May 2013 Sustainability Profile: Tamara Ball

Each month, our newsletter features a person or group on campus that is working toward a more sustainable world. This month's profile features Tamara Ball, a Post-Doctoral Researcher and instructor for the Impact Designs: Engineering and Sustainability through Student Service (IDEASS) program, which is currently accepting applications for next year.

We asked Tamara what she thinks about sustainability and how it relates to her work at UCSC.

Name: Tamara Ball
Title: Post-Doctoral Researcher & IDEASS instructor
Education: Amherst College as undergraduate, UC Santa Cruz Doctorate of Education

Favorite Green Tips: Hanging laundry to dry. Laundry to landscape. Growing as much of your own food as the snails and gophers will allow (less time to make hummus with parsley & cilantro from garden than to run to the store). Shopping at the thrift on a quest to never buy new. Native no mow fescue grass. Putting young people's ideas into action.

What does "sustainability" mean to you? In a word - perhaps it means Balance. Balance is not stillness - it is ongoing motion. A constant re-direction, re-generation, re-creation as a system strains against itself.

How does sustainability relate to your role at UCSC? My involvement with the IDEASS program over the last three years has allowed me the privilege of encouraging and supporting talented students as they work towards completing sustainable design projects that are making noticeable and tangible impacts in our community.  These projects cover a broad range of topics from game design to "yellow grease" to renewable energy microgrids.

How do you practice sustainability in your daily life? Not purchasing what I don't need. Walking to wherever whenever I can (even with toddler and baby in tow). Recharging batteries rather than depending on Duracel. Ball jars for tupperware.

Have you had a favorite sustainability moment at UCSC? Meeting the most recent cohort of IDEASS interns for the first time last fall.  Looking forward to another inspiring round of projects.

We are accepting applications now for 2013/2014 academic year. Students should apply online at sustainability.ucsc/ideass and learn what it takes to make their best idea become a reality.

Now Hiring! Sustainability Job Fair May 6

Are you interested in gaining meaningful work experience? The Sustainability Office is looking for motivated and passionate students to join our team for the 2013-14 academic year. Work in a team environment, gain valuable professional and leadership skills, and make a difference on your campus! Student interns work to change behavior in campus offices through our Green Office Certification Program, help our campus move toward its zero waste goals, oversee the campus Carbon Fund, and educate and motivate students to integrate sustainability into their lifestyles.

In addition to Sustainability Office Positions, the Colleges Housing and Educational Services unit is hiring new Student Sustainability Advisors for residential education and the Impact Designs: Engineering and Sustainability through Student Service (IDEASS) Internship program is looking for interns to work on sustainability projects across the community.

We will be hosting a sustainability job informational session on May 6 from 12-2 PM in the Cervantes & Velasquez Room in the Bay Tree Conference Building, above the Bookstore. Feel free to come by any time, ask questions, meet current students and staff who work in these offices and programs, and apply for a position!

For a full list of positions we're recruiting for, visit our jobs and internships website. Apply soon--we're aiming to have positions filled by the end of May.

Bike Week is May 3-11

A wheely cool week of bike activities is coming to Santa Cruz May 3rd to 11th. Ecology Action's Bike Week and Bike to Work/School Day (May 9) need volunteer support and bicycling participants! Get out your helmet, hop on a bike, and ride your way through the fun activities planned for Bike Week.

Bike Week
A schedule of events, including a First Friday Bike Party, free workshops and maintenance, a Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery fundraiser, and much more can be found on the website here.

UCSC Free Bike Helmet Giveaway: May 7
In celebration of Bike Week, Transportation and Parking Services and the Student Environmental Center Transportation Campaign are co-hosting the Bicycle Safety Campaign, which will be surveying cyclists and handing out 250 free helmets to members of the UCSC community on first come first serve basis. Proof of UCSC affiliation required. The event will take place May 7 from 1:00 - 4:30 PM at the base of campus. For more information or to volunteer at this event, please contact Brenden.

Bike to Work/School Day
Thursday, May 9, is Bike to Work/School Day! There will be free breakfast for bicyclists from 6:30 - 9:30 AM at various locations throughout Santa Cruz County. Click here to see the list of locations, which includes  three locations at UCSC:

• the UCSC Main Entrance (Free breakfast and coffee)
• top of the UCSC Bike Path (Free breakfast and coffee, staffed by UCSC Bicycle Racing Team)
• the UCSC Bike Coop in Quarry Plaza (Free breakfast and coffee and free bicycle maintenance from UCSC Bike Coop).

Volunteering
If you are interested in volunteering for any of the above events, email Kira at kticus@ecoact.org.

Photo Credit: SustainableSantaCruz.org 

Laurel Goes Plastic Free, a Student Perspective

by Laurel Marks, Student Coordinator for the Zero Waste Team 

Photo Credit: Plastics Today

Through my job as the Student Coordinator for the Zero Waste Team at the UC Santa Cruz Sustainability Office, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Zero Waste Youth Convergence on March 17, 2013, in San Francisco.  One of the most inspirational speakers that I saw there was Beth Terry.

In 2007 Beth was inspired by the growing horrors of plastic-filled oceans and global warming and  decided to radically change her life by going plastic free. It wasn’t easy, especially since more and more things are packaged in plastic these days, but Beth was passionate about changing the world with her personal actions.  She documented her challenges and successes on her blog myplasticfreelife.com and created a plastic-free guide to help others on the path toward a more sustainable life.

After seeing Beth speak and many other incredible visionaries at the conference, I decided to take my own plastic-free challenge. I began by reading Beth Terry’s plastic-free guide. On April 1st I went to the local natural food store (next time I’ll go to the farmer’s market!), prepared to avoid all plastic.

The foods that I miss most include:

• fresh strawberries (because of the plastic container--maybe I can get some in my own bag at the farmers' market)
• tofu (I’m vegetarian so I cook tofu a lot)
• orange juice (I caved in once and bought some for smoothies... they’re my weakness)
• cereal
• yogurt
• Luna bars that I eat on the run at school for an energy boost. 

I’m lucky because my house already has a wonderful composting system that feeds our beautiful backyard, and we are growing lettuce, strawberries, raspberries, and other delicious foods!

I've had to think ahead and get creative when it comes to food on-the-go. On my last shopping run I bought some dried fruit and yogurt covered pretzels in bulk (with my own reusable paper bags) to eat as a snack during the day. At cafes I now ask for reusable utensils, and at the burrito shop I get the burrito to-go without a plastic bag. I ask for no straw with my drinks and bring my own utensils in my purse. 

Some of the challenges that a plastic-free lifestyle brings I knew I wouldn’t be able to face just yet.  One example is giving up shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and other bathroom products that come in plastic containers.  Beth has some wonderful recipes for making your own shampoo, soap, deodorant, and lotion on her website, but I knew with my busy life I wouldn’t have time to try all those. Fortunately I already had all these items and haven’t run out yet.  

The goal is not to throw away every item you own that contains plastic, but to use everything to its full potential without acquiring any new plastic. And don’t forget to try to fix what’s broken before buying something new, buy used, go to thrift stores, clothing swaps, and check out item swap websites like yerdle.com! 

Just because we live in a single-use, wasteful world doesn’t mean we have to comply!  Be the change you wish to see in the world.  It’s been a difficult experience, but a fun one too, and I am so proud of myself for truly living a lifestyle I believe in!

For more on Beth Terry and her plastic free lifestyle check out our previous article.

UCSC's SUA Passes Divestment from Fossil Fuels Resolution

On April 9, UC Santa Cruz's Student Union Assembly (SUA) joined four other UC campuses in passing a resolution for divestment from fossil fuel assets in the $6.5 billion UC General Endowment Pool. These declarations in the UC system are part of a movement happening on college campuses that seeks to eliminate investment in fossil fuels, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, and in the words of 350.org founder Bill McKibben, "a catastrophe."

In July McKibben, published an article in Rolling Stone magazine titled "Global Warming's Terrifying New Math." The article laid out, in laymen terms, the cost of business as usual. 350.org summarizes, "It’s simple math: we can burn less than 565 more gigatons of carbon dioxide and stay below 2°C of warming — anything more than that risks catastrophe for life on earth. The only problem? Fossil fuel corporations now have 2,795 gigatons in their reserves, five times the safe amount. And they’re planning to burn it all — unless we rise up to stop them."

Fossil Free, a partner of the international organization 350.org, has college campus campaigns at locations pictured on this map.

The McKibben article kicked off a global movement of students across the country who have organized to urge their University to eliminate assets from fossil fuel companies. Other California schools who have passed student government resolutions to divest include UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, and UC Berkeley.

UC Santa Cruz’s resolution “instructs asset managers to stop any new investment in fossil fuel companies; to take appropriate steps to ensure that, within 5 years, none of its directly held or commingled assets include holdings in fossil fuel public equities and corporate bonds as found on the Carbon Tracker list; and to release quarterly updates, both detailing progress made towards full divestment and providing information on the holdings of the endowment pool and of index funds within the GEP [General Endowment Portfolio]."

"Therefore, let if be resolved that the Student Union Assembly of UC Santa Cruz call upon the Regents of the University of California, in its commitment to leadership in sustainability, to take the following actions regarding the General Endowment Pool:

The next step comes this spring when, “during the UC Regents Meeting, campuses around California will [organize] to [advocate] for a statewide change of the UC investment portfolio to divest from fossil fuels,” explains David Shugar, Chancellor's Undergraduate Intern for the Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP) and co-representative of UCSC for the California Student Sustainability Coalition who has helped with the UCSC campaign.

Students at UCSC kicked off their divestment campaign with a teach-in on April 15th. Hosted by ESLP and featuring the Sierra Club the event was powered by clean, renewable energy from a bike generator. Quentin James of the Sierra Club spoke about money power and people power, asking the group why they thought people power was stronger. Fourth year student Anneliese Harlander responded "Money's just paper, people got soul!"

First year student Jeremiah Tsyporin remarked at the teach-in, "If the UCs are successful with divestment, how empowering is that to go to a school where we've allocated resources away from fossil fuels! We've got to show students the progress that other students are making, and this will lead them to realize 'oh, yeah, I can actually get things done, too.'"

May 2013: Contests & Funding

Final Chance to Drop Your Own Drip
Apartment residents: the FINAL month of the Drop Your Own Drip water conservation competition is underway! Tell your apartment-mates, neighbors, and friends to reduce their use and your college could win prizes! Visit sec.enviroslug.org for more information.

AASHE Awards: Deadline May 10
The deadline to have your sustainability wins and lessons learned recognized on a national scale is approaching fast. Held during their conference in October, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) 2013 Awards ceremony will celebrate campus and student sustainability achievements. Email awards@aashe.org with any questions. Visit the website to learn more about the conference and awards.

Bike to The Future: Teen Art, Video, and Writing Contest: Deadline May 17
For the next month, teens (ages 11-19) from around Santa Cruz county will be creating visual art, videos, and writing.  $100 to the winners!  This year's theme is Bike to the Future, encouraging local teens to explore, through various art forms, how bikes (walking, skates, and scooters too) are the vehicles of the future. More information can be found at our website.

The Human Face of Sustainability: Deadline May 31
Creative Nonfiction and Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability are looking for remarkable true stories that illuminate and present the human side of environmental, economic, ethical, and/or social challenges related to the state of the planet and our future for the $10,000 Walton Sustainability Solutions Best Creative Nonfiction Essay Award. They welcome personal essays or stories about extraordinary individuals or communities and stories about innovative solutions to sustainability. Whatever the subject, they want to hear about it in an essay that blends facts and research with narrative—employing scenes, descriptions, etc. For more information click here.

Zipcar seeks "Students With Drive" in their driving credit contest

The "Students with Drive" program is giving student groups an extra hand to help get things done with the help of Zipcars. The program, which gives away over $35,000 in driving credit a month, allows all student groups to nominate themselves to win free driving credit for their group to use for their groups' needs. Learn more about how your group can get involved on the contest website.

May 2013 Green Tips: Eating Consciously

Everyone needs to eat. What we choose to eat, what it's made of, and how it gets to our plates greatly influences how sustainable our lifestyles are. Fortunately, we live in California, where we can make healthy and ecologically responsible choices about our food quite easily because of our proximity to local agriculture.

Here are just three tips to get you started in having a more sustainable diet:

1. Eat non-processed food. If it comes in a wrapper with an ingredients list a mile long, try to avoid it. Opt for foods that you can identify without a label, and shop the perimeter of the store, where the fruits, veggies, meats, and seafood are found. Not only is there typically less packaging waste and factory production behind these more wholesome items, they're also typically better for you and allow you to have more control over what you eat.

2. Buy local food. When you're in the produce section, choose items that are from California. The shortest distance between farm and your fork, the less carbon dioxide emissions from travel. Check out the Santa Cruz Farmer's Market for locally grown foods. Not only does this reduce the carbon footprint of your diet, it also creates a better sense of community and it supports our local economy.

3. Eat less meat. While you don't have to become vegan to eat sustainably, it is a good idea to reduce the amount of red meat and other "meat" sources in your diet. As Americans, we tend to eat way more meat than is suggested for a healthy diet, but in addition to the health aspect, the meat industry is a huge contributor to greenhouse gas emissions through factory farming and methane production by livestock, in addition to a wealth of other issues, including antibiotic use and environmental contaminants. To learn more about these issues, visit the Meatless Monday website. If you find yourself in the dining hall on a Meatless Monday on campus, talk to the students tabling to gain more perspective about why our campus participates in this movement toward eating less meat.

Our campus has a vibrant sustainable food culture with many ways to get involved, from the Farm to the gardens on campus to much more! Read about this movement here.

For more about the history of food in America and how we've become so dependent on non-sustainable practices, check out this Ted Talks video with Mark Bittman:

What kinds of things do you think about when making choices for what to purchase and eat? Do you have other tips for eating sustainably? Share in the comments!

New Bike FixIt Stations Installed

Want to get your bike ready for Bike To Work/School Day on May 9th? Transportation and Parking Services is happy to announce that five new Dero FixIt Bike Repair Stations have been installed around campus. The five locations are:

• OPERS
• the Music Center bike parking area
• Baskin Engineering
• McHenry Library
• base of campus directly behind the transit shelter

The stations are self-service bike repair pedestals that include a tire pump and eight tools necessary to perform basic repairs and maintenance, from changing a flat to adjusting brakes and derailleurs. Use the Quick Read (QR) code on the front of the Fixit Station to view detailed instructions on how to make repairs on your smart phone.

The stations are free to all and are available 24/7. For more information, contact Teresa Buika, TAPS, at 502-7941 or tabuika@ucsc.edu. Safe Riding!

Take the Storm Water Survey and help shape campus storm water education

The Campus Storm Water Management Program invites the campus community to participate in UCSC's annual Storm Water Survey. This survey will help the Program determine the level of storm water  understanding on campus, and how the campus's Storm Water Management Plan education and outreach program can better serve our environment and the Campus Community. All responses are anonymous.

Click here to complete the five minute survey by May 10. Check back to the Clean Water website as the results of the survey will be posted there by May 24.

Student Fee Measure on ballot to support airport shuttle program

Transportation and Parking Services, in conjunction with the SUA Internal Vice Chair's Interns, launched another successful series of Slug Shuttles last month that transported 603 students at no cost from campus to the Mineta San Jose International Airport and Diridon Caltrain Station at the beginning and end of Spring Break. In all, 28 shuttle trips helped car-free students reach planes, trains, and light rail—including four trips returning student to campus as Break ended.

More than 1,100 students have used the Slug Shuttle since its inception last Fall. Measure 53 on the Spring 2013 Student Ballot will determine whether funding will be made available to continue Slug Shuttle service at Thanksgiving, Winter, and Spring Break in the future. View the Student Ballot here starting May 1. To learn more about the slug shuttle program, please visit the TAPS website.

UCSC Featured in Princeton Review's Green College Guide

UC Santa Cruz is one of the 322 most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S. and Canada, according to The Princeton Review. The education services company known for its test prep programs and college rankings profiles UCSC in the fourth annual edition of its free downloadable book, The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges.

The Princeton Review chose the schools for this guide based on a 50-question survey it conducted in 2012 of administrators at hundreds of four-year colleges. The Company analyzed data from the survey about the schools' course offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation to measure their commitment to the environment and to sustainability.

Said Robert Franek, Senior VP/Publisher, The Princeton Review, "We are truly pleased to recommend UC Santa Cruz along with all of the fine schools in this book to the many students seeking colleges that practice and promote environmentally-responsible choices and practices."

View the book here (UCSC is featured on page 135). Read more in this article by USA Today.

UCSC Receives Sustainability Best Practice Awards

UCSC will be recognized with two Best Practice Awards at the statewide Higher Education Sustainability Conference this summer in the categories of Monitoring-Based Commissioning and Sustainability Innovations.

The Monitoring-Based Commissioning award goes to the Earth & Marine Sciences Building project, which significantly reduced the carbon impact of the Earth and Marine Sciences Building through a process known as MBCx (commissioning). This project was made possible by the diligent efforts of campus facilities staff, including (below): Dan Miceli (HVAC supervisor), Dave Ciolino (Project Management), Gabe Sandoval (bldg tech) and Patrick Testoni (Energy Manager).

The Sustainability Innovations award goes to the UCSC College Dorm Bi-Level Stairwell Lighting Retrofit and Green Revolving Loan Fund. Together, these projects are sustainably innovative because our campus was able to reduce energy consumption and utilize associated cost savings to fund future energy efficiency projects. The revolving aspect of the loan is an innovative solution to funding sustainability projects on campus that can generate quantifiable monetary savings and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. The Green Revolving Loan and Bi-level Stairwell Retrofit were made possible through the collaborative efforts of representatives from the UCSC Carbon Fund, Physical Plant and Facilities, Planning and Budget Department, the Sustainability Office, Alliance to Save Energy PowerSave Green Campus Program, and College Housing and Educational Services.

Read the list of best practice awards state-wide here, and find out more about the conference on the website.

May 2013: Internships, Employment, & Volunteering

Apply to Volunteer with Sprout Up
Sprout Up is a non-profit program that looks for undergraduate volunteers to help bring lessons of environmental science and sustainability to local elementary school classrooms. They are college student founded and operated non-profit that is always seeking new instructors. For more information about potential volunteering opportunities with them check out their website.

Volunteer for Bike to Work Week and Day
Love bikes? Want to make Bike to Work Week and Day a success and join in the fun? Click here to learn about the many opportunities to get involved this year.

Internships with WaterLab Wastewater Recycling Research Facility
WaterLab Research Facility studies wastewater recycling and how to use recycled water to conserve unused water reserves. Though still in progress of becoming a full-fledged research facility, internship opportunities exist and will be expanding as the facility grows. Learn about the issues this facility will address and about the methods and features of the lab in this article. UCSC students can learn more about WaterLab and internships by contacting Eli Weintraub and via the Center for Integrated Water Research website.

IDEASS Accepting Applications for Interns for 2013-2014
Turn your ideas into reality! Do you have your own sustainable project design with potential to make a real community impact, but you aren’t sure how to make it a reality? Apply to IDEASS, a team-based 3-quarter internship program that provides students with real opportunities to work on local sustainability challenges with community partners or sponsors. Please click here to apply today for Fall Enrollment or go to http://sustainability.ucsc.edu/ideass for more information!


Rock & Roll on the Knoll Seeks Collaborators 
On the Stevenson Knoll on May 11, from 2 PM - 12 AM, the Rock & Roll on the Knoll event will be blasting tunes and celebrating the UCSC community through art and music. If you are in a sustainability org, are a musician, artist, or dreamer and want to collaborate, email rockandrollontheknoll2013@gmail.com. They are looking for people interested in making the event sustainable, and are open to any ideas you have for engaging activities! Find out more on the Facebook page here.



Volunteer to Campaign for the GROW Measure 54
The purpose of the GROW measure (Gardens, Resources, Opportunities, Waste Management), a new undergraduate fee of $4.20 per student, per quarter is to ensure students have adequate training and educational opportunities to garden, compost, and reduce their impact on the environment. This measure will provide infrastructure support and student work positions on the UCSC campus, across college gardens, experiential learning sites, and waste reduction efforts as we strive for a Zero Waste campus by 2020. If you are interested in participating in the campaign to promote the GROW Measure 54 prior to the elections this spring, please contact student leaders at ucscfswg@ucsc.edu or call 831-459-3675 for more details. Campaigning has begun and voting begins on May 13 through May 20, 2013.

Sustainability Office and Colleges, Housing, and Educational Services (CHES) Hiring Now for Next Year!
Are you interested in gaining meaningful work experience? The Sustainability Office and CHES are looking for motivated and passionate students to join their teams for the 2013-14 academic year. Read more here.

National Fellowship Program: Deadline July 1
The Environmental Leadership Program's National Fellowship Program offers intensive leadership and skills training and national networking opportunities. Through immersive retreats, their curriculum helps emerging leaders hone their leadership styles, improve their strategy and organizational development, and strengthen their outreach to diverse constituencies. With the assistance of professional coaching and peer learning, each Fellow develops a Personal Leadership Plan. It consists of two multi-day retreats in September 2013 and January 2014 and access to 4 hours of professional coaching. For information on eligibility, cost, dates and locations, and how to apply, visit the website. Applications are due July 1.

Berkeley-Based Urban Adamah Residential Leadership Training Program Accepting Applications for Fellowship
Urban Adamah, based in Berkeley, CA, is a three-month intensive residential leadership training program for young adults ages 21-31, that integrates urban organic farming, social justice work and progressive Jewish living and learning. Twelve Urban Adamah Fellows are selected each season to operate an organic farm and educational center, intern with community organizations addressing issues at the intersection of poverty, food security and environmental stewardship, and learn an approach to Jewish tradition that opens the heart and builds joyful community. Applicants do not need any farming or Jewish knowledge to participate. Summer program is June 9 – Aug 30, and fall program is Sept 8 – Nov 22. Admissions to the fellowship are rolling. Applications will be reviewed as soon as they are complete. Visit the website for more information and to fill out an application at www.urbanadamah.org

Farming Institute Immersion Program Accepting Applications
Come learn to farm at The Farming Institute! The Farming Institute is a unique, fast track, 11 week farming immersion program taking place on two organic vegetable farms in Eastern Iowa. It is designed to equip emerging farmers of all ages, such as college students, recent graduates or others wanting to fulfill a dream. The program includes a mixture of hands on and classroom experience. During the program, students will complete a business plan for their future farm and learn about the land, the business of farming and the farming process. For more information or an application visit http://www.thefarminginstitute.com or email Kate Edwards at kate.wildwoodsfarm@gmail.com or by phone 319-333-2980.

Apply for SEE-U, Summer 2013
Summer Ecosystem Experiences for Undergraduates (SEE-U) is seeking applicants for it's summer session. SEE-U is a program that seeks to highlight ecologically impacted areas of the world for undergraduates of all majors. You travel to your choice of one of the four beautiful yet endangered ecosystems where you live and learn about the particular challenges that area faces. Hosted through Columbia University, you earn 5 science credits while going abroad with other students and learning about environmental concerns on an international level. For more information click here.

AHA Bolivia Sustainability/Social Responsibility Internship
This combined internship, learning workshop, and cultural experience program is designed to introduce students to socially responsible business practices, international business, and environmental respectfulness in business. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how business works in a developing nation, and how it relates to export markets such as the U.S. and Canada. Participants will engage in hands on learning and will produce a measurable intern project by the end of the program. Program includes: practical internship, learning modules and accompanying activities (6-8 hours per week), accommodation (shared housing), artisan site visits, spanish classes (6 hours per week), and airport pick-up. The cost is $2700 for 4 weeks. For questions, or to apply, send your resume and a letter of interest to Cecilia at ahabolivia@gmail.com. Visit the website at http://www.ahabolivia.com.

Find or Upload Projects to Sustainability Project Clearinghouse
Interested in getting involved in a campus sustainability project, but don't know how? Are you looking for partners for your current project? Have you completed a project that you would like others to learn from? Visit the Sustainability Project Clearinghouse, a centralized database of UCSC sustainability projects, today! You can view published projects or upload your own projects and ideas. For training on how to upload a project, please contact Shauna Casey at scasey@ucsc.edu.

Sustainability End of the Year Celebration May 21

Please save the date for the 5th Annual End of Year Sustainability Celebration and Planning Event, which will be held Tuesday, May 21st, from 1-4 PM in the Stevenson Event Center.

You are invited to join students, staff, faculty, and administrators from throughout the campus community to celebrate our accomplishments for the year and connect to our vision for the future.

The event will feature nearly 40 project posters from more than 10 different campus organizations and departments. There will be presentations from students, staff, and faculty about their sustainability achievements, live music powered by bike generator*, food, and opportunities to meet and mingle with others interested in sustainability at UCSC. Join the Facebook event here!

We hope to see you there! To view photos from last year's event, click here.

For questions, or to help out with this event, please email Melissa Ott at mott@ucsc.edu.

*Attendees to the event will be able to ride the bike generator in 15 minute shifts if they are interested.

May 2013: Innovative Approaches to Sustainability at Other Campuses

Here are a few selections of the innovative approaches to sustainability taking place on other college campuses. Each of these examples was chosen because they represent ideas that UCSC could potentially implement in some form, or in some cases, already has begun to. If you see something here that you want to make a reality at UCSC, contact the Sustainability Office and we will help you direct your ideas toward fruition!

SUNY ESF Launches Bicycle Safety Committee
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) has formed a Bicycle Safety Committee to provide a focus on education and improved communication on best practices as well as increasing bike infrastructure on campus. Since its launch, the committee has coordinated the curb removal from campus pathways, obtained a bicycle accident report from the City of Syracuse Police Department and began collaborating with neighborhood groups and city officials about making cycling safer.

Univ. of Missouri Secures Funding for Green Roof
The Student Fee Capital Improvement Committee at the University of Missouri (Columbia, MO) has pledged $27,000 to fund the construction of a green roof atop the university’s Rollins Dining Hall. A 2,520-square-foot modular system will be installed by October 2013.

RISD Pilots Nature-Culture-Sustainability Studies
The Rhode Island School of Design (Providence, RI) has created a pilot program in Nature-Culture-Sustainability Studies (NCSS). This two-year program aims to ascertain levels of student interest in NCSS and create a pathway of study which would allow students to compliment and add focus to work explored in their major areas of study.

University of Minnesota Launches Virtual Warehouse
University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN) has launched a new online exchange to facilitate reuse and waste reduction. Similar to Craigslist or Freecycle, the virtual warehouse allows users to exchange university property without visiting the ReUse warehouse or moving items to a building's dock for pickup.

May 2013: Classes, Training, and Community

Join the Kresge Natural Foods Co-op
The Kresge Community Natural Foods Co-op is a non-profit student-run food store located on the south side of Kresge College. It has been a Kresge College tradition for over twenty years, supporting small farmers, the UCSC Farm Project, and the Kresge Organic Garden. While anyone can buy food at the Food Co-op, members receive a discount. The Co-op operates as a collective and a variety of membership options are available. Special pricing is available on bulk orders. Come in for groceries, lunch, snacks, hot coffee, tea, or just to spend time with your friends. Hours: Weekdays 9 AM - 6 PM To contact the Food Co-op, call 426-1506, or attend the bi-weekly meetings every other Sunday at 11 am in the Student Lounge.

Common Ground Center Hosts Speaker Series
The Common Ground Center at Kresge College is a collaboration of students, faculty and staff promoting education for a just and sustainable world. In the month of May they are hosting two world renowned speakers who will discuss the relationships between economy, equity, and the environment. Victor Menotti, Director of the International Forum on Globalization will share his ideas about Alternatives to Economic Globalization on Wednesday May 29th from 7-9 PM and Gar Alperovitz on Thursday May 30th from 7-9 PM, both at Kresge Town Hall. For more info and to RSVP for these events please visit the Common Ground Center Facebook page. You can contact the Center by email here.

TAPS Seeks to Connect with Electric Vehicle (EV) Drivers
Interested in learning more about electric vehicle charging developments planned for UCSC? Want to know of potential electrical shutdowns at Core West? Transportation and Parking Services is wanting to be in better touch with our electric vehicle user community at UCSC – please send an email to tabuika@ucsc.edu to be added to the list of current electric vehicle users. Learn more about UCSC's current EV accomodations on the TAPS website.

Early Bird Registration Now Open Until June 7 for AASHE Conference
Join higher education sustainability leaders in Nashville for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) 2013 Conference & Expo, taking place October 6-9 at the Music City Center. Early bird registration ends June 7. Visit the website to learn more about the conference.