2017 has been an exciting year for the Office of Sustainability, check out some of our highlights!
Residence Halls Competed in NYUnplugged
For the second year in a row, Lipton Hall saved the most energy and raised awareness about conserving energy through the NYUnplugged residence hall energy competition. Residence halls put sustainable ideas into action by replacing their lightbulbs with LED, lowering their thermostats, and making delicious smoothies with a bike-powered blender.
We #MarchedForScience
Earth Month includes several interesting programs and activities. In addition to our Educating for Sustainability lecture with waste experts Robin Nagle and Dr. Cassandra Thiel, members of our community held events on meat consumption and food justice, religious perspectives on the environment, and urban ecology. Dr. Jane Goodall spoke at an event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Jane Goodall Institute!
On Earth Day, 150 members of the NYU community, representing the Office of Sustainability, students organizations and activists, and President Andy Hamilton packed a DC-bound bus with beautiful posters and a desire to see evidence-based policy through the March for Science. The day was filled with marching, teach-ins, and an event with former EPA employees.
Graduates Made The Pledge
Graduates made the pledge to commit to sustainability in their post-NYU workplaces and communities. The purple-robed graduates proudly donned the green ribbons at commencement to demonstrate their commitment.
Sustainable Summer
This summer, our office embarked on some fun adventures around the city and gained valuable knowledge about various initiatives! In July, we attended the NYC Food Waste Fair where we met a wide range of organizations, such as food-recovery centers, data services, and architecture design. The office also embarked on a special mission: finding the best vegan ice cream ever. Each week we sampled ice cream sent from both local spots around the city and companies across the country. We analyzed the sustainability of each brand reached, as well as the tastiness (of course).
Welcome Home!
This fall, NYU welcomed over 6,000 new students to their New York campus. These students got to learn about the Office of Sustainability through several awesome events. We partnered with the NYU Health Center for H2gO, giving out reusable water bottles and delicious fruit-infused water. Students were able to attend a sustainability walking tours, biking events and group rides, and a Vintage Pop-Up Shop that was 100% bag free event!
EcoReps Educate
In October, 90 student environmental heroes from every residence hall joined the NYU EcoReps program. The team toured the NYU CoGen plant, and spread sustainability through programs and events in their halls.
Peterson Toscano Brings a Queer Perspective to our Educating for Sustainability Series
We welcomed comic storyteller and LGBTQ activist Peterson Toscano to campus to share his perspective on “A Queer Response to Climate Change – What Would Walt Whitman Do?” Through this one-person show, Toscano made us laugh, cry, and see environmental issues through a completely new lens.
Bike Share Expands
Our Bike Share team added 20 brand new bikes to the fleet this Fall. Resolve to bike more in the new year by registering for the Bike Share program.
Remembering the Alamo at our Annual Conference
Attending the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) conference is a beloved Office of Sustainability tradition. We packed up our bags and practiced our presentations for the weekend conference on everything sustainable. The conference took place in sunny San Antonio, Texas. Students and faculty attended interesting presentations and info sessions, and learned a lot. Some of our favorites included sessions on Diversity and Sustainability, Social Justice Through A Sustainable Lens, and Food Service and Sustainability. Check out our reflections here!
Exploring the Waste Stream & Carrying Trash
In November, we launched Zero Waste Week, a week-long initiative devoted to the topic of solid waste. We kicked off the week with speakers, Sam Silver of Sims Municipal Recycling and Emily Genser of Blue Apron, who discussed the environmental impacts of product packaging. Throughout the week, 70 students participated in the Zero Waste Challenge to carry all their landfill-bound waste in a clear plastic bag. Some students even filmed their experiences! We toured the material recovery facility of Action Carting, the company that collects waste from NYU; we displayed an inspiring waste-themed art exhibition and competition, where students submitted art inspired by or using actual disposed items; and we closed the week with a wrap-up event where challenge participants weighed their waste and reflected on the most interesting items in their bags!
Green Grant Spotlights
This year, we started a blog series, Green Grants: the People Behind the Projects. Read about the process of turning a great idea into a granted project. In 2017, Green Grants funded 10 projects including the Teen Advocates for Sustainability Corps (TASC), which engages NYC high school students in environmental advocacy; Open Kitchen, which creates a forum for students to learn about healthy, inexpensive, and sustainable ways to prepare food in a residence hall or apartment; Climojis, climate change + emojis, which enables users to use a visual language for expressing emotions about climate change; Bronfman Goes Green, which installed a dishwater in the NYU Bronfman Center to reduce waste from disposable dish-ware; We are the New Farmers, which explores urban agriculture and vertical farming to sustainably grow high quality foods; and more!
We have even more on the horizon for 2018 and will continue working towards making NYU a leading sustainable urban campus. Join us this year! And be part of our 2018 #YearInReview.