University of Wisconsin–Madison
In June 2020, the Office of Sustainability (OS) undergraduate intern program will welcome its newest cohort of undergraduate student employees. Alongside several veteran interns who are returning for a second year, the new interns will spend the next 10 weeks in a “crash course” on sustainability. From visiting the Charter Street Heating & Cooling plant …
Brushfires across Australia have ravaged the country, causing scores of human deaths and potentially killing hundreds of millions of animals. Climate change has been named as a contributor to the severity of the fires; 2019 was, in fact, the hottest year on record for Australia. PBS, among many other organizations, has assembled a helpful list …
Around 60-100 students gathered on Library Mall on December 6, 2019 to advocate for clean, renewable energy on the UW–Madison campus. The protest, which lasted for nearly two hours, was organized by various student-run organizations including Campus Leaders for Energy Action Now (CLEAN), the Sunrise Movement, NextGen, and a newly created UW System student coalition …
In late October, staff and student interns from the Office of Sustainability traveled to Spokane, WA for the 2019 AASHE Conference. AASHE, which stands for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, aims to “inspire and catalyze higher education to lead the global sustainability transformation.” The organization offers sustainability resources and toolkits, …
Norma Behrend-Martinez is a sophomore double majoring in Journalism and Environmental Studies. Brought up on Gene Roddenberry, Norma values differences in ideas and hopes to spread discussion on issues as an environmental journalist. She began interning at the Office of Sustainability in the summer of 2019 as part of the Communications and Green Office teams. …
With the winter holidays fast approaching, many of us are thinking about gifts for our family and friends. Below we offer several suggestions for how you can give more sustainably. Donate to a meaningful cause Often you can make charitable donations in someone else’s name. It’s a great way to give something meaningful and support …
For several years, a lively group of sustainability staff, faculty, and students has come together in the middle of the fall semester for the UW System Sustainability Conference. During these meetings, participants discuss best practices for sustainability initiatives, muddle over challenges, share successes, and identify opportunities for collaboration. This year, the UW–Madison Office of Sustainability …
Following on the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s recent STARS silver rating for campus sustainability, Chancellor Rebecca Blank has announced that UW–Madison will sign the Resilience Commitment administered by Second Nature. Chancellor Blank made her announcement at the Climate Fast Forward Conference in Madison on Nov. 8, 2019. Resilience refers to the ability of institutions, infrastructure, and …
In a ceremony on October 7, 2019, Chancellor Blank announced that the University of Wisconsin–Madison had been awarded a STARS silver rating for its sustainability performance. Read the full story here.
The Office of Sustainability has completed a major data gathering initiative and is currently soliciting input from the campus community to inform an exciting new effort. UW–Madison submitted its first Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) report this summer, the results of which will be announced in October. With leadership and support from the …