We have now reached December, the gift-giving peak of the year. Running through our minds are family, Christmas trees, food, and whether or not professors will have that good ole holiday cheer while grading our exams. Here is something else to keep in mind while preparing for the holidays: the economic and environmental impacts of holiday gift-exchanges.

In a controversial, Grinch-esque study done by economist, Joel Waldfogel, author of “Scroogeonomics: Why You Shouldn’t Buy Presents for the Holidays,” 86 undergraduate students were asked whether or not they liked their Christmas gifts. Instead of phrasing it as a yes or no, Waldfogel asked how much the students would have paid for those gifts themselves. The result?

The students estimated that their gifts had cost $438.20 — but they said the most they would have been willing to pay for them was $313.40. From an efficiency standpoint, this means over $100 in wasted spent money. Viewed through an environmental lens, this wasted money translates to wasted materials, manufacturing pollution, travel miles, and more that is not contributing to the gift-receivers satisfaction.

This illustrates the dark side to gift-giving which is that “between a tenth and a third of the value of holiday gifts is destroyed by gift-giving,” (Waldfogel, 1998) translating to a loss of between $4 and $13 billion in a given holiday season.

Everyone loves money, but let’s face it, it doesn’t make the best gift. Because of this, you need to make up the lost value from the gift-giver/receiver mismatch elsewhere which can be done through giving the rarest gifts of all: Sentimental gifts.

An economic concept that everyone can understand is that the rarer something is, the more valuable it is and thus the more value it adds to a present. Handmade sentimental gifts are nearly impossible to receive from anyone other than you. Similarly, handmade gifts will easily lessen the carbon footprint of gift-buying through a store that likely had most of its inventory shipped thousands of miles.

So consider creating or crafting a gift with what you have at home. Homemade peppermint bark, a repurposed painted frame with a picture of you and your mom, or maybe a clever coupon book with ideas for what your cherished-one would love! If handmade gifts aren’t your strong suit, etsy.com is a great way to support small businesses that will often personalize sentimental gifts for you to give.

Another way to prevent this lost value is to buy people what they really want but wouldn’t buy themselves. Although it takes away some of the fun, just ask! This will alleviate the stress of having to pick out an entire gift and also ensure they receive something they want and will value.

Get creative with packaging! Recycle materials or buy wrapping paper made with at least 50% recycled content. I have found that old daily campus newspapers make for an excellent wrapping paper!

That’s all for now, Happy Holidays!

-Rose

 

Waldfogel, Joel. Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn’t Buy Presents for the Holidays. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2009. Print.

Waldfogel, Joel. The Deadweight Loss of Christmas: Reply. New Haven: American Economic Review, 1998. Print.

On Dec. 4th, we posted a handful of blogs written by several of UConn’s first-ever group participants in the UN’s annual international climate summit. Today, we’re posting blogs from the second half of our stay, including a few overall reflections on what we observed in Paris and at COP21, and about the challenges of global action to address climate change. The following blogs include:

Seeing the Green Light at the End of the Tunnel: UConn @ COP21 Oksan Bayulgen

Lost in Translation: The Complexities of Reaching a Global Climate Agreement Kerrin Kinnear

On Gender and Climate Change Alexandra Mayer

The Climate Tradeoff: A Global Carbon Budget for the Future Andrew Carrol

UConn and the Climate Conference: Looking Ahead Ron Tardiff

COP21 Paris: All Hands on Deck for the next 20 years Anji Seth

 

 

Seeing the Green Light at the End of the Tunnel: UConn @ COP21

Oksan Bayulgen, Associate Professor, Political Science; Academic Director – Global House

 

What a week it was! Traveling to Paris on Monday with 12 students and 5 other faculty/staff to participate in the historic COP21, I did not know what exactly to expect from this experience. We did not have the authorized passes to observe the plenary sessions or even enter the ‘blue zone’ designated for some media and civil society observers. I did not know any of the students (except from their application materials), and I was going to spend a week with UConn sustainability staff and other faculty from different disciplines and with different research interests. Yet, the week turned out to be a huge success thanks to our trips to the many civil society events organized around the main conference and across the city, the enlightening and thought-provoking discussions we had every morning, and the close friendships we formed in just a matter of days. Of course the magical atmosphere of Paris helped as well!

I have two main insights from this week: one regarding the education of sustainability, particularly at UConn, and the other regarding the overall trends in climate change discussions. The wide scope of the events we attended as well as our morning discussions made obvious the importance of approaching climate change in a holistic manner. This is an interdisciplinary issue and looking at it through the prism of just one or two disciplines is limiting and unrealistic. The sources of, and solutions to, this crisis of humanity are found in the intersection of hard sciences, social change, human psychology, economics, human rights and politics. As such, we have a lot to learn from each other to find common and sensible solutions. At UConn we, as the faculty, need to engage in collaborative research and offer more courses that build on the strength of each of our disciplines as well as bridge the gap among them. We need to talk to and not past each other; we need to build research agendas that encompass sustainability and climate change topics as well as curricula that support general education of our students.

Regarding the broader discussion on climate change, it once more became clear to me that there are two counter trends in the world today. One is extremely positive and inspiring, as exemplified by the people and ideas in and around the COP21 conference. There are thousands of people who understand the urgency of the crisis and appreciate the environmental, social, economic and political consequences of not doing enough to reverse the trends. There is no questioning of the science. These are passionate, committed ordinary individuals, bureaucrats, non-governmental organizations and businesses who make personal and organizational sacrifices, utilize their entrepreneurial skills, and engage in fierce and determined activism. From the many booths at the COP21 Solutions displaying state-of-the-art and innovative technologies to the many panels on natural tropical forests, smart agriculture, indigenous peoples’ right to land in the Global Landscape Forum all the way to the 350.org’s mock trial of ExxonMobil at the outskirts of Paris, we saw progressive ideas and kindled spirits in defense of humanity and our planet. These are truly uplifting and promising developments.

Yet, on the other side of the equation, we also observe the counter trends of denial, apathy, bureaucratic incompetency and gridlock, green washing, and political obstructionism. In the same week that the world leaders gathered in Paris to address climate change, in Vienna OPEC agreed to continue oil production uninterrupted, journalists have uncovered that fossil fuel companies have been spending billions of dollars hiding the truth about climate change, paying scientists to write expert reports questioning the urgency of climate change and even sponsoring certain parts of the very climate summit designed to shrink their industry. We have also heard many accounts of the difficulties inherent in international negotiations such as the one in Paris. The requirement of unanimity on the final terms of the agreement, the structural inequalities between developing and developed countries that raise questions about injustice and unfairness in the responsibility to pay for a cleaner environment, and the issues of sovereignty are all challenges facing a comprehensive, definitive deal. Perhaps the biggest challenge yet is the way COP21 is playing out in domestic politics. Just as the U.S. representatives are negotiating the details of the agreement and the U.S. president is projecting global leadership in addressing this crisis, some presidential candidates and congressional leaders back home are racing with each other to ridicule the efforts and threaten to reject the very terms that the U.S. delegation is busy negotiating at the conference. And, because of these troubling and depressing developments, there are legitimate concerns that the summit will fall short of its intended goals.

Despite the pendulum swinging back and forth from hope to despair, I believe (want to believe) that the tide is turning and the balance is shifting in favor of forces of change. The domestic and international momentum is finally here. Public opinion is changing, albeit slowly. Renewable energy technologies are becoming appealing to people not only on moral and environmental grounds but also in terms of economic benefits. Businesses that opt to become sustainable are being rewarded by consumers and see their profit margins increase. Many universities and municipalities are increasingly divesting their fossil fuel holdings. The list goes on and on… Against the dark forces, we, the educators and students, have to stand tall and unwavering in our principles and trust that the truth will prevail eventually. There is much more to do, but there is also light at the end of the tunnel! ACTION NOW!

 

 

Lost in Translation: The Complexities of Reaching a Global Climate Agreement

Kerrin Kinnear, OEP Intern

 

Muscles tensed by a mind overcome with frustration, I exit the auditorium. I had just witnessed a keynote address made by the President of COP21, Laurent Fabius, at the start of the Global Landscapes Forum. Arguably a once in a lifetime opportunity for an environmentalist, I had not understood a single word he said. Why? The speech was in French, and my language skillset is primarily limited to English.

 

Language issues are significant in the realm of global negotiation. Prior to traveling to Paris for the United Nations Climate Conference, most of my conversations about international climate action focused solely on which strategies were most appropriate for effectively mitigating fossil fuel emissions and adapting to the current and future impacts of climate change. Speaking with delegates from Madagascar and Namibia as well as negotiation observers from Dickinson University, I realized I had overlooked a key concept for the conference – the profound impact complexities of language can have on the effectiveness of international coordination.

With delegates and members of Civil Society from over 190 different countries gathered at COP21, ensuring a uniform sense of understanding is an incredible feat. To accommodate the resulting vast range of languages, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) mandates that all formal proceedings are interpreted into the organization’s six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Using headsets, delegates from across the globe are able to hear live feeds of the negotiations in their preferred language, and contribute when they are given the floor. Representatives who speak none of the six official languages have the opportunity to speak in their language, so long as they pay for an interpreter to translate their message.

While this framework for communication demonstrates a certain commitment to universal comprehension, barriers still persist in the conference arena. During my conversation with Dickinson alumni, I was surprised to learn that a topic of debate for that day’s official proceedings was the clarification that international parties “welcomed” rather than “invited” countries to increase climate change efforts. From this, the importance of semantics and cultural word meanings in an international setting became evident. Additionally, when I spoke with a researcher from a French NGO focused on deforestation, he explained how quickly high-level jargon becomes integrated into the climate negotiations. As a result, delegates who have limited proficiency in the UN languages and who cannot afford interpreters struggle to keep up with and weigh in on complex conversations and policy strategies.

Despite the difficulties associated with communicating across languages, the United Nations and its member countries have held 21 climate change conferences and continue to plan global coordination on this issue. Because of the international community’s persistence in the face of cross-cultural communication barriers, I am more excited than ever before about the prospects for a global climate agreement.

 

 

On Gender and Climate Change

Alexandra Mayer

 

The agenda for the COP21 lists 22 steps towards agreement. Discussing “gender and climate change” is number 17. Women represent the majority of the world’s poor and agricultural workers and many are responsible for fetching water. Dramatic shifts in climate and food production are therefore primed to disproportionately harm women. Furthermore, women fight economic, social, and physical discrimination that also limit their ability to adapt to climate change.

Yet, on December 7th, Mary Robinson, former UN human rights chief and president of Ireland, lamented, “This [the UN conference] is a very male world. When it is a male world, you have male priorities,” and asserted, “women in developing countries are among the most vulnerable to climate change.” Her frustrated words indicate that there may be no legal text on gender equity coming out of the COP21 negotiations.

While I was listening to a panel discussion on indigenous and women’s rights at the Global Landscapes Forum in Paris, the man sitting next to me whispered, “Why should we care, if we’ll all be dead soon anyways?” alluding to the idea that if global warming goes unmitigated, humans may go extinct. I shushed the man to hear the speaker, but, as I have heard this argument used repeatedly to dismiss calls for human rights, I will reply now:

In fighting against climate change, you are fighting for the future of humankind. The next question, then, is what kind of future are you fighting for? We live in a beautiful world that is also riddled with atrocity, disparity, and exploitation.

Rape, racism, and domestic violence are global epidemics, so is poverty at the hand of the elite. I must ask, whose future are you fighting for when you rally to limit emissions, but not to stop the avoidable deaths that are occurring now at the hand of starvation, lack of health care, and violence? Are you okay with saving your own kind, and nobody else?

I know it is impossible to take on every injustice. We all have our own cause. Still, at the very least, I invite you to recognize the importance of human rights. Why should we save ourselves if we’ll only continue to disparage the earth and each other?

 

 

The Climate Tradeoff: A Global Carbon Budget for the Future

Andrew Carrol

 

While in Paris for the COP21 Conference during the first week in December, I had to make some rather mundane decisions, mostly confined to the breakfast buffet in our hotel: brie or gruyere, baguette or croissant? In contrast, the international negotiators in the Red Zone at Le Bourget are tasked with reaching consensus on a full plate of complex subjects: a global carbon budget, fossil fuel reduction, investment in renewable energy sources, and the tenuous balance of responsibility for carbon reductions. A topic that has been thoroughly discussed by many nations is a global carbon budget that would legally bind countries to a pre-determined level of carbon output set forth by the UNFCC. However, these plans have been squashed by nations that emit the most carbon. Thus, the cap-and-trade or cap-and-tax debate rages on across the ideological spectrum, from those who claim it’s our moral responsibility to those who maintain that a carbon budget would be unrealistic.

As the UConn contingent discussed this concept more thoroughly, we were extremely like-minded about the idea of establishing a global carbon budget and taxing those who exceed their allowable emissions output. Even though we all supported a carbon budget, a few of us questioned its economic feasibility. I questioned whether the plan would disrupt the stability of international markets. And if the plan were to adversely affect the GDP of a country, would the carbon benefit and the value of this environmental externality outweigh the lost GDP? Will the bureaucracy and hierarchical nature of nations within the UN allow for such a plan to exist? What weights are given to additional factors, such as higher health care costs, the costs of shorter growing seasons, and even the potential for climate refugees?

When it comes to climate action, all factors need to be weighed in making a final decision. Unfortunately, the environment is usually second fiddle to the importance of economic stability. Yet, if we reach a breaking point in which we do not have a truly sustainable global environment, then the strength of a nation’s economy is meaningless. We cannot gamble on our environment – and we cannot put a price tag on a moral imperative.

 

 

UConn and the Climate Conference: Looking Ahead

Ron Tardiff

 

The 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change began in Paris, France on Nov. 30, and at the same time, a group of 18 UConn students, faculty, and staff traveled to Paris for five days to participate in a number of events surrounding the conference. The 12 students selected represented a diverse group of majors, most of which fall within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, from marine sciences to human rights. For me, the conference was educational and sobering, but also inspired my fellow students and I to take action here at home.

Every day in Paris began with a group dialogue focused on the science or politics of climate change and solutions globally and at UConn. The diverse perspectives contributed by our multidisciplinary group of people definitely enhanced our conversations. The group visited the COP21 site in Le Bourget, Paris, and toured the public area of COP21, the Climate Generations Space. We also attended a networking night at the Kedge Business School co-sponsored by UConn and Second Nature, called “Higher Education Leads on Climate.”

On Friday, most of the group attended the Solutions COP21 exhibition, while I attended Oceans Day back at COP21. Oceans Day drew high-level attention to how the ocean and climate are inextricably linked. Among the many esteemed attendees were Prince Albert II of Monaco; Laurent Fabius, Foreign Minister of France and President of COP21; and Irina Bokova, the Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

As an American, one of the most sobering aspects of the conference and the international climate conversation in general is the skepticism towards U.S. commitment. Historically, particularly on climate change, the United States has failed to be a leader; if anything, we’ve often stymied the conversation. When I was at Oceans Day, I was asked by a French attendee whether I thought the U.S. would “follow through” this time. My only honest answer was that I believe our negotiators are working in good faith, but that the political climate – pun intended – at home is pretty unpredictable.

What is most interesting to me is that 190 countries convened to address an issue that an unfortunately large number of Americans refute entirely. This demonstrates how critical climate change education is. That is one of the many reasons our group will be advocating for a “sustainability” category to be included in General Education Requirements here at UConn.

Tackling global climate change epitomizes the types of challenges for which a liberal arts education aims to prepare students. The process of burning fossil fuels and forests and how that affects the climate is a fundamentally scientific issue. Why we continue these destructive processes, how these processes affect human civilization, and what we should do to improve our resilience and adaptation to climate change are intersectional issues spanning fields from science to the social sciences to humanities.

Now that we’re home, our group of “COP21ers” will be launching initiatives to improve our University’s carbon footprint, spearheading climate change conversation at UConn, and creating works of art, writing, or media to highlight the impacts of climate change. And we’ll be advocating for a greater role of sustainability education in the curriculum at UConn. We’ll be using the new perspectives we gained from meeting so many people from around the world to help UConn be a leader in this quintessentially global issue.

 

 

COP21 Paris: All Hands on Deck for the next 20 years

Anji Seth, Associate Professor, Geography

 

“Welcome to those who are working to save our planet”

“Later will be too late”

“We can’t tell our children we didn’t know”

“The world is in our hands”

“7 Billion people, one planet”

Billboards across Paris, in Charles DeGalle airport, in metro stations, and on historic buildings, reminded us constantly why we were there. Our group of 12 students and 6 faculty/staff from UConn were on a mission to learn about and participate in the historic events taking place, as UN Envoys and negotiators work on an international agreement that would limit global warming to [2C][1.5C]*. This is the 21st UN Conference of the Parties, or COP21.

More than 20 years ago the United Nations agreed to “talk” about Global Warming. The road to Paris has been long and the stars are now aligning for an international agreement to “act”. The scientific evidence is overwhelming and indisputable, global leaders have been educated and show some understanding of the threats to nations, people and ecosystems, and people across the planet are calling for action. Clearly those who deny the science are on the wrong side of history. The final agreement to act from the Paris 2015 COP21 will not be perfect, there should be a review process in place to further reduce emissions over time, but the agreement will be a starting point for action over the next 20 years.

We traveled to Paris with a 12 students from across the UConn colleges, each passionate about their discipline and the global context in which they will make their marks. During the last 20 years global warming has been in the realms of climate-related sciences, economics and policy, the next 20 years there will be a role for everyone.

Implementation of the Paris agreement will require artists and engineers, teachers and health professionals, ecologists, attorneys and business leaders. The careers of UConn students will follow the implementation of the Paris agreement over the next 20+ years. Today’s students will be in the driver’s seat for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, implementing carbon pricing, adapting local infrastructure, and assisting ecosystems in need.

These are exciting times. Let’s get to work.

*[brackets] indicate items under negotiation.

First Days in Paris

Rich Miller, OEP Director

We have finally arrived in Paris at the UN’s 21^st annual international climate summit or Conference of the Parties (aka COP21). After a 3-hour bus ride from Storrs to JFK, barely ahead of the Monday evening rush hour, then a 6 ½ hour flight from NYC to Paris, not to mention seven months of intensive planning and organizing – nous sommes arrivés! And by “nous,” I mean the UConn contingent of 12 talented students (selected from a strong field of 77 applicants), four faculty members, involved in some aspect of climate change-related research, and two OEP sustainability staff members charged with overseeing implementation and outreach for UConn’s own Climate Action Plan and commitment to a carbon-neutral campus.

After arriving in France on mid-day Tuesday, having lost 6 hours to the time zone differential, the first two full days of our stay have been a whirlwind of activity, education and cultural immersion. We begin each day with breakfast at 8, followed by a group gathering in the stately hotel lounge, where each of our faculty members takes a daily turn at leading a lively group discussion on a climate science or policy topic.

By 11, we’re off on the 45-minute combination metro, train and bus ride that takes us from the heart of Paris’ Left Bank to Le Bourget, on the northern outskirts of the city, where a vast convention complex hosts the COP21 official proceedings, so-called “civil society” events, and hundreds of related lectures and exhibits from NPOs, companies, and governmental officials and agencies around the globe. Even for someone like myself, who has been to many an annual AASHE conference, which are always buzzing with thousands of higher ed faculty, staff and students, the COP21 “Climate Generations” gathering is somewhat daunting.

Eventually, several from the UConn contingent will break away from Le Bourget and head to more focused side events (e.g, workshops about the effects of climate change on oceans, public health or human rights), which are each held at different venues throughout Paris. Then, with evening temperatures in the balmy low-50s, others will use their free time for long walks and short visits at some of the many cultural landmarks that have made Paris one of the world’s favorite tourist destinations.

After very late dinners (in the European custom), students, faculty and staff are back at the hotel, catching up on their work or studies; some students are busily writing papers due next week (the final week of fall semester classes before exams), and others dutifully writing blog posts, tweeting or using Facebook and Instagram to instantly share their experiences with friends and family, and oh yes, the UConn Nation and beyond, through the hyper-connected world of social media.

However, Wednesday night, December 2^nd, was an exception. We all gathered, along with another 30+ guests from other colleges and universities, from 7:30 to 10 p.m., at the Kedge Business School, in the Montmartre section of Paris. Here, UConn had the honor of co-hosting, along with Second Nature and AASHE, a special “Higher Education Leads on Climate” event. While it was mostly a networking occasion for meeting up with our peers and colleagues, who happened to be in Paris for the same aspirational reasons, we also heard two spirited informational presentations from Second Nature’s Education Manager and Kedge’s CSR Director. Respectively, they explained the re-branded Climate Leadership Commitments and HESI’s sustainability literacy tests. By the end of the day, I had gotten positive feedback from several of my colleagues at the event, who appreciated the opportunity for higher ed gatherings, both fun and informative, at COPs. Mission accomplished – thanks to all who helped make the event a success!

 

Students submitted the following blog posts detailing their experiences during the first few days of our trip:

The Road to COP21 Kerrin Kinnear

Maskbook Anna Middendorf

Climate Change – The Ultimate Interdisciplinary Issue Rob Turnbull

Combating Climate Change: The Power of Multiple Perspectives Jessica Griffin

Many more are to come as the conference continues.

 

 

The Road to COP21

Kerrin Kinnear, OEP Intern

Gazing out at the cacophony of asphalt, metal, and concrete, an inner conflict is brewing. As the scenes of Connecticut civilization blur by the bus window on the first leg of my journey to COP21, I cannot help but wonder if I should feel awestruck or pained.

The society we live in has become more physically connected than ever before. Because of the infrastructure in place, I can drive a fairly direct route from Storrs, CT to Pennsylvania to see my boyfriend, or hop on a plane just a short 45-minute shuttle ride away to see my family in Oklahoma. I can fly to Paris, France in less than 7 hours to demonstrate solidarity with thousands of other environmental activists at the 2015 United Nations Climate Conference.

The ease with which my fellow citizens and I can mobilize ourselves to unify and act is a beautiful thing about modern society, but at what cost have we achieved this mobility?

The landscape I see beyond this window is marred. Trees and shrubs are few and far between. Impervious building materials suffocate the earth and its soil systems. And the bus I ride spews the very carbon emissions I am traveling to Paris to combat. This is not the scene of a connected planet where species live in harmony with one another. No, this is the scene of a world where it has become easy for humans to be mentally removed from their impact on the environment, where it has become the norm to be unaware of, or apathetic about, the repercussions of our effect on climate and the earth’s ecosystems.

I write this post not to criticize society, but instead to initiate a call for action. It will soon be halfway through the UN’s negotiations on climate change, and I realize us citizens on “the outside” cannot stand by idly, waiting and hoping for world leaders to come to an agreement that will solve this massive problem. As individuals, we have the intrinsic power to reconnect with our environment, to be conscious stewards and not ignorant polluters, and to care for our international neighbors already suffering from the impacts of climate change, rather than turn a blind eye. We cannot and should not wait for others to make the choice for us.

Regardless of the outcome of this year’s negotiations, I challenge you to consider your responsibilities as a global citizen. Become more knowledgeable about your personal impact on the planet, brainstorm ways to reduce your environmental footprint, and get involved with your community’s environmental initiatives.

The time to act is now. Together we are strong, and together we can create long-lasting change.

 

Maskbook

Anna Middendorf

At our first stroll around COP21, I noticed a little stall in the back of the Climate Generations area that seemed inconspicuous enough. Always on the outlook for other ambassadors of creativity against climate change, I was impressed to find the stall to be Maskbook.

Maskbook is a project that came to life through the non-profit organization Art of Change 21 initiative which links “social entrepreneurship, art and youth at an international level.”¹ The idea behind Maskbook is to offer observers the chance to create a mask covered in whatever the activist’s heart might desire: buttons, textiles, lightbulbs, playing cards, soda cans or perfume samples, amongst many more. Representing the daily rubbish that we discard, the mask uses a connotation of potentially fearful images to focus on the health hazards that we are not only imposing on ourselves, but also on the flora and fauna that surround us. The masks remind us that the environment is not ours to destroy, and the playful way of expressing this makes the mission both personal and real, especially when surrounded by thousands of like-minded campaigners here in Le Bourget, Paris.

¹Art of Change website, http://artofchange21.com/?page_id=253

 

Climate Change – The Ultimate Interdisciplinary Issue

Rob Turnbull

Climate change is the ultimate inter-disciplinary issue, and today I learned exactly how many disciplines I understand thoroughly: almost one. Coming from a strict biological science background (I study Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at UConn) I have long considered myself a very literate person in terms the effects, causes, opinions, etc. surrounding climate science. After a few discussions had over breakfast and UConn’s daily group discussion in the lounge of our hotel, I came to understand that even though I thought I completely got the “science” of global warming, I could really only claim to understand the general biological effects of global warming on organisms. The physics and chemistry were, though not entirely foreign to me, far more complex than I anticipated, and it took nearly an hour listening to, and talking with, Dr. Anji Seth, a UConn climatologist, to get a firmer grasp of how solar radiation, heat, earth’s elliptical orbit, albedo, and a slurry of other factors all interact to create our observed climate trends.

I entered into an even more foreign discussion with my fellow UConn@COP21-ers on the economics of dealing with global warming. While I certainly learned plenty from my peers, my ignorance about these topics highlights a major challenge in dealing with such a broad-reaching issue as climate change: the isolation of the many professional disciplines. I wasn’t the only COP21er who had a fish-out-of-water moment today. Among such a diverse group of UConn students – including scientists, political scientists, economists, and social scientists – whenever anyone began to talk in depth about their respective field, the others often found themselves having such a conversation for the first time.

While it is excellent, in my opinion, for different people to develop different types of expertise, especially given the complexity of global warming, this diversity only becomes a good thing if accompanied by strong communication and collaboration. Otherwise, issues aren’t resolved in a holistic sense and accessory problems will persist. While the scientist can unveil the trends to back up climate theories, that scientist needs the economist and the politician to draft viable policy, and the artist to help spread the word.

With this in mind, I was pleasantly surprised to find, among the many booths and exhibits at the COP21 “Climate Generations” event, an organization practicing what I’ve just preached. The UN Environmental Program’s Climate Change website can be found at the link below. With a focus, at least for this COP21 day, on influencing ocean climate legislation, the aforementioned group involves academics, political scientists, artists, and many others, to accomplish its goals. Upon arriving at the booth, I was presented with scientific procedures and results, as well as a clear plan about how these results will play into the policy negotiations. Such multidisciplinary collaboration is vital to addressing problems associated with global warming. Those involved with www.UNEP.org/climatechange   have shown me that Climate Change is the ultimate inter-disciplinary issue and can only be resolved through multi-disciplinary collaboration on a global scale.

 

Combating Climate Change: The Power of Multiple Perspectives

Jessica Griffin, OEP Intern

Today I had two experiences that helped me to understand the broad reaching impacts of climate change. At an event called Climate Generations, our group was able to interact with a variety of teams and organizations interested in climate change. The participants came from a wide variety of civil society organizations- some were wildlife focused, others offered suggestions for energy innovation, and many incorporated aspects of social responsibility.

Towards the beginning of the conference, I came across a women’s caucus, which consisted of six women who had gathered to speak about their experience in the climate movement and how they felt that being a woman impacted their involvement and perspective in the movement. Each woman spoke about different aspects of their experiences, including encounters with sexism and obstacles they faced in getting to COP21. However, they also shared funny stories, spoke about their hobbies and families, and about how they felt that being a woman was an asset to them. I felt humbled to have the privilege of hearing the stories of these women, who hailed from Japan, India, France, and the United States. They asked me to speak about myself, and I felt reluctant. I thought that what I had to say would be of little interest to them. But as I began to speak, I realized that I had a lot to say about the subjects of women and environmentalism. The environment that they invited me to speak in was warm and accepting, and I am glad to have participated in this caucus.

Following the caucus, I went to an entirely different event across the conference center. This event was called “The Messengers,” and it was focused on how researching birds can tell us about the health of the environment. There were several speakers from an organization called BirdLife International, dedicated to the conservation of bird species worldwide. The panel answered questions on subjects ranging from factors threatening birds, policy changes associated with conservation, and the ways in which bird populations indicate a changing world. I enjoyed hearing from a wide variety of perspectives, including speakers from the UK and Liberia.

What struck me about having these two experiences was the range of impacts made by climate change, and of ways to approach solutions. At the women’s caucus, the foci were social factors and environmental justice, which are instrumental in understanding how people of different backgrounds are affected by environmental degradation. At the Birdlife International Event, most discussion centered on conservation and working with nature, both of which are enormously important in the effort to combat climate change.

As a society, we can combat climate change by allowing people of a variety of backgrounds and disciplines to make their voices heard. We can also understand all of the ways that climate change will impact our lives, including socially and ecologically. The broader our shared experience, the closer we can come to finding real solutions.

In 2017, UConn will begin the construction of its new recreation center. This gym will contain all new facilities, intended to last for a long time. As the UConn recreation center’s website says, “If the University is going to move forward with a major undertaking such as this, the goal is to do it right the first time.” With this in mind, we should look into the most environmentally friendly options for exercise equipment.

Most gym equipment doesn’t require electricity to operate, except for some of the popular cardio machines. Treadmills, tread climbers, and stair climbers use large amounts of energy. Each treadmill, for example, can consume 1.5 kilowatts of energy every hour, leading to as much as 3,000 kilowatts used by all the treadmills each week. Luckily, there are already some green cardio alternatives. The ellipticals, cross trainers, stationary bikes, and rowing machines are mostly self-powered; the energy created from using the machine generates some or all of the electricity that powers the display.

As we look towards a new gym, there are several state-of-the-art green cardio machines that we can consider. ReRev is a company that retrofits certain exercise machines with power generators that create enough electricity to send some back into the building’s power supply. They’ve modified equipment in dozens of schools, including Drexel University, James Madison University, and UC San Diego.

 

Some brands are creating new equipment specifically for efficient compatibility with ReRev, or for generating their own electricity without accessories. Woodway has created a new type of treadmill that is both more environmentally friendly and more intense to workout with. This product, the EcoMill, is a human-powered treadmill that can generate 16 watt hours of electricity per mph of speed. There are also individual products that generate electricity without ReRev systems, such as SportsArt’s ECO-POWR line. These ellipticals and indoor bikes simply plug into the building and give back the energy produced from the user’s exercise.

As UConn continues to grow, it is important to incorporate more sustainable technology into the new facilities. Energy efficient cardio equipment could be a great addition to the new recreation center.

-Ben, OEP Sustainability Intern

 

The Department of Dining Services, the Office of Environmental Policy, and the Alumni Association sponsored a water bottle that was handed out for free to first year students.

Hydration Stations, also known as water bottle refill stations, are located in many campus buildings thanks to UConn Facility Operations. There are currently about 25 sites on campus, and the university is looking to install about 25 more within the next fiscal year. Many residence halls are retrofitted with these water bottle refill stations, making it easy for students to quickly fill up their reusable bottles on the go. There are also two stations in the Student Union, as well as one in the UConn Recreation Center. With fresh, cold water right at your fingertips, you are more likely to consume a larger amount of water, keeping yourself healthy and alert!

Hydration Stations also have a profound impact on the environment. They are equipped with a digital screen that reads exactly how many times it has been used, signifying how many plastic bottles it has replaced. The process to produce plastic bottles requires the use of finite resources such as water and oil, and gives off tons of greenhouse gases. For every liter of water sold, it takes two liters to produce. It is much more sustainable to reduce consumption, rather than recycle what you have bought.

In case you need more hydration motivation, tap water is under much stricter quality standards than those of bottled water. The UConn drinking water is frequently tested for 15 contaminants in addition to meeting the federal Environmental Protection Agency and CT Department of Public Health requirements. On the other hand, the bottled water restrictions from the Food and Drug Administration are much less stringent and are neither well enforced nor applied to every company. The decision to refill your water bottle every day at the UConn Hydration Stations can be made with true confidence!

Next time you are out and about around campus, keep an eye out for your free, clean, and convenient water. Thirsty for more? Encourage your friends to use these stations instead of spending money and resources on single-use plastic water bottles.

– Adrianna, OEP Sustainability Intern

This past April, the Office of Environmental Policy reported that 75% of our student body and 25.88% of our employees utilize sustainable commuting methods, including walking, bicycling, taking a bus, or carpooling. I believe that we can do better. If you drive to school or work every day in a single occupancy conventional motor vehicle (meaning that you do not carpool), there are strategies you can use to green your commute. The University of Connecticut offers a variety of programs to incentivize environmentally friendly transportation.

For students, the best way to get to class without driving is to live on campus or near enough that you can walk. For off-campus students, consider carpooling with your roommates or with other students who live nearby. If you do carpool, groups of 2 to 4 students can share a single parking permit, which results in major savings for the students involved. Also, each semester the carpooler’s parking pass comes with 2 complimentary day parking passes per student, on days when carpooling may not be convenient.

Even if you are planning to live off campus, the University will help you to find housing nearby through the Off-Campus Housing Service. Living closer to campus will reduce the commute and make options like bicycling to campus more feasible. More information about the Off-Campus Housing Service can be found at the following link: http://www.offcampushousing.uconn.edu/

For employees and students, take advantage of the University’s HR Carpool Tool, which helps connect drivers from similar areas looking to carpool. More information about this program can be found at the following links: http://worklife.uconn.edu/culture_community/commuter.html and http://park.uconn.edu/carpool.html

In addition, I would urge you to take advantage of our campus bike share program. The Adventure Center now has bicycles for rentals through UConn Outdoors, and you can rent them for the week or for an entire semester. They are completely free of charge and come with a bike helmet and a bike lock. If you live near enough to campus, you could bike to and from school instead of driving. UConn has more than 125 bike racks on campus for you to park and lock your bike. For more information, check out our October 13^th blog: https://uconnoep.wordpress.com/2015/10/13/uconn-bicycle-share-rolls-out/

Driving a clean vehicle, like a hybrid car or and electric car, is a great way to reduce your transportation carbon footprint. We currently have electric vehicle charging stations in North and South parking garages, which are free for the first five years after installation in order to incentivize electric vehicle use on campus.

The bus is among the most popular sustainable transportation methods around campus. There are buses that run to Depot Campus, between Willimantic and Storrs, and around the Storrs campus several times per day and completely free of charge (actually, you pay for it as part of your fees). There are several bus routes on campus, labeled by color, including Green, Yellow, Orange, Blue and Purple. The buses can take you to almost any corner of our expansive campus, including Storrs Center, Hilltop, and Horsebarn Hill.

I hope that these options have informed you of something you were not previously aware of, and that this information can help us on our quest to become a greener university. Do your part, and try one of the options listed above!

– Jessica, OEP Sustainability Intern

My name is Matt and I work at the Office of Environmental Policy as a sustainability intern. I was so excited when I heard about UConn Recreation’s new bicycle sharing program, UConn Cycle Share, that I decided to take one of their bikes for a spin!

Although a semester long rental is available, I opted to take advantage of their week long rental that runs from Thursday morning to Wednesday night the following week. Initially, I got off to a rocky start as I missed the 5pm Wednesday online reservation deadline that is handled through UConn’s RecRegistration website. Fortunately, a great feature of the program is that even if you fail to register in time, it’s still possible to rent a bike. In my case, I could see on the website that there were still bikes available, so I decided to stop by the UConn Adventure Center on Thursday afternoon to see if this was true. To my delight, there were still bikes available, and I soon found myself walking out of the Student Union with bike, lock, and helmet in hand, ready to tackle the UConn campus.

I experienced the benefits of a bike immediately. After picking up my bike, I had only half an hour before my next class, and I still hadn’t eaten lunch. Normally, there would be no way for me to walk to a dining hall, eat, and walk all the way to my class in such a short time frame. But with the bike, the situation was different. I had speed on my side. I quickly rode to McMahon dining hall, but painfully discovered that they were closed. I then hopped right back on my bike and headed to South dining hall. I was able to eat and pedal all the way across campus to one of the engineering buildings just in time for the start of my class.

Throughout the week, there were many other advantages of the bike. One day I had to go all the way to Liberty Bank, which is located on Route 195 past Storrs Center. I have had to do this before and it takes me a solid hour just to walk to and from the bank; however, with the bike, I reduced my round trip time to half an hour, and I wasn’t even riding quickly.

Riding a bike is also fun and reduces the stress of a typical college student’s busy day. In between my classes one morning, I decided to get some fresh air by riding to one of my favorite places on campus, the top of Horsebarn Hill. My bike was able to tackle the terrain with minimal effort, and I was able to enjoy the beautiful views of the fall colors. I even had time to tell my cow friend, Lia, about UConn Cycle Share!

Now, what about the bike itself? How did it perform? The bike’s functionality is superb, and it was clearly designed with the busy commuter in mind. The seat has several inches of cushioning, and is leaps and bounds more comfortable than my $1500 mountain bike’s seat. The handlebars offer additional comfort as they slope back towards the rider. This allows the rider to sit upright and prevents them from having to lean forward and hunch over. Additionally, on the rear wheel, this bike has something called an internal hub that allows for super smooth shifting. The final noteworthy feature is a chain guard that gives you great peace of mind. Trust me; a chain guard is essential, especially when you’re wearing pants. I was once riding my mountain bike on campus, and my pants got caught in the chain. The next thing I knew I was walking to class with my pants ripped all the way from the cuff to the middle of my thigh!

Ultimately, my experience was overwhelmingly positive. I thoroughly enjoyed my week with the bike, and I highly recommend this program to anyone. The process of reserving a bike is simple and straightforward, and the bikes perform very well. Furthermore, it’s a great green alternative to riding the bus and is much quicker than walking. If there is enough demand for bikes, this fantastic program may expand, so please share this with your friends and consider taking a bike out for yourself!

More information about UConn Cycle Share can be found here:
https://uconnoep.wordpress.com/2015/10/13/uconn-bicycle-share-rolls-out/

-Matt

It’s officially November, which means that EcoMadness 2015 has come to a close. For the fifth consecutive year, residents of Buckley, East, Northwest, Shippee, Towers, and West competed in a month long energy and water conservation competition to raise awareness of the simple actions we can all take to reduce our electricity and water usage. EcoCaptains volunteered in each residence hall to promote conservation tips and motivate the residents.

The outcome of their efforts was outstanding, as this year represented the greatest percent reductions in both water and energy that we have seen in 5 years. We have also witnessed a downward trend in per capita usage of water and energy over the years.

Congratulations to this year’s winners, who will be awarded Dairy Bar ice cream parties in the upcoming weeks!

Water Use Reduction: Shippee
Lowest Water Use Per Capita: Rogers (Northwest)
Energy Use Reduction: Whitney (East)
Lowest Energy Use Per Capita: Holcomb (East)

Thank you to all of the EcoCaptains and participants for your excellent efforts to conserve water and energy, and raise awareness of this important issue.

On Monday, October 19th, members of the Office of Environmental Policy and Environmental Compliance met with Dr. Gene E. Likens to discuss UConn’s water plan and ongoing campus sustainability initiatives. Dr. Likens, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, was named Special Advisor to the UConn President on Environmental Affairs in July 2012. In this position, he serves as an advisor to faculty, staff, and students on topics of environmental policy, with a focus on increasing awareness of, and involvement in, current environmental issues through research and education. Dr. Likens has directed much of his attention to researching the ecology and biochemistry of forest and aquatic ecosystems, as well as the effects of land-use practices, particularly in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. He was among the first scientists to discover acid rain in North America, and received the 2001 National Medal of Science, a testament to his work in the field of ecology. More information about Dr. Likens and his honors, publications, and vitae can be found at http://www.caryinstitute.org/science-program/our-scientists/dr-gene-e-likens

Fantastic news for all of the UConn “cycle-paths” out there (and for those trying to reduce their carbon footprints)!  Tomorrow (October 14^th) marks the start of a new bicycle sharing program for undergraduates and graduate students.  “Cycle Share,” created and administered by the UConn Recreation Facility, will allow members of the student body to rent bike packages (i.e. bike, bike lock, and helmet) for themselves at no-cost.

The program will offer students two convenient rental options for the fall semester:

• Long-Term Cycle Share Reservation: Ideal for those with a consistent thirst for exploration and a crazy schedule, this option is a semester-long rental that begins now and ends the Wednesday before Thanksgiving break. Students interested have until Friday, October 23^rd to register in person at the UConn Adventure Center, located in Student Union Room 228 across from the Information Desk.  Act fast, as rentals are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

• Thursday Cycle Share Reservation: Aren’t sure you’ll need a bike for the entire semester? Try out this week-long rental option. Pick-up your bike on Thursday morning and have it back the following Wednesday by 5pm.  Registration opens up the week prior to each rental period on UConn’s RecRegistration website.

For both sharing programs, bicycle pick-up and drop-off is conveniently located at the UConn Adventure Center in the Student Union.

Can’t wait to cycle?  Visit the RecRegistration website or head to the Adventure Center today!

Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride. ~John F. Kennedy