Join the Sustainability Office and the American Indian Resource Center (AIRC) this Earth Week for daily events, activities, and learning opportunities that celebrate not only the earth but also the people and communities who have stewarded the land since time immemorial. This year’s Earth Week theme, “Indigenizing Utah,” was developed in recognition that the university […]
Read MoreBy Sydney Murray, Sustainability Office Did you know that transportation causes about 30% of carbon emissions on campus? Vehicle emissions contribute to poor air quality in and around the Salt Lake Valley, which can lead to ecological degradation and negative human health impacts. That is why the Sustainability Office is committed to promoting alternative modes […]
Read MoreThis article was originally written by Kate Whitbeck and published in @theu on Feb. 5, 2020. It was updated in 2023 by Maria Archibald. Want to stay warm this winter while reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions? Consider participating in our program Heat People, Not Spaces! If you are an employee of the University of […]
Read MoreBy Maria Archibald, Sustainability Office Everybody wins when we have clean air to breathe. That’s the idea behind the statewide Clear the Air Challenge, which the University of Utah participated in this July to reduce single-occupant vehicle (SOV) trips and decrease carbon dioxide emissions. We would like to extend our gratitude to everyone who participated […]
Read MoreBy Maria Archibald, Sustainability Office Residents have long struggled with Salt Lake City’s infamous winter inversions, which trap particulate pollution in the valley where they accumulate to hazardous levels. But winter isn’t the only season during which our air is unhealthy to breathe. In fact, as climate change and drought intensify, threats to summer air […]
Read MoreBy Maria Archibald, Sustainability Office “When it comes to health, our zip code matters more than our genetic code,” says Dr. Andy Hong, assistant professor in the Department of City and Metropolitan Planning and director of the Healthy Aging and Resilient Places Lab at the University of Utah. The built environment plays a significant role […]
Read MoreActive transportation is a popular practice as almost 30% of students take to the roads on foot and on wheels to get to class and other destinations. Active transportation helps to meet University climate goals in reducing vehicle emissions that harm our air quality, while encouraging commuters to utilize alternatives to driving alone. People who […]
Read MoreBy Maria Archibald, Sustainability Office. Photo credit: Dave Titensor/University of Utah When Dr. Lazarus Adua read a book about “super polluters”—or major powerplants that account for a large chunk of global carbon emissions—he was inspired with a new research idea. “I was thinking—could the same thing apply at the household level?” Adua says. “I wanted […]
Read MoreThis article was originally written by Kate Whitbeck and published in @theu on Feb. 5, 2020. It was updated in 2022 by Maria Archibald. Want to stay warm this winter while reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions? Consider participating in our program “Heat People, Not Spaces!” If you are a U faculty, staff, or intern, you […]
Read MoreHello to all our bicycle commuters, enthusiasts, recreationalists, and those interested in sustainable transportation! January may not be the time most of us are thinking about bicycling, but members of our community are proving that bicycling in the snow is as fun as building a snowman. Speaking of bicycling in the snow, Winter Bike Day […]
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