UW Sustainability's blog

Environmental Studies lecturer Kristi Straus not only earned a Husky Green Award this year, but also a Distinguished Teaching Award, for her classes focusing on mindful sustainability.

The University of Washington, Western Washington University and the Evergreen State College are jointly offering a regional symposium on low-carbon space heating alternatives to natural gas. The symposium will be held Friday, May 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the UW Alder Hall Commons.

The two-month RecycleMania competition finished with the end of March, but the numbers are still being tallied. So far, the results are in through the first six weeks of the competition, and the University of Washington is holding a big lead among all Pac-12 schools. The Seattle campus is pacing the conference, but UW Bothell has been doing even better in terms of overall recycling rate. 

Students interested in sustainability and energy can apply to attend the Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy (SISE) hosted by the University of Illinois at Chicago Energy Initiative from August 3-16, 2017.

There is no program fee for participants. Everyone that attends receives free lodging, and many receive some support for travel. Applications are accepted through June 15 from senior-level undergrads, grad students and professionals from all academic backgrounds. 

One month of RecycleMania numbers are in, and the University of Washington continues to lead the Pac-12 by a wide margin.

Halfway through the eight-week competition, UW's Seattle campus has a recycling rate of 54.66 percent. The closest Pac-12 school is Stanford, at just over 43 percent. UW's Seattle campus is 29th overall among the 172 schools participating, and UW Bothell is just ahead in 27th place.

SafeFlame is a local cleantech start-up founded by Foster School MBA student Kevin Cussen which aims to tackle a glut of high profile issues effecting people in developing nations. SafeFlame utilizes biodigesters to break down organic content and create biogas, which can be used as fuel for gas cookstoves. The company hopes to use its technology to help cut indoor pollutants caused by cookstoves that use fuels such as wood, charcoal, crop waste or animal dung. 

After two weeks of the nation-wide RecycleMania competition, UW Seattle remains in the lead among all Pac-12 schools, and is 25th overall. RecycleMania is a friendly tournament where national college campuses compete during the course of eight weeks to see which can reduce, reuse and recycle the most on-campus waste.

The Husky Green Awards nomination deadline is almost here, and we still need your help to identify the top sustainability superstars at the University of Washington! Let us know who the top student leaders, faculty mentors, hard-working groups and behind-the-scenes staff are who keep the University of Washington sustainable.

The first week of RecycleMania is completed, and the results are in. After one week, UW Seattle is in 21st place among all 115 schools in the competition, with UW Bothell one spot behind. RecycleMania is a friendly tournament where national college campuses compete during the course of eight weeks to see which can reduce, reuse and recycle the most on-campus waste. 

Are you passionate about sustainability and the environment? The UW sustainability office is looking for a new Green Certifications student intern.