Meet your Beyond Campus Advisors: Emmaline
Hey everyone!
In case you haven’t met me yet, my name is Emmaline, and I am one of your beyond campus advisors from the Beyond Campus Buffs program. I currently commute from Golden, CO, and am majoring in MCDB and on the pre-health track. So, please reach out if you have any questions or want to chat!
This month, we want to focus on how to be more environmentally conscious and provide you with little adjustments you can make in your life to be a bit more sustainable.
Unfortunately, the rate of global warming has ramped up quickly in the last couple of years. In fact, 2024 has been the world’s hottest year on record, beating the average 20th century temperature by 2.3°F. Rising global temperatures can dramatically impact the rate of ice melt, biodiversity loss and permafrost thawing which releases large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. The world is our home, so let’s do our best to take care of it. Your actions can help make a difference!
Fun fact, in 2009, CU Boulder was named Sierra Magazine’s (an American environmental organization) top ‘Green’ university in the US! Here are some of sustainability efforts that CU pledges:
- Recycling and donations: CU Boulder promotes recycling heavily in the residence halls, providing recycling bins in every single room and at nearly every corner! Additionally, CU hosts a “Give-and-Go" donation drive during move-out time. One year, they were able to save nearly 28 tons of reuseable items which were donated to local charities.
- Energy efficiency: CU purchases appliances that are EPA Energy Star Rated (i.e., operates with limited energy intake yet still efficient) as much as possible. The C4C, Village Center and Bear Creek Apartments are also all solar powered, producing enough energy to power 43.6 homes a year!
- Water conservation: CU has installed low flow shower heads in the residence hall and Rec Center bathrooms, as well as dual flush toilets that allow you to use less water per flush, and automatic sinks. Additionally, CU uses water from Boulder Creek and rain run-off to water its lawns, saving a whopping 13,000,000 gallons of treated water each year.
These are just a few of the ways that CU works to minimize its negative impacts on the environment. Efforts like this from huge corporations are essential to slowing the effects of climate change, but that doesn’t mean we as students cannot make a difference as well! Here are some changes you can make in your life to be more sustainable and environmentally conscious:
Turn off your lights
Make an effort to turn off lights whenever you leave a room and be mindful not to leave them on when you don’t need them. This will help reduce your energy intake, as well as lower any electric bills.
Reduce your water use
Turn off the water when you’re not using it! Be mindful of leaving the tap on while you’re brushing your teeth, the faucet when you’re shampooing your hair or even the sink on while you’re washing your hands with soap.
Be mindful of your grocery shopping
A great way to reduce your carbon footprint is to stay conscious at the grocery store. Many meat farms are not sustainable/environmentally friendly, and also just provide awful conditions for the animals. Review some common food labels displayed on foods that are grown/farmed sustainably. Unfortunately, we know that buying the most organic and sustainable foods may not be attainable, especially cost wise, for everyone. So, in that case, the next best thing you can do is avoid purchasing food items that have high (negative) environmental impacts such as almonds, beef, palm oil, etc.
Reduce your gas use
In addition to saving money on gas, consider alternate forms of transportation. We know that as commuters, it’s difficult sometimes to cut down on your car use. But whenever you have the option to walk or bike or take the bus, especially as the weather is warming up again, take it! Did you know that CU was the first university to provide comprehensive bus passes to its students? Boulder and surrounding areas have great bus systems that are a great option if you want to cut down on your gas emissions.
Recycle
CU has extensive recycling programs around, and there are countless recycling bins around campus. If you can’t do so at your own place, bring in your cardboard boxes, cans and recyclable plastics on the way to class and drop them off on campus to make it quick and easy!
These are just a couple of ways you can start to make your life more environmentally friendly. Though it may not seem like it, every little effort can make a difference, especially if you spread the word to friends and family. Let's make an effort to preserve our beautiful planet!
Emmaline Ha
Beyond Campus Buffs Advisor & Liaison