EDF Climate Corps Blog: Student Stories

  • The Greener Side of Freight Transportation

    EDF Climate Corps fellow | December 2, 2015

    This summer I had the opportunity to work with Port Freeport, a deep-water seaport in Freeport, Texas, on developing a new supply chain strategy from scratch. This new strategy of shipping cargo over water instead of on the highway could lead to a reduction of truck trips, greenhouse gases, cost to shippers and safety for drivers on highways.

  • Good Governance for Sustainability

    EDF Climate Corps fellow | October 6, 2015

    The NYC school system is the largest school district in the United States. It is comprised of over 1,800 schools and 1.1 million students. This scale presents a great opportunity for promoting and implementing sustainability. Not only can school buildings be made more energy and water efficient, but also, the students can be made aware of sustainability by tying the built environment into the curriculum. 

  • Turning Up the Heat on Energy Efficiency

    Guest Author | September 22, 2015

    I was already level with the roof on a ladder when my General Motors supervisor pointed out the irony of my situation. As an Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps fellow, I was destroying the homes of the young maple tree seedlings trying to grow in the rain gutter of a Detroit home. I’m all for trees, but not when they take up residence in a rain gutter...

  • The Ideal Package of Health, Wellness and Sustainability

    EDF Climate Corps fellow | February 10, 2015

    Waking up each morning, all of us (we hope) brush our teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste. Maybe we hop in the shower, use our shampoo, conditioner, body wash and afterwards slather on some lotion...

  • What Choices Can Help Cut Carbon in a Car-Loving Country?

    EDF Climate Corps fellow | November 3, 2014

    I learned this summer that the choices provided by employers directly influence the behavior and habits employees maintain. By just offering greener transit options, employers have an opportunity to influence the carbon footprint of their workforce both on and off the clock. 

  • Schooling Demand Response in Texas Academia

    EDF Climate Corps fellow | October 23, 2014

    The Alamo Colleges began participating in local utility company, CPS Energy’s Demand Response Program in the summer of 2013. This Demand Response Program is one of CPS Energy’s strategies to achieve its 2020 goal of saving 771 megawatts of energy. The Alamo Colleges participated in the program in order to take advantage of a significant rebate opportunity, which was a maximum of $120,600 in 2013 and is $130,650 in 2014. Rebates are based on the level of participation, and in 2013, the Alamo Colleges earned rebates totaling $103,000.

  • Making the World a Better Place: One Megawatt at a Time

    EDF Climate Corps fellow | October 2, 2014

    What does it take for a manufacturing firm with 24/7 operations to incorporate sustainability goals into its daily activities? I learned the answer to the question this summer at Owens Corning.

  • Three Ways to Boost Energy Efficiency after the “Low-Hanging Fruit” has been Picked

    EDF Climate Corps fellow | September 24, 2014

    Companies today are increasingly investing in energy efficiency upgrades, both to conserve energy and to reduce operating costs. By lowering greenhouse gas emissions and fuel expenses, energy efficiency benefits the economy as well as the environment in the face of climate change.  Being from Bangladesh, a country that is on a trajectory to become completely submerged as sea levels rise, climate change is an important issue to me and is largely the reason why I joined EDF Climate Corps. 

  • Companies Turn to Technology to Engage Consumers in Smart Energy Management

    EDF Climate Corps fellow | September 18, 2014

    Most of us in America would argue that affordable and reliable energy access is a basic life necessity, possibly even a basic human right. However, JD Power & Associates recently reported that only 3% of consumers are actually reviewing their energy usage more than once a month. Interaction with this commodity is almost entirely passive. Utilities do whatever it is they do to keep the electrons flowing, and we pay the bill.

  • My Sleepover at The Mart

    EDF Climate Corps fellow | September 11, 2014

    How does one maintain a facility of 4.2 million square feet, with five acres of roofs, that is two city blocks long and has 375 tenants? And, how does a building built in 1930 (also the largest building in the world at that time) compete with current technological innovations and new energy conservation trends? The answer lies in having accurate data, which can be a challenge considering the sheer size and age of this particular building. 

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