March 2023
Ogden City has Recruited a Sustainability Coordinator!
Ogden City has filled a Sustainability Coordinator position to aid in achieving their sustainability goals!
Lorenzo Long is the first person to occupy this position and will be responsible for staffing the volunteer Natural Resources and Sustainability Stewardship Committee, overseeing the implementation of the Energy Wise Ogden Strategic Implementation Plan, assisting departments in identifying and implementing sustainable operations, and working with community members and organizations to increase sustainability within Ogden City. This is an exciting development for the city and we are looking forward to witnessing the benefits of Long’s presence within our local government!
Long is a Utah native and completed a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Utah State University. He was heavily involved in environmental initiatives at USU as well as within the City of Logan during his studies. Most recently, Lorenzo was a community outreach manager for a community relations consulting firm based out of Austin, Texas.
To learn more about sustainability efforts in Ogden, visit the Ogden City Sustainability Page, connect with Long, or consider applying to fill vacancies on the Natural Resources and Sustainability Stewardship Committee.
Nalini Nadkarni to Keynote: Intermountain Sustainability Summit
Join us for the morning keynote of the Intermountain Sustainability Summit and hear from Dr. Nalini Nadkarni on Thurday morning, March 23.
Nadkarni is a forest ecologist and science communicator. Her work interweaves research on rainforest canopy biota with innovative public engagement. She has written 140 scientific papers and books, writing about community and ecosystem ecology. She is supported by the National Science Foundation and National Geographic society. Her awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the AAAS Award for Public Engagement, and The Wilson Award for the Advancement of Social Justice. She is also the host of TreeNote, a weekly KUED broadcast.
Visit the Intermountain Sustainability Summit website to view our full main-day schedule.
ISS Green-Building Workshops with WSU Professionals
Join WSU energy professionals, Justin Owen and Jacob Cain, at the Intermountain Sustainability Summit Workshops taking place on Friday, March 24.
"Electrification: From a Birds Eye View to Nuts and Bolts" will take a detailed look at different scales of building electrification, from heat pumps all the way to plan operations! WSU has been electrifying buildings for the past ten years, learning many important lessons along the way that will be shared in this workshop.
"Energy Financing: How to Make Your Energy Program a Cash Cow" will teach participants how to get financial departments not only on board with electrification, but to champion your energy efficiency and renewable energy projects! Since 2009, WSU has successfully financed projects which have reduced operational cost by 50% to date, and captured over $21 million dollars in savings for new energy projects.
Students and the public are welcome to register for these workshops to catch a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes workings WSU sustainability efforts. Take a look at our main-day registration to attend seminars by local sustainability leaders.
Sustainability Awards
Join the Energy & Sustainability Office and the Sustainability Practices and Research Center for the second annual WSU Sustainability Award Ceremony on Thursday, April 13th from 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm in the Shepherd Union Ballroom BC!
The event highlights university-wide sustainability accomplishments completed throughout the 2022-2023 academic year. This event will celebrate students, staff, and faculty who are making sustainability a part of their education, work, research, and everyday lives.
Awards will be granted to the Top 3 WSU Sustainable Clubs volunteers, Water Warrior of the year, Clear the Air Challenge champions, Faculty & Student Research Awards, Green Certified Green Teams, Top 3 Green Teams, Green Badge earners, and Sustainability Leadership Scholarship Recipients. Faculty contributing to sustainability education on campus will also be recognized.
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WSU Architectural Design Showcases Sustainable Building in Ogden Neighborhoods
Weber State Architectural Design students have partnered with the Weber County Housing Authority as a part of their Senior Project to tackle housing affordability in Ogden.
Students have designed and are overseeing the construction of two houses situated on vacant infill lots (each previously held a single-family home that was demolished). Both are designed to be Net-Zero all electric homes, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms! Both houses will include heat pumps, which are up to four times more energy efficient than the most efficient furnace on the market, and an energy recovery ventilator which will provide filtered outdoor air that is preconditioned before entering the home at 95% efficiency.
The house for 3441 Grant Avenue is being prefabricated in Spanish Fork and will be lifted onto the foundation in two pieces then stitched together on the same day. Modular construction is one approach to sustainable construction practices that reduce waste and maximize efficiency. The house located at 2881 Lincoln Avenue is being constructed by Ogden-Weber and Davis Technical College apprenticeship students as a real-world lab where they are being exposed to the future of sustainable building design and construction.
Both homes will be able to produce all of their own electricity to offset their usage either through solar panels on site, or a subscription to offsite solar dedicated to that home. The homes will be super-insulated and airtight to maximize energy efficiency. Both homes' annual energy costs will be under $200! For more information on the technology used in these homes see this Net Zero Strategies page.
Both homes will be finished in late spring and you can check them out at 2881 Lincoln and 3441 Grant.
Reminder: Submit Your Work to the Sustainability Research Awards
Students and faculty are encouraged to apply and have your sustainability research recognized at the annual Sustainability Awards Ceremony!
Sustainability Research Award applications are due on Wednesday, March 29.
Awards will be granted to both faculty and students. Faculty will be eligible for two $1,000 awards in one or both of the following categories; traditional scholarship (i.e., conference or journal-targeted academic research/writing) and applied scholarship (i.e., tangibly benefiting community, campus, students, etc.). Two $500 awards are available for WSU students who have completed sustainability research during the 2022 calendar year or in the 2023 Spring semester.
Award Recipients will be recognized at the Sustainability Awards Event on Thursday, April 13. For more information and to apply visit the Student Research Award page or the Faculty Research Award page.
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The WSU Sustainable Clubs hosted their annual Free Swap event in January. Students, faculty, staff, and community members could choose to donate items to the swap and take home some secondhand treasures! The purpose of this annual event is to encourage our community to incorporate sustainable practices such as donating, thrifting, and reusing materials into their everyday lives to reduce consumer waste.
This year the event gathered over 1,400 pounds of donated materials! This included clothing, outdoor gear, kitchenware supplies, kids' accessories, and everything in between. Nearly 250 participants attended the pop-up thrifting event following donation day and were able to take home whatever goodies they could find!
The clubs would like to extend a major thank-you to the 22 volunteers and staff who made this event possible. We are looking forward to next year!
2023 Clear the Air Challenge Results
The 2023 WSU Clear the Air Challenge has officially come to a close! In just one month, Team Weber traveled (or avoided traveling) over 15,723 miles, saved $6,732.05, and saved over 4,077 kg of CO2 from entering our air! The winning Division, for the 3nd year in a row, is WSU Academic Affairs with 567 trips logged and 2864.43 kg of CO2 savings! The winning college, for the 3nd year in a row (and currently undefeated), is WSU College of Social & Behavioral Sciences with 127 trips logged and 323.56 kg of CO2 savings! The top 3 performing individuals are Kathryn Van Wagoner with 1,003.85 kg of savings, Wendy Holliday with 386.95 kg of savings, and Belinda McElheny with 366.82 kg of CO2 savings. Thank you to all of the individuals, colleges, and divisions for participating this year.
March Green Badge
Participate in the Green Badge Program and start earning your badges today!
March’s Green Badge is “Education & Outreach”. Learn more about sustainability as a whole, attend events such as the Intermountain Sustainability Summit and the Climate Teach-in, and start having productive conversations.
8 people earned February's Green Badge "Transportation & Air Quality". Way to go!
Green Teams Update
Congradulations to the Writing Center on their move to Green!
Keep up the good work!
Events
Geoscience & Society: Climate Change and Natural Hazards
Friday, March 3
Tracy Hall, RM 214
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
More Info
Full Moon Snowshoe Hike - Winter Trail Series
Saturday, March 4
North Fork Park
Register Here
Spring Break!
Monday, March 6 - Friday, March 10
Campus Closed
Mindful Meditation Group
Monday, March 13
Virtual Event
Register Here
The Cost of Silence
Wednesday, March 15
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Shepherd Union Ballrooms
More Info
Summer Job Fair
Monday, March 21
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Shepard Union Atrium
Intermountain Sustainability Summit
Thursday, March 23 - Friday, March 24
Shepherd Union Ballrooms
Register Here
Summer Job Fair
Monday, March 28
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Shepard Union Atrium
Worldwide Climate/Justice Teach-In
Wednesday, March 29
8:30 am - 12:30 pm
Shepherd Union Ballrooms
Indicate Your Plan to Participate
News & Resources
Find Your Property's Climate Risks - Risk Factor
“Potential Environmental Nuclear Bomb”: The Disappearing Salt Lake - YouTube
Hidden Hydrogen: Does Earth hold vast stores of a renewable, carbon-free fuel? - Science.org
Utah’s largest homebuilder hopes to lead a clean revolution - SLC Tribune