UW Sustainability's blog

Dr. Linda Steg, an environmental psychologist and a respected scholar, author and professor at the University of Groningen in The Netherlands, will discuss "How to inspire people to engage in pro-environmental actions" on May 26 at Alder Hall.

The lecture will touch on what values are likely to promote pro-environmental actions, and how to activate values that increase the liklihood of sustainable choices. The evening will begin with a reception at 5 p.m. and the talk will begin at 6 p.m.

The University of Washington signed the Washington Business Climate Declaration on March 31st, a statement which supports using energy efficiently, investing in cleaner fuels, advancing renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Declaration was drafted by the Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP).

The Spring quarter's in full swing, and you can find sustainability-related events on campus every day this week.

All of these events and more are listed on our Sustainability Events calendar, where you can find the full details for all events and any last-minute additions. If you'd like to get a weekly email of all the upcoming sustainability events, subscribe to our newsletter. If you know of any events which should be added, let us know.

Everyone's back on campus for the start of spring quarter, which means there are once again plenty of sustainability-related events happening around campus.

It's a slow week for events on campus as UW concentrates on finals, but there are still a handful of sustainability talks and meetings happening. And if you're looking to get outside and work off any lingering finals stress, the UW Farm is still holding volunteer hours.

We are excited to share that UW Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability is now UW Sustainability! We updated our name to help us make better connections with the UW community while keeping sustainability as the focal point of our name and consistent with the University’s sustainability brand, “Sustainability: It's in our nature.”

By Celia Gurney

My alarm goes off at 7:30 a.m. I hit snooze and roll over, eager to return to an exciting dream about IHOP. But just as I’m about to order a side of pancakes with my Smokehouse Combo, I remember something that jerks me awake. I sit bolt upright. There’s no time to waste. I’m about to start another day of work as a consultant for the Green Laboratory Program.

The University of Washington has been awarded the 2014 Grand Award for Higher Education in the Green Cleaning Awards by American School & University magazine. This is the third time the UW has been honored with a Green Cleaning Award - the university also won the Grand Award in 2007 and a Co-Grand Award along with the University of Georgia in 2010.

The University of Washington was a proud sponsor and participant of the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education's annual conference held in Portland, Oregon, at the end of October.

Finding the answer to the age-old question: are electric vehicles better than diesel?