UChicago’s Earth Fest 20 by 25: One Building Block at a Time

20 by 25: One Building Block at a Time, by Eva Kinnebrew

This Thursday, May 28th, from 11am to 2pm, the University of Chicago Office of Sustainability will be hosting their seventh annual Earth Fest. This festival will take place on the east side of the quad and will include tables from many sustainably-minded RSOs, campus groups (including EAF!), and Chicagoland partners/organizations.

Every year Earth Fest is centered on a theme relating to sustainability. For example, 2013’s theme was “The Climate Games” and last year’s theme was “Chilandia: Local Foods” (1). Aiming to bring to attention the University’s goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by 2025, this year’s theme is “Building Blocks.” This theme stresses the point that our “20 by 25” goal won’t happen overnight; rather, it will be accomplished one metaphorical block at a time. We will reach our goal through the aggregate of many changes, big and small.

How is UChicago currently working towards this goal?

First off, UChicago has done a great job focusing on constructing and renovating buildings with sustainability in mind. This is an important step towards our “20 by 25” goal because UChicago’s greenhouse gas inventory, released in 2012, found that the majority of emissions came from buildings (2). In fact, the 130 buildings on the UChicago campus generate over 97% of our greenhouse gas emissions (1). There is hope, though. As of May 2015, 11 of UChicago’s buildings have earned a LEED certification and others are in the process of being “greened.” LEED stands for “green building leadership” and rates buildings on their sustainable design and operations (3). Categories in the rating system include: water efficiency, sustainable sites, and indoor environmental quality, among others. LEED buildings on campus include: The Logan Center for the Arts, Searle Laboratory, Saieh Hall and Harper Court, just to name a few (4). As well, all new buildings on campus are required to attain at least a LEED Silver Certification.

UChicago is also starting to work towards creating a more sustainable dining system. Our own EAF students helped create the current standard of 20 to 30 percent of our food expenditures going towards purchasing local or organic food (5). As well, there are vegetarian and vegan options available at every dining hall, and the University hosts an annual “VegWeek,” where students are encouraged to “take the pledge to go veg.” During this week, students enjoy a plethora of free and delicious vegan and vegetarian food, and are also taught about the environmental benefits of eating less meat.

All these initiatives at UChicago are extremely commendable. However, if we are going to achieve our “20 by 25” goal, we need to expand our efforts. For this, I think it is useful to look to other campuses for inspiration.

Many universities around the United States have set similar goals to reduce emissions and are working hard to near carbon neutrality. For example, Colorado State University (CSU) serves as a role model for campuses across the nation with seventeen of its buildings holding LEED certification (eleven of which are rated “Gold”) (6). Georgia Institute of Technology is right behind CSU with 16 LEED certifications. Georgia Tech is particularly progressive in its water conservation practices – it has installed pervious surfaces, removed paved parking lots, and instated cisterns, which can catch and store 2.4 million gallons of rainwater (7).

Many campuses are also pioneering sustainable dining. Dickinson College, a small liberal arts school in Pennsylvania, has an organic farm that supplies its dining halls with fresh produce. As well, at Lewis and Clark 25% of the dining hall food comes from a distance of less than 100 miles away, making them local food forerunners. The chicken and beef that they serve is also free-range and grass-fed, respectively. American University, a powerhouse when it comes to green initiatives, is also working towards sustainable dining with its goal to source 50% of its dining-hall food from organic and/or local farms by 2017 (7).

In the next ten years, as UChicago works towards its “20 by 25” goal, it will be crucial to look to these other campuses as guides. It is also important to point out, though, that the initiatives I’ve discussed here are only the start. Other changes, like reducing waste, cutting down on fuel-dependent transportation, and using renewable energy, will also be key. Just as the theme of Earth Fest suggests, each initiative that we adopt is an important and productive building block in the tower of sustainability. Stop by Earth Fest this Thursday to learn more about UChicago’s green initiatives, get a bike tune-up, or snack on sustainable goodies!

UChicago’s Earth Fest 20 by 25: One Building Block at a Time

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