A local artist Theodore Harper-Davis, has used some of our surplus polystyrene for an art project.

This is the second blog post about this project. For more infor see previous blog entry.

I asked Theodore what it was all about and he said

“My work investigates ideas of suffocation and isolation through material, surface and form. I attempt to challenge the familiar with the unfamiliar, creating contradictions that through my language work in harmony by constantly questioning one another.”

Theodore went on to emphasise how his work engages with the audience. “I seek to reveal the world we live in providing new perspectives on our human relationship with our contemporary environment through the medium of sculpture/installation.”

Drawing attention to the fact that he is taking waste resources and putting them to another use he went on to explain his interpretation of resource use, consumerism and recycling:

“The materials I use are mainly sourced/recovered from our natural/urban surrounding that have either lost their use or no longer have any place. The material is often in a raw state, and has no form prior to my investigation. Because of this, the work always holds on to a strong sense of origin.”

I think what Theodore is doing is a commentary on how waste is not really waste, but something that is useful (an asset , a resource) but in the wrong place.

Theodore is still at the initial stages in this project and so i am looking forward to further developments

Name: Lucy Latham
Job Title: Carbon Emissions Officer
Length in job: Nine months

Why did you join the Sustainability Team?
I heard about it through a friend who told me that the Sustainability Team were advertising a position for transport project work but at that time they were only looking for master students, however she gave me a reference and so I was allowed to apply for it. The job was for three different projects so they were going to employ three different people but it ended up that they didn’t actually require a master student and that then needed someone full time to do two of the projects so I got the job. My contract then got extended and I did the third project and then it got extended again so here I am.

Can you give me a brief description of your job role?
I support the Energy Manager and help with the foot-printing of various emissions from energy and transport and keep the records of fuel usage up to date. I’ve also assisted with the Carbon Management Plan and I help a lot with putting bills on to our system so that it can be used as a reporting tool and just other bits and bobs.

What previous experience did you have before joining the team?
Immediately after I graduated, I worked for a consultancy called “Future Transport Systems”. I worked there for five months being project support for electric vehicle development projects.

Which university did you study at?
I studied Environmental Science at Newcastle University.

What are the main aims and objectives of the Sustainability Team?
Basically to promote sustainability to the staff and students throughout the university estate. Part of what we do involves a people side and a practical estate side. We try to engage with people and try to change their attitudes and behaviours so that hopefully they will take that home and have a more sustainable lifestyle. We also want to improve the university estate by building measures such as waste reduction and energy reduction.

What have you gained most from working within the team?
What I have gained most is some real life experience by working in a job role which I would like to do as my career. I have also gained an understanding in how an estate as big and varied as Newcastle University goes about dealing with the complex issues of sustainability and energy management, that is what I have enjoyed the most and hopefully I can go and develop this experience.

What sustainability campaigns within Newcastle University are you most excited about?
I’ve only really been involved in “Switch Off 2010” but there are other campaigns such as the recycling campaign which is trying to get people to recycle more. Hopefully now as we going into the launch of “Switch Off”, the revamp of “Switch Off 2010”, I’m going to start becoming a bit more involved in the organisation so I am looking forward to that. Matt and Kay are also working on bring in a new technical dimension using our sub-metering system and also in conjunction with that we are carrying out a lab audit which is my way into “Switch Off” because that is what I am working on. Hopefully we will be able to get a clearer footprint of individual lab spaces and we will be able to look at the biggest energy users and take a more strict approach in trying to understand why their equipment is being used and if there is potential to reduce it.

Do you think student placements benefit the team as well as the student?
Yes, it’s has been absolutely fantastic having students working with us because everyone is producing really great work. Certainly Jenny Lowery, who I have been managing, has done a lot of really meaningful and I wouldn’t have been able to achieve a lot of things over the last few months without her assistance so it is definitely going to be very sad when you all go. It’s been great so we want to develop this work and take it forward.

What would you like to see the team or yourself achieve in the future?
I think the biggest achievement for me would be to retain my position here! I think a great achievement would be to see the team becoming a more integral part in the way the university operates and having more sway on what happens because at the end of the day we are the ones who understand how much the energy and the waste is costing the university. Also, in terms of the carbon that is related now to legalisation and also to our carbon reduction commitment. I would like to see us being really involved in procurement and in finance and having more sway on the decisions which are made the equipment which is bought.

Lisa, Student Engagement Intern

To mark Climate week (21st – 27th March 2011), Newcastle University’s Sustainability Team have a number of exciting new energy schemes launching;

Traffic light stickers for labs

Although turning things off saves energy, it is not always safe to do so. To avoid unsafe situations in laboratories on campus, the traffic light scheme for switch off stickers was developed, to clearly tell people if they can or cannot turn off the equipment. The stickers are being distributed to all Laboratory Managers on campus this week, and will be implemented by a knowledgeable Laboratory Technician in the near future. Look out for these stickers in a lab near you.

Re-launch of the Switch Off campaign

Switch Off 2010 was a year long communication campaign, educating staff and students on energy use across campus. The aim was to raise awareness of the amount of energy the University wastes, and encourage staff and students to turn off any unnecessary electrical items, such as lights / computers.

The success of this awareness campaign showed just how important individual building users are to energy use on campus. From this campaign, a follow up campaign was developed. This new campaign will visit university buildings, and focus upon the technical aspect of energy. The new sub-metering system has enabled access to building specific energy figures, meaning we can provide a tailor made service to help building users reduce their energy consumption / waste.

It is hoped that this new campaign will bring a shared understanding of the importance of both behavioural change and technical methods in the reduction of the University’s baseload of electricity.

During Climate Week, the Switch Off! campaign is working with the building users in the Herschel building. Keep a look out for Switch Off in a building near you!

Lab audits

As part of the new Switch Off! campaign, lab audits will be undertaken in order to gain a better understanding of the energy use in labs. The audits will identify key areas of unnecessary electrical consumption, such as equipment left on overnight etc. By identifying this activity, it can be highlighted where savings can be made in the two main areas to reduce energy use; behavioural change and technical alterations.

If you would like to know more about any of these initiatives, please email saveit@ncl.ac.uk

From London to Sydney, New York and Singapore, people across the world will be coming together to switch off their lights for 1 hour on 26th March at 8.30pm, as part of WWF’s Earth Hour. It’s a reminder to us all that we only have one planet Earth and that we need to reduce the impact our energy system has on our planet.

In celebration of WWF’s 50th anniversary, there is also a quiz night organised by Newcastle University students Emma Morrison and Team at The Lonsdale in Jesmond on Tuesday 22nd at 7.30 pm. There is a small entry fee of £1 and all proceeds will go towards WWF. It looks set to be a great night with prizes being awarded to the top three teams, so get down and show your support!

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change.

In 2010 a record 128 countries and territories joined the global display of climate action. Iconic buildings and landmarks from all over the world switched off. People across the world from all walks of life turned off their lights and came together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.

Earth Hour is organised by WWF, one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations. Their mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and build a future where people live in harmony with nature. Show you care about tackling climate change and protecting the natural world by getting involved and switching off your lights for 1 hour on 26th March at 8.30pm.

Check out their website here for information on registering and participating in Earth Hour 2011.

Ever wondered about the processes behind composting our food waste?
Well now you can find out.

Siobhan Sherry is a Masters student, studying for her MSc in Environmental Consultancy. She is currently working as the Staff Engagement Intern for the Sustainability Team. One of her many jobs has been to design an educational sign for communicating the processes behind our composting. Siobhan designed the large sign to go on the side of the wooden shed covering the composter. This new sign is now in place and looks fab! The simple storyboard shows interested staff and students the path of an apple core deposited into the food waste bins located in kitchen, to the compost end product.

If you have any ideas of others ways the Sustainability Team can engage staff and students with environmental sustainability, please email us at saveit@ncl.ac.uk