The Mission: Last year, I had only heard brief mentions of the 2030 District. I was working with Ann Arbor Public Schools on a project through the Graham Sustainability Scholars, where another student group was working with the 2030 District. When the program presented an opportunity to intern for them, I learned the 2030 District is a nonprofit striving to … Read More
Although I love to bike, winter riding isn’t super easy for me with my bike’s tires, the streets I need to traverse, and having to store my bike in my third floor apartment over break. That’s why I get super excited when March rolls around! In Michigan, the month doesn’t translate to warm temperatures by any means, but with less … Read More
There are so many ways we can try to reduce our carbon footprint, and many of them often seem overwhelming and unattainable, such as driving less when living in a community that relies on private transportation. However, one of the easiest and least commonly thought of ways to reduce your footprint is practicing digital sustainability and green computing. “Digital sustainability … Read More
Key takeaways: U-M Health’s commitment to environmentally friendly operations and a series of agreements with vendors are leading to a major sustainability improvement: the replacement of single-use plastic water bottles. On Feb. 12, water sold at U-M Health will be in new containers. No longer will plastic bottles be used, but in their place will be aluminum bottles and boxed … Read More
I find our planet to be entrancingly beautiful and inspiring. Steeped within the natural world as I was growing up, even while still young, I noticed changes each time that I passed a birthday. Why are there fewer dragonflies than I am used to seeing? Why is it 60 degrees on Christmas day? It really bothered me. A 96 year old grandmother, … Read More
Since most of us have completely stopped and restarted traveling at some point within the past four years of pandemic and recovery, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how and why I travel as well as how I can ensure that my travel has the lowest impact possible on the environment. A question sustainability professionals are increasingly asked … Read More
Take a few minutes to look around your home, dorm room, office, or lab space and determine how many electronics or other devices are currently plugged into the wall outlets. Actually do it! Try to pick a space where you have some control or influence over decision making, and go take a look. This blog post will be waiting here … Read More
Since 2019, in addition to running the Planet Blue Ambassador program, I have had the opportunity, challenge, and joy of co-advising the Student Sustainability Coalition (SSC). For those of you less familiar with the multitude of sustainability programs at the University of Michigan, SSC is a group of undergraduate and graduate students who aim to amplify the student voice on … Read More
I’m a senior at U-M majoring in Organizational Studies. This past summer, I worked at a financial services company in Detroit, Michigan. The experience provided me an opportunity to explore how organizations, particularly those in finance, incorporate carbon offsets into their decarbonization goals. While I had known about carbon offsets before, I really enjoyed learning more about them from a … Read More
Are you looking for more environmentally friendly actions to incorporate into your routines? These sustainable actions may take a bit more effort than those listed in Part One, based on our personal experiences, but they won’t be as much of an investment as buying an electric car or switching out your water heater, for example! Here is a list of … Read More
