University of Wisconsin–Madison
If you were to bike by the Arboretum Visitor Center on Friday, October 3rd, you might have caught UW–Madison students and staff laughing together and ringing their bike bells in celebration as they rode BCycles around the small circle. It was a beautifully sunny fall day for the event, and attendees certainly took advantage. Until …
An Office of Sustainability program supports student-initiated environmental projects. By Abigail Bures x’27
A group of researchers from the UW–Madison Office of Sustainability, the La Follette School of Public Affairs, and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies have partnered with two student organizations to assess potential locations on campus that might be suitable for solar panels. “People frequently ask our office about rooftop solar,” said Josh Arnold, …
In February 2024, Chancellor Mnookin announced a groundbreaking commitment to sustainability. Mnookin laid out five goals across fields of sustainability that will guide UW–Madison over the next two decades: achieve net-zero emissions by 2048, create a zero-waste campus by 2040, achieve STARS Gold by 2025 through cross-campus involvement, foster sustainability education, and catalyze sustainability research. …
After years of collaboration with the Green Fund, several student organizations, and other local partners, the UW Arboretum celebrated the installation of a new solar array this spring. The event, "EmPOWERing Youth for a Brighter Future," brought together more than fifty high school and college students to discuss climate change and create community.
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 and blowers, and wanted to replace a majority of her aging mower fleet. “The mowers weren’t unusable,” she said, “but …
On Friday, September 16, on East Campus Mall, a group of students congregated around a bicycle. One pedaled at full speed while the other held down a blender jar to get the smoothie going. A crowd of friends surrounded them, cheering, and enjoyed smoothie shots shortly after. The blender bike was a main attraction at …
In our In Case You Missed It series (also known as ICYMI), students working at the Office of Sustainability offer reflective reports on sustainability-related events and lectures at UW–Madison. The following entry is by Natalie Tinsen. On April 18-23, 2021, the Office of Sustainability (OS) proudly hosted the fourth annual Earth Week. Due to COVID-19, …
In the months leading up to the 50th anniversary of Earth Day (April 22, 2020), the planet saw the arrival of COVID-19, which has since put profound pressure on public health, the global economy, and daily life. UW–Madison, of course, has responded: as the potential impact of the virus made itself clear, campus leadership decided …
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 …