“To instill the spirit of conservation”: A decade with the Office of Sustainability

On the Office of Sustainability’s 11th birthday, looking back to the first decade—and forward to the next. By Marek Makowski Fifteen years ago, the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus was covered in statistics about recycled tons …

UW–Madison rolls out electric-powered mowers

In 2020, the UW–Madison Physical Plant allocated $3.2 million for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to be spent in fiscal year 2021. Ellen Agnew, the Building & Grounds Superintendent, had recently purchased battery-powered hedgers …

At the UW–Madison Sustainability Symposium, presenters address “a potential existential crisis”

At the inaugural UW-Madison Sustainability Symposium, Josh Arnold presented a major pilot project that could allow UW–Madison to generate more renewable energy. “Our students, staff, faculty, and alumni—including many in this room—are demanding bold climate …

Progress after dismay: a vertiginous summer for climate activists

At the start of the summer, the Supreme Court delivered a blow to the EPA’s ability to limit greenhouse gas emissions. By August, however, Congress swung back. UW–Madison students and professors process the back-and-forth and …

UW–Madison earns Bee Campus USA certification

The University of Wisconsin–Madison has earned the Bee Campus USA Certification, making it one of 140 Bee Campus Affiliates nationwide. Bee Campus USA, an initiative of the Xerces Society, “…provides a framework for campus communities …

Campus labs offered opportunity to participate in globally-recognized lab sustainability certification program

UW–Madison campus laboratories can apply to participate in the Lab Certification Program from My Green Lab, a globally recognized leader in laboratory sustainability. The program will be offered for free to the first 10 labs …