciousness has exploded in an era of high energy prices, global warming threats, and…

The authors describe their experiences teaching Sustainable Cities in North America, a course on both urban sociology and urban sustainability. This course brought students to Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, British Columbia, and then compared those cities with Minneapolis, Minnesota, on various dimensions of urban sustainability. After…

A wind energy focused curriculum for grades 4-8 was designed and implemented to promote the understanding of wind energy concepts with American Indian students. 57 students who participated in the 2009 summer program of the "Reach for the Sky" (RFTS) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) received the curriculum. The…

This article reports that with fuel prices soaring nationwide, reaching more than $4 for each gallon of gas or diesel, school districts are struggling to supplement transportation-budget shortfalls and find ways to offset the increasing costs as a new school year approaches. Now districts--most of whose buses run on diesel fuel--are scrambling to…

Discussed are the energy conservation activities and responsibilities of one state energy office, the Minnesota Energy Agency, and the obstacles and constraints it faces in delivering its services. Suggestions are presented for resolving these difficulties and for improving the efficiency with which the agency manages its program. (Author/DS)

Growing numbers of colleges and universities are making the leap to renewable energy. Some are not only saving money--they're making money on their renewable energy purchases. This guide, written by two energy consultants, walks readers through the process of evaluating the various technologies, ownership options, relationships with utilities, and…

The Total Energy Management (TEM) for Minnesota Schools program is a unified, planned approach to reducing the energy use and costs of an individual school or school district. The program is designed to increase energy awareness and improve school energy efficiency through: (1) careful energy accounting; (2) changes in operations and maintenance…

This booklet is a compilation of report proceedings of the Industry-Education Conference of the Minnesota Academy of Science. It was designed as an orientation booklet for participants in this conference and includes the text of the speeches given by a number of keynote speakers. The theme of the conference was total environmental impact, with a…

Total Energy Management (TEM) is a unified, planned approach to reducing the energy use and costs of an individual school or school district. The program increases energy awareness and improves school energy efficiency through: (1) careful energy accounting; (2) changes in operations and maintenance procedures; (3) modifications in the building…

An energy savings study revealed that adding insulation to an existing building and reducing ventilation loads would enable the school to heat both the existing building and the addition with existing boiler equipment. (Author/MLF)

Reported are the proceedings of an energy end-use regulation seminar held in October, 1975, at Chanhassen, Minnesota, to review the possibilities and effects of implementing energy use legislation in the state of Minnesota. This conference was one of four seminars held by the American Association for the Advancement of Science throughout the…