February 2017: Classes, Trainings, and Community

Climate Change and Carbon Survey

Conifr is a team of students in Santa Cruz and Brisbane working together to develop an app that tracks individual carbon emissions from transportation. Their idea won them first place at Startup Weekend Santa Cruz in November. Their goal is to facilitate tracking of CO2 emissions and offer transparent ways to offset, or counteract, those emissions. Please fill out this survey so that they can better understand their market and know how to make the app as useful to you as possible! You can use this survey link or use the QR code above.

SEC Blueprint Breakouts throughout Winter Quarter: February 1, 8, 15
You're invited to the Student Environmental Center's (SEC) annual creation of the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus! Connect with students, staff, and faculty and share ideas on campus sustainability. Free vegetarian dinner will be provided each week. The events are on Wednesdays 5:30-7:30 PM. The dates and themes for each event are as follows: February 1: Waste Prevention and Land, Habitat & Watershed at Rachel Carson College Red Room. February 8: Green Building & Social and Environmental Justice at the Colleges 9&10 Namaste Lounge. February 15: Water & Green Purchasing at Rachel Carson College Red Room. For questions, please email seclead-group@ucsc.edu.

Zero Waste Campus Cleanups: February 4 & 26
The Sustainability Office's Zero Waste Team is hosting campus cleanups that are open for all to attend. Snacks and supplies are provided! The cleanups are happenings from 11 AM to 12 PM. Oakes & Rachel Carson Colleges' cleanup is on February 4, and Cowell & Stevenson Colleges' cleanup is on February 26. Each cleanup will meet in front of the respective dining halls. For questions or DRC accommodations, please email the Zero Waste Team at zerowasteucsc@gmail.com.

Labor Mobility & Precarity on a Global Scale Symposium: February 7
You are invited to attend this symposium on how global labor mobility and rising precarity affect and connect the experiences of citizens and non-citizens. Precarity, the experience of insecurity and constant risk of exclusion, is central to the experience of many labor migrants and citizen-workers in our time. Today’s labor migrants are new denizens—residents or inhabitants who are not quite full members of society. They are incorporated into societies that desire their labor, but reject their very presence. The event is on February 7, from 12-5:30 PM in the Stevenson Event Center. It is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to register before event.

Common Ground Center World Cafes: February 7 & 21
Kresge Common Ground Center is hosting World Cafes this Quarter at the Kresge Seminar Room 159. February 7th's discussion is called Arts and Activism and February 21st is on Media, News, and Influence. For more information, check out their website or Facebook page. Can’t wait to hear what actions emerge from these conversations!

Film Screening & Conversation with Ron Finley: February 8
Ron Finley is the renowned "guerrilla gardener of South Central L.A." and an advocate for urban gardens as a way to address poverty, alleviate food insecurity, and promote community cohesion. With the help of activists and community members, he was able to legalize curbside gardening in the city of L.A. for community use. Ron will give a short talk before the film, and participate in a Q&A session after the showing. The event is happening at 7 PM on Wednesday, February 8 at the Colleges 9&10 Multipurpose Room. Admission is free and seating may be limited. For information or accommodations, contact coco@ucsc.edu.

Democratizing the Green City Conference at UCSC: February 17-18
This conference examines a paradox: urban sustainability initiatives that are so vital in countering climate change can, through their improvements, contribute to driving up rents and driving out residents, and in the process, exacerbate sprawl, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change itself. Our speakers examine this growing link between environmental improvement and social displacement and ask: How is it possible to break this link? What would it mean to include affordable housing and equity within sustainability efforts? And what are the consequences—socially and ecologically—if we don't? This conference is free and open to the public. Please register and find out more at their website.

Climate Science & Policy Conference - Changing Climate: Acting Now to Secure a Sustainable Future: February 24-25
The Divisions of Physical & Biological Sciences and Social Sciences are proud to announce the 4th Annual UC Santa Cruz Climate Science & Policy Conference. It will feature a keynote presentation by Veerbhadran Ramanathan on "Climate Change Morphing into an Existential Threat: Need for a New Approach," as well as panel discussions on Saturday covering a variety of topics. The closing panel Fred Keeley Lecture on Environmental Policy is titled, "Climate Change Science and Policy in a President Trump Administration." Learn more and register online here.

Campus Fun-Run with OPERS and Financial Aid on April 29 during Alumni Weekend
Fun run on campus in support of student scholarships! UCSC is hosting a challenging 5k on campus that covers all of our colleges and major nostalgic, picturesque areas on UC Santa Cruz. They’ll have water stations, photos stations, shuttle service just in case and lockers and refreshments at OPERS on the East Field. Register early for the family-friendly fun in the sun this Spring! Find out more at Alumni Weekend website.

Santa Cruz Fruit Tree Project: February 4
The Santa Cruz Fruit Tree Project, in collaboration with the City of Santa Cruz Parks Department, will be breaking ground on a community orchard, bringing dozens of volunteers to amend the soil and plant about 20 fruit trees. The event will be on Saturday, February 4th at Mike Fox Park, alongside the river levee by the Riverside Ave Bridge. Check out their website for more information.

November 2016: Internships, Employment, & Volunteering

Internships:

Destination Higher Education
The African/Black Student Alliance's Program Destination Higher Education (DHE) is looking for interns. DHE introduces newly admitted students to the African/Black community and student life on the UC Santa Cruz campus. DHE provides personal, social, and academic workshops that focus on the Black Experience at UC Santa Cruz and are presented by African/Black students at UC Santa Cruz. If you interested in interning or if you have any questions, please email Destination Higher Education.

Bayview Elementary DROPS Program
Bayview Elementary School has partnered with students of the UCSC IDEASS program to aid in their water conservation initiative. They are currently seeking students for internship positions collaborating with the city and local professionals, and conducting water/soil testing or infiltration studies. Students from all majors and interests are encouraged to apply.  All internships are offered for academic credit (ENVS 183 or CLEI 150), with the possibility of paid positions for some interns.  For more information, email Tamara Ball.

National Outdoor Leadership School: Deadline November 4
NOLS is seeking a Sustainability Intern to work at their headquarters in Lander, WY from January to May 2017. This paid NOLS sustainability intern will assist the environmental stewardship & sustainability director and sustainability coordinator with a variety of tasks related to sustainability initiatives at NOLS, community outreach, and public policy. Application deadline is November 4th. There are also a number of other internships and job opportunities at NOLS. Visit the NOLS website for more information.

Employment:

Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition Education Programs Coordinator: Deadline November 23
Based out of San Jose, CA, the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition is an organization that serves to create a healthy community, environment, and economy through bicycling for people who live, work, or play in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.  The Coalition is hiring an Education Programs Coordinator, who will develop bike to school programs, coordinate with partner organizations, and instruct driver education classes.  Applicants should have a bachelor's degree in a related field and experience with bicycles and education. Visit their website for more information.

Bike Santa Cruz County Seeks Executive Director: Open until filled
Local bicycle advocacy group Bike Santa Cruz County is looking to hire an Executive Director.  Responsibilities include managing and empowering staff, interns, volunteers, and contractors, managing the budget, and generating content for their newsletter. Applicants should be passionate cyclists, have leadership and communication skills, and knowledge in finance and local government.  Visit the website for more information and application details.

Fund for the Public Interest Canvass Director: Deadline November 4
Fund for the Public Interest is a national, non-profit organization that builds the people power for America’s leading environmental and social change organizations. They are hiring for a number of positions, including Canvass Director. Here in Santa Cruz they are working with CALPIRG on a campaign to stop the overuse of antibiotics in factory farms.  Volunteers can make $450-$650 a week while gaining valuable skills and experience. Full-time and part-time positions available, starting immediately.  Visit the Fund's website for full details and to apply. For more information, email Hannah Furbush.

Stillwater Sciences: Various positions
Stillwater Sciences is an environmental consulting firm specializing in science-based, technical approaches to environmental issues. Stillwater is currently seeking curious and energetic scientists at all levels - from Bachelors through Ph.D. - with expertise in terrestrial and aquatic biology, botany, water quality, or geomorphology. Open positions include Junior Geomorphologist or Environmental Engineer, Restoration/Civil Engineer, Senior Scientist / Project Manager, and Environmental Scientist/Project Manager. More information about these positions, the firm, and how to apply is available on their website.   

Volunteering:

UCSC Arboretum Succulent Wreath Volunteering
Help make beautiful and unique succulent wreaths for the Arboretum's November Gift & Wreath Sale!  The group meets Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 am to 12 noon.  Apply to be a wreath-maker at the Arboretum's website and explore other volunteer opportunities.  For more information, email Arboretum Volunteer Program Coordinator Katie Starr Cordes.

Remove Invasive Plants with Land Trust of Santa Cruz County: November 12
Land Trust of Santa Cruz County is a local conservation group that protects, cares for, and connects people to the extraordinary lands that make this area special.  The Trust is in need of volunteers to help remove invasive plants from the Randall Morgan Sandhills Preserve in Scotts Valley (9250 Geyer Rd). The "broom pull" will be November 12 from 9am to noon.  Volunteers should bring sturdy boots, weather-protective clothing, water, and a lunch. More information about the volunteer day is available on the Land Trust's website.

"Put A Price On It" Campaign
In partnership with Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL),  this campaign is currently looking for students to help with climate solution efforts on campuses across the country. The goal of the campaign is to put a price on carbon pollution and secure our transition to a 100% clean energy economy. The campaign elevates the importance of carbon pricing through film, social media, and celebrity endorsements, while empowering students to participate in the democratic process and become more skilled in civic engagement. Opportunities for students include joining our Fellowship program (opportunity for paid positions), becoming a Field Representative, and/or joining our National Action Team. Learn more about each opportunity at the Our Climate website, and email Tom if you have any questions. Let's #PutAPriceOnIt!

Volunteer at the Bike Santa Cruz County Annual Dinner: December 4
The Bike Santa Cruz County Annual Dinner & Auction returns this holiday season on Sunday, December 4th from 5:00-8:00pm at the Food Lounge in downtown Santa Cruz. They need help with this fundraising event celebrating their 2016 accomplishments and Santa Cruz County's top bicycle advocates. There will be live music, a silent auction, and catered food. Sign up for volunteer positions here.

Clean Vehicle Program gives rebates for the purchase of electric vehicles

Good news for those interested in purchasing or leasing an electric vehicle. The Monterey Bay Air Resource District (MBARD, formerly MBUAPCD) will soon be offering individuals an additional $2,500 rebate for residents of Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito counties for the purchase or lease of an all electric vehicle. Applications will be on their website soon at www.mbard.org. This is in addition to a $7,500 federal tax credit and a $2,500 state rebate.

Read the press release here.

Nissan also offers staff and faculty, and now graduate students, an additional discount as well.  Read more here.

UCSC Annual Sustainability Report 2015

We are excited to announce the release of UC Santa Cruz's 2015 Annual Sustainability Report (view here). This report demonstrates our progress toward the 2013-16 Campus Sustainability Plan and UC Office of the President systemwide goals.

We have made progress across all topic areas and have achieved many of the goals established in the 2013-16 Sustainability Plan.

We are diversifying traditional notions of sustainability by engaging more community members than we ever have before. Our campus has launched a new Sustainability minor program, and we are utilizing more renewable energy sources to support campus operations.

We continue to build on the achievements made. Committed to progress and bound by the responsibility we have to our campus environment, the people who live and work here and the world we all share.

Our Campus Sustainability Plan will be updated in 2016 with goals that push us to steadily and energetically create a more sustainable campus.

We have accomplished so much as a campus in our last 50 years, pioneering the way for sustainability through our organic farming, water conservation, transportation, and many other innovative approaches. We honor and carry with us the achievements of those who came before us as we look forward to the next 50 years of sustainability at UC Santa Cruz.

Read the complete annual report here.

April 2016: Contests and Funding

Apply to UC Carbon Slam: Deadline April 10
University of California students are invited to apply to the Carbon Slam, a UC-wide competition taking place May 23rd at Xerox PARC in Silicon Valley. This system-wide event will bring students from all 10 UC campuses to present their climate change science and solution research in 3-minute pitches and posters in a live competition before a panel of esteemed judges and guests for a chance to win cash prizes. This event will highlight the important work that UC students and faculty are doing to understand the impacts of climate change and to develop new innovations, practices and policies that can help mitigate those impacts. The website and application portal can be found at carbonslam.org. Please email Sue Carter at carbon-slam[at]ucsc[dot]edu with any questions.

Queer Black Zine Submissions: Deadline April 10
Calling All Black Queer Geniuses: Bring your art, your brainstorms, your writings. The Michael Johnson Support Committee is putting together a zine on the intersections of sexuality, prison abolition, HIV criminalization, and queer black experience, and they are searching for your brilliance. Send submissions to gayshamesf[at]yahoo[dot]com. More information is available here.

Second Nature 2016 Climate Leadership Awards: Deadline April 25
The Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards, in partnership with USGBC's Center for Green Schools, recognize innovative and advanced leadership in sustainability, climate mitigation and resilience at signatory campuses of the Climate Leadership Commitments. They do so based on demonstrated advances in innovation, embedded opportunities and student preparedness with relation to sustainability and climate action. Applications are due by April 25 at 3:00pm Eastern.

Campus Sustainability Council Request for Proposals Available: Deadline May 6
The Campus Sustainability Council (CSC) would like to fund student organizations' sustainability projects or events in the upcoming year. The Spring 2016 funding round funding is available for Fall 2016 through Spring 2017. Proposals adhering to the criteria for student organizations and relevance to the Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus are eligible for funding. There are mandatory trainings before the deadline. Find out more on their website.

Students & Staff Share Takeaways from Fall Conferences

There were many sustainability conferences all over the country this quarter! Students and staff in the Sustainability Office were able to attend many of them and wanted to share what they learned. Here are some key takeaways and stories from the conferences they attended this fall. If you ever attend a sustainability related conference and want to share a report-back in a future newsletter, please email sustain.education@ucsc.edu. 

South by Southwest Eco Conference
"Biomimicry, the idea of innovation inspired by nature, is a relatively new field of science focusing what we can learn from nature rather than what we can extract from nature. After facilitating an Education for Sustainable Living Program class on the topic of Biomimicry last quarter, I have been constantly curious about the world around me. When I heard about this conference, I saw it as a way to learn more about the field and meet the people with big ideas for Biomimicry..." Click here to continue reading this report from Lily Urmann, Green Labs Facilitator.

The Post-Landfill Action Network's Zero Waste Youth Conference 
"This conference was a great experience. We met a ton of hardworking and dedicated students from all across the country who were making positive impacts at their respective campuses. The conference theme was zero waste and we learned how to overcome challenges to get a zero waste program started, how to build a strong initiative, and how to network to leverage your goals. We were also inspired by some amazing speakers! To top it off, we had beautiful farm to table food and all of it was a 100% zero waste event!" - Jamison Czarnecki, Carbon Neutrality Fellow

National Bioneers Conference 
"Bioneers, for me, brought the many threads of 'sustainability' - environment, people, ecology, biodiversity, diversity, justice, equity, celebration of difference, purpose, conservation, conversation, art, climate, water, community, etc. - into a beautifully, vibrantly, amazingly woven cloth that held all of the attendees in its embrace for a weekend, bringing us in contact with new ideas and new people, encouraging us to sink into the realities of our world in their fullness..." Click here to continue reading this report from Melissa Ott, Office Manager/Events Coordinator.

Why I Love Bioneers 
"Even though this was my third time attending Bioneers, I was constantly blown away by the influx of new experiences and inspirations. I was grateful this year to be part of the Youth Leadership program, where I was surrounded by motivated young adults out to change the world. The dire state of our planet is often scary and overwhelming to think about, but the capacity of humans and our ability to collaborate on solutions keeps me hopeful. That is why I love Bioneers..." Click here to continue reading this report from Lily Urmann, Green Labs Facilitator.

Conference of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education 
"I had the honor of representing our campus at the national annual conference of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Sustainability professionals from all around the world converged on Minneapolis, MN for the occasion. The session that struck me the most was an all-day workshop focused on incorporating sustainability and diversity issues..." Click here to continue reading this report from Elida Erickson, Interim Sustainability Director.

UC Carbon Neutrality Summit - Bending the Curve
"It's not often that UC President Napolitano, Governor Jerry Brown, 50+ faculty and researchers, Nobel laureates, and business leaders get together in one place to focus on a topic.  But on October 26 & 27, these movers and shakers got together at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography at UC San Diego to focus on one of the most critical issues facing society; climate change..." Click here to continue reading this report from Chrissy Thomure, Climate Action Manager.

UC Office of the President (UCOP) Fellowship Orientation
"On Saturday, November 14th, the UC Santa Cruz Carbon Neutrality Initiative Fellows and Global Food Initiative Fellows attended the UC Office of the President’s fellowship orientation.  During this daylong event, the UCSC fellows were able to meet all of the other UC-wide fellows and get to know which exciting projects they were working on.  The UCSC fellows were able to share our efforts with the Cool Campus Challenge and which projects they will be undertaking as the academic year continues.  They also learned about new strategies from different workshops on how to maximize student, staff and faculty engagement.  Completing this orientation provided the UCSC fellows with a network of like-minded UC fellows and new strategies that will help UCSC complete the UCOP sustainability initiatives.  The fellows look forward to the future projects and opportunities that will secure UCSC’s carbon neutrality and food security goals." - Jordi Vasquez, Carbon Neutrality Fellow

UC Carbon Neutrality Summit- Bending the Curve

Chrissy Thomure, the Climate Action Manager at the Sustainability Office shares her experience at the UC Carbon Neutrality Summit.

 
It's not often that UC President Napolitano, Governor Jerry Brown, 50+ faculty and researchers, Nobel laureates, and business leaders get together in one place to focus on a topic.  But on October 26 & 27, these movers and shakers got together at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography at UC San Diego to focus on one of the most critical issues facing society; climate change.

The latest science presented at the conference revealed that under the current “business as usual” practices, the planet is on target to exceed a 2 degrees Celsius increase relative to the pre-industrial average by 2050 and a 4 degrees Celsius increase by 2100, triggering serious large-scale problems including droughts, forest fires and sea level rise from 1.5–2 meters by the end of the century. Catastrophic climatic events are becoming more and more common, and are disproportionately affecting the world’s most vulnerable people.

Despite the stark facts that were presented, there was a sense of excitement and optimism in the air as we heard from the leaders of a committee of 50 academics and researchers from across UC’s 10 campuses who worked over the summer to develop a report recommending a set of actionable solutions for curbing climate change using existing technologies.  The report, called Bending the Curve, pulled together experts from a broad spectrum of fields ranging from climate science to ethics, economics, ecology, energy, environmental justice, political science and religion.  The Chair of the Committee, Veerabhadran "Ram" Ramanathan- who in 1975 discovered the greenhouse effect of chlorofluorocarbons in the Earth’s atmosphere- insists, “there is still time to mitigate the most disastrous of the predicted changes.”  Governor Brown iterated this point by saying, “The challenge for us is to imagine the likely extreme outcomes of climate change and take actions now to prevent it.”

Yes, this is a monumental challenge.  The encouraging thing is that it was apparent at this Summit that these leaders are not just “talking the talk” but are also “walking the walk.”  With the Carbon Neutrality Initiative announced by President Napolitano in 2013, the University of California pledged to become carbon neutral by 2025.  The state of California has its own ambitious climate targets: Reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels, shift California’s electricity production to at least 50 percent renewable sources, and increase building energy efficiency by 50 percent – all by 2030.  To learn more about UCSC’s commitment to climate action, click here. 

Cool Campus Challege update

As the end of Fall quarter approaches, so too does the end of the Cool Campus Challenge. This event supports the UC Office of the President’s 2025 Carbon Neutrality Initiative and raises awareness on being greener amongst student staff and faculty. While a friendly competition with the other UCs on which campus can be the “Coolest Campus,” UCSC is currently in 4th place! As a point of Slug pride (and the chance to win cool prizes like a Momentum Bicycle), let’s move up in number of participants and green pledges, showing the UCs we care about Carbon Neutrality. 



If you make it to 10,000 points, you'll be entered into a raffle to win a momentum bike (in UCSC school colors) and right now, with only 140 people at that level your odds are pretty good!


Let's go UCSC! Go ‪#‎CoolGreenSlugs‬! Go to coolcampuschallenge.org and (bike) rack up those points!

Cool Campus Challenge update!

With week 5 kicking off for the Cool Campus Challenge, we’ve achieved a lot! Over 1,100 students, staff and faculty have signed up for a total of 2.3 million points earned. This adds up to 2.3 million pounds of CO2 saved from our pledged actions. It’s an awesome achievement, but we can do more. There are also plenty more PRIZES to be given out to people who sign up and more for top earners!

However, despite all we’ve achieved, UCSC fell from 3rd to 5th place since last month. We can move back to the top, but we need YOU! Invite your friends, professors, and co-workers to sign up and pledge actions to earn more points!

Did you know you can earn points for taking the bus, riding your bike, or ride sharing to campus? These simple actions, and so much more, are easy ways to lower your carbon impact and earn some points for UCSC. So how can we win this challenge and prove UCSC cares the most about lowering our collective footprint? If you haven’t signed up yet, please do! If you have, then continue to log in and complete pledges. You can even make your own actions that are not on the list. You also get more points if you add pictures. If you’d like to help spread the word and get your foot in the door to the sustainability office, contact fellows Jordi Vasquez (jpvasque [at] ucsc [dot] edu) or Jamison Czarnecki (jczarnec [at] ucsc [dot] edu).

Remember, this is MORE than a friendly competition! This is a chance for UCSC to show that we collectively care and support these initiatives. Every point earned is a statement to our regents that we want more actions like carbon neutrality! Thank you for working hard at this. We have 5 weeks left to show the other UCs that we really are the Coolest Campus!

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.

Open Streets Santa Cruz on West Cliff Drive

Open Streets Santa Cruz on West Cliff Drive
Sunday, October 11, 2015, 9am-2pm 

Come bicycle, walk and play in the 2-mile Pop-up Street Park with no cars!

West Cliff will be closed to traffic from Lighthouse Field to Natural Bridges State Park (just before Swanton Boulevard, which will remain open).

Bring your picnic and play equipment to this do-it-yourself FREE event. Also, enjoy activities, music and information booths, including:
Folklorico dance, Watsonville Taiko, Sadza Marimba, San Lorenzo River Alliance, Sierra Club, Teen Center, bicycle obstacle course, swing and Centeotl Mexican

The theme this year is Explore the Coast and highlights coastal access and protection.

Welcome Back Monarch's Day at Natural Bridges State Park will be taking place the same day 11am-4pm. Be sure to take advantage of the two-for-one free and family-friendly events!

Open Streets is organized by Open Streets Santa Cruz County and sponsored by the City of Santa Cruz, California Coastal Commission, Ecology Action, Good Times and Clif KIDS.

Learn more: www.scopenstreets.org 
Connect: Facebook.com/OpenStreetsSantaCruzCounty 

See you in the street on Sunday, October 11th!

Get paid to fight climate change!

The UCSC Sustainability Office is looking for two passionate, knowledgeable and organized Carbon Neutrality Student Fellows to coordinate climate action engagement and planning this academic year! If you’re a UCSC student interested in climate change, creative problem solving, and student organizing and empowerment, then this is an experience you want to have!

Climate change threatens to destroy our communities and destabilise our economy with higher temperatures, extreme weather, and rising seas. At its core, climate change is an injustice hoisted onto future generations and people who have done little to create the problem, affecting first and worst the global poor. But the world is changing in more than just climatic systems, and tackling climate change promises to host co-benefits for humans and non-human beings alike. 

Be part of the transition.

The Carbon Neutrality Initiative Fellowship program, now in its second year, gives students the opportunity to engage in the rapid decarbonization of the university’s energy system through a yearlong paid internship. The Student Fellows will have the opportunity to build their knowledge of climate change science, policy and economics, social movements, campus sustainability, UC bureaucracy, renewable energy systems, climate justice, and other topics related to carbon neutrality and climate leadership.

Fellows will help coordinate a carbon reduction pledge campaign through social media, host events to garner student feedback and priorities in climate action planning, as well as gain leadership skills and explore intersectional sustainability issues through a revolutionary inter-fellowship retreat with students involved in the Global Food Initiative. The Fellows will also lead efforts to plan and execute visioning sessions and charrettes to engage the campus community in climate action planning.The Fellowship will require creative construction of programs, activities and/or campaigns to promote climate action and reduce emissions on campus and beyond.

Apply here for ER#7842, and submit a cover letter and resume that highlights your direct skills, knowledge and abilities supporting the position. Send to Chrissy Thomure, Climate Action Manager, at cthomure@ucsc.edu. Feel free to contact Alden Phinney, the outgoing Carbon Neutrality Fellow, with any questions regarding student experience in the fellowship program at aphinney@ucsc.edu. Applications are open until filled.

This Fellowship is open to undergrad and grad students at UCSC, though applications may be open at other UC campuses as well; check with your campus Sustainability Office for more details.

"Phantom trips" Hamper Low-Carbon Communities

UCSC's Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Adam Millard-Ball's latest article examines how standard practices in urban planning and traffic engineering cater to phantom trips that never materialize, and hamper efforts to create walkable, low-carbon communities. See the video below and read the coverage of the article at The Atlantic's CityLab.

April 22nd - Walk to Class Challenge Day!

Walk to Class Challenge Day will take place on the UC Santa Cruz campus on Tuesday, April 22nd to promote walking as a viable and sustainable transportation mode for cross-campus travel, to reduce UCSC’s carbon footprint and to improve individual health.

The Campus Sustainability Plan and Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus both contain visions and goals for a more sustainable campus. The transportation section of the CSP calls for 75% of cross-campus travel to be made by human-powered modes and to engage students in choosing more sustainable modes of transportation. The Blueprint calls for the creation of a Walk to Class Challenge Day.

Every student is welcome and encouraged to participate in the Walk to Class movement!

Registration begins Tuesday, April 1st. Students can sign up at http://ucscwalk2class.walkertracker.com.

All participants will take a quick survey upon registration and the first 100 students to sign up will receive an event T-shirt and pedometer! Upon completion of the Challenge Day, all participants will take a brief post-event survey and be eligible to win a $50 VISA gift card.

Challenge yourself and challenge your friends to participate and try walking to class on this day -- Earth Day!

Interested in participating or volunteering? Contact Jessica Pearson at jrpearso [at] ucsc [dot] edu for more info.

Carbon Fund Receives Highest Number of Applicants Yet, Funds Over 20 Projects

The UC Santa Cruz Carbon Fund has had a successful and record-breaking funding round this year. In the fall quarter, the Carbon Fund Committee was pleased to receive a total of 40 project applications, the most the Committee has ever received in its four years of existence. The Carbon Fund, which is funded through student fee measure 44, is a valuable resource for students, staff, and faculty to receive funding for their projects that work to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions either on campus or in the Santa Cruz community.

This school year, the Carbon Fund has allocated over $200,000 in funds to over 20 new projects that work for reduce the carbon footprint both on campus and in the Santa Cruz community. Here are just three of the projects that received funding for the 2013-14 funding round:

Green Labs Certification Program
Allocated Funds: $1,500.00
The Green Labs Program strives to reduce energy use and waste from laboratories at UC Santa Cruz. They will be monitoring the energy use in labs and laboratory buildings that are part of their certification program in order to assess the efficacy of the energy conservation efforts they are encouraging. By monitoring, analyzing, and acting upon the electricity usage data gathered, they will be able to share actual energy consumption of the labs with personnel and improve their strategies for reducing energy consumption. Such efforts toward energy conservation will directly decrease the amounts of greenhouse gasses emitted at UC Santa Cruz.

UCSC Transit System Electric Vehicle Conversation Feasibility Study
Allocated Funds: $3,600.00
This project will conduct a feasibility study of a phased conversion of the current campus shuttle and vanpool system from gasoline and diesel to electric vehicles recharged by a campus solar PV system. Because the fleet vehicles must be replaced at the end of their useful lifetimes, an analysis of the costs, benefits and possibilities of purchasing smaller EV or hybrid vehicles--20 person vehicles and 6-8 person commuter vans--could show significant emission reductions. In combination with (a) a destination-demand system and (b) autonomous vehicles, the fuel use and operating costs of the system might also be significantly reduced. The present carbon footprint of UCSC's existing transportation shuttle system (buses and vans) is considerable. If properly designed and incentivized, a solar-powered EV shuttle and carpool system would offer an alternative to the current transportation fleet. The success of this new transit plan will cut down on independent car emissions as well as road congestion.

Compost Heated Water System

Allocated Funds: $5,000.00
The purpose of this project, taking place through the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at UCSC, is to investigate the possibility of energy production and waste mitigation through compost, as repurposing waste is crucial to fulfilling campus commitments to goals of zero waste by 2020. This project explores the possibility of composting woody biomass and other plant debris or “green-waste” in aerobic conditions at high heat, which is then used to heat water for cleaning and washing. The hot water produced by the composting process will reduce the campus carbon footprint by offsetting fuel or energy traditionally used to heat water. In addition to energy use reductions, this project will support other campus goals. The production of compost will improve the water-retention properties of soil, thereby reducing the demand for irrigation and helping the campus towards its goal of water-neutrality. The compost will be applied to PICA garden beds, increasing yield of the PICA garden beds by boosting soil fertility. This will help the campus achieve its 40 percent “Real Food” by 2020 goal.

To see a full list of the 2013-14 Carbon Fund Awards, visit project descriptions page on the Carbon Fund website.

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.'"

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.

April 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!

UC Davis Police hand out free bike lights
UC Davis are teaming to hand out bike lights - instead of citations - to students riding their bikes in the dark. Through this, they hope to educate students about bicycle safety law, and promote responsible cycling habits.

Wake Tech Community College Unveils Rooftop Solar Array
More than 1,300 solar panels have been installed on the roof of Wake Tech's Public Safety Education Campus, based in Raleigh, NC. Progress Energy will purchase the energy produced at a fixed price over the next 20 years as part of its SunSense program. The project is expected to generate more than $300,000 over the next two decades for student scholarships through the Wake Tech Foundation.

Knox College Theatre Students Promote Sustainability
Theatre students at Knox College (in Galesburg, IL) have raised an emphasis on reducing waste and promoting sustainability for its latest stage production. All items were reused from past shows, purchased from second hand/vintage shops, or created with the intention of being used again. The students also created a Sustainability Crew which included initiatives like sewing tote bags from old t-shirts, posting student videos promoting sustainability on YouTube, and encouraging others to be more sustainable in their everyday lives.

UC Berkeley Student Government Votes to Divest from Fossil Fuels
The Associated Students of the University California (ASUC) Senate has approved a bill ordering the divestment of its funds from fossil fuel companies while encouraging other institutions of higher education to follow suit. The bill binds the ASUC to complete the withdrawal of any of its $3 million in total investments from fossil fuel companies

University of Maryland Greek Community Launches Composting Initiative
Eleven Greek fraternities and sororities at the University of Maryland (College Park, MD) have launched composting initiatives since 2010. Compost collected from each participating house is taken to a compactor at one of the dining halls. The university has seen a significant increase in composting across the campus since the initiatives launched. In 2012, the university composted 566.18 tons, up from 138 tons in 2010.