New Director of Sustainability: Elida Erickson

Elida Erickson has been working in the Sustainability Office since 2011 as a Sustainability Programs Manager. She was recently hired as our new Sustainability Director, so we've interviewed her to learn more about what she envisions for the future of campus sustainability. Congratulations Elida!

1. How do you envision the future of sustainability on campus?
I envision sustainability on campus as the ability to develop a collaborative vision amongst students, faculty and staff that celebrates the innovative progress and research that is already happening, while pushing the envelope on the challenges ahead. There will always be new challenges presented as we work towards ambitious operational goals such as Zero Waste by 2020 and Carbon Neutrality by 2025. UCSC can successfully overcome challenges and become more sustainable by keeping our institution’s core mission of teaching and research at the center of what we do. By involving students in campus sustainability initiatives, we are training the leaders of tomorrow with the skills to make positive change in the world and help other global institutions and organizations become more sustainable. Sustainability is a global challenge and Banana Slugs are very lucky to have the opportunity, resources and brainpower to work together to create innovative, collaborative, and inclusive solutions for the campus, and for the world.

2. What got you interested in sustainability?
When I first arrived at UCSC in 2005, I worked at Stevenson College in residential life. Student engagement and empowerment has always been a passion of mine, and after several students came to me concerned about a lack of support for recycling by some of their peers, I helped the students start a peer-to-peer educational group called PTAGS (Path to a Greener Stevenson). One of the first things we did was organize a field trip to the Santa Cruz Resource Recovery Facility (sometimes called "the landfill"). It was after that trip that I was “hooked”! Watching plastic bags flying around in the wind with the beautiful ocean in the background, watching trucks dump an immense amount of one-time use items into the landfill that will almost never biodegrade, watching thousands of seagulls poking around on the trash mountain for wasted food scraps…I knew there was a lot of work to be done for our students and for the world to overcome the mentality that landed us here, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it.

3. What were some of the things you did before becoming the sustainability director?
I have had the privilege of working with many campus staff, faculty and students to improve our campus waste collection infrastructure to reach our Zero Waste by 2020 goal, as well as conserve water usage. I’m excited that most campus eateries on campus have both recycling and composting available. That was not the case a mere 5 years ago! I have also supervised the student Zero Waste Team through the Sustainability Office, as well as the student Drought Response Team. I’m proud to say that our campus’ response to the drought emergency with strict water conservation measures in 2014-5 earned the campus several local and national awards!

4. Are there any sustainability practices you have picked up while being involved with sustainability on campus?
One of my favorite practices has become somewhat of a daily “ritual” for me, and I recommend it to anyone who is open to taking just a few seconds of their day to make a BIG difference: every day, whether working on campus, or walking my dog in my neighborhood in Live Oak, I make it a point to pick up one piece of recycling or trash and toss it into the proper receptacle (…and I definitely wash my hands afterwards!). Located right on the coast, Santa Cruz residents are in a unique position to directly impact the amount of trash that pollutes the ocean by preventing litter from going into storm drains in the streets. I firmly believe that if every person on campus picked up one piece of litter every day, we could virtually eliminate the litter problem in our community.


Congratulations again to Elida Erickson!

October 2015 Green Tip: Reducing Halloween Waste

Pumpkin spice is quickly taking over the menus and shelves of the nation, the Halloween puns are beginning, and it’s time to start planning for the season. But instead of using plastic in your costumes and dumping rotting Jack-o’-lanterns in the garbage, here are some tips to keep waste out of the landfill!

Pumpkins are the perfect seasonal, edible, and compostable decoration! Instead of tossing pumpkin guts in the landfill this year, try some recipes such as pumpkin butter or classic roasted pumpkin seeds. Not interested in eating gourd guts or being stuck with a decaying Jack-o’-Lantern? Pumpkin is also easily compostable. Uncarved pumpkins can last for around 10 weeks depending on the variety, leaving plenty of time to enjoy your squash. Check out 50 pumpkin recipes to try this fall here!

Instead of buying a new costume and decorations, try making your own or buy one secondhand. If you’re up to the challenge, make a recycled costume out of cardboard, fabrics, or other materials you and your fellow costumers already have. Remind trick-or-treaters in your life to use reusable candy containers like canvas bags. Alternatively, have a decoration and costume swap with friends!

Reduce candy waste by choosing candies with relatively smaller amounts of wrapping. Opt for those in recyclable boxes instead of individually wrapped plastic when possible, and remember that you will always find someone else more than willing to eat any candy you may not want.

Remember to turn off and unplug electronic decorations when not in use, and have a safe and happy Halloween season!

Cool Campus Challenge

Launching Oct. 6 and running through Dec. 10, the first Cool Campus Challenge aims to get everyone across the UC campuses on board with the carbon neutrality effort with a bit of friendly competition to get things moving. Help prove that UCSC is the coolest campus!

During the 10-week contest, UC faculty, staff and students will be challenged to take steps to reduce their carbon footprints using an online tool to track their activity and earn points for their campus. Show how cool you can be all by yourself, or form teams among your friends, colleagues, and roommates. 

Here’s what you can do to be an important part of the Cool Campus Challenge (#UCool):

• Sign up and take the Challenge: http://www.coolcampuschallenge.org. Then invite your colleagues to do the same.
• Better yet, create a team so you can earn points together.
• Share this email with staff, students and colleagues.
• Send an announcement to campus listservs you’re on.
• Share your profile, the sign-up link, pledge you’re taking, etc., online with the Challenge hashtag: #UCool.
• Faculty, have your students take the Challenge as extra credit.

Once you sign up you will be given a variety of ways to learn more about your carbon footprint and to pledge to numerous actions that have a direct impact on reducing energy use. Each week, there will be a highlight for important theme along with suggested actions (or pledges) you can take that will either directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or increase education and awareness about climate disruption.

For every action you take, you’ll earn valuable points for our campus that will enter you in a raffle to win cool, energy efficient prizes. You can also earn “bonus points” for completing the action within a specified time period or for taking new and creative actions that aren’t yet on the pledge list.

Find out more and sign up to compete on the Cool Campus Challenge website.

To help spread the word, share this article. We have 10 years to be carbon neutral and we can’t be carbon neutral without you.

Paper Towel Free for a Week!

From April 10th- 17th of this year, I didn’t use a single paper towel. Surprisingly, it was the easiest routine change I’ve ever tried. Through helping promote the Chancellor’s Challenge with the Sustainability Office this year, I'd already started to use less paper towels, but going paper towel free for a week really solidified my opinion— that paper towels (specifically in restrooms) are unnecessary. I

now choose to shake my hands after washing them and then dry them on my clothes or sometimes run them through my hair when paper towels are the only option. I used to think it was rather gross to leave the restroom without completely dry hands but I realized one day that it shouldn’t matter to me. Reason being, I live with a fairly common condition known as hyperhidrosis where the sweat glands in my hands are overactive— I have to shake peoples’ hands and open doors with extremely not-dry hands all the time anyway. It’s difficult, but I’ve just come to accept it and usually (but unfortunately not always) people understand! I know not everyone can relate to this specific condition, but I know many people have had to use a sketchy public restroom before with no paper towels or air dryers, and you know what? I think we survived leaving with not-dry hands! There are of course several factors to removing paper towel dispensers campus-wide, but for now I at least encourage trying to go paper towel free for even just a couple days, because it’s a surprisingly easy habit to change and simultaneously makes a huge impact on waste at UCSC!
By Lauren Korth

March 2014 Green Tip: Saving Water

As you you've probably heard, California is in a state of emergency over an extended drought. How bad is it? California faces water shortfalls in the driest year in recorded state history. Governor Brown has urged conservation in the state saying, “The more water we use, the less water we have. The more water we save, the more water we have.” 

In the spirit of conservation this month we wanted to share some tips on how to save water. We've organized our tips by the "basic," "progressive," and "hard core" things you can do to make significant reduction in your water use footprint. Can these individual actions add up to enough savings? Shortening showers by 5 minutes can save 12 gallons or more, and turning off the faucet while washing your hands can save 1/2 gallon. If everyone saved a gallon of water a day at UCSC, weekly campus use could be reduced by around 24,000 gallons!

Basic 

• Turn off the faucet while washing hands and brushing teeth (rinse, turn off water, soap up, turn water back on to rinse).
• If it's yellow, let it mellow! Depending upon the flow rate of your toilet, you could save nearly 2 gallons of water each time you let it mellow.
• Reduce your shower length to 5 minutes or less. For an average showerhead with a flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute, a 5 minute shower only uses 12.5 gallons of water. Compare that to a 15 minute shower, which uses a whopping 37.5 gallons. 

Progressive 

• If you live off campus consider getting a low-flow shower head and an aerator for your sink to reduce the amount of water that comes out of the tap. These are reversible changes, so even if you rent you can make these alterations. The Santa Cruz Water Conservation office can provide you with these for free! Learn more here.
• Turn the water off in the shower when you shampoo, lather up, and shave. Sometimes called a "Navy Shower," you can conserve additional water with this method during your five-minute-or-less shower.

Hard Core

• One thing you might not have thought about is the amount of water that goes into producing the food for your diet. According to an article in the LA Times, "It takes more than 1,000 gallons of water a day per person to produce the food (and drinks) in the average U.S. diet." The food we eat requires a lot of water to produce, especially the meat we eat. In order to save water, think about skipping the meat once a week or look into alternatives to the meat option at the dining halls. If you're not willing to give up the meat, any amount of reduction can help. Skip dessert one night a week, cut back on the coffee, anything can help!
• You can also use the same dishes twice. Unless you just ate something really messy and smelly you can most likely use the plate you used to eat lunch on, for dinner as well! No need to wash in between!

More information can be found on the National Geographic website here. How do you conserve?

"Bring Your Hand Towel to Work Week" at UCSC Financial Affairs Office

By Lori Van Briggle, Data Entry Supervisor for UCSC Payroll

The Financial Affairs Green Team's second annual "Bring Your Hand Towel To Work Week" wrapped up on February 7. This year we set up a table in the mezzanine of 2300 Delaware for the week of February 3-7 with a whiteboard asking Financial Affairs staff to pledge to take the Chancellor's survey and to use a hand towel for one week. If you took the pledge, your name and unit were written on a leaf and the unit with the highest percentage of participants won treats from Kelly's Bakery.

The participation was amazing! Not only did we have volunteers manning the table (sacrificing half hour of their lunchtime) for 2 hours each day, but we also had 82% of our staff take the pledge! Our hope is that after using a cloth towel for a week, staff would realize it is not a difficult change to make in order to save resources and put fewer paper towels into the landfill.

Awesome work, Financial Affairs Office! To learn more about what the Financial Affairs Green Team is doing to make UCSC a more sustainable place, email Kirk Lew at kllew [at] ucsc [dot] edu to join their newsletter list!

UC Santa Cruz Carbon Fund: Come and Receive Funding for your Project Ideas

The Carbon Fund is an organization on campus that allocates funds to projects. Our goal is to reduce the carbon footprint both on campus and throughout the Santa Cruz community. The Carbon Fund provides grants for students, staff, and faculty projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conduct relevant research, or carry out education and behavioral change programs. This year we have $250,000 to give away in grants. If your interested in applying, there will be an information session on Tuesday, October 15^th in the College 8 Red Room from 4-6pm and abstracts are due November 15th at 11:59pm online. If you have more questions, please feel free to visit our website: http://tinyurl.com/carbonfunducsc or email us at: carbonfund.ucsc@gmail.edu

UCSC to Go Paper Towel-Free in Dorms Next Year

UC Santa Cruz is going paper towel-free in the residence halls next year after a successful pilot program at Stevenson College this year. Following years of student interest in this project and discussions with administrators and staff all over campus in the past year, the University has decided that in order to support our goals of zero waste by 2020 and to promote more sustainable behaviors among students in our residence halls, paper towels will no longer be provided for drying hands in shared residential restrooms. After all, 34% -- by volume -- of the waste coming out of the residence halls is paper towels. That's a lot of waste that can easily be reduced by simply removing the towels from these restrooms.

Instead of providing wasteful paper towels, students will be asked to bring a supply of reusable cloth hand towels to school with them in the fall, just as they will bring their own reusable bath towel and other supplies. Students, if you'll be living in the residence halls next year, don't forget to pack your own reusable hand towels!

This is an exciting accomplishment that not only makes sense (10 years ago, there weren't paper towels in the residence halls, anyway), but it shows that student-initiated projects can really achieve campus-wide change. It sometimes takes time and conversations with many different stakeholders, but it is possible to see a sustainability vision for the campus come to fruition.

Congratulations to everyone who has been working on this project, including Path to A GreenerStevenson, the Sustainability Office Zero Waste Team, and many other students, staff, andadministrators who made this possible. Special thanks to Sue Mathews, the Associate Vice Chancellor in Colleges Housing and Educational Services for being the institutional leader who helped make this project a reality.

Read about the history of this project in Stevenson College and why the campus is choosing to remove paper towels.

Have you heard of the Climate Action Plan (CAP)?

The CAP is  governing document on the UCSC campus established by the Climate Action Working Group, that provides three goals to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions/footprint.

Goals:

1. 2000 levels by the year 2014
2. 1990 levels by 2020
3. 80% below 1990 levels by 2050

These levels are the levels of greenhouse gas emissions that our whole campus emits, thats including student, staff and faculty activities. Not only are these goals, but they were put in place because of CA State mandates under AB32 that require big emitters (such as UCSC) to reduce. Failure to do so is not just harming ourselves and our planet - but will also have serious financial repercussions for our campus.

So what can you do to help the UCSC community to reduce GHG emissions?

Remember that little daily actions can go a long way and help our campus meet these goals. Some simple suggestions are:

1) Are you a single-occupancy driver?  Instead take public transportation to reduce emissions, or ride your bike to not use any GHGs. For bike shuttle times click here.

2) Reduce your shower time and make sure you are turning off the water when brushing your teeth.

3) Did you know if you use 5 plastic bags when shopping - you are emitting approx. 2.5 lbs of CO2

It just makes sense to bring a reusable bag.

There are tons of easy things you can do each day to cut back on those carbon emissions - be aware and implement new behavior changes into your daily life and the lives of those around you!

Climate Action Team: Rielle Indya Green & Camille Carrillo

Cowell College to Go Paper Towel-Less

Cowell College is joining its sister college, Stevenson, in eliminating the use of paper towels in the Residence Hall bathrooms for 2013-14.

Stevenson adopted a paper-towel-less program this year (2012-13), following a successful pilot program in a designated residence hall during spring of 2012.

Both colleges plan to provide small hand towels to the residents of the Residence Halls in an effort to reduce the volume of used paper towels that go to the landfill.

This sustainability initiative comes with the collaboration and support of many, including Sue Matthews, Assoc. Vice Chancellor for Colleges, Housing and Educational Services (CHES).

To learn more about the history of the project in Stevenson College, please click here. To get involved and learn more about the elimination of paper towels in Cowell College, please email Jim Carter, College Administrative Officer for Cowell and Stevenson Colleges.

New Student Sustainability Advisor Positions in Colleges

For students living on campus, college life involves living, studying, and socializing in the college community they're affiliated with. In each of the housing areas, students produce waste and use resources in their day-to-day lives. At a campus where "environmental responsibility" is a part of our mission, UCSC colleges have created new Student Sustainability Advisor positions to support environmental responsibility on-the-ground.

"The SSA's primary role is to raise awareness and offer educational opportunities about ways campus residents can positively affect and contribute to UCSC’s sustainability goals," says Silas Snyder, Safety, Training and Conservation Coordinator for UCSC Housing and Dining Facilities.

Though many of the colleges are working toward zero waste goals, have gardens, or participate in composting, community life in the ten colleges at UCSC is about to get even greener, thanks to the new Student Sustainability Advisor (SSA) position that is currently open for applicants.

The SSAs will collaborate with campus sustainability leaders and residential life program staff and students to bring sustainability programs and awareness more to the forefront of residential life at UCSC. These student leaders will expand the team of people working on meeting the University's various conservation commitments, like the green house gas, landfill reduction, and water reduction goals. To learn more about the SSA position and find out how you can apply, please contact Silas Snyder or apply to ER #6782 the Employee Request System here.

Visions for the year from the Sustainability Office Fall Retreat in 2011

As we reflect on past visions we look forward to the following year.

By the end of this year, I will raise and secure a permanent source of funding annually for all the programs that fall underneath the Campus Sustainability office and for future programs.
- Kirsten, Development Coordinator

I will help sustain the Sustainability Office - support its staff & students, secure ongoing funding, and make sure we take time to celebrate! I will ensure strategic planning for sustainability, climate, the office & its student organizations.
- Aurora Winslade, Sustainability Director

Students at Inter-Org Retreat

I would like to assist the Zero Waste Team in making our campus meet the 75% waste diversion by 2012 and help lay the foundation to meet 100% waste diversion by 2020 through education, legislation, & ACTION!
- Devin Jokerst, Zero Waste Team

Zero Waste Team at Earth Summit

This year, I will work hard and pass on sustainable cultures and attitudes to new interns. Go PROPS! Since I am proud to be a part of the S.O., I want other people to be the same!

- Shannon M.

This year FOSO will increase its presence on campus by engaging new students in sustainable behavior.
- Nicole Fiore

I want to become as involved as possible with Green Campus. The main goal I have is to reduce energy use in buildings on campus and reduce waste in the dorms.
- Delia

This year my goal is to make an impact and bring greater awareness of energy efficiency and water conservation to the UCSC campus!
- Ivan Cheung, Green Campus

I dream for students & faculty to have an infinite love & care to maintaining a healthier greener life on campus. I want to see the philosophy of Zero Waste strive & SOAR at UCSC. I hope that students will always feel motivated to pick up trash wherever they go.
- Elizabeth Lin, Zero Waste

I want to see Take Back the Tap succeed in order to reduce waste on campus and educated peers / staff about tap water. While working on this campaign I hope to expand my knowledge on how to successfully implement change on campus / community / states etc.
- Rebecca, Take Back the Tap 

New water bottle Spigot at Mchenry Library

To find direction in the maze of problems revolving around waste. Finding a way to make waste a positive rather than a negative. Establishing long term positive policy changes in the UCSC waste world.
- Anonymous

Have our University as a whole believe and all contribute to a non-impactive way of living.
- Lauren

This year (2011-2012), I would like to have educated others of the importance of helping save energy, water and other resources. Knowledge is the key to action!
- Siara Barber-Crespo, Green Campus

By Spring 2013 I want to increase UCSC’s energy efficiency to the most it has ever been. I want to see 80% of all the buildings outfitted with energy saving light fixtures and/or sensors. I want to accomplish this feat with coordination amongst student, faculty, and other orgs.
- Daniel Glatman, Green Campus

My vision for this year is to be involved in policy making on campus regarding environmental and the United States as a whole. I want to be able to have a voice and make people listen to the problems with our enviornment.
- Nick Martinez, SSITE

This year SSITE will be the collaborative space for new and current student leaders to engage in the movement towards sustainable development.
- Tan Ha

I envision myself creating a project in the sustainability office either through CSI or Climate Action Plan. I also plan to find successful projects through the CSC.
- Camille, Climate Action Plan

By 2012, June, the time I hope to graduate, I will have strengthened the Carbon Fund logistics, the funded projects by this funding body will be effective in reducing GHG, and prepare the committee for continuing in the future.
- Andrea

I want to become more and more involved in campus sustainability and identify in what way I can become involved that I will be most passionate about. This year, I hope to build relationships with students and staff who are part of sustainability efforts on campus and make their jobs easier and help their projects run smoothly.
- Melissa Ott, Internship Coordinator Assistant 

Sustainability Office Open House 

This year I will support students in developing professional & leadership skills in sustainability.
- Shauna

This year, PROPS will become a major campus operation, led by students, to help UCSC be ever more sustainable!
- Shannon M.

This year FoSO will grow to be a thriving and effective student group that not only supports the Sustainability Office goals, but the campus wide sustainability initiatives as well.
- Olivia

This year Take Back the Tap will serve as a model for future behavioral change campaigns in FoSO and campus-wide. This year I will serve as a peer mentor and share my institutional knowledge and leadership training with as many students as possible.
- Gabi Kirk

This year I will have helped the university in reaching its zero waste goals by inspiring and motivating my peers and faculty to make strong positive change.
- Alexis Gomez, Zero Waste

By the end of the year I will have informed the majority of the student body, staff, and faculty about the Carbon Fund. Additionally I will have helped set the groundwork for a long lasting presence of the Carbon Fund at UCSC.
- Elissa, Carbon Fund

Displaying Carbon Fund poster at the End of Year  Celebration

By the end of this year, I want CSI to have a clear & organized binder with all the important documents needed to make the program super easy to start up again next year. I also want CSI to be a strong, engaging & empowering program for students that have a clear goal or objective. In addition to having students make more amazing projects happen.
- Jay Leu, CSI

I hope to have a better understanding of how the efficiency of offices on campus can be improved. I look forward to working with others to find ways to reduce energy consumption. All campus offices will work tightly with the student body & our campus will become a leading example in the field of sustainability.
- Jon

This year I will make sure students within the sustainability office feel confident in the PROPS program and its goals so they can take it to the next level and keep it going while I’m gone.
- Olivia

Green Tip #6: Reusable Mugs

Most of us have them lying around, stashed in a drawer, or stuffed in a box. It's time to get those suckers out and begin filling them with delicious coffee and teas. Yes, I'm talking about reusable mugs, a great way to reduce waste, particularly if you're a caffeine addict who visits Perk Bars and other on-campus cafes a little too often. What college student doesn't drink coffee for at least a quarter of their time here? And staff, we know you drink coffee, too.

The biggest obstacle to using reusable mugs, of course, is forgetting to bring them with you. Get into the habit of returning them to your purse or backpack after they're empty, wash them when you get home if you feel the need, and return them to your purse or backpack immediately. Some people don't like how coffee tastes coming out of a reusable mug, and to that I suggest you try getting a ceramic reusable mug or using a glass mason jar for your drinks. These don't have the metallic or plasticy taste that some other mugs have. Whichever kind you use, never leave the house without it, and you'll be set the next time you're in line in the Stevenson Coffee House.

Oh, what's that? The Stevenson Coffee House now has reusable mugs for folks who plan on sitting for awhile? That's right--if you go into the Stevenson Coffee House and plan on sitting there to enjoy your coffee or tea, you can ask for a "for here" glass mug and you will not have to waste a cup even if you forgot your own mug! Genius! Let's give a round of applause to the Stevenson Coffee House, Path to a Greener Stevenson, and the Zero Waste Team in the Sustainability Office.

Some PTAGS students tabling at the Stevenson Resource Fair. Monica, on the far left, is holding up one of the Stevenson Coffee House reusable mugs.

Obviously this tip follows the same logic as the reusable water bottle logic--you just have to remember to bring it with you wherever you go, and pay attention when you see water spigots around campus or in food places on campus. If you're outside a dining hall, but don't have a meal plan, you could ask a friendly looking student to fill it up for you while you wait. I was once asked to fill up someone's water bottle after I swiped my card, and I was more than happy to help the girl reduce her plastic waste by encouraging her reusable water bottle habit.

If you often have trouble remembering to bring your mug, was this tip helpful? If you are a pro at remembering your mug, what do you do to remember it? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

September 2012 Sustainability Profile: Beth Terry & Kicking the Plastic Habit

Blogger extraordinaire and recently published writer Beth Terry used to be just like everyone else. She "lived the plastic lifestyle," and the convenience and familiarity of all things plastic and the ubiquity of it in her life obscured any of the side effects that relying on plastic has on the planet and our health. Most of us, even those of us who are aware of the consequences of plastic and try to listen to our environmental consciences, still use plastic more than we might realize.

Source: OnEarth.org

In 2007, the plastic-happy train Beth had been traveling along, which sped through life collecting plastic products and using up disposable food containers, came to a screeching halt. She saw a photo that changed her life completely. Beth describes the photo in her new book Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too:

"The picture showed the decomposed carcass of a Laysan albatross, an ungainly-looking seabird that nests on Midway Island, which is halfway between California and Japan surrounded  by thousands of miles of Pacific Ocean. The flesh of this particular bird--a chick!--had fallen away to reveal a rib cage filled with plastic bottle caps, disposable cigarette lighters, even a toothbrush--small pieces of plastic that had no business out there in the middle of nowhere. Pieces of plastic like those I myself used and tossed away every day. 

Frozen in my desk chair, I started at the awful image. For several seconds, I literally could not breathe." (p. 3)
 

The photo that Beth Terry came across in 2007 that worked as a catalyst for her journey to a plastic-free life.

 After seeing the image, Beth was in shock. Shock turned to grief, which soon turned to anger. Something had to change.

As she began researching the issue more, she found out the many reasons why plastic is so bad--not only does it cause the death of seabirds and other marine life, but plastic in animals moves up the food chain and into the foods we eat, and the "chemicals from plastics could leach into our food and drinks" (p. 4). Suddenly, the repecurssions of a plastic-dependent lifestyle came a lot closer to home, and she realized that our actions not only affect animals, but they also affect us. "We're pumping this stuff into the environment so fast that it's coming back to us on our dinner plates," she writes (p. 4).

The things she learned and realized that first day, all a result of that catalystic image on her computer screen, were just the beginning of her journey to understanding the many issues surrounding plastic. With understanding and her investment in wanting to stop the damage from plastic that was a direct result of her actions, Beth began collecting the plastic in her life in order to identify where she needed the most improvement and decided to stop acquiring new plastic. She created some rules for herself that were practical and tangible, and she created a blog to share what she was learning and experiencing on her journey to a plastic-free life.



Beth Terry with her plastic accumulation from the 1st week of paying attention to her plastic.

Over the last 5 years, her plastic consumption has dropped dramatically. On August 19, 2012, when Beth spoke at the Seymour Center at Long Marine Lab in Santa Cruz for Science Sunday, she carried with her a single plastic shopping bag that held 2 pounds of plastic products--the total amount of plastic that Beth had accumulated in the year 2011. One bag!


To hear Beth speak about her plastic-free living experiences, check out this video from TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch.

Her lecture at Science Sunday brought people of all ages to hear her story and find out how they can practically and effectively avoid plastic in their lives. The audience was filled with parents and children, teenagers, college students, adults, and senior citizens. Plastic free living can begin at any age.

She spoke about the albatross picture and how mother albatrosses feed these plastic products to their babies, mistaking them for food. It "shocked me out of my complacency," she told the room full of people. For her, it was one of those realizations that cannot be ignored. "I have to do something. I can't not," she remarked.

In addition to telling the story of why she was inspired to change her lifestyle, Beth spoke for most of the lecture about why personal change actually matters. In going over her reasons, Beth gave examples from her own experience and tangible suggestions for ways to implement these changes into our everyday lives. In addition to the tips she provided for avoiding plastic, Beth's presentation was down-to-earth and inspiring, providing a sense that anyone can do what she is doing and that it doesn't take a degree in environmental studies or an understanding of the complexities of ecology to have a reason to make these changes. All it takes is to be informed on a basic level, seek answers when it will help you make better decisions, and practice a lifestyle that does the least harm. If you want to see Beth's list of reasons why personal change matters, check out her blog post about it here.

Beth is also really funny, which makes her book an enjoyable read, as well. Positive and funny encouragement always works better than bitter, serious diatribes, and Beth definitely knows this. Her presentation certainly inspired many of those who were there on August 19, and after the lecture, the line for purchasing Beth's new book and meeting her for a signature crowded the entryway of the Seymour Center.

At the end of her book, Beth writes:

"Whoever you are, whatever your age, gender, or economic status, there is something for you to do in the fight against plastic pollution. There are so many ways to reach out and connect with the wider world. There are so many different ways to participate in this global movement. All talents and skills are needed.

Just pick one thing and get started." (p. 317)  

If you want to learn more about Beth and her plastic-free life, please check out her blog at myplasticfreelife.com. You can take her "Show Your Plastic" Challenge here and begin thinking about living without plastic starting today. For a list of some simple ideas for getting plastic out of your daily routine, view Beth's Plastic-free Living Guide here.

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Each month, our newsletter features a person or group on campus that is working toward a more sustainable world. If you know of a person or group that you think we should profile, or if you would like to be profiled, please send us an email.

To return to the Sustainability Office's newsletters, please click here.

September 2012: Classes, Training, & Community

IDEASS Sustainability Program Spaces Still Available - Apply Now!

Are you an innovative, entrepreneurial, and self-motivated student seeking opportunities to put ideas about sustainable design, social change and environmental stewardship to the test? Impact Designs: Engineering and Sustainability through Student Service is a new team-based internship program on campus designed to create opportunities for students to work on local (primarily off-campus) sustainability challenges with community partners or industry sponsors. Applications for enrollment in Fall 2012 will be accepted until the program is full. Click here for more information and to apply today.

Drop Your Own Drip (DYOD) has found a new home!

The 2012 Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP) 5-unit class project has been adopted by the Student Environmental Center (SEC). That means that there are exciting new ways to earn credit through the the ENVS department and be involved with facilitating the annual campus-wide water-use competition. Interested? Check us DYOD out online here and find out how you can get involved by emailing the new Organizer, Sarah Angulo.

Ithaca College Online Sustainability Leadership Certificate - Sessions Begin September 20 and October 11
Offers the chance to credential sustainability work through single seminars or a six-seminar sustainability leadership certificate. All work is completed online. Participants will learn to assess their organization's green policies and practice, communicate sustainability initiatives and evaluate best practices. New online seminars begin 11 times each year. Next two session start dates: September 20 and October 11. Discounts are available to AASHE members. Upcoming seminars include "How Green is Your Organization: Sustainable Policy and Practice" and "How Green is Your Organization: Sustainable Infrastructure." Most Ithaca sustainability seminars are now GBCI (Green Building Certification Institute) approved. Find out more here.