It was an honor to participate in UW’s “Future of Ice” Speaker Series earlier this month. Mt. Baker Ski Area hosted a weekend of talks with expert speakers from our region, and I was thrilled to spend an afternoon overlooking the beautiful powdery slopes while discussing some fundamental issues surrounding the current perceptions of climate change and how we talk about it.

The day started with a cold but gorgeous drive up to Mt. Baker, a reminder of how powerful and fragile nature can be. It was an excellent day for skiers...

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.

However, the start-up is currently working a little closer to home on a project sponsored by the Campus Sustainability Fund...

As we look towards spring, I'd like to pause and reflect on this time of transition for UW Sustainability. Our long-time Associate Vice President, Ruth Johnston, has moved on to her new role as Vice Chancellor of Planning & Administration for UW Bothell. I feel fortunate to have worked for Ruth since starting at the UW and know with confidence that sustainability at the university would not be where it is today without her vision and leadership. Ruth is a respected leader of the institution and we will continue to work...

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. Unless you submit a nomination, we won’t know who deserves one of the annual Husky Green Awards, so please submit your nominations by the end of the day on Wednesday, March 1.

Submit your nomination...

Hey y'all! My name is Annika Jung and I am delighted to announce that I will be the new project assistant for UW Sustainability. This role will allow me to be involved with different projects that will support both the sustainability office and the UW.

I am currently an Environmental Health major at the University of Washington and I firmly believe that the impact of sustainability on our campus can help create a cleaner environment for our future generation. I also believe it can prevent future health complications in our future. I will be implementing my perspectives as a student...

UW Sustainability, UW Recycling, Campus Sustainability Fund, Livable City Year and many partners from around campus had the privilege to attend the 2017 Washington Higher Education Sustainability Conference (WAHESC) last week at Gonzaga University. The theme of the conference was "Caring for our Common Home." The program began with a keynote presentation from Mitch Thomashow who presented on "bringing the biosphere home" and showed images of street art and its connection to sustainability across...

UW Sustainability has launched a Sustainability in the Arts initiative this quarter! The goal is to look at how sustainability can be addressed both behind the scenes in different arts departments, venues, materials etc. as well as how themes of sustainability can be used as content in artworks. The initiative is still in its brainstorming phase and a lot of its outcome will be determined by input from students, faculty, and staff.

The survey below is to gain a sense of interest in a Sustainability in the Arts initiative and what people would like to see come...

As a freshman living on West Campus, when Nola Peshkin stopped by District Market to pick up food or other items she was often surprised by the behavior of her fellow shoppers.

"Growing up my family was really adamant about always bringing reusable bags to the grocery store, but when I came to UW I was just really surprised and disappointed in the number of people who would use paper bags when it didn't seem necessary," Peshkin said.

As this year's executive director of Students Expressing Environmental Dedication (SEED), Peshkin wanted to find a way to encourage shoppers to...

On January 24th the Sustainability in the Arts initiative officially kicked off - thank you to the engaged students and faculty who showed up!

We brainstormed different aspects of sustainability both in behind the scenes operations and in creative content, as well as some of the challenges that artists face when trying to make environmental art.

The group find that there were many opportunities to address sustainability behind the scenes, such as: mailing, energy use at venues, local food, waste, programs, parking/transportation, sustainability funds, lighting, compostable...

The Washington State Recycling Association has student scholarships to their annual conference available to undergraduate and graduate students in Washington. This is an opportunity for students to network with leading industry professionals, expand their knowledge of recycling and waste reduction, and prepare themselves for a career in a rewarding and innovative field.

This year's WSRA conference will be held May 7-10, 2017 in Pasco, Wash. To apply, go to the...