October 22 to October 26 UCSB joins campuses across the country in celebrating campus sustainability week. Each day will focus on a specific area of sustainability, such as water, energy or food systems and activities will highlight staff, faculty and students who have made difference in their own life and work and offer examples of what you can do.
Monday will focus on reducing, reusing and recycling and will address the key challenge of identifying how to reduce our waste stream before taking measures to recycle waste. There will be sustainability champion presentations from 12pm to 1pm in the McCune conference room on the sixth floor of HSSB. Topics discussed will include the waste component of the campus sustainability plan, as well as these TGIF funded projects: UCSB Chemical Exchange Program, Mercury Thermometer Exchange and the Zero Waste; One Step Ahead of the Game Campaign in Ellison Hall.
Did you know, from 2002-2006, UCSB's Energy Team implemented energy conservation projects which saved $1.4 million? Presentations on Tuesday will cover best practices around campus on energy and the built environment. Like Monday, there will be sustainability champion presentations from 12pm to 1pm in the McCune conference room. The Built Environment and Energy components of the Campus Sustainability Plan will be brought to light. UCSB energy efficient projects, and lab assessments for research sustainability are other topics of interest during the presentations. From 10am to 12pm and 1pm to 3pm, the Clean Energy Carnival, sponsored by CalPIRG, will be taking place in the Arbor. The weekly Environmental Affairs Board meeting will take place in the GSA lounge from 7pm to 8pm where free food will be served.
On Wednesday, Campus Design and Facilities is sponsoring the Society for College and University Planning webcast called, "Building a Durable Future: Community, the Campus, and Deep Economy." Bill McKibben will explain how college and university campuses must be key players in a deep economy and offer his challenge to campuses. The time has come to move beyond 'growth' as the paramount economic ideal and begin pursuing prosperity in a more local direction, with cities, suburbs, and regions producing more of their own food, generating more of their own energy, and even creating more of their own culture and entertainment. "The webcast will take place from 9am to 10:30am in the McCune conference room. There will be a field trip to the UCSB Greenhouse and Garden Project from 10:45am to 11:45am. The sustainability champion presentations from 12pm to 1pm in the McCune conference room will cover issues such as the "Children of the Corn" research project, the Greenhouse and Garden project, and the Purchasing and Food components of the Campus Sustainability Plan. At 4pm, EAB will host Adopt-A-Block on Embarcadero Loop. Carl Pope, the Executive Director of the Sierra Club, will give a speech entitled "Transforming Environmental Policy: Private Conscience and Public Choice." The speech, sponsored by EAB and the Bren School, will occur from 7pm to 9pm at the Institute of World Culture, located at 1407 Chapala Street.
Transportation and Water are the focal points for Thursday's activities, important issues as we move intern a year where $1.4 billion was recently cut from California's public transportation budget and cost of energy is making the nexus between energy and water very clear. The sustainability champion presentations from 12pm to 1pm will include topics such as the sustainability transportation fund, the transportation and water components of the Campus Sustainability Plan, and waterless urinals. Like Tuesday, there will be a Clean Energy Carnival at the Arbor from 10am to 12pm and from 1pm to 3pm. Carl Pope will be giving a speech at UCSB's Corwin Pavilion from 7pm to 9pm, also sponsored by EAB and the Bren School. The topic will be "Changing the U.S. National Agenda."
Friday's concluding theme will be sustainability curriculum and education. The sustainability champion presentations will touch on topics such as the Academics and Research Component of the Campus Sustainability Plan, the Sustainable Business Plan Competition and the Curriculum Development Project. Friday is also mercury thermometer exchange day in front of Biology building II from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. People will be able to exchange mercury thermometers for more earth-friendly spirit thermometers. Environmental education will be presented at Isla Vista Elementary School from 1:45 pm to 3pm.
For more information on any of the campus sustainability activities, please see http://sustainability.ucsb.edu or email Katie Maynard.
For a schedule of events check the online Sustainability Calendar, or download the Campus Sustainability Week PDF.