By Kimberly Watson
Welcome summer! For most of us this time of the year means vacations. We all look forward to getting away to a restful vacation destination where we can be pampered and taken care of. Some of us choose to stay in hotels because they offer an array of accommodations and amenities, a few of which are not having to tidy up after ourselves or doing laundry if we don’t want to!
by Beth Gray
This past December, more than 120 Heads of State and Government traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark to participate in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15). The Conference, lasting for close to two weeks, was intended to be the launching point for a comprehensive worldwide agreement on how to most effectively combat climate change. Even with the best of intentions, however, few who attended the Conference have expressed much satisfaction with the progress made and eventual outcome of the meeting.
The proceedings were plagued with administrative and logistical difficulties and contentious moments between some of the world’s biggest carbon emitters. For example, as estimated by one attendee, some 45,000 people attended the Conference – great turn out except that Copenhagen’s Bella Center where the event was held can only accommodate 15,000. Aside from the obviously cramped quarters into which Heads of state, their delegates, journalists, representatives from NGOs, and others were overcrowded, even greater difficulties hindered the progress of the discussions. Read the rest of this entry »
by Jennifer Lefebvre
For so many of us, our pets are a part of our family. We feed them, pamper them, and treat them very well. And, if you are a responsible pet owner, on your daily walks, you make sure to clean up after Fido’s bathroom breaks; maybe even being green by using your old grocery bags to scoop it up. But have any of us ever stopped to think about the impact that particular bag of poop has on the environment?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that the average dog generates approximately 275 pounds of waste per year. According to The Humane Society of the United States, there are more than 77 million dog owners in the United States, and almost 94 million cat owners. That is a lot of pet waste. If left outside, bacteria and viruses from this waste can be washed into our waterways; but picking it up using bags that do not biodegrade does not help much. Authors of the book, Time to Eat the Dog?, Brenda and Robert Vale, state “If you have a German shepherd or similar-sized dog, its impact every year is exactly the same as driving a large car around.” Their research found that a “dog’s carbon pawprint was twice that of a Toyota Land Cruiser being driven 6,213 miles a year. A cat’s eco pawprint was ‘slightly less than a Volkswagen Golf,’ and keeping two hamsters is the same as owning a plasma TV.” Read the rest of this entry »
by Beth Gray
The question of how to finance sustainability projects on campus can often be one of the biggest obstacles to getting a campus sustainability movement off the ground. Often, “going green” is perceived as more expensive than not and the increasingly tight budgets on many college campuses means a lack of capital funding available to initiate projects related to sustainability. Several colleges, however, have found creative ways to initiate and fund sustainability projects on their campuses and in turn have found that going green can often not only be fiscally feasible, but can also be a way of generating funding for additional projects. Read the rest of this entry »
by Allison G. S. Knox
Farming is an industry that is complex, challenging, and has been around for centuries. When we think of farms, we tend to think of rolling hills, the wonderful smell of the countryside, and the amazing vegetables produced. We don’t, however, think of farms taking place on very small pieces of land, or growing fruits and vegetables in apartments. The two ideas simply do not go together. Urban farming, despite the vast differences between it and traditional farming, is now becoming a trend in the cities and suburbs. It is becoming more and more popular as individuals are moving toward self sufficiency and sustainability in the wake of the climate crisis.
As a signatory to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), American Public University System (APUS) is committed to developing methods to reduce the organization’s carbon footprint. Additionally, APUS is dedicated to sharing information and best practices with others who may be interested in developing “greener” practices for their own organizations or in their personal lives. This blog will provide a forum to discuss topics related to sustainability in higher education and in general. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
