The UConn Office of Environmental Policy’s blog began in 2011, and has since accumulated over 20,150 views. Covering topics such as outreach events, study abroad experiences, news, and achievements, it has provided students, faculty, and community members alike with a wealth of informative, eye-catching reports. We are only a month or so into 2015, and the OEP blog has acquired more views during that time than all of 2011!  If that doesn’t impress you, you should also know that the blog reached 114 countries last year alone and 131 countries over the course of its existence. Individuals have found their way to the page from a variety of different sources, the top being Facebook and the OEP website. If you have not yet had the chance to read through some blog posts, you are missing out.  Tune in for new posts weekly!

KK Back in the USA

Hello, OEP followers!  After a semester abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, the European Green Capital of 2014, I am ecstatic to say I am back in Husky territory and ready to share the global environmental knowledge I have accumulated over the last four months.  My travels through the UK, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark have shown me a vast range of environmental policy and practices present in Europe, pros and cons associated with different approaches taken towards energy and waste management problems, innovative ideas for incorporating environmentalism in education and across cultures, and much more.  Over the next few months, I will be writing a series of blog posts explaining the most significant experiences I had with sustainability while overseas, so be sure to be on the look out!

To kick off the series, I figured what better a topic to start with than the city that is nearest and dearest to my heart: wonderful, wonderful København.

A Green Nation’s Best Friend

In Copenhagen, they are everywhere.  Sitting snugly in designated train cars, whizzing past traffic jams and slow-moving pedestrians, accessorizing every available lamppost or railing, these masses of metal and rubber have an undeniable presence in Danish society.  Each day, everyone from bright-eyed toddlers to silver-haired seniors, from daily commuters to the Crown Prince, Frederik, hop on these emission-free vehicles with ease, powering through whatever treacherous Scandinavian weather is thrown at them to get to their final destination.  What is this magical environmental speed demon?  The classic, reliable, bicycle!

So why do Danes love their bikes?

As environmentalists, I am sure many of us would like to say the appeal of an emission-free transportation method is the driving force behind the Danish bike trend.  Surprising enough, however, only 1% of Danes surveyed sited environmental reasoning as their major motive for daily pedaling.  61% of responders said they bike because it is “convenient, fast, and easy,” 19% named exercise as their motivator, and 6% said financial reasons made biking ideal (Van Deurs, C.).

These percentages are not meant to be discouraging.  Regardless of reasoning, it is an amazing fact that 18% of all trips in Denmark are made via bicycles.  These sort of statistics should motivate the critical thinkers within us, bringing questions to the surface like “how did the Danish government create such a user-friendly bike system?” as well as, “what do we need to do to replicate such a system in other major cities, like New York or Boston, or non-urban environments like Storrs, for example?”  If this avid biking culture could be transferred to other areas of heavy automobile use, imagine the environmental benefits that would arise!

Making a Bike System “Convenient, Fast, and Easy”

          Creating a convenient bike system is no easy feat.  Walking around Copenhagen and experiencing the bike life firsthand, it seemed every aspect of bike travel was thought out down to the most minor details.  After careful observation and evaluation, here is a list of the top concepts that have made biking so popular in modern Denmark:

Accessibility: The network has an incredibly extensive presence, with an impressive 7,500 miles of bike lanes weaving throughout the country.  This enables riders to travel to loads of desirable destinations both within in the city center and throughout the beautiful countryside.

Safety: Biker safety is key, and is enabled through clearly marked bike lanes, which are frequently separated from roadways by an actual physical barrier.  Additionally, separate traffic lights for bikers assist users in properly understanding right of way, reducing unnecessary accidents.

Integration in Public Transportation: Need to take a cab, the Metro, or S-tog as part of your daily commute?  Have no fear!  Special train cars with bike racks make bike transportation a breeze.  Elevators in metro stations reduce the need to carry bikes up and down the stairs.  Taxi cabs carry attachments that allow travelers to lock their bike to the car and hop inside within minutes of the cab stopping.

The Little Things: Probably some of the most notable aspects of the Danish bike system that enable its success are small, practical solutions to problems of convenience.  Bike racks are ubiquitous, which minimizes the time consuming anxiety of finding a place to park and promotes a quick commute.  Metal ramps line the edges of staircases so users can push their bikes up and down stairs with little effort, rather than strenuously carrying the bikes.  Ledges alongside the lanes allow an easy stopping process at traffic lights.

In addition to all of this, Denmark is a fairly flat country, which makes biking an easy task.

 Food for Thought

            The development of the Danish bike system has played a significant role in decreasing Copenhagen’s emissions and moving the city towards its commitment of carbon neutrality by 2025 (Copenhagen: CPH Climate Plan 2015).  For the most part, however, the initiative was not motivated and pushed to fruition by environmental reasoning.  Ultimately, it was the architectural planners’ constant, proactive thinking of human behavior and the ease with which users could ride their bikes that led to the immense integration of cycling into Danish culture.

To progress to a greener world, I believe we must continue to approach environmental problems with unique and creative mindsets.  Successful policy and project implementation may not always lie in the environmental logic, but in the other underlying positive social motives.

Sources

Copenhagen: CPH Climate Plan 2025. (2014, January 1). Retrieved January 23, 2015, from http://cityclimateleadershipawards.com/copenhagen-cph-climate-plan-2025/

Cycling in Denmark. (n.d.). Retrieved January 23, 2015, from http://www.visitdenmark.co.uk/en-gb/denmark/nature/cycling-denmark

Van Deurs, C. (n.d.). Copenhagen Changing mindsets towards ‘Cities for People’. Retrieved January 23, 2015, from http://www.mobiliteit2050.be/gallery/multimedia/presentatiessprekers/camillapresentatie.pdf

Kerrin is a 6th semester Environmental Studies major and an undergraduate intern at the Office of Environmental Policy.

I hope you all enjoyed the winter break, and are as excited as I am to be back for the spring semester. Now that we are living in dorms again, we must continue to think about what we can do to protect the environment, and follow the ideals which resulted in a successful EcoMadness month in the fall.

Every single dorm is equipped with recycling bins situated on either all floors or the ground floor for convenience. It is important not only to recycle items such as cans, bottles, and paper, but to aim to reduce your total waste production. Just by switching from disposable water bottles to a reusable bottle, you can eliminate a significant amount of plastic waste. Not to mention, this can save you money in the long run. On the subject of recycling, UConn also provides bins to recycle electronic waste, such as ink cartridges and cell phones. These can be found in the Student Union, Co-op, and Homer Babbidge Library.

There are also efforts that can be made in order to conserve water while living in dorms. By taking faster showers and washing clothes in one large load rather than multiple smaller ones, we can all save an incredible amount of water and energy. It is especially important to report all leaks and dripping faucets to Residential Life in order to “Stop the Drop.” This is a simple act that can prevent unnecessary water loss.

There are so many effortless ways to conserve energy and water, and save the environment. Make it a goal to turn off lights when you leave the room and unplug electronics when not in use. Now that we are back at UConn for the spring semester, it is of even greater importance that we contribute in any way that we can. Because we attend a university that puts the utmost effort into protecting the environment, we have no excuse not to.

-Christen Bellucci

Hello everyone!

My name is Christen Bellucci, and I recently joined the intern staff at the Office of Environmental Policy. I am a freshman majoring in biology, quite undecided about what career path I would like to pursue. I have explored opportunities such as marine science, medicine, and teaching, all which touch upon my many interests and strengths. I am anxious to determine a clear direction; however, I have lots of time to experiment with these options.

Prior to coming to the University of Connecticut, I attended Hampton Bays High School on Long Island, New York, and graduated top of my class. It was there that I realized my love for math and science, as well as an unanticipated passion for painting after creating a mural within the school. My closest friends refer to me as the “mom,” and I have been told that I don’t have a mean bone in my body. I believe that this is quite an exaggeration; however, I strive to be kind, honest, and reliable every day.

I care deeply about the environment, and am incredibly proud that the university I attend goes to such great lengths to protect it. I am especially honored and thankful to now be a small part of this, and am excited to see what the future holds.

Another fantastic semester has come to a close! Several key events took place this fall, and many more are underway for the coming year.  Below is a brief summary of the activities that the Office of Environmental Policy hosted and participated in, encouraging sustainability and environmental awareness.

Green Game Day

On September 7^th, almost 50 volunteers gathered to promote recycling at the Green Game Day for UConn Football versus Stony Brook.  Everyone who came to the game enjoyed seeing a closely contested 19-16 UConn victory.  The volunteers teamed up in groups to pick up recyclables at each of the tailgating lots.  This allowed for an interactive learning opportunity for the wider community regarding everything that UConn does to be more environmentally conscience. For more information, click here.

Climate March

On Sunday, September 21^st, over 80 UConn students participated along with 400,000 others in the People’s Climate March (PCM) in New York City. The march was organized, leading up to the UN Climate Summit on September 23^rd, to raise awareness about and form a united front against climate change. UConn’s participation in the march was a reflection on both the university’s goals to protect our local environmental and our planet.  To see more pictures and read one of our interns’ perspective on joining the march, please click here.

EcoMadness

Two all-time EcoMadness records, the most volunteer Eco-Captains we’ve had in the past five years, and a lot of UConn Dairy Bar ice cream highlighted this year’s EcoMadness Competition. The winners cut down water usage to an incredible 17.9 gallons of water used per student (Grange/Hicks), reduced water consumption by 20% per capita (Troy/Shakespeare), and conserved energy by 23% (Buckley). These impressive reductions were made possible by increased collaboration with residence assistants and student leadership through Eco-Captains. If you would like to learn more about this year’s competition click here!

Sustainability Report

This fall also saw the release of UConn’s very first sustainability report. Through a collaborative effort, the report highlights both the university’s environmental outreach efforts as well as a wide range of sustainability metrics from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) survey. Click here to access the 2014 Sustainability Report.

UConn will celebrate Arbor Day in a big way in 2015!

Stemming from the enthusiasm of the UConn Arboretum Committee, UConn has a deeply rooted tradition of campus tree care and species diversity.  By branching out and becoming the first school in Connecticut to receive the Tree Campus USA recognition, UConn has committed to sprucing up campus and increasing public outreach in regard to campus trees.

The process of completing our re-certification application for the National Arbor Foundation’s Tree Campus USA program is currently underway. In addition, the UConn Office of Environmental Policy recently submitted a contest application to the National Arbor Day Foundation outlining how we would celebrate Arbor Day in 2015. Through this competition, UConn had a chance to win $500 of funding and outreach materials to celebrate Arbor Day on campus. UConn was selected as a finalist by the Arbor Day Foundation and was eventually voted a winner after receiving almost 3,000 votes nationwide! This was a great accomplishment considering the hundreds of Tree Campus USA schools competing. Ten schools in total won the contest, divided based on campus population into small and large school categories.

Winners in the large school category include Colorado State University, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Vermont, University of Connecticut, and University of Alaska-Anchorage. Winners in the small school category include Berry College, University of Alaska-Monticello, Washington & Jefferson College, Wabash Valley College, and Morrisville State College.  Check out the official winner’s page here!

The contest prizes will ensure an even larger audience for UConn’s Arbor Day Celebration than last year. In 2014, the Arbor Day Celebration was held on Earth Day (April 22^nd) in conjunction with Earth Day Spring Fling, a campus-wide environmental event showcasing various student organizations, campus dining, and eco-friendly third party vendors. This year, UConn plans to utilize the contest prizes to hold an outreach event focusing on campus trees and their maintenance.

We are currently working on some exciting ways to celebrate Arbor Day 2015 and hope you will be excited as well! With your help, our sports teams won’t be the only seeded programs in April.  If you have any questions or ideas for how we could celebrate Arbor Day or would like to participate, please contact UConn’s Office of Environmental Policy at EnvPolicy@uconn.edu.

-Chris Bruno

Two all-time EcoMadness records, the most volunteer Eco-Captains we’ve had in the past five years, and a lot of UConn Dairy Bar ice cream wrapped up UConn’s 8^th annual, world-famous EcoMadness Competition!  Congratulations to Troy/Shakespeare, Grange/Hicks, Buckley, and Chandler/Lancaster, winners in each of the four coveted award categories during this one-month, inter-dorm, energy and water conservation competition!

A big shout out to residents of Grange/Hicks, who set an all-time EcoMadness record for water conservation with an incredible 17.9 gallons of water used per student over the course of the competition, earning a resounding first place in this category!  That’s just over half the gallons used per day, per student by most previous EcoMadness winners in this category and about a quarter of the daily water consumption for the average college student in the U.S.! Sprague/EcoHouse (East) and Russell (Northwest) claimed 2^nd and 3^rd place in the water usage per student category. Sprague also broke the previous EcoMadness record.

In the overall per capita rate of water reduction category, Sprague held onto first place through most of the competition, with Terry (Northwest), Alsop (West), and Troy/Shakespeare (West) following closely behind.  However, in the final week of the competition, Troy/Shakespeare (West) overtook the competition, leaving EcoHouse out of a first place finish in any of the four  EcoMadness categories for the first time in five years.  Tory/Shakespeare claimed first place with an outstanding 20% reduction.

In the energy reduction category, Buckley, the first-year Honors program dorm in East, surged from second place to first in the last week, finishing with an impressive 23% energy use reduction, also a new EcoMadness record! A pair of Buckley Eco-Captains created an Honors Eco Tie Dye event to raise awareness and team spirit. They focused their tie-dye discussion on simple ways to conserve resources in their daily lives — given their record energy-saving results, must have succeeded. Chandler/Lancaster (West) took first place in the energy usage per student category with 3.23 kWh of energy used per student.

Needless to say, in this the 8^th annual EcoMadness competition, the 2014 winners have raised the bar! Compared to EcoMadness 2013, the winners particularly excelled in two categories:

• Energy use – reduction from 6.4% (2013) to 23% (2014)
• Per capita water use – from 31.9 gallons per student (2013) to 17.9 gallons per student (2014)

These impressive reductions can be explained by a number of factors, the most important of which was increased collaboration and student leadership. This year, the Office of Environmental Policy focused more on meeting directly with area councils and residence assistants to help spread the word. Additionally, more students got involved as Eco-Captains this year than in the previous 4 or 5 years, helping to boost awareness and friendly competition among their fellow student residents.

Looking back eight years ago, during the first EcoMadness, only seven dorms from South campus were included in the competition. With a 6% reduction in energy and water computation, their results seem feeble compared to the over 20% reductions seen in recent years.  It was not until 2007, when the competition expanded to 23 dorms, including Northwest, Towers, and Shippee, that Eco-Captains became part of the event.  The effects of the Eco-Captains could be seen in 2008 when the energy and water reduction increased to 10%.  Since then, percentage reductions have been on the rise.  The dramatic increases in energy and water reductions over the years reflect Eco-Captain involvement, proving the importance of peer-to-peer student engagement and leadership.

Thank you to student Eco-Captains: Haley Brennan, Emily Napear, Haris Qureshi, Adrianna Antigiovanni, Benjamin Breslau, Kassra Farahbakhshian, Kimberly Armstrong, Esther Kim, Joan Bosma, Miranda Squillace, Brianna Costello, and Christopher Tan! Without your support, hard work, leadership and passion during the competition, EcoMadness would not have been as successful. All of you were outstanding!

Although the competition is over, continue to keep up the great work and remember to continue conserving water and energy! To the four winners, congratulations again and we hope you enjoyed your ice cream party – check out scenes from a few of the parties below! You should all be very proud of yourselves for demonstrating excellent conservation and sustainable lifestyle practices. Great job, everybody!

Matt DeLeon is a 1^st semester ARE major and a student in OEP Director Rich Miller’s Honors UNIV course in Environmental Sustainability.  He attended Anthony Leiserowitz’s Teale Lecture on Nov. 20^th, and wrote this reflection, as a voluntary class assignment.

Anthony Leiserowitz’s lecture entitled, Climate Change in the American Mind, was extremely worthwhile to attend and was quite possibly one of the most unique and important perspectives that I have heard on the global warming issue to date. Leiserowitz is the Director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and a Research Scientist at the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University. His talk to the UConn community was less about the “science” behind global warming, but more about how it is perceived by Americans, and why it has caused so much debate.

Leiserowitz opened the lecture with his “Big 5 Beliefs about Climate Change.” These five beliefs amount to only ten words, but encapsulate what he believes are the five salient facts that all Americans should know about climate change. They are as follows: It’s real, it’s us, it’s bad, scientists agree, there’s hope. This idea simply conveys to the public that climate change is occurring due to human activities, that it is actually causing harm, which all scientists agree on, while there still is a chance to stop and possibly reverse the negative effects, if the global community acts now. I thought that this message was extremely powerful, because most people are apathetic to global warming because they think that it is too complex for them to understand, but by just remembering these five short facts, any American can learn the truth about global warming.

I also found the many statistics that Leiserowitz presented to be very interesting and a great enhancement to the presentation. One of the first statistics that he shared was that, according to his research, 66% of Americans think that climate change is real, while 18% believed that it is not real. He also shared with UConn the fact that only 50% of Americans believe that global warming is caused by human effects and that a mere 11% responded that they are “very worried” about climate change. Many of these results can be explained by the fact that it is impossible to visually “see” climate change. Leiserowitz explained that most people associate climate change with melting polar ice, which is why that image frequents media outlets, but this leads to a major problem. Polar ice is distant to most Americans and the fact that it is melting seems to be much less important than finding a job, protecting ourselves against terrorism, or paying off college loans. He also stated that these photos tend to not show human beings, so climate change is perceived to not be a threat to humans. Leiserowitz believes that these false notions are why climate change action has not gained much momentum in the United States, as its consequences on human health are not fully recognized or understood by the public and it is seen merely as a partisan political issue.

There has been a fairly significant decline in the belief and or significance of climate change over the past few years as well. Leiserowitz explained that the poor economy and unemployment played a key role in this trend, as well as declining media coverage. He proposed that most Americans learn about climate change via the media, since it is more of a scientific issue and most Americans don’t know a scientist, so media outlets are their only sources of information, since they do not read scientific journals either. If the media stops reporting on global warming, the public will not hear about it as much and not see it as a big deal. Within the past year, however, the American people have started to think about global warming more, as the economy has improved and the media coverage has increased. Another critical factor is that there have been many major weather events that hit Americans hard over the past two or three years. Hurricanes that caused a lot of damage in places that normally do not experience hurricanes, like New England, occurred twice, with Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy. These storms were accompanied by the snowstorm, Nemo, in the winter of 2013. These weather occurrences can actually be felt by the public and sparked interest in this issue, as a hurricane in your backyard resonates better with Americans than melting polar ice, thousands of miles away.

One of Leiserowitz’s other salient points in the lecture was that there are “Six Americas” when it comes to global warming. They consists of those who are alarmed (16%), concerned (27%), cautious (23%), disengaged (5%), doubtful (12%), and dismissive (15%). These numbers are somewhat optimistic because they reveal that the two highest categories consist of people who are concerned, or at least cautious about the effects of global warming. However, the problem with having “Six Americas” when it comes to this issue, according to Leiserowitz, is that there is not a unified conversation going on about the issue. For those who are alarmed or concerned, the conversation revolves around “what can we do to stop it?”, while the cautious and disengaged are more focused on “how does it affect me?” The final group consisting of the doubtful and dismissive are more interrogative and are simply asking, “is it real?” The lesson to be learned from the “Six Americas” of climate change is that if action is to be effectively and immediately taken, the country needs to be, for the most part unified, and have related dialogues.

Overall, the lecture by Anthony Leiserowitz was extremely worthwhile and definitely changed the way that I look at global warming and how I will talk about and approach the issue in the future.

The University of Connecticut currently owns and maintains approximately 500 vehicles including buses, emergency vehicles, and any vehicle that is owned by a UConn department.  Of these 500 vehicles, there are currently 14 hybrids, and 11 fully electric vehicles.  Although these vehicles only comprise a small percent of the current fleet, UConn is making great strides to incorporate more high efficiency vehicles.

The University was awarded a grant through the Connecticut Clean Fuel program, which reimburses a portion of the cost of a clean-energy vehicle.  Some of the vehicles UConn has already purchased with the program are the new GEM (Global Electric Motorcar) Low-Speed Vehicles (LSVs).  These are small vehicles that have a top speed of about 25 mph and are fully electric – perfect for local, on-campus trips.

The University is also governed by federal and state mandates that require any purchase of a light-duty vehicle must be clean energy.  All small vehicles and some trucks, regardless of whether or not they are eligible for Clean Fuel funding, must be what is called an E85 vehicle.  E85 means the engine is compatible with E85 fuel, a type of ethanol blend.  The Clean Fuel program, along with these federal and state laws, have helped the UConn fleet begin to increase the number of efficient, alternative-fuel, and hybrid vehicles on campus.  Those numbers will continue to increase as UConn replaces its old fleet with new vehicles in the coming years.

-Marisa Smith

What was the People’s Climate March?

On Sunday, September 21^st, the People’s Climate March (PCM) was held in the streets of New York City. It has since been estimated that up to 400,000 people attended the event, including U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former Vice President Al Gore, Bill McKibben, Jane Goodell, and Leonardo DiCaprio. The mission of this march was to form a united front in support of reducing greenhouse gases.

How was UConn involved?

Approximately 80 UConn students participated in the march. While there were a handful of Environmental Science majors and EcoHusky and EcoHouse members, there were also Business students interested in the economic implications of climate change and Political Science majors invested in the human rights aspect of the march. In fact, the diversity of studies included Animal Science, Psychology, Biology, Marketing, Finance, ACES, Natural Resources, Environmental Engineering, and more. Additionally, a bus of around 50 members from the Mansfield community joined the UConn students at the march.

Why was this march so significant?

Government action is stagnant. Climate change, however, is hurdling forward with an intense ferocity. Even the most conservative predictions of how our planet will be affected are deeply troubling. The three pillars of sustainability require that we find a balance between economics, society, and the environment but the heat of politics has made this difficult to achieve. We need to hold the government accountable for the lack of climate policy. Resolving this issue is vital to our survival. Thus, we as citizens need to put pressure on our government to develop international emission reduction commitments and PCM provided an audible platform for us, the people of UConn, the people of the United States, and the people of the world, to do so.

Why is it important that UConn students participated?

Education is the key to environmental progress. The academic setting of our country’s universities is where we need to introduce the concept of green living to the young minds of America and inspire our students to take action. Students are our future. They will become the policymakers, lawyers, activists, engineers, consultants, professors, and researchers that we need to build a sustainable planet. UConn is at the forefront of sustainability and our participation in the march both reflects our environmental goals for our university as well as for our planet.

Student’s perspective:

My name is Emily McInerney and I am a senior at UConn majoring in Natural Resources. I have always cared deeply for the environment but this was my first opportunity to participate in an environmental activism event. To be surrounded by such a large group of individuals who share the same passion for environmentalism was an exceptionally rewarding experience. The thousands of creative displays and signs were outstandingly impressive. While the march was a call for urgent action, it was conducted peacefully, with lively music and dancers filling the street with the optimism of a green, clean energy future. The defining moment of the event was at 12:58pm when there was a moment of silence. New York City is never quiet but for two brief minutes all that could be heard were distant cars and the steady breathing of the marchers as they joined their hands together. This was followed by a long string of howls and cheering. Witnessing these four minutes alone was enough to give someone the shivers and it made me proud to be involved in such a monumental moment in history.

What’s next?

The UN Climate Summit convened on September 23^rd and this march helped spark discussion about supporting renewable energies and transitioning away from fossil fuels. Ultimately, we need to implement international laws to support the reduction of greenhouse gases. Whether this will happen only time will tell. Regardless, our voices were heard. Our presence was not only felt on the streets of New York but also throughout the globe, through social media, the news, and the various other climate activism events that took place in other parts of the world in conjunction with PCM. The fight however, is not over. Hopefully the people of our planet will continue to strive for sustainability. UConn and its many environmentally devoted students certainly will.