university of utah

We are grateful

November 25, 2021

By the Sustainability Office

It is easy to be cynical. It’s hard to escape any day without the weight of the world creeping into our thoughts, our conversations, or even our dreams. It can be overwhelming.

And yet …

We are not alone. We are thankful for the world leaders who committed to important steps to reduce the threats of climate change earlier this month at COP26, the annual climate change summit. We are thankful for the protesters pushing, demanding that countries do more to protect communities. And we are most thankful to those engaging in the everyday work to address climate change, systemic racism, environmental degradation and countless other complex issues where change is desperately needed.

It is easy to be cynical. But it is also easy to be grateful.

Jessica Chaplain, PhD student in Communication at the U, attended COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland at the beginning of November. Below is a highlight of her experience inside and outside the event center.

Jessica Chaplain, PhD student in Communications at the U, poses at the entrance of COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland at the beginning of November 2021.Chaplain poses in front of a welcome display at COP26.

These were posters put up in the Green Zone, which was the area of COP26 anyone could enter and was dedicated to researchers and civil society members. The posters highlight the urgent need for climate-related solutions.These posters hung in the Green Zone, which was the area of COP26 anyone could enter and was dedicated to researchers and civil society members.

This was one of the event spaces within the Blue Zone called the action hub. It had music and side events. It was also a place for people to sit and work. At COP26 in Glasgow, ScotlandThe Action Hub in the Blue Zone was an event space at COP26. It had music and side events. It was also a place for people to work.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons protest outside COP26 in November 2021.

Indigenous women gave speeches at a protest outside the COP26 venue to raise awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women. The rally was right outside the front gate to make sure those those entering the summit would hear about the issue.

This was an event by the international collective Minga Indigena that brings together communities throughout the Americas to discuss shared experiences of colonialsm, extractive industries, and climate injustices. The group centers Indigenous knowledges and experiences to raise awareness for frontline communities facing the legal and illegal destruction of their biodiversty rich ecosystems and communities.

Minga Indigena—an international collective that brings together communities throughout the Americas to discuss shared experiences of colonialism, extractive industries, and climate injustices—hosted a session at COP26. The group centers Indigenous knowledges and experiences.

 

This discussion centered around migration associated with climate change, specifically within South Asia. The event aimed to think about solutions for addressing loss and damage caused by more extreme weather events.This discussion focused on migration associated with climate change, specifically within South Asia. Speakers described solutions for addressing loss and damage caused by extreme weather events.

This was a protest by Extinction Rebellion right outside the entrance of COP26 to highlight the death and destruction enabled by climate inaction.Extinction Rebellion, an international non-violent environmental movement, hosted a protest outside the entrance of COP26 to highlight the death and destruction enabled by climate inaction.

SCIF grants still available during COVID-19

October 13, 2020

By Maria Archibald, Sustainability Office

 

Have you ever looked around campus and had a creative idea, perhaps for an art installation or a landscaping initiative? A green building feature or collaborative research project? Or maybe an educational opportunity for students to learn about environmental justice and build appreciation for the natural world?

Fortunately, there are resources and money—even during the public health crisis—available for all students, staff, and faculty who dream of transforming the University of Utah into the most sustainable, resilient, and inclusive campus it can be.

The Sustainable Campus Initiative Fund (SCIF) is a grant program that funds a variety of sustainability initiatives at the U. The fund supports student-, staff-, or faculty-led projects that enrich student experiences while giving back to the campus community. SCIF is made possible by students; each student pays $2.50 per semester into the grant program.

“SCIF is a tool that can really elevate problems on campus and turn them into sustainable opportunities,” says SCIF Manager Emerson Andrews. “In the long term, we hope it makes campus a regenerative place. Not just a net zero place, but a regenerative place.”

Andrews explains that the SCIF framework is rooted in the university’s understanding of sustainability as “the work towards a future wherein we maintain environmental integrity, economic security, and social equity for future generations and for ourselves.” Any idea that fits within this framework could be a SCIF project.

SCIF, like many campus programs, is adjusting to the realities of COVID-19, but Andrews wants the U community to know that “SCIF work is still happening.” Although the pandemic challenges some traditional ways of practicing sustainability, it also offers a unique opportunity to be creative and rethink what sustainability can look like.

For example, in-person events are not currently receiving funding on account of social distancing guidelines; however grants focused on digital events, infrastructure projects, research, and countless other ways of practicing sustainability are encouraged. “A lot of research opportunities are open because of COVID,” Andrews says. “It’s really forced the world to rethink how we operate, and that’s the same space that sustainability has been in for some time.”

Andrews encourages students, staff, and faculty to explore the intersections between COVID and the environment and to propose projects that focus on “resilience and adaptivity.” The pandemic has unveiled the importance of sustainability, and Andrews hopes that the U community will use SCIF as a tool to discover ways that “we can continue to function as a society through disruptive events,” whether those events come from disease, climate change, or unknown challenges.

Above all, Andrews wants the campus community to know that SCIF is for everyone. “Sustainability really touches all aspects of our lives,” he says, and every student, staff, or faculty member has something to offer. “Engineers are very crucial, so are artists; people who understand policy are just as crucial as people who understand planning; people who understand communications are just as crucial as people who understand the science behind everything,” Andrews explains.

Whatever your skills, interests, and passions may be, consider applying for SCIF to make your ideas a reality. “This is for you,” Andrews says. “Let’s try something.”

 

 

 

Sustainability Office Cancels 2020 U Farmers Market

July 6, 2020

By the Sustainability Office

The Sustainability Office has come to the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 U Farmers Market. We felt it wasn’t possible to move forward safely, and the health of our community must be a top priority. We value the community space created by the U Farmers Market, and we hope it will return in full force in fall 2021. 

Still looking for fresh, locally grown produce? The Sustainability Office’s Edible Campus Gardens continue to grow food and donate it to the Feed U Pantry in the Union building. Weekly deliveries are generally done on Mondays, weather permitting. Additionally, watch our social media accounts this fall for announcements about pop-up free Produce Pickups from garden harvests.

 

 

Seeking Systems that Serve Us All

February 24, 2020

by Amber Aumiller, graduate assistant, Sustainability Office

In the western United States, most of our cities are situated in arid landscapes–dryland ecosystems or deserts.  Historically, dry landscapes have been viewed as wastelands, lacking value until we created a use for them. Most humans now live in cities, and dryland ecosystems are currently home to over 2 billion people worldwide. Like any other organism, we humans modify our environment to facilitate our survival and meet our needs. And there is a tendency for us to think of cities as separate from “nature”. Dr. Nancy Grimm’s groundbreaking work examines the relationship of humans and other living creatures with their urban environments and looks at ways we might rethink the socio-cultural value of the water-limited landscapes we call home.

On Tuesday, February 25th, Dr. Nancy Grimm will present her talk “Rivers of our dreams: water futures in urban central Arizona” from 4 – 5 p.m. in room 210 of the Aline B. Skaggs Biology Building as part of the Global Change and Sustainability Center’s Seminar Series.

Dr. Grimm, an ecosystem ecologist and interdisciplinary sustainability scientist, is the Virginia M. Ullman Professor of Ecology in the School of Life Sciences, distinguished Sustainability Scientist in the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, and Regents Professor at Arizona State University. Last year, she was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Grimm currently serves as the co-director of the Urban Resilience to Extremes Sustainability Research Network (URExSRN), working with cities to create collaborative visions for future urban infrastructure, building resilience and sustainability plans, and exploring nature-based solutions to urban resilience challenges. As the director of the Central Arizona-Phoenix Long Term Ecological Research (CAP LTER), an innovative interdisciplinary study of complex metropolitan regions, she helped develop conceptual models of social-ecological-technological systems, expanding how we think of ecology today.

Biodiversity makes ecosystems healthier and more resilient to destabilizing disturbances. Climate change is already bringing more potentially catastrophic disturbances like storms, floods, and droughts to our doorsteps. Couple this with the lack of biodiversity in cities, and one can see how, in thinking of our cities as separate from nature, we’ve made ourselves more vulnerable and less prepared to survive climate crises. Dr. Grimm’s research asks the question of how we might come together collectively to make plans and increase our ability to adapt to stability-rattling events.

A desert city like Phoenix, with 20 years of CAP-LTER data, can help researchers model systems around questions like how pollution might cycle through the water of the city and desert streams. Who might be impacted most in extreme events like floods or droughts? How will the city’s infrastructure hold up? How does stormwater impact water quality? Different ecosystems respond differently to the same disturbance, so not every city will approach, respond to, or withstand droughts or floods in the same way. But looking at ecosystem models that include cities is a way to start thinking of all the complex interworking parts of the system.

What does it look like for an urban environment to affect changes in an ecological system? How important is the factor of scale in shaping more sustainable cities? What sorts of tradeoffs might we expect in an effort to create a more sustainable future for ourselves?

Come explore these questions with Dr. Grimm on Tuesday afternoon, February 11, 2020.  Her talk “Rivers of our dreams: water futures in urban Arizona,” will be from 4 – 5 p.m. in room 210 of the Aline B. Skaggs Biology Building.  As usual, we’ll have some sweet treats, coffee, and tea, so bring your mug and enjoy.

Clear the Air Challenge update

February 19, 2020

This article, originally published in @theu, February 19, 2020, was written by Ayrel Clark-Proffitt, Sustainability Office

We all benefit when the air is clean. That’s the idea behind the statewide Clear the Air Challenge. Every February the University of Utah launches a team as part of a month-long effort to get people out of single-occupant vehicles, which are significant contributors to our air pollution problems.

The U team has hundreds of people logging their sustainable commutes on the TravelWise Tracker. (Psst … It’s not too late to sign up for the U team and log your trips back to Feb. 1.) As of writing this article, the University of Utah team is in first place, though Fidelity Investments, a perennially strong team and defending champs, is right on our heels.

When I look through all the trips we’ve logged this month, I see a few patterns:

Everything is better together

The Clear the Air Challenge winner is judged on CO2 savings, and right now traveling together is getting it done for the University of Utah team. As of Feb. 19, more than three-quarters of the CO2 saved by the U team came from choosing public transit or carpooling over driving alone. Members of the university community can all ride UTA FrontRunner, TRAX and buses by tapping on and off with their UCards. For those that struggle to access public transit, carpooling is a fantastic option. Research Park Connect has done a great job helping its team find carpool and vanpool options.

Health commuters are making a difference

The University of Utah might be in first place, but we wouldn’t be without the efforts of University of Utah Health. The U of U Health commuter team is in third place overall in the challenge. The team is literally breathing new life into the university’s efforts—90% of people signed up for the team are participating in their first Clear the Air Challenge, based on the dates their profiles were created.

It is OK to try new things

We get into habits, we create routines. Often, those are hard to break. Andy Lambert, a graduate student in atmospheric sciences, realized he was on autopilot when it came to his commute, and he made a choice to try out public transit for the first time. He was surprised to find the experience more enjoyable than he expected.

“Normally, my morning routine includes roughly 30 minutes of news and social media time before I can actually leave the house. But with public transit, that 30 minutes can just be moved to time on the bus. How’s that for convenience and efficiency?” Lambert said.

If you are a regular user of sustainable transportation, talk to your friends about it. If you get your pals on public transit, don’t forget to post a photo on Instagram with #CommuteCompanion and tag @SustainableUofU to be entered to win a free gift sponsored by Cotopaxi.

Together, we can make a difference.

Throughout February, take action on air quality by tracking your sustainable commute behaviors with the Clear the Air Challenge, a statewide competition that aims to reduce emissions from vehicles by promoting alternative transit options. Join the U team at travelwisetracker.com/s/university-of-utah. Log trips retroactively back to Feb. 1.

EPA ranks U No. 8 for green power use among universities

February 12, 2020

This article, originally published in @theu, February 12, 2020, was written by Kate Whitbeck, Communications Manager, Sustainability Office

The Green Power Partnership Top 30 College & University ranking, released Jan. 27, 2020, lists the U as No. 8, with 49% of its energy supplied through geothermal and solar power purchase agreements. The U stands out among those listed for its use of geothermal energy. The Green Power Partnership Program—a voluntary EPA program—encourages green power use to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use.

“In terms of total kilowatt hours per year, the U is now second in the nation for largest long-term contracts among colleges and universities,” said Chris Benson, associate director of Sustainability & Energy in Facilities Management. “This accomplishment for our campus has been a collaborative effort across departments. We are committed to using sustainable energy at the U and this geothermal purchase brings campus that much closer to reaching our carbon neutrality goal before 2050.”

As of Nov. 1, 2019—through  a partnership with Utah-based Cyrq Energy and Rocky Mountain Power—a geothermal plant in Nevada now supplies campus with 20 megawatts of geothermal energy and will do so the next 25 years.

With this contract and the power generated by existing on-campus solar projects, the U’s annual green power purchase rises to 161,671,969 kilowatt hours (kWh). This is the equivalent to powering almost 19,000 homes in Utah.

This is the first time in its history the University of Utah will receive over half of its electricity from clean renewable sources. Total carbon emissions will be reduced by 23%.

“We are very fortunate to have the support and expertise of Cyrq Energy and Rocky Mountain Power,” said Keith Diaz-Moore, interim chief sustainability officer. “Their expertise paired with our Sustainability & Energy Management team in Facilities have allowed us to reach this benchmark. Improving energy efficiency on our campus is an ongoing effort and the University of Utah is dedicated to identifying new opportunities and partnerships to meet its carbon neutrality commitments.”

Carbon neutrality

In April 2019, President Ruth Watkins signed the Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments and joined UC3 (University Climate Change Coalition) renewing the U’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 and placing the institution on a path toward resilience and adaptation.

Reaching carbon neutrality is a complex process requiring a coordinated, multipronged approach. Steps include increasing the energy efficiency of existing assets, replacing targeted assets, in addition to ensuring that energy is coming from clean and renewable sources. The university is shifting away from the use of natural gas for heating systems in buildings and moving towards greater use of electricity.

When 100% of our electricity on campus is renewably sourced this creates the potential for zero-emission, carbon-neutral buildings.

Why geothermal energy?

Geothermal power plants harness heat that occurs naturally underground. The heat is pumped out of the ground in the form of hot water or steam and used to drive a turbine that generates electricity.

With all of its classrooms, labs, and healthcare facilities, the University of Utah needs power 24 hours a day. In Utah, most electricity is generated by natural gas and coal-fired power plants. Despite advances in technology, coal-fired power plants remain a significant source of air pollution and emissions. Solar and wind generated electricity are great alternatives but when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow, energy must be provided by other sources like coal. Geothermal energy produces a constant “baseload power source” with no gaps in energy production. For this reason, geothermal is an excellent complement to wind and solar.

“This visionary commitment to convert to renewable energy sets a valuable precedent for universities around the country,” said Nick Goodman, CEO of Cyrq Energy, the company providing the geothermal power for the University of Utah. “This groundbreaking project shows a significant dedication to geothermal energy, 100% renewable and green. Cyrq Energy is proud to be providing this renewable energy and helping the university meet its goals.”

To read more about the Soda Lake Geothermal Field and Plant, click here.

FAQS

Media Contacts

Keith Diaz Moore | interim chief sustainability officer and dean, College of Architecture + Planning
Office: 801-585-1766 

Chris Benson | sustainability & energy associate director, Facilities Management
Office: 801-414-1258 

Shawn Wood | communications specialist, University of Utah Communications
Office: 801-585-9244 

Solving the world’s environmental problems

February 11, 2020

This article, originally published in @theu, February 11, 2020, was written by the Environmental Humanities Graduate Program

Acclaimed American essayist and novelist Jonathan Franzen will be the 2020 recipient of the Utah Award in the Environmental Humanities.

Franzen’s environmental essays have stirred audiences on the subjects of climate mitigation, the importance of birds, interspecies ethics and human resilience in a changing world. Jonathan Franzen has been an outspoken voice for the environment in his fiction and nonfiction across five novels and five works of nonfiction including “The Corrections,” “Freedom” and “The End of the End of the Earth.” In 2010, he appeared on the cover of Time magazine.

“Bringing a writer of Jonathan Franzen’s status to campus is a rare opportunity for our students and for the broader community,” said Jeffrey McCarthy, director of the Environmental Humanities Program. “We are especially excited to underline the important environmental contributions Franzen has made with his essays and his novels. This award is the world’s first prize in the field of environmental humanities. It celebrates our recipients while putting their goals in the spotlight. It also puts the U on a national stage and further distinguishes our Environmental Humanities Graduate Program.”

The Utah Award in the Environmental Humanities celebrates environmental leadership and expression. The $10,000 award honors those who solve the planet’s environmental problems using tools of the humanities, such as creative expression, scholarly research, popular art forms and advocacy.

The Environmental Humanities Graduate Program at the University of Utah invites the public to celebrate Franzen’s environmental accomplishments on March 4, 2020, at the Nancy Tessman Auditorium at the Salt Lake City Main Library at 7 p.m.

Media Contacts

Morgan Aguilarcommunications specialist, University of Utah Communications

UTA on Demand by Via

February 11, 2020

This article, originally published in @theu, February 11, 2020, was written by Claudia Trochez, Commuter Services

Thanks to UTA’s Ed-Pass, students, faculty and staff can ride the bus, TRAX and FrontRunner for no additional fee, making public transit the obvious choice for commuting to campus. Depending on where you live exactly, UTA service can either be an invaluable resource or a not-so-convenient option that doesn’t work well with your schedule.

For residents in southern Salt Lake County where UTA service is less abundant, accessing public transit is more challenging. To help bridge the gap, UTA launched its microtransit pilot program, UTA on Demand by Via, which intends to enhance connectivity to TRAX and FrontRunner lines for commuters in the southern part of the valley by providing on demand rides to and from TRAX stations.

What is UTA on Demand by Via? 

UTA’s microtransit pilot program serves about 65 square miles in southern Salt Lake County, serving the cities of Bluffdale, Draper, Herriman, Riverton and South Jordan. The service area includes seven TRAX and FrontRunner stations with designated pickup and drop off locations, making connections to campus more accessible than ever.

Via’s technology matches multiple riders headed in a similar direction into a single van, with quick and efficient routing, avoiding lengthy detours. After requesting a ride, the app will display the pickup location where the vehicle will meet you. Via is a corner-to-corner service, meaning riders will be picked up and dropped off close to their destination.

How does it work? 

Riders may hail a van by using the Via app, available on the App Store and Google Play. The microtransit service operates Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is available to students, faculty and staff at no additional fee. University affiliates with a valid uNID should use their Ed-Pass, in lieu of paying fare, by hitting the ‘UTA Pass/Ticket/Transfer’ when signing up.

ADA riders may request an accessible van by selecting ‘wheelchair accessibility’ in their profile.

For example, if you live in Draper and work on campus, you can get a lift to the Draper Town Center or Kimball Lane TRAX stations by requesting a UTA on Demand ride through the Via app. At the end of the day, you can be picked up at the TRAX station and return to where you started near your home, the grocery store or anywhere within the service area (see map below) for no charge. The service will also be useful for patients traveling to and from the South Jordan Health Center.

Why should I ride UTA? 

A perk of the U community, all current students, faculty and staff members may ride UTA services, including the microtransit program, without paying fare. Choosing UTA over driving allows you to save money on car-related expenses including gas, maintenance and parking permits.

In addition to saving some green, you can also be green by choosing UTA over driving. Salt Lake City’s poor air quality is undeniable during inversion season. According to a recent study, “at least 85% of harmful emissions come from fossil fuel,” meaning the CO2 produced by cars is the lead contributor to the air quality problem Utahans face. Riding UTA will continually help reduce emissions and help keep our air clean.

Driving to the university campus from southern Salt Lake County may take anywhere from 30 to 80 minutes or more, depending on traffic and weather. While riding UTA will not likely decrease your commute time, it will certainly ease its difficulties and be safer, too. You’ll be able to start your workday sooner, catch up on emails, read or watch Netflix, instead of sitting behind the wheel in traffic or on icy, dangerous roads.

Share your thoughts

UTA on Demand by Via is a pilot program and UTA wants to hear from you. Take this survey to share your thoughts and help UTA study effective ‘first-and-last mile’ connections to our bus and rail services.

For more information on UTA on Demand by Via and all other services, visit call 801-RIDE-UTA.

Converting my commute

February 11, 2020

This article, originally published in @theu, February 11, 2020, was written by Andy Lambert, MA Student, Atmospheric Sciences

As a graduate student in Atmospheric Sciences, many of my discussions and much of my research fall under the umbrella of air quality and climate. Conversations with colleagues and others inevitably turn to the topic of driving improvement within these realms, whether that’s collectively or individually. And yet, after almost six years as a student at the University of Utah, I had not commuted from my home in Bountiful by any other means than a personal vehicle.

Of course, through my education, I’ve come to understand quite deeply the sources of pollution and its hazardous health effects. But there were a number of things preventing me from actually commuting in a cleaner way: My trip from home to campus was already quite long and frustrating, and public transportation seemed like it might make both of those things worse. There didn’t seem to be any reliable options for public transit from where I live in Bountiful. Finally, could I really count on public transit when getting to or coming from work/school was time-sensitive?

Three weeks ago, through a combination of personal climate guilt, impactful discussion with colleagues in a climate change communication course, and invitations from a number of peers, I decided to finally test out the public transit system on my commute.

It was scary. I mapped out my trip on several web applications the night prior for fear of not being prepared or getting lost and eventually decided to just go with Google Maps. Then I grew even more indecisive when it came to picking the best route. “Do I walk 7 minutes this way and take the 470?” “No, maybe I should walk 9 minutes the other way and take the 455.” “Oh wait, but then I would have two bus changes to make for that route.” All of it was a little overwhelming for someone who had never done this before. Eventually, I just picked the one that took the shortest amount of time. Turns out, it was a good choice.

The morning arrived and it came time to head out. It felt weird leaving the house with my backpack and walking through a neighborhood to go to work instead of getting in my car. But it went quickly, and the bus was right on time. I got on, sat down, opened up the New York Times on my phone, and read the news. Then it hit me. “This is actually pretty nice!” Normally, my morning routine includes roughly 30 minutes of news and social media time before I can actually leave the house. But with public transit, that 30 minutes can just be moved to time on the bus. How’s that for convenience and efficiency? To make things even better, the whole trip only took 45 minutes. I’m cheap and normally park far away from my building because it’s free, so the trip using public transit was actually faster than my normal commute!

Now, the trip home took a bit longer because of heavy traffic, but it still wasn’t bad. Besides, I was able to enjoy some social media and gaming time on my phone on the way. Since then, using public transportation for my commute has not become a daily habit, but it does remain a surprisingly convenient and efficient way to travel that I will continue to utilize. For anyone who has the same concerns and roadblocks I did regarding commuting via public transportation, I say give it a try. Like me, you may be surprised by how silly those concerns actually were! And now, as I continue my research and conversations with others in the realm of air quality and climate, I do feel a little bit better about myself and a great deal more motivated to find other ways to contribute to solutions toward these important local and global issues.

Throughout February, consider a car free commute. Take action on air quality by tracking your commute behaviors with the Clear the Air Challenge, a statewide competition that aims to reduce emissions from vehicles by promoting alternative transit options. Join the U team at travelwisetracker.com/s/university-of-utah.

Are you a space heater user?

February 5, 2020

This article, originally published in @theu, February 5, 2020, was written by Kate Whitbeck, communications manager, Sustainability Office

Take part in our space heater exchange program to help reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while keeping you comfortable. For every personal space heater brought in as part of this program, University faculty, staff and interns can choose between an energy-efficient electric blanket or plush non-electric blanket. Blankets are also available for purchase without trade-in.

Personal space heaters are energy drains and greenhouse gas emitters that affect the air we breathe. By switching to an electric throw, you’ll make an immediate difference.

These electric throws use 90% less energy than a typical portable electric space heater! Energy savings also result in fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Using a typical portable electric space heater for 8 hours produces carbon dioxide equivalent to driving 20.7 miles in an average passenger vehicle. To put this in perspective, by switching from a space heater to an electric throw, you’ll save the emissions equivalent of a trip from the University campus to the border of Idaho – every week!

Our exchange program is open to all faculty, staff and interns who wish to trade in the portable electric space heaters they use on campus. Throws are free with trade-in of space heater, or can be purchased: $20 for non-electric and $30 for electric. To participate in this exchange program, please submit the form below.

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