The University of Connecticut currently owns and maintains approximately 500 vehicles including buses, emergency vehicles, and any vehicle that is owned by a UConn department.  Of these 500 vehicles, there are currently 14 hybrids, and 11 fully electric vehicles.  Although these vehicles only comprise a small percent of the current fleet, UConn is making great strides to incorporate more high efficiency vehicles.

The University was awarded a grant through the Connecticut Clean Fuel program, which reimburses a portion of the cost of a clean-energy vehicle.  Some of the vehicles UConn has already purchased with the program are the new GEM (Global Electric Motorcar) Low-Speed Vehicles (LSVs).  These are small vehicles that have a top speed of about 25 mph and are fully electric – perfect for local, on-campus trips.

The University is also governed by federal and state mandates that require any purchase of a light-duty vehicle must be clean energy.  All small vehicles and some trucks, regardless of whether or not they are eligible for Clean Fuel funding, must be what is called an E85 vehicle.  E85 means the engine is compatible with E85 fuel, a type of ethanol blend.  The Clean Fuel program, along with these federal and state laws, have helped the UConn fleet begin to increase the number of efficient, alternative-fuel, and hybrid vehicles on campus.  Those numbers will continue to increase as UConn replaces its old fleet with new vehicles in the coming years.

-Marisa Smith

What was the People’s Climate March?

On Sunday, September 21^st, the People’s Climate March (PCM) was held in the streets of New York City. It has since been estimated that up to 400,000 people attended the event, including U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former Vice President Al Gore, Bill McKibben, Jane Goodell, and Leonardo DiCaprio. The mission of this march was to form a united front in support of reducing greenhouse gases.

How was UConn involved?

Approximately 80 UConn students participated in the march. While there were a handful of Environmental Science majors and EcoHusky and EcoHouse members, there were also Business students interested in the economic implications of climate change and Political Science majors invested in the human rights aspect of the march. In fact, the diversity of studies included Animal Science, Psychology, Biology, Marketing, Finance, ACES, Natural Resources, Environmental Engineering, and more. Additionally, a bus of around 50 members from the Mansfield community joined the UConn students at the march.

Why was this march so significant?

Government action is stagnant. Climate change, however, is hurdling forward with an intense ferocity. Even the most conservative predictions of how our planet will be affected are deeply troubling. The three pillars of sustainability require that we find a balance between economics, society, and the environment but the heat of politics has made this difficult to achieve. We need to hold the government accountable for the lack of climate policy. Resolving this issue is vital to our survival. Thus, we as citizens need to put pressure on our government to develop international emission reduction commitments and PCM provided an audible platform for us, the people of UConn, the people of the United States, and the people of the world, to do so.

Why is it important that UConn students participated?

Education is the key to environmental progress. The academic setting of our country’s universities is where we need to introduce the concept of green living to the young minds of America and inspire our students to take action. Students are our future. They will become the policymakers, lawyers, activists, engineers, consultants, professors, and researchers that we need to build a sustainable planet. UConn is at the forefront of sustainability and our participation in the march both reflects our environmental goals for our university as well as for our planet.

Student’s perspective:

My name is Emily McInerney and I am a senior at UConn majoring in Natural Resources. I have always cared deeply for the environment but this was my first opportunity to participate in an environmental activism event. To be surrounded by such a large group of individuals who share the same passion for environmentalism was an exceptionally rewarding experience. The thousands of creative displays and signs were outstandingly impressive. While the march was a call for urgent action, it was conducted peacefully, with lively music and dancers filling the street with the optimism of a green, clean energy future. The defining moment of the event was at 12:58pm when there was a moment of silence. New York City is never quiet but for two brief minutes all that could be heard were distant cars and the steady breathing of the marchers as they joined their hands together. This was followed by a long string of howls and cheering. Witnessing these four minutes alone was enough to give someone the shivers and it made me proud to be involved in such a monumental moment in history.

What’s next?

The UN Climate Summit convened on September 23^rd and this march helped spark discussion about supporting renewable energies and transitioning away from fossil fuels. Ultimately, we need to implement international laws to support the reduction of greenhouse gases. Whether this will happen only time will tell. Regardless, our voices were heard. Our presence was not only felt on the streets of New York but also throughout the globe, through social media, the news, and the various other climate activism events that took place in other parts of the world in conjunction with PCM. The fight however, is not over. Hopefully the people of our planet will continue to strive for sustainability. UConn and its many environmentally devoted students certainly will.

This past Saturday, September 7^th, almost 50 volunteers from EcoHouse learning community, the EcoHusky student organization, the UConn Honors Program, Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity and the UNIV 1784 Environmental Sustainability class teamed up to promote recycling at the Green Game Day for UConn Football versus Stony Brook. Everyone who came to the game enjoyed seeing a closely contested 19-16 UConn victory.

The Office of Environmental Policy (OEP) set up a brand new tent, along with several games and give-aways at the Football Fan-fest outside of the stadium. Streams of UConn students, alumni, and families came by the tent to learn about Green Game Day recycling and initiatives the university is taking to improve its environmental footprint.

Volunteers wearing blue and green EcoHusky and EcoHouse T-shirts teamed up in groups to pick up recyclables at each of the tailgating lots (Red, blue, grey). Tailgaters were very appreciative of the efforts and were open to discussing UConn sustainability initiatives. Overall, the event was very successful – volunteers filled the dumpsters with recyclables and fans were eager to participate!

Green Game Day serves as an interactive learning opportunity for the wider community about everything that UConn does to be more environmentally conscience. It also gets student volunteers involved and sparks their interest in pursuing more environmental efforts. There will be more Green Game Days to come this year – one for each of our National Champion Men’s and Women’s basketball teams!

-Chris

Sustainability related events are already taking place on campus this week! As you pass through the Homer Babbidge Library, make sure to check out the Average Joe Photo Show.

 

Average Joe Photo Show, a Photo Exhibit/Benefit for Water.org

 Children of the Daasanach people, like all the tribes in Ethiopia, want your empty water bottles as they serve as an easy method to carry small amounts of drinking water. Water is in short supply in this part of the world. The tribal people drink and bathe from rain puddles, and so do their livestock. I will think about this every time I let water run in a sink.

– Leighton Gleicher, Average Joe Photo Show 2013

Leighton Gleicher’s observation accompanies her image of two smiling Ethiopian children, plastic water bottle in hand, posted above a display showcasing dozens of empty water bottles in the Average Joe Photo Show now on view in the Homer Babbidge Library’s Norman Stevens Gallery. The show, which includes 234 eclectic images taken with cell phone or mobile device by professional and amateur photographers from this country and well beyond, all feature water and the human figure and were the result of an online appeal issued by two friends, one an accomplished artist and gallery owner, Lori Warner, the other an art historian, Rebecca Steiner, both from Lyme, Connecticut. In devising the project, the two sought to examine the increasingly important role technology plays in our daily lives and to consider our use of water, something we simply cannot live without.

Lori Warner, left, and Rebecca Steiner in the Stevens Gallery, UConn

Gleicher, Water Bottles Ethiopia

The project also includes a philanthropic twist: a portion of all proceeds from photo sales benefits water.org, an organization providing access to safe water and sanitation to people in Africa, South Asia, and Central America.

“Working on this project I have been continually struck by how much we take for granted – and what is so easily accessible to us — in the developed world,” observed Rebecca Steiner. “Yet for so many people in other countries or walks of life, both ever-present technology and natural elements (like water) are true luxuries. Given how organically the “Average Joe Photo Show” evolved out of an intersection between seemingly contrasting components, perhaps this project will inspire people to see connections in our greater shared global community they might not otherwise have imagined.”

The Average Joe Photo Show is now on view in the Norman Stevens Gallery in Homer Babbidge Library through October 24.   A public reception will take place on Thursday, Aug. 28, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

For more information about the project or to submit a photograph, please see the website www.averagejoephotoshow.com .

Hi, everyone! I’m Sarah, the new sustainability coordinator at the Office of Environmental Policy. I began working at the OEP in April, alongside Corinne Tagliarina, as the assistant sustainability coordinator. Since beginning, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to work with our very talented interns on STARS, recycling updates, and the GreenMetric survey. I’m looking forward to working with them even more once the school year begins! 

I am a third year Ph.D. student in the department of Political Science. My current research focuses primarily on political psychology and elite decision-making during times of crisis, but most of my previous work investigates European Union member state challenges to implementing EU environmental and economic policy.

My interest in Europe and the environment began from an early age, since both of my parents immigrated to the United States from Germany. As a child, I would visit family and would be fascinated by how environmentally conscious Germany is, as well as the many methods Germany uses to produce clean energy. After living in Central Europe for a year during my master’s program, I quickly found out first-hand that not all countries take environmental protection seriously. Needless to say, this sparked my interest in environmental policy, and I have been working in the field ever since!

Prior to coming to UConn, I worked closely with the Sustainability Department at my alma mater, Guilford College. Now at UConn, I have had the opportunity to assist Dr. Oksan Bayulgen and Dr. Richard Parnas with their “Sustainable Energy in the 21st Century” course for the past two years.

I’m thrilled to join the OEP, and look forward to an exciting and productive school year!

This past Tuesday marked the 44^th annual Earth Day!  Despite my original nervousness due to some uncertainty concerning the weather (it was, after all, a Tuesday in Storrs), I am happy to report that April 22^nd was a gorgeous day on campus, which made UConn’s yearly Earth Day Spring Fling a fantastic success.  Sun shined down over the thousands of students, faculty, community members, and environmental exhibitors, all gathered to celebrate sustainability.

From 11am to 2pm, vendors ranging from student organizations to state departments, NGOs to sustainable stores and businesses, all set up camp on Fairfield Way.  They provided recycling games galore, scrumptious free samples, environmentally friendly products, and information on a wide variety of environmental issues and practices.

Appealing to the many music lovers out there, we were lucky enough to have Dave Wanik and Meredith Rose perform.  Their beautiful acoustic compositions set the perfect background vibe for the chatter between curious attendees and knowledgeable table hosts, as well as diners drawn in by the aromas of grilling.

The mouthwatering zero-waste barbeque, provided by our good friends from Dining Services, proved just how delicious local and sustainable foods can be.  Diners strolled down the line, choosing from hamburgers and hotdogs from Connecticut, vegan veggie burgers from New Jersey, vegetarian Italian sausage from Massachusetts, and more.  By keeping menu items to this New England crew, we shortened each food’s journey to UConn, reduced our carbon footprint, and helped promote local businesses!  Once finished with their meals, attendees headed over to our sustainable waste stations, where they learned which parts of their waste were compostable and recyclable.

Finally, thanks to the help of our intern, Andy Bilich, we were able to plant a Quercus alba (or white oak, for those of you who are like me and don’t understand Latin) next to the Student Union.  The tree stands as a tribute to Arbor Day (which is today!), as well as an informal symbol for the university.

Overall, the event was a great one.   If you didn’t get a chance to come out and celebrate with us this year, be sure to come check out Earth Day Spring Fling next year!

Once again, volunteers rallied at Green Game Day to promote recycling to Husky fans.  Student volunteers from EcoHusky (Storrs and Avery Point), EcoHouse, and the OEP’s very own interns went to the men’s game on Sunday afternoon to greet fans as they entered the stadium, help direct recycling during the game, and to collect the leftover recyclables from the stands after the game.  Volunteers collected 260 bottles from the women’s game and a whopping 820 at the men’s game, for over 1000 bottles recycled!  Members of the EcoHusky student group returned the bottles to raise money for the club’s future sustainability efforts.

 

We had a great time at the game, despite the unfortunately outcome of the game. We especially loved talking to fans about recycling, answering questions about the cost/benefit analysis of recycling, and hearing from fans who proudly always recycle!

 

 

Ignite is UConn’s second annual crowd-funding competition. It gives UConn students and young alumni the opportunity to follow, connect with, and support causes at the University of Connecticut that they are most passionate about. UConn alumnus, David Barton ’61, is helping sponsor the competition to promote philanthropy and to engage campus wide participation. This year, UConn alumnus Adam Schwartz ’97 is joining David in helping to sponsor the competition. Select groups are now competing for prizes ranging from $500 to $10,000. Participating groups in the Ignite competition can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/1cMHLoW

Who Can Benefit?

Donations to our cause go directly to the Campus Sustainability Fund. This fund supports programs and initiatives which raise environmental awareness at UConn including recycling, composting, water and energy conservation, and large environmental awareness events such as Green Game Day and Earth Day.  These events help students learn to be environmental stewards positively affect society and become our future leaders.

The Campus Sustainability Fund was established to help the Office of Environmental Policy create a more sustainable campus. Support for the fund will ensure that UConn will continue to be a leader in sustainability throughout the country. Past donations have helped UConn reach Sierra Magazine’s #1 coolest school ranking, but we need continued support to maintain our efforts.

This year, in response to a survey sent to students, faculty, and staff which identified recycling as the top environmental concern on campus, we are trying to win Ignite prize money to help improve recycling access on  campus!

How to Participate?

Groups were pre-selected to participate in the Ignite competition through an application process. The Office of Environmental Policy’s cause is to support Environmental Awareness and Initiatives at UConn through the cause “Students for Sustainability”. If you are passionate about environmental issues and would like to help your university continue its sustainability efforts, please sign up as a donor today! The winning causes will be selected based on the highest number of student and young alumni donor participants, highest number of overall donors each week, and highest number of dollars raised at the end of the competition. Every dollar counts!

You can donate directly to our page here: Students for Sustainability – Ignite Challenge

We will be tabling on March 5^th from 10 AM to 3 PM in the Student Union.

Continue to look for our cause on social media as well!

–          Chris and Meredith