50th Anniversary Sustainability Film Festival Contest

Calling all filmmakers and artists! Are you interested in having your short film or artwork displayed at a film festival series this fall? The Sustainability Office invites you to create a sustainability-related short film or poster. The winner(s) of the competition will have their films and posters shown at the Sustainability Film Festival to celebrate the campus’s 50th Anniversary!

If you are interested, listed below are the submission requirements.

Film criteria: 

• The film must be accessible through the web (Vimeo or YouTube, for example)
• The film must incorporate at least one of the following sustainability topics: Environmental awareness, education, and engagement; Sustainable design; Energy and climate; Just & ecologically sustainable food systems; Land, habitat and watershed; Sustainable procurement; Sustainable transportation; Waste reduction; Waste conservation, access and quality; Environmental justice
• The film must be no longer than 10* minutes. 

Note: If you have already created a film that is longer than 10 minutes and would like to submit it, please contact Melissa Ott at mott@ucsc.edu to discuss possible exceptions and/or how you might shorten the film.

Poster criteria: 

• The poster must be at least 8.5 x 11" and no larger than 11 x 17"
• The poster must feature the concept "Water" but may also include other sustainability topics, such as Environmental awareness, education, and engagement; Sustainable design; Energy and climate; Just & ecologically sustainable food systems; Land, habitat and watershed; Sustainable procurement; Sustainable transportation; Waste reduction; Waste conservation, access and quality; Environmental justice

Early Bird deadline: June 1st, 2015
Final deadline: July 13th, 2015

Share this opportunity on Facebook!

In celebration of our campus, we want to highlight our achievements and culture we have created toward sustainability these past 50 years.  Art and film are beautiful mediums to showcase UCSC's anniversary through and we want as many students, campus organizations and community members to be involved.  If you are an organization or community member interested in hosting a film, please contact Melissa Ott at mott [at] ucsc [dot] edu.

Cultivating a Daily Revolution: Film Series

 

Hello everyone,  I am Adriana Murguia , I am part of the FoCAN leadership team and this quarter I will be leading the “Cultivating a Daily Revolution” gatherings. I look forward to sharing my interests and familiarity with you all for the next ten weeks! 

This spring,  Friends of the Community Agroecology Network (FoCAN) will be re-establish its weekly gatherings and will be bringing a weekly film series. This quarter, our Cultivating a Daily Revolution (CDR) will consist of a series of movies and documentaries relating to themes and topics of: agroecology, food security, sustainability and globalization. The films will be in no particular order and will depend on what people are interested in learning about.  The gatherings will consist of free dinner and discussion. 

We will be meeting: Wednesday Nights 7-9pm at the Ethnic Resource Center  (ERC) Lounge above the Baytree bookstore. Stairs and elevators are located to the right of the express store. Our first meeting will be April 15th.  

List of Films:

MST: Brazil's Landless Worker Movement. Understanding the formation of international, agricultural social movements and how they incorporate Agroecology.

Tambien la Lluvia( Even the Rain)- Water Wars:  Hasta la lluvia is a film that  about water privatization in Peru. Learn about multilateral development agencies and what alternatives grassroots movements have provided in the face of liberalism. Water Wars is a documentary on water issues in India reflecting on the monopolization of water and the erosion of communities.

Our land, Our future: Documentary made by Three Americas,a Santa Cruz based solidarity organization with the people of Latin America. This documentary underlines indigenous land rights and environmental issues in Nicaragua. Let’s have a discussion about the Nicaraguan Canal.

When the Mountains Tremble: Film on the war between the Guatemalan military and indigenous communities.

Cocalero- Mary full of Grace: Understanding global commodities and will then implement its framework in understanding the commodification of cocaine in Latin America.

Seeds of Freedom: Explore diverse farming systems around the word and how seeds have become monopolized by the global food system.

A film about Coffee- Hot Coffee: follow the production of coffee from farm to consumption. The film opens a door to understanding specialty coffee.

 

Sponsored by: El Centro Chicano Resource center  

April 2015: Sustainability profile

Each month, our newsletter features a person or group on campus that is working toward a more sustainable world. This month features Jennifer (Juniper) Harrower.

Education

• Ph.D. Student (2013-Current): UC Santa Cruz, Environmental Studies
• CA Science Teaching Credential (2007): Alliant International University, San Francisco
• Bachelor of Science with honors (2006): UC Berkeley, Plant Biology and Genetics
• Oakland Teaching Fellows Summer Institute (2006)
• CEICA Pre Advanced Intensive Spanish program, Peru (2010)
• Education Abroad (2005): Tropical Biology and Research, Monteverde, Costa Rica

What's your favorite green tip? Zimride through UCSC is an excellent way to link people for commuting and reduce single passenger vehicles on the road!

What does "sustainability" mean to you? For me, sustainability means a daily awareness of how my actions are affecting the world from the local to global scale.

How do you practice sustainability in your daily life? I ride my bicycle whenever possible, live cooperatively with 6 others, use consumer awareness and try to buy things with minimal packaging (bulk) and from good organizations. I try to buy local produce and support local farmers, and raise chickens. At my house we recycle and compost, and have water usage awareness. Additionally, I teach environmental classes, and do environmental outreach with the public in a variety of ways.

How does sustainability relate to your role at UCSC? People need to act sustainably if we want to continue living on this planet. This is why I study human impacts on biodiversity, do research in Joshua Tree National Park, and work with students in ENVS.

Have you had a favorite sustainability moment at UCSC? Working with art students to create environmental awareness was a pretty great one!

Can you tell us about the project you are working on? "Seeking Symbiosis" is a collaborative project between myself and Geoffrey Thomas - a lecturer and post doc in the art department. I teach the students about the impacts of human driven global change on ecosystems and the resulting biodiversity loss. My work focuses on the impacts of climate change on Joshua trees (who are greatly impacted by climate change) and their symbiotic fungi. The students worked with Joshua trees at the UCSC greenhouses to create imagery about Joshua tree loss to engage with the scientific and cultural discourses surrounding climate change and environmentalism.

What has been your favorite part about collaborating with the UCSC Art Department?  Our campus is really separated, and there is little physical crossover between the art and science departments - students rarely spend time in both worlds. I have really enjoyed having art students come over to the ENVS department to work with the Joshua trees and then to see their art hung in our halls. And, I have gotten great feedback from the ENVS department regarding the beautiful art work that students have created. It feels like a true inter-disciplinary project! Considering the impacts humans are having on our planet we need all disciplines engaging with the ideas of what it means to live sustainably and how to manage our natural resources. One of my future projects in collaboration with OpenLab (art/science research studio on campus) is to develop an educational computer app that incorporates findings from my Joshua tree climate change research in a fun game that students can play to engage with these issues. The app will work with real data, so future ecological scenarios predicted from playing this game could potentially be used to inform real world management decisions.

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 at sustain.education [at] ucsc [dot] edu and we will help you direct your ideas toward fruition!

Food

Six Vermont Schools Participate in Food System Tour
As part of an effort to study local and global food systems, students from around the U.S. will visit Green Mountain College, Middlebury College, Sterling College, University of Vermont, Vermont Law School, and Vermont Technical College. The 21-day tour explores urban food systems, the local dairy industry and carbon economy, food system advocacy in the context of genetically-modified food, conservation, and climate change and its impacts on global food system.

Transportation

GMR Institute of Tech Imposes Vehicle Restrictions on Campus (India)
In an effort to curb noise and air pollution at the institution, the university recently banned vehicles on campus every Thursday whereby all faculty, staff and students park their motorized vehicles in assigned locations and reach campus by foot.

USA Today: Campus Bike Reuse Programs
The recently released article points out some universities and colleges that are collecting unwanted bikes, repairing them to working order, and lending them to students who might not otherwise be able to afford a bicycle.

Nashville, TN Walk Bike University Free Public Bike Classes
Walk/Bike Nashville's Walk Bike University (WBU) seeks to grow the number of Nashvillians biking and walking through education, raising awareness, and cultivating bicycle and pedestrian leaders. They host workshops on bicycle skills, bicycle maintenance, pedestrian advocacy, and various other bicycle and pedestrian issues. Classes are fun, informative, and open to the public.Some classes include: Adult Learn to Ride a Bike; Bicycling 123 refresher course; Basic Bike Skills on off-street (parking-lot) skills course; and City Cycling.

Ohio State U Enters Negotiations with Bike Sharing Company 
The recent negotiations, if agreed upon, will bring Zagster, a bicycle-sharing system, to campus with 115 bicycles including tandem, hand cycle, electric assist, heavy duty, and three-wheeled cargo bikes.

Big Idea: $1 To Save Bicycling on Campus
A graduate student studying urban planning at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign successfully lead a campaign on campus to institute a $1 semesterly fee for bicycle programs and infrastructure. The fee not only passed, but it sailed through a vote with 73% of students in support.

Awareness, Education, and Engagement

California State U Monterey Bay Opens New Sustainable Degree
The new bachelor of science in sustainable hospitality management provides students with local, regional and global perspectives on current and pressing sustainability issues and problems within the hospitality industry. Concentrations exist in sustainable hotel, resort and event management, and sustainable ecotourism management.

Portland State U Launches Graduate Certificate in Public Design
The university's School of Architecture's new certificate in Public Interest Design aims to prepare students in sustainability, community development and architecture to aid underserved populations through sustainable, human-centered design methods via in-classroom studies and hands-on field experience, working directly with communities in need.

U Virginia Begins Employee Sustainability Program
Seeking to reduce its environmental impact by building more efficient spaces, the university's sustainability committee has started its new, self-reporting Green Workplace Program, which uses a checklist of 60 actions that workplaces can implement to improve operations and reduce cost, and includes eight categories: energy, transportation, purchasing, zero waste, community, health, food and bonus credits. If UCSC held sustainability trainings for employees, would you attend? Comment below!

Maharishi U Offers Masters Program in Sustainable Living
During the first year of the program, beginning fall 2015, students will spend half their time in class and half in the community addressing challenges. The second year will be entirely devoted to a major community project, with one option being a 25-month hitch in the Peace Corps.

U North Carolina Chapel Hill Announces Campus Climate Dialogues 
Inspired by the rising level of national and local discourse surrounding events and issues of equity and inclusion related to race, intellectual diversity, religion, identity and culture, the university recently began Carolina Conversations, a coordinated effort that gives the campus community an avenue to share thoughts and opinions with the administration. The campaign includes an interactive website, a calendar of all campus events related to diversity, equity and inclusion, and a series of ongoing events to encourage dialogue.

Waste

Fitchburg State U Removes Drinking Straw Option
In an attempt to improve waste reduction, recycling and composting, the university removed the straws, which are hard to spot when conducting post-consumer, dish room garbage separation.

University of Washington Students Hold Trashion Show
The first annual UW "Trashion" Show was hosted by EcoReps to celebrate Earth Day and beckon audience members to reimagine and critically think about "waste."All clothing made through upcycling scavenged materials. Something like this would be a great opportunity for the Theater and Art and Environmental Studies departments to collaborate on something environmentally creative.

Energy

Cambridge U Studies Plant-Powered Bus Shelter (U.K.)
The prototype hub at the university's botanical garden has walls of plants in pockets made of carbon fiber that receive electrons, produced as a byproduct of photosynthesis, that power a light in the shelter.

Climate Change

Stanford U Students Hold Panel on Climate Change Education
Students for a Sustainable Stanford and the Stanford School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences recently held a panel to raise public awareness of the interdisciplinary importance of global climate change.

April 2015 Green Tip: Purchasing Electronics

As members of the University system in the 21st century, our lives are dominated by electronics like phones and laptops. These products are increasingly smaller, faster, and more advanced in their capabilities, allowing us to interact and share more efficiently than with older technologies; however, the process of putting these products together is much more socially and environmentally destructive than is often evident to the average consumer.

Conflict minerals (like gold and tantalum) are present in most of our commonly used electronics. These minerals are generally attained through intense social exploitation (i.e. child labor) in disastrous mines that cause extreme environmental degradation for their surrounding areas. Countries like the Congo that are rich in natural resources but are politically unstable are ravaged by war and violence because of this mineral trade that is fueled by western consumer demand for electronics.

Of the 21 largest electronics manufacturers in the world, you can buy your cell phones, computers, cameras, and other gadgets from those companies that are making the most effort to go conflict-free (and avoid those that are not). According to Raising Hope for Congo, here are the rankings:

Click image for larger view.

Organizations like Raise Hope for Congo are working to raise awareness about these issues and are urging electronics companies to take responsibility for their mining practices.

Fairphone is a prime example of how companies can take responsability for their production practices. Fairphone started in 2010 as a project of Waag Society, Action Aid and Schrijf-Schrijf to raise awareness about conflict minerals in electronics and the wars that they fuel and fund in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2013, they established their independent social enterprise to design and produce their first smartphone and take the next crucial steps in uncovering the story behind the sourcing, production, distribution and recycling of electronics.
To learn more about them, please download their fact sheet.

Next time you consider purchasing a new phone or laptop, consider first if you really need a new one. If you determine that what you have isn't sufficient, consider buying a refurbished one instead. You can also refer to the Enough Project's company rankings, a rating system that evaluates corporations on their efforts to be "Conflict Free."

Here are some ways to be sustainable with electronic products:

1. Purchase sustainable options, such as Fairphone, etc.
2. Use it until it's beyond repair instead of buying the newest version right away
3. Recycle it properly through certified e-waste systems
4. Donate old phones that do work but which no longer serve your needs

Read more about the ways that conflict minerals affect people living in the Congo in this National Geographic piece.

Fossil Free UC Santa Cruz Wedding

On Global Divestment Day, Fossil Free UC Santa Cruz hosted a wedding to commemorate the special relationship between the University of California and the Fossil Fuel Industry.

This piece of protest theatre was intended to engage students, faculty and staff in critical examination of the myriad ties betwixt the university and extractive industries. In lieu of gifts, the hosts of the wedding ask you to sign this divestment petition, organize with Fossil Free UCSC and consider pledging to the Donors for Divestment campaign. Congratulations to both parties!

To view the wedding video, click here.

April 2015: Classes, Community and Training

Want to Live at PICA next year?
At the Program in Community and Agroecology, students grow organic food, share in community meals and learn sustainable living skills. Through PICA, students from a variety of majors have the opportunity to study agroecology and apply their knowledge to everyday activities within their community. If you are interested in a sustainability-themed housing for the 2015-2016 school year, sign up for the Village and mark "strongly prefer" for involvement in PICA.

Upcoming Common Ground Events
The mission of the Kresge Common Ground Center is to create cultural change for social justice, environmental regeneration, and economic viability. They act as a catalyst and facilitator of systemic change through undergraduate action-education, research, advocacy, and civic engagement. Common Ground is hosting a speaker series this quarter through their Collaborative Learning class and other events this spring. To find out more about the events, click here.

Free UCSC Bike Tour de Cruz Bike Ride: April 11
On April, 11th from 12 to 3pm, explore the best bike routes around Santa Cruz, including the new Arana Gulch Trail, in this all-levels bike ride. New cyclists welcome! Bike Santa Cruz County ride leaders will cover everything you need to know to ride your bike around town, including rules of the road, carrying stuff, riding in the rain and more. Pre-register at recreation.ucsc.edu to get FREE bike lights, local bike map, and snacks! Join the Facebook event here.

Free Bike Safety Class
TAPS sponsors a Bicycle Street Skills class every quarter! Join them on Tuesday, April 14th from 5:30 to 8:00pm or Wednesday, April 15th from 5:30 to 8:00pm. You receive a free light and pizza when you attend. RSVP by filling out this reservation form.

Cultivating a Daily Revolution - Film Series: Starts April 15
This spring, Friends of the Community Agroecology Network (FoCAN) will be re-establish its weekly gatherings and will be bringing a weekly film series. This quarter, the Cultivating a Daily Revolution (CDR) will consist of a series of movies and documentaries relating to themes and topics of: agroecology, food security, sustainability and globalization. The gatherings will consist of free dinner and discussion. Meetings will be held every Wednesday night from 7-9 P.M. at the Ethnic Resource Center (ERC) Lounge above the Baytree bookstore. Stairs and elevators are located to the right of the express store. The first meeting will be April 15th. For more information on the films, click here.

Earth Week: April 19-25
Earth Week 2015 is taking place April 19th-25th, 2015. The theme is, "Your Food, Your Plate, Your Impact". College Eight wants to examine the question "What does it mean to eat?" in the context of our food choices and their underlying impact. Keep an eye out for advertisements across campus!

Local and Organic Tasting Fair: April 22
During Earth Week, join UCSC Dining in their 5th annual Local and Organic Tasting Fair. On Wednesday, April 22nd from 11:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. at College 9 & 10 Multipurpose Room, there will be local vendors and free samples of food and beverages! The event is free and open to all of campus.

Earth Summit: April 24
On Friday, April 24th, 2015, the Student Environmental Center will be hosting the 14th Annual Campus Earth Summit from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm at the College Nine & Ten Multipurpose Room on the University of California, Santa Cruz campus. The Earth Summit is a space for students, staff, faculty, administrators, and community members to come together and celebrate the history and current actions in campus sustainability, reflect on the 2014-2015 Student Forum events, plan for future sustainability projects, and strengthen overall involvement. The theme of this year’s event is a fusion of activism and art, with a focus on increasing communication and community problem-solving through the avenue of art and personal expression. Learn more about the Earth Summit event and ways you can get involved at our website!

 

April 24: Sustainability Alumni Reunion
Join the Sustainability Office for a mixer with alumni and current students involved with UC Santa Cruz environmental sustainability and conservation efforts. This is an opportunity to catch up with old friends and create networks with new ones in honor of UCSC's 50th Anniversary. Students, staff, and alumni from UCSC sustainability organizations will be gathering informally at Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing and nearby West End Tap on Friday, April 24th from 5-8 p.m. You don't have to be 21+ to attend! Please invite others who may be interested in attending. To RSVP or ask questions, please email Melissa at mott [at] ucsc [dot] edu.


PICA Garden Workdays: All Spring Quarter
Every Saturday April 4 - May 30 from 10 A.M. - 2 P.M. PICA hosts garden workdays. Free vegetarian lunch will be served. Meet in the A-quad of the village.

Spring Convergence Early Bird Registration and Workshop App: Now Open
The CSSC Spring Convergence will be held from April 24th-26th at Loyola Marymount University and hosted by students at Santa Monica College and Loyola Marymount University. Early bird registration for students is $25.00 for a weekend that covers keynote speakers, workshops, caucuses, speaker panels, entertainment, two nights of housing, five delicious local meals, and an opportunity to network with students and professionals from across the state. The deadline for early bird registration ends at midnight on April 6th! Workshops can be created and facilitated by anyone (student, teacher, professional, or community member) on any topic aligned with our theme and vision. If you are interested in leading a workshop or registering early, click here.

Reclaiming Broken Places: Introduction to Civic Ecology Course
The free massive open online course, Reclaiming Broken Places: Introduction to Civic Ecology, offered by Cornell University, explores why and how people come together to care for nature and cultivate community in places marked by disaster, war, poverty and environmental degradation.