October 2013 Sustainability Profile: Bradley Angell

Each month, our newsletter features a person or group on campus that is working toward a more sustainable world. This month features Brad Angell, an administrative analyst who works directly with Grounds Services and the Physical Plant on campus.

We asked Bradley Angell what he thinks about sustainability and how it relates to his work at UCSC.

Name:  Bradley Angell
Title:  Administrative Analyst, Grounds Services, Physical Plant

Education:

• Ph.D., Department of Architecture, Texas A&M University (College Station, TX), December 2012
• Master of Architecture, Texas A&M University (College Station, TX), August 2006 w/ Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Urbanism
• Juris Doctor, McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific (Sacramento, CA), May 2001
• Bachelor of Science, Agricultural Development, Texas A&M University (College Station, TX), May 1998

Favorite Green Tips: Eat less meat.  Drive less, walk when you can, use public transit when you can’t.  Compost as much as possible – food waste causes methane that is 20X worse than carbon dioxide per unit in terms of greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere. 

What does "sustainability" mean to you?  Sustainability expresses an overall quality of urban design, operations and societal professionalism. Beyond a superficially environmental connotation of the word, meaningful sustainability refers to an expectation of longevity, stewardship and attention to the details of human civilization.

How does sustainability relate to your role at UCSC? What's one cool thing you've done to make UCSC a more sustainable place? My position is principally focused on meeting the sustainability standards set for UCSC.  As an agent in the Grounds Services department, I am primarily concerned with seeking operational innovations that will allow our campus to meet its 2020 goals of zero-waste.  First, I am charged with executing a new waste metrics system that directly links our front-loading trucks to a cloud-based system for weighing individual dumpsters on campus upon their pickup.  Second, I have been working on a pilot “Smart Dumpster” program that will allow Grounds Services operators to manage our system of resource recovery on a real-time “needs” basis, freeing up our crew to undertake other recycling and stewardship projects.  Finally, I have been working with other on-campus design professionals to develop a robust composting program to recycle a dramatically higher volume of organic materials on campus grounds.  

How do you practice sustainability in your daily life? Bike to work. Compost at home including vermicomposting (worms!). Practice vegetarianism to reduce my carbon footprint. And avoid watering the lawn if possible.

Have you had a favorite sustainability moment at UCSC? My favorite sustainability moment at UCSC occurred when I was presenting our waste metrics program at the 2013 California Higher Education Sustainability Conference.  There, I presented our innovative approach to waste diversion that includes accurate data collection, the process of converting our resource measures from a volumetric norm to an exact weight basis, and our continued coordination in redirecting what would go to the landfill into other streams of reuse and recycling.