|
|
|
|
In Honor of Our 100th Issue: 100+ Ways to Save the Planet
|
|
|
|
100+ ways to be sustainable and help the planet! These are easy and simple steps that anyone can take to make a positive impact.
|
|
|
Together we can make a better world by:
- Turning off the water when brushing your teeth
- Unplugging electronics that are not in use
- Using a lamp instead of multiple overhead light sources
- Towel or air drying your hair instead of using a blow dryer.
- Air drying your clothes
- Switching out plastic bags for reusables
- Taking shorter showers
- Buying reusable water bottles
- Composting
- Living sustainably
Learn more here
|
|
Annual CSUN Sustainability Plan Update Published
|
|
|
CSUN's Annual Sustainability Plan Update is now available! Click here to view the Sustainability Plan.
Highlights from this past year:
-
CSUN's annual greenhouse gas emissions were 26% lower than in 2020, due to energy efficiency projects and a reduced on-campus population throughout the year.
-
The Institute and Apparel Design and Merchandising department participated in LA Textile Recovery, a pilot project organized by California Product Stewardship Council. Several pounds of textile that would have ended up in the landfill were donated to the Institute and the ADM department. Recovered cotton materials were used in a DIY reusable menstrual pad workshop hosted by IS and AS. Additional cotton scraps were composted at the garden and are being observed for decomposition rates.
-
CSUN has purchased and will be installing lids on all of its outdoor waste receptacles. These lids prevent rainwater from entering bins and leaking out as polluted stormwater.
-
The Institute partnered with LA Compost to create a compost co-op located in the Sustainable Food Garden. This program will divert food waste from landfills and improve soil health. The program is free and co-op members get access to finished compost, opportunities to engage in hands-on learning experiences about composting and gardening, and a connection to a network of composters nationwide.
-
CSUN piloted a new smart irrigation controller over a series of months to determine its effectiveness in better control over our irrigation. The pilot was successful and we will be working to replace all 63 irrigation controllers with this new smart irrigation controller over the summer of 2022.
-
The Institutes for Sustainability and Community Health and Wellbeing, Information Technology, and the Food Pantry are developing a notification that will alert students via the CSUN app when free food is available on-campus. This project is funded by Campus Quality Fee and supports student basic needs while reducing food waste.
| To learn more or view the Annual Sustainability Plan from previous years, click here. |
|
|
|
The Institute Honors Pride Month and Juneteenth
|
|
|
Throughout June, Pride Month, we shined a light on activists and environmentalists from the LGBTQIA+ community. Each week we highlighted the work they have done along with their passions and what motivates them.
|
|
Highlighting Activists and Environmentalists from the LGBTQIA+ Community
|
|
Isaias Hernandez is an environmental educator with a passion for environmental justice. This interest stemmed from their childhood where they grew up in Los Angeles, California and faced numerous accounts of environmental injustice. Their current work includes Queer Brown Vegan which is "...an educational platform and safe space for other like-minded individuals to learn terminology in the environmental movement."
Kristen is an eco-friendly content creator who strives to help others live sustainably. With a combined total of over 23K followers on her social media platforms, she has created many different ways to educate her audience on topics relating to zero waste, plant-based lifestyles, and more.
Jamie Margolin is an inspiring activist, author, and public speaker. Since the age of fourteen, she has organized and participated in many movements ranging from environmental health to social justice. This passion that she withholds led to her creating the global climate action movement, Zero Hour, and publishing the book, Youth to Power: Your Voice and How to Use It.
Christopher Griffin has built a community around educating their audience on the power of plants and nature. From the role they can play in a person's self-care routine to being a "...vehicle to incite further conservations centering on Black joy and resilience, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and the need to increase the visibility, representation and empowerment of Queer and Trans People of Color..." their journey into becoming a plant parent has opened many doors for themselves and others.
|
|
Shelbi is a sustainable lifestyle YouTuber and eco-friendly social media influencer. Her journey into the world of sustainability began during high school when she attended a summer camp focused on the natural environment. This experience opened her eyes to the effect humans have on the health of the environment. Currently, she actively shines a light on specific issues by using her platform with over 300K followers to provide advice and tips on topics such as composting, eco-minimalism, and more.
Pinar Ates Sinopoulos-Llyod is "...an award winning Indigenous multi-species futurist, mentor, consultant, and eco-philosopher; co-founder of Queer Nature, an organism stewarding earth-based queer community through ancestral skills, interspecies relations and rites of passage."
Pattie Gonia/Wyn Wiley is an environmentalist who uses their platform "...to challenge conventional representations of what a climate activist and outdoors person looks like and to speak up about environmental issues. They also bring LGBTQ+ people and allies together for inspiring hikes and outdoor gatherings-helping create safe, inclusive communities of people who love nature and are committed to protecting it."
|
|
|
Celebrating Black Environmentalists
|
|
|
In honor of Juneteenth, June 19, we highlighted four amazing Black Environmentalists who have made outstanding and very impactful contributions to the health and well-being of the environment.
|
|
George Washington Carver created innovations in the field of crop rotation that are considered breakthroughs in resource conservation by preserving soil and making farms more productive.
Mavynee Betsch dedicated her life to preserving and protecting American Beach, the first African American beach. She also donated her inheritance to over 60 environmental organizations and causes.
Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for 24 years. Currently, he is the Vice President of Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization for the National Wildlife Federation
Savonala Horne is the leading associate for minority landowners and financially distressed farmers who are victims of environmental racism. She also advocated for the development and coordination of minority and limited-resource farmers' and farmworkers' interests in the U.S. Farm Bill.
|
|
"On the third week each June, we celebrate Pollinator Week and recognize the myriad ways that pollinators enrich our lives through both beauty and function. Pollinators are necessary for the reproduction of over 85% of the world’s flowering plants, including more than two-thirds of the world’s crop species. The economic value of native pollinators in the U.S. alone is estimated at $3 billion per year.
Beyond agriculture, pollinators are keystone species in most terrestrial ecosystems. Fruits and seeds derived from insect pollination are a major part of the diet of approximately 25% of all birds, as well as mammals ranging from red-backed voles to grizzly bears."
Read more here
|
|
|
The Institute's New Container Farm
|
|
Earlier this year, CSUN announced a new initiative, Freight Farming, which is a new agriculture technique that allows produce to be grown in large freight containers. The containers are recyclable and can be used for growing as long as they are placed in an area that has access to water and power.
On Tuesday, June 14th the CSUN Sustainable Food Garden hosted its first Freight Farm tour. They introduced the sustainability staff to this method of farming that will allow CSUN to grow and produce its own food. Natale Zappia, Director of the Institute, believes that “By this fall, CSUN’s Food Pantry should have fresh produce grown from our very own campus and in future years it will provide food for our dining halls and student housing.
Just two weeks later on June 28th, the Institute harvested its first crop of leafy greens, which were planted seven weeks earlier. Over 50 heads of lettuce were distributed to the CSUN Food Pantry. With succession planting, there will be a continuous supply of green ready to harvest each week.
|
|
Sign-up to Join the Compost Co-Op Opportunity
|
|
Compost Co Op Opportunity! Are you ready to start composting your food waste?
Join the CSUN Institute for Sustainability in partnership with LA Compost in diverting food waste from landfill by registering to become a member of our new campus compost co-op located in the Sustainable Food Garden. To receive instructions on how to drop off your food scraps into the compost bin, please register here
Benefits of becoming a CSUN LA Compost co-op member:
- Access to finished compost while also supporting healthy soils within the CSUN sustainability garden.
- Opportunities to engage in hands-on learning experiences to better understand the composting process.
- Annual invitation to attend a compost 101 workshop
- Connection to a larger network of composters across the nation.
|
|
Plastic Free July: How to Make Change!
|
|
|
"Plastic Free July provides resources and ideas to help you (and millions of others around the world) reduce single-use plastic waste everyday at home, work, school, and even at your local café.
Our movement has inspired 100+ million participants in 190 countries. You making a small change will collectively make a massive difference to our communities. You can choose to refuse single-use plastics in July (and beyond!). Best of all, being part of Plastic Free July will help you to find great alternatives that can become new habits forever."
Read more here
|
|
The University Library Sustainable Business Resources
|
|
Essential business resources from the University Library
All CSUN students, faculty, and staff have access to three essential resources that relate business to sustainability.
The Wall Street Journal covers sustainability every day: they were early to report on supply chain issues affecting EV car batteries, as an example. They also have special sections on topics such as green investments. Get subscriber-level access by going to this link.
MIT Sloan Management Review, published by MIT’s Sloan School of Management, frequently covers sustainability as part of social responsibility. You can access this title here and once authenticated by CSUN, you can most easily find sustainability by going to Topics, then Social Responsibility, and it will pop up. Recent articles address the environmental toll from fast fashion and sustainability efforts by PepsiCo.
Harvard Business Review, famous for its case studies, has articles focusing on leadership and management as they relate to sustainability. It is available via EBSCOhost.
|
|
CSUN Badge Project: Accepting Applications for Peer Mentors
|
|
|
Badge Project Peer Mentors play an essential role in supporting STEM transfer students to make the most of their education at CSUN. The Badge Project is a two-year series of helpful workshops and peer mentoring. Workshop topics include attending professional conferences, preparing a curriculum vitae or resume, or applying for summer research opportunities. The project incorporates a transfer receptive culture into the workshops to better prepare STEM transfer students for graduate school, research careers, or professional careers.
Peer mentors participate in 80 hours of training from August 4-17, 2022 and January 17-20, 2023 and then, over 15 weeks each Fall and Spring semester, work 10 hours per week toward:
-
Running a weekly workshop,
-
Serving as a peer mentor for incoming transfer students,
-
Co-facilitating Badge Project activities such as the “Getting into Research” forum, movie and game nights, and the Transfer Recognition Ceremony. Badge Project Peer Mentors are supervised by Veronica Villaseñor, the Badge Project Director.
Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis, and applicants must be undergraduate students at CSUN during the 2022-2023 academic year.
The application deadline is July 10, 2022 by 11:59pm. Apply here
|
|
In the News: Ways to Reduce Water Consumption During Drought
|
|
"Nearly 60% of the state is experiencing “extreme drought” conditions, according to the National Integrated Drought Information System. The Colorado River’s reservoirs have declined so far that major water cuts will be necessary next year. Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom told the state’s largest urban water suppliers that if conservation efforts didn’t improve California might need to impose mandatory water restrictions.
Most of California’s water is used for agriculture, said Heather Cooley, research director at the Pacific Institute, an Oakland nonprofit that focuses on water issues. “There’s always a bigger user out there,” she said. “But what we really need is for everyone to do something.”
To make sure you are doing your part, here are some tips for water conservation..."
|
|
|
LACI Microgrid Fellowship
|
|
Participants of the Fellowship will receive the following Certifications:
- NFPA 70-E: An Electrical Safety Certification
- OSHA Lockout, Tagout (LOTO): A Control of Hazardous Energy Certification
Criteria for participation in this program:
- 18 years of age or older
- high school diploma or equivalent
- LA County resident
- low- to moderate-income
- currently underemployed or unemployed
Program participants will benefit from the following:
- Internship opportunity with a LACI startup or partner organization
- Paid stipend during the training and internship
- Transportation (i.e. gas reimbursement) and technology assistance (i.e laptop rentals for fellowship)
Read more and apply here.
|
|
West Basin Municipal Water District
Save Water, Save California
July 13, 6:00-7:30pm
Click here to learn more
|
|
|
LA Sanitation and Environment
Home Composting and Urban Gardening Workshop
July 9, 9:00am-11:00am
Click here to learn more
|
|
Getty 25
Reseda Summer Art Fest
July 9th and 10th, 11:00am-5:15pm
Click here to learn more
|
|
|
Job/Internship Opportunities
|
|
USC's Office of Sustainability
Experiential Learning Manager
Click here to learn more
|
|
USC's Office of Sustainability
Associate Director, Consulting and Carbon
Click here to learn more
|
|
|
The Wilderness Society
Communications Manager, Community-led Conservation
Click here to learn more
|
|
The Wilderness Society
Communications Specialist, Climate Solutions
Click here to learn more
|
|
|
Browngirl Green
Environmental Health and Sustainability Job Board
Click here to learn more
|
|
|
The Career Center at CSUN offers career exploration and advisement along with job-search strategies to students and eligible alumni. Their programs engage students in the multidimensional process of career development and help them understand the factors that go into making plans for their future work life. Each program has a wealth of resources, events and activities to effectively assist students in advancing on their career path.
For more information, please visit: https://www.csun.edu/career
|
|
|
Click on the button above to send us any sustainability-related news, events, resources, or career/volunteer opportunities that you would like to be included in The Footprint!
|
|
Sustainability is a key priority at California State University, Northridge, integrated into all aspects of the university from operations and infrastructure to outreach, education and research. We’ve taught thousands of students how to grow their own food, to rethink “waste,” to conserve energy and water, and to take what they learn at CSUN back to their communities.
We rely on the generosity of donors to expand CSUN's sustainability leadership - from academic learning opportunities for students to cutting-edge research and engagement that benefit our campus, state and planet. Please consider giving to the Institute for Sustainability. Your tax-deductible contributions help support our mission and invest in our students, faculty and staff who make a difference both on campus and in the community.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
