Welcome to the March WSU Sustainability Newsletter!
Electric Mower & Trimmer Exchange - Friday March 15, Sign-up Deadline .png)
WSU has partnered with the State Department of Air Quality and the Weber-Morgan, Davis, Salt Lake and Utah Health Departments to help residents go electric with their lawn equipment.
Two reminders:
1. The time to submit lottery applications is drawing to a close. The last day to submit a lottery application for an electric mower or electric trimmer is Friday, March 15th. Please visit lawnmower.utah.gov to sign up.
2. At the moment there are more trimmers available than trimmer lottery applications, so your odds are very good if you apply for one. You may put a lottery application in for both an electric mower and an electric trimmer if you have both a gas-powered mower and trimmer to turn in. The same battery type comes with both the mower and the trimmer.
Program details can be found below and at lawnmower.utah.gov
Residents of Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, Tooele, and Utah countries are eligible for a $99 electric lawn mower (a $299 value) or $49 trimmer when they trade in an old gas powered tool. This year's Lawn Mower Exchange Program will provide 1,259 electric mowers and 972 electric lawn trimmers.
Applicants with low to moderate household incomes may be eligible for a fee waiver. We encourage everyone who qualifies for a fee waiver to apply in order to show there is a need for this portion of the program in years to come.
IMPORTANT DATES
Random-selection sign-up period: March 5 - 15
Participant notification: March 25 - 29
Exchange Day: Saturday morning, April 27
The exchange will take place at three locations: Davis, Salt Lake, and Utah counties.
Electric lawn mowers and trimmers are an environmentally friendly alternative to gas-powered mowers. Unlike gas mowers, electric alternatives don’t emit pollutants that contribute to the formation of summer ozone, and reduce climate impacts. Electric tools also don’t expose users to harmful gasoline fumes during operation and refueling.
If you would like to volunteer to help with the exchange day, please contact Chase Wilson at wilsonchase@weber.edu
Intermountain Sustainability Summit- Keynote and Plenary Speakers
Join the Sustainability Practices and Research Center at the 10th Annual Intermountain Sustainability Summit, March 21 – 22.
The event is the largest sustainability summit in Utah, offering over 20 sessions, including the Eco Expo, and the Student Poster Contest - students, come vote for your favorite poster.
Paul Hawken, entrepreneur, environmentalist, and author will keynote the event at 2:30 on Thursday. His work includes starting ecological businesses, writing about commerce and living systems, and consulting with heads of state and CEOs on economic development, industrial ecology, and environmental policy. He has appeared on the Today Show, Larry King, Talk of the Nation, Charlie Rose, and has been profiled or featured in hundreds of articles including the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Washington Post, Business Week, Esquire, and US News and World Report. Hawken will speak about Project Drawdown with a book signing following his address.
The Summit also offers three affiliated workshops:
· The Art of Convening - Learn to work more skillfully to create supportive communities, and impactful results
· Science, Stories, and Sustainability - Discover how your personal climate story can create opportunities for Utah, with the Climate Director of the Union of Concerned Scientists, Brenda Ekwurzel,
· Intermountain Living Future - What if every single act of design and construction made the world a better place? Come see how it can through Regenerative Design and The Living Building Challenge.
WSU students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in the Summit (except for meals) at no charge, space permitting.
Outdoor Weber
Surrounding this main event, will be multiple opportunities to engage the campus and local community. First, on Wednesday evening, March 20th will be a film screening of Mountain at Peery's Egyptian Theater, which will also include an opening address by Steve Hawk (former executive editor of Sierra and Surfer Magazines and co-founder of the Tony Hawk Foundation). He'll be talking about journalism, conservation and outdoor entrepreneurship.
Second, Friday evening, March 22nd, will be our Keynote, Ryan Holiday (entrepreneur, best-selling author), student award ceremony, an after party with an outdoor-inspired art exhibit including video mapping, an interactive art wall, DIY art session, and a professional networking session for all students/emerging professionals. Some outstanding sponsors have donated amazing prizes to give out (skis, GoPros, etc).
Tickets can be purchased to attend both events for $10 or $7 for a single event.
For more information visit https://www.weber.edu/entrepreneurship/OWEvents2019.html and https://www.facebook.com/events/1953131724797642/
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Zero Waste at Sodexo: Choose to Reuse
Sodexo has been working with WSU Sustainability to help us reduce waste launching two new campaigns. The first is a reusable container program. Reusable containers can be purchased at the Wildcat Room or Stone Pizza locations for $5.
The second campaign, "skip the straw and go topless," is focused on straws and lids. Straws and lids will have to be requested, rather than immediately offered, at Sodexo locations to help reduce waste.
Also, in an effort to promote zero waste, Sodexo is selling reusable cups, straws, and utensil sets at the convenience store.
Please support these programs and WSU's efforts to be a zero waste university by skipping the straw and lid and consider transitioning over to reusable containers, cups, mugs, and straws.
We appreciate all that you do to help WSU go green!
Great Salt Lake Society and Seminar Series
Every Friday this semester at 12:30 p.m. in Lindquist Hall room 280, anyone is welcome to drop in to the Great Salt Lake and Society Seminar Series as a lunch and learn event. Upcoming presentations are:
March 15th
Lynn de Freitas, FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake:
Great Salt Lake Geopolitical Landscape
March 22nd
Dr. William P Johnson, University of Utah Geology & Geophysics:
Great Salt Lake Mercury and the Deep Brine Layer
March 29th
Neka Roundy, Great Salt Lake Bird Festival;
Jefre Hicks, Utah Airboat Association;
Steve Earley, Photographer;
Jack Ray, Utah Waterfowl Association:
Recreation and Great Salt Lake
April 5th
Brian Nicholson, Martin & Nicholson Environmental Consultants:
Water for Great Salt Lake
3 Sustainability Jobs Posted
Seeking a sustainability related career? Start with a paid internship or AmeriCorp position at Weber State. Work on campus to lead WSU’s Food Recovery Network, manage WSU's community garden, or grow the Green Team Department Program. Learn more on WSU Sustainability's internship and jobs page: https://www.weber.edu/sustainability/internships.html.
Green Department Update
Leadership Transition
The Energy & Sustainability Office was very sad to have to say goodbye to our fearless Green Department Certification Program leader, Kayla Hickman. In her time with WSU, the program grew from 35 to 68 teams and we recently saw the first college, the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, become the first green certified college. Kayla’s hard work and innovative ideas will be sorely missed.
The ESO will be hiring the Green Department Program Coordinator replacement very soon. Graduating students, with a passion for sustainability, are invited to contact Sustainability Manager, Jennifer Bodine, at jenniferbodine@weber.edu for position details and information.
Get on the Green Team
If you are interested in getting your office or department involved in the Green Certification Program contact Jennifer Bodine at jenniferbodine@weber.edu or visit https://www.weber.edu/sustainability/GreenDept.html. The purpose of the Green Department Program is to engage WSU offices and departments in the work of making the entire university more sustainable and carbon neutral. The program is voluntary and competitive. Participating departments acquire points through sustainable practices. The number of points achieved determines certification at the bronze, silver, gold, or green levels.
