Sustainability Sunday: Emissions and Sustainability at CU
by Hannah Paul
Hi again!
Just as a quick disclaimer, I’m definitely using this blog as an opportunity to educate myself along with others, so please know I am no expert in the field, nor is any of the information I provide a comprehensive overview of the subjects I address! But I still hope they’re interesting and informative for you all! :)
As aspiring healthcare professionals, we have all vowed to live by the statement of “Do No Harm.” While we strive to uphold this pledge in every aspect of our work, we must also protect human health by minimizing the climate impacts of our higher education institutions and our healthcare sector. In 2005, higher education institutions accounted for 2% of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2013, the U.S. healthcare industry accounted for 9-10% of total national GHG emissions. Based on these numbers, together, they constitute around 11-12% of the country’s emissions. To meet the goal of carbon neutrality, we must push for our education and healthcare institutions to reduce that footprint.
To expand on the impact of higher education, I figured I could let you all know what the CU Auraria and Anschutz campuses are doing to address their ecological footprint. Below is a brief list of 10 current efforts, but if you’re just dying for more information, it can all be found here on the UC Denver website.
1. The university is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and you can use your university email to access all their resources!
2. In 2010, a Climate Action Plan was developed to establish a goal of reducing GHG emissions by 80% by 2050. According to the 2019 update, the university has already reduced emissions by 38% since 2006, putting us ahead of schedule!
3. It has succeeded in reducing its Energy Use Index by 48% through the construction of 7 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified buildings – including our dental school - and investment in facility optimization projects for many of its older buildings.
4. A contract with Waste Management allows for the recycling of certain plastics, glass, aluminum, and paper waste - I’m sure you’ve all used the receptacles on campus! Also, a specialized program through Alpine Recycling enables collection of a variety of research lab materials.
5. As of 2012 (seems it needs updating) we have a Silver rating in the self-reported Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating Systems (STARS). That is the third best ranking after Platinum and Gold, so we definitely have room for improvement!
6. There are currently 55 electric vehicle charging stations installed at Anschutz, as well as 5 parking spaces for the utilization of a car sharing network called Zipcar.
7. These Anschutz campus organizations dedicate part or all of their efforts to sustainability:
CU-Climate and Health Advocacy, Sustainability, and Education (@CUCHASE)
8. The university offers a number of programs and courses with a sustainability focus in six of its schools and colleges.
9. The Auraria Sustainable Campus Program works to reduce the ecological footprint of the Auraria campus through efforts focused on 7 pillars of Alternative Transport, Education and Outreach, Energy Efficiency, Food and Gardens, Renewable Energy, Water Conservation, and Waste Diversion.
10. The President’s Sustainable Solutions Challenge – I know we’re already crazy busy…but…IF any of you have an innovative sustainability idea for CU, this is your chance to propose it! This challenge was supposed to align with Earth Day’s 50th anniversary this past April but, due to COVID-19, it has been postponed to next Spring! Winner gets up to $3,000 in cash.
And if you’d like to learn about the commitments of other universities, check out:
collegeconsensus.com/rankings/best-green-universities/
secondnature.org
saveonenergy.com/learning-center/post/top-green-universities/
bestcollegereviews.org/top/green-colleges/
My goal for the next post is to explore sustainable efforts in the healthcare sector, so we’ll see what I come up with! Thanks for reading y’all!