Welcome to the Sustainability Initiative at UMass Dartmouth.
Sustainability is the most pressing and far-reaching paradigm of the new millennium … the re-evolution of the 21st century. Not only does it touch on many aspects of social and bio-physical sciences, economics, business and policy-making, finding solutions to sustainability-related challenges requires a more intensely trans-disciplinary team approach than has been mapped-out for any other subject in history.
The Sustainability Initiative at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth serves as a catalyst for action, taking a leadership role in transforming academic and practical training, engaging in the community to further sustainability efforts, sponsoring sustainability efforts at the university and redeveloping our region for a sustainable future. It encompasses Sustainability Studies, the Office of Campus and Community Sustainability, and a Center for Green Jobs Training.
We look forward to hearing from you with any questions about the Sustainability Initiative at UMass Dartmouth.
What's new?
- Living Classroom Article in Sustainability Journal (PDF)
- Fall 2012 Sustainability Courses
- Student Recycling Survey
- Our 2011/2012 Sustainability Initiative Newsletter is out! Enjoy.
The Sustainability Almanac for May 24-31
Scientists have developed a robot fish equipped with sensors that monitor water quality and detect pollutants emitted from ships and pipelines.This is an innovative method for combatting and dealing with oceanic pollution. The robotic fish can reduce the time it takes to discover chemicals and oil spills from days to seconds.
The process of turning saltwater into potable drinking water, or desalination, is expanding in capabilities and efficiencies. In cases when desalination threatens wildlife and ecosystems, as in the California Desert construction a new technique can employ an energy-efficient seawater distillation membrane designed to yield greater amounts of potable water, and less briny discharge. This is a fascinating article because it sheds some light regarding why it isn't expanded more if its such a successful method for producing drinking water to many nations with water shortages. Desalination is a resource-intensive process that requires a great deal of energy, so many nations, including the U.S., can't afford to implement it on a massive scale.
For wine enthusiasts, Food and Wine explores the economic, environmenal, and quality benefits of putting wine on tap. Kegged wine, is cheaper to transfer and requires less expensive resources. Putting wine on tap actually also improves the taste of some wines. As unlike kegs, cork exposes wine to oxygen. That's a good thing for the handful of wines with flavors that improve during bottle aging, but oxygen dulls most wines made to be drunk right away -- that is, about 90 percent of all wines.
The current issue continues here.
