Carolina a leader in the realm of sustainability

TO THE EDITOR:

Kudos to the DTH for recognizing ways in which Chapel Hill's rooftops can be used more sustainably! 

The projects cited in Monday's editorial (""Putting green on top: Chapel Hill roofs put to sustainable uses"") — UNC's green roofs and Duke Energy's solar collectors  — exemplify the definition of sustainability. 

They reduce our impact on the environment" create new business opportunities or savings and improve the health of the entire community. 

Fortunately these projects are just a small sample of sustainability both on and off campus.

Thanks to forward-thinking students faculty and staff Carolina has become a recognized national leader in teaching researching and building for a sustainable future.  In the classroom" students can now enroll in the sustainability minor and many related courses to prepare for a ""green"" future. 

In the lab" researchers are working on the next generation of sustainable solutions for a range of issues from safe drinking water to nontoxic materials for fuel cells. 

On campus Carolina has the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified building in the UNC-system and five more in planning or construction.  More than a dozen student groups promote social equity economic stability and environmental responsibility. 

Off campus UNC taps its expertise to educate communities on issues of sustainability and accelerate the growth of sustainable businesses in our state. The moral of this story is that there are lots of ways for students faculty and staff to get involved. 

While it is impossible to list here all the sustainability groups and programs at Carolina I encourage interested readers to learn more at sustainability.unc.edu.



Brian Cain

Research & Outreach Manager

UNC Sustainability Office