In Our Nature

Lauren Schultz has joined UW Sustainability as the Planning and Policy Specialist. In her role, Lauren will be responsible for leading the process of updating the UW's Sustainability Action Plan along with other efforts. Lauren comes to the University of Washington from Triangle Associates, a northwest environmental consulting firm, where she served as an Associate on a variety of natural resource and economic development projects. Lauren brings a strong and diverse skillset to UW, including a technical background in clean energy development, natural resource management, coastal resource...

When thinking about sustainability and food, it's important to think about how the food was produced. Food production and transport can be a significant contributor to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions, while increasing temperatures and changing weather patterns can disrupt the production and availability of food. 

It is important to move towards a sustainable diet when possible, but it may be difficult to know where to start. A sustainable diet does not only mean being conscious of the environment, but also making choices that promote your own health and economic...

Cars can be a quick and convenient way to get where you’re going - but they have an invisible impact. In many countries, including the U.S., transportation is the source of the majority of greenhouse gas emissions.

The combustion of fuel in cars and trucks directly contributes to climate change by releasing carbon dioxide into the environment, while also worsening air pollution. To limit these effects when possible, it is important to be intentional with your transportation choices by choosing cleaner...

Winning pieces use art to spark conversations about waste

For the fifth year, artists from around the UW created dazzling art pieces in the annual Trash Art Contest.

UW Recycling received a record-number of submissions from UW students, faculty and staff. Eight winning pieces were selected in four categories. The artwork needed to be created from items normally thought of as trash or a written work about waste and sustainability. Artists were asked to express feelings or ideas about...

Today, around one third of food produced in the US ends up as waste. Unnecessarily and improperly disposed food waste can exacerbate the climate crisis. When thrown into landfills, food waste generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas, while also wasting the fuel and energy used for the product’s production and transportation. 

Most people throw away more food than they realize, for a variety of reasons. Luckily, some small changes can help you to keep track of what food you have at home...

We need your help to recognize the people and groups across the University of Washington who strive to advance sustainability, by submitting your nominations for the Husky Sustainability Awards.

Students, faculty and staff at all three UW campuses are eligible, and anyone in the UW community can submit a nomination. The Husky Sustainability Awards recognize individuals and teams across the university who have made an impact for sustainability. Contributions toward environmental or climate justice, environmental sustainability, equity and diversity, and other...

Energy and climate change feed off of each other, causing problems for all of us. The energy sector is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gasses - which cause warming temperatures. As the climate warms, it increases the demand for electrical-powered cooling, putting stress on our energy supply and leading to more emissions. 

In 2021 the United States accounted for 16% of the world’s energy use despite having less than 5% of the world’s population. Even though personal use only accounts for a portion...

UW EarthLab is holding its first UW Undergraduate Student Art Competition, calling for original pieces of art that answers the question: What does environmental and climate justice mean to you are your community?

Prizes are available to the top three entries, with $600 for the winner. The winning entries will also be exhibited in the EarthLab offices for a year. Submissions are due on May 1, 2024. Winners will be announced in mid-May 2024.

Students are invited to submit their artwork...

The National Sustainability Society (NSS) is hosting a national conference in Seattle this September to bring together academics, students, and practitioners within the field of sustainability to build consensus on the key principles, competencies, capacities, frameworks, and substance of sustainability as both a scholarly realm and as a rapidly expanding field of practice across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. 

This conference will be held at the University of Washington, September 9-12, 2024, and will...

Professor Sameer Shah is offering the course "Climate Justice" for the Spring 2024 quarter. This is a four-credit course cross-listed as SEFS 590 / ESRM 490 / ENVIR 495, held Tuesday/Thursday at 4-5:20 p.m.

The course description: "Climate crises are long-standing, differentiated, and experienced through compounding systems of settler-colonialism, racism, class and casteism, and patriarchy. Solutions that fail to address systems of oppression will not achieve climate justice. This course...