Sustainability Office

Explore Sustainability at the U

GCSC Seminar: Interdisciplinary Advocacy in Environmental Justice

By Sydney Murray, Sustainability Office When it comes to practicing law, one often thinks of filing briefs, going to court, representing clients, and engaging in litigation. Ruhan Nagra, associate professor of law and founding director of the Environmental Justice Clinic at the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law, refers to such activities as […]

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Seed library encourages patrons to connect more with their food

By Maria Archibald, Sustainability Office. This article was first published in @theU on March 10, 2023. For hundreds of years, libraries have provided free access to knowledge, literature and ideas. But alongside the books, magazines and journals available for loan, some libraries have also begun lending seeds. Today, over 450 seed libraries exist around the […]

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GCSC Seminar: Competing Accountabilities amongst Scientists and engineers in the Mining, oil, and gas industries

By Sydney Murray, Sustainability Office “Oftentimes we think about the mining, oil, and gas industries in black and white terms,” says Dr. Jessica M. Smith, professor in the Engineering, Design, and Society department at the Colorado School of Mines. “Especially when it comes to questions of sustainability.” However, when we broadly critique these industries, both […]

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GCSC Seminar: POLLUTION, HEALTH DISPARITIES, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

By Sydney Murray, Sustainability Office The impacts of pollution are felt all around the world, but they are not felt equally. Low-income and minority communities are often deprived of resources and political protections, leaving them to face the brunt of environmental pollution and its health consequences including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. On Tuesday, February 14 at […]

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GCSC Seminar: Avoiding Maladaptive Outcomes in Response to Climate Change

By Sydney Murray, Sustainability Office Respondings to climate change has entangled social, cultural, political, and environmental  implications. Often, when these implications are overlooked or disregarded, researchers, policymakers, and community members face “maladaptive outcomes,” or consequences of adaptation efforts that don’t go to plan and incur negative outcomes.  On Tuesday, Jan. 31, Dr. Amanda Bertana, assistant […]

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GCSC Seminar: science communication of coral reef observations for past and future sea levels

By Sydney Murray, Sustainability Office Research shows that disseminating scientific information is, in itself, an insufficient way to prompt meaningful dialogue among the general public. Rather, the way in which science is communicated has more of an impact to promote change.  For scientific findings to catalyze social change, they must be communicated in accessible and comprehensible […]

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GCSC Seminar: Conservation and Development at Odds in the African Savanna

By Sydney Murray, Sustainability Office Achievements in human development often come at the expense of the natural environment. From metropolitan expansion to the development of agricultural land for food production, environmental conservation efforts have historically conflicted with human “progress.” Over the past 20-30 years, however, the field of conservation has adopted the idea that conservation […]

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GCSC Seminar: Social Equity in Green Spaces

By Sydney Murray, Sustainability Office  Green spaces—like urban parks, gardens, and trail systems—have a variety of benefits for human health, ecosystems, and economic growth. Studies show that green spaces can help reduce stress levels, mitigate regional and local flooding from storms, and improve air and water quality. However, not everyone has equal access to green […]

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