Lily is a first-generation college student who completed her Master’s degree within four years. She chose Social Work because of the meaningful impact social workers have on individuals, communities, and society. Lily has always had a passion for working with people and wanted to make a tangible difference in her own community. Lily serves as the Garden Outreach Coordinator, a CHIP internship, at UW-Whitewater.
Her internship goal was to increase students’ access to the Warhawk Pantry and raise awareness of the Campus Garden. Lily worked towards her goal to support her community members. She addressed food insecurity, which can contribute to negative health outcomes like diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic diseases. She created resources to help students who have a limited income or access to nutritious foods. For instance, some folks have limited access to produce, which is another source to contribute to negative health outcomes.
She had the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities in her internship. She helped coordinate between the Warhawk Pantry and the Campus Garden. She got to be creative with the help of Summer Manzke, the campus dietitian. Lily and Summer created some awesome meal kits and recipes incorporating produce from the Campus Garden. Lily and Summer worked together to assemble “Grain, Green, and Bean” meal kits for the Warhawk Food Pantry. Also, Lily designed “Grain, Green, and Bean” recipe cards, so pantry shoppers knew how to cook the dark leafy greens. Summer and Lily packaged the kits with the recipe cards, brown rice or pasta, and canned vegetables, beans, and chicken. Her goal was to encourage UWW to use fresh produce and food creativity in the meal kits. Lily created these recipes for the Warhawk Pantry to address students’ limited access to nutritious foods and income. The Warhawk Pantry can now share the recipes with their Pantry patrons. Because of Lily’s meal kits, she educated the Warhawk Pantry’s patrons one recipe at a time.
Another skill Lily developed was leadership. She led hands-on educational activities with the children when she worked at the Children’s Center. She talked about bees and gave them hand-grown vegetables from the Campus Garden. Lily had the kids feel, taste, and smell different herbs and vegetables to encourage hands-on learning. Lily’s favorite moment was when the kiddos’ faces lit up with excitement when they tasted various produce items. She enjoyed the genuine curiosity and happiness they brought to each event hosted.
All in all, Lily helped students create delicious, nutritious, and balanced meals using Warhawk Pantry staple foods. Because of Lily’s internship, she advanced her knowledge about children and adults. Lily will flourish in Social Work because she is driven to help educate people. Thanks to Lily, she is a role model for future students.
Lily is seeking a position where she can support and empower communities – particularly in food insecurity, health disparities, and other social challenges.
The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a self-reporting sustainability assessment recognized by experts and professionals in the higher education sustainability field. The new STARS 3.0 version released in 2024 reduced the number of reporting fields to simplify the data collection process, but also requires new reporting areas that can make the transition to a new version a daunting task. UW-Whitewater is the first among the Universities of Wisconsin to complete the STARS 3.0 version and achieved a Bronze rating.
UW-Whitewater achieved a Silver Rating under STARS 2.1 in November 2018 and was in the data collection process to report under STARS 2.2 in 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted data collection and reduced staffing levels. The first rating was also Silver for STARS 2.0 in April 2015. The reports are valid for three years. Wes Enterline, Sustainability Coordinator, is confident a Silver rating is within reach soon.
“We just finished our first year with Chartwells as our dining contractor, so we were missing some data there. Other data collection efforts are being put in place that will allow us to document some things we missed this time. We are very close to the Silver threshold and we hope to submit a revised report next year.”
The Sustainability Office focuses its efforts on student-facing engagement through student organizations, events, and community service activities. The Office is based in Upham Greenhouse and also manages the Campus Garden and assists with management of the Nature Preserve. Anyone interested in getting involved can visit our website to learn more about our programs.
Halloween is a fun-filled holiday full of candy, costumes, and decorations. These are the things that make it the most fun, but sustainability is often not taken into account during this holiday. It has led to overconsumption of plastic in every shape and form. The average cost a person spends on the holiday is $102.74 per person this year and it has been on a constant rise. (Snider, M) The more people are spending on the holiday means there is more plastic waste going into landfills.
A big part of Halloween is trick or treating. As children, we would dress up as our favorite character or an animal and go trick or treating with your family. As college students instead of trick or treating we usually go door to door looking for Halloween parties. This year, 69% of adults have already picked out their costume (Snider, M.). Most costumes are bought brand new from either a Halloween store or from Amazon. After the holiday is over, the costumes get sent to Goodwill or just thrown in the trash. Halloween has become one of the most wasteful holidays because of the increase of costumes. In 2019, costumes contained 82.5% plastic. (Rose, C.) Instead of buying costumes brand new, there are plenty of ways to reduce the consumption of plastic on Halloween. Oftentimes you can find a costume around your house. Cardboard is a useful material for many costumes. Were you ever a fan of Minecraft? Become Steve for Halloween. The tin man, a lego block, basically any object can be made out of cardboard. Not only is it a money saver, but it cuts down on waste. Boxes not your thing? Look at your clothes and try to find a character you can dress up as. Another alternative is to look at thrift stores for your costumes. It is also cheaper than buying a brand new costume each year and you could find something unexpected. A bonus would be dressing up as an environmental character, such as the Lorax (he speaks for the trees).
Along with dressing up in costumes, a lot of people decide to dress up their houses as well. Having the Halloween spirit is certainly worth it, but it is also important to try to find eco-friendly products to decorate with. Try being creative with what’s already in your house. Cardboard from boxes can be made into tombstones or coffins and all you need is a pair of scissors and some paint. If you do decide to buy decorations, try and buy decorations that are going to last. Saving money and not having to worry about what decorations you want next year are just a couple of the pros. A lot of decorations can be revamped if you want to add a little more fun to your Halloween decorating. If you are looking for easy diys for indoor decorations, the internet is always a place to start! There are a lot of creative ideas on Pinterest or the internet and all you need is a quick google search and some everyday trash items that are already in your house.
Trashing your house might be on your mind during Halloween if you are a college student. If you are not throwing a party then you are most likely going to one. Parties are often full of wasteful items because there are a lot of people and oftentimes sustainability is not on the party throwers mind. However, while buying soda try opting for aluminum cans or glass bottles. Red solo cups are so last season and they are not a friend of the environment. If everyone in your house is comfortable with it try offering a buffet style instead of offering everyone individually packaged snacks. For the amount of party goers on Halloween it will be worth it if your party ends up being the best (and most sustainable) party.
Halloween is a food focused holiday. The pumpkins, the apple cider, and the candy! Every where you look on Halloween you will see food. With the increased amount of food, we also see an increase in the amount of waste. Pumpkin picking and carving is seen as a family tradition around the time of Halloween and oftentimes people don’t know what to do with the pumpkins afterwards. In the UK alone around 18,000 tons of pumpkins are thrown away each year. (Are Halloween Pumpkins a problem for the planet?) This adds to the already huge amount of global food waste that is created each year. Rather than throwing it in your garbage, find a local compost site. At the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater, we are having a pumpkin smashing event where all the pumpkins go right into our Campus Garden’s compost! All of our information is on our Linktree! If you can’t find one, then try becoming an expert chef and finding a recipe that uses pumpkin. You might even become a fan favorite at your Thanksgiving or Halloween celebration. Pumpkins aren’t the only antagonist in the equation. Candy is often packaged in plastic and handed out by the boatloads. If you plan on giving out candy try to find ones that come in eco-friendly packaging (cardboard or foil are both recyclable). Or hand out items that don’t have packing, perhaps healthy options such as apples or bananas. However, if you don’t want to be seen as “that house” then make some Halloween popcorn balls or rice Krispie treats to hand out!
Halloween is all about fun, and taking the time to bring Sustainability in your Halloween festivities can be a way to make it more fun. Making memories with your family by painting decorations or creating a new recipe to share with your friends and roommates is one way to create a special memory for everyone. Being eco-friendly is not just about being sustainable, it often gives you more opportunities to appreciate what you have and how you can make it better. Have a Green Halloween everyone.
Sources:
Are Halloween Pumpkins a problem for the planet? World Economic Forum. (2019,
Living in the residence halls for my first two years of college at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater was a wake-up call to the reality of energy consumption. A wake-up call that everyone needs once in a while. We often get stuck in the same pattern and do not realize the effects we have made, whether it be on the environment or something else. The University has an enrollment of 12,000 students and every student here has a different perspective on values and how they live. One of the values I hold strong in my life is to live more sustainably, which has led me to look at my daily impacts and see how I can change them to help myself towards my goal. I started learning about environmental challenges when I was young. We were taught about the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest and how parts of the world that were once covered in trees are now covered by business parks and subdivisions. We started to focus on topics that we were interested in and I saw myself focusing on the effects of pollution or the way we change an ecosystem over time. The more I learned, the more I wanted to change the way I live. As a society we have to analyze our lives and see how we can all grow towards a sustainable future.
I walked through the halls as an excited freshman, like many of the other students, I grew closer to my fellow classmates, especially those in my learning community. We started to hangout in our dorm rooms almost everyday and I started to realize how much energy we were all wasting. My friends and I would often come back from class or from getting food and I would see their room light had been on since we left. A lot of my friends frequently played video games and often left their consoles on. One day I decided to ask why they didn’t just turn off the devices they weren’t using and they responded to me with, “I don’t have to pay for it, the University does.” This mindset was common around my friends and a majority of the other students as well. They do not care because they do not directly see the bill, when they should. The housing cost for a double room is $4,430 per year (as of 2021) at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The cost includes the basics of housing, which means it includes electricity. So everyone that is paying for housing on campus is paying for the electricity.
Vampire Energy is another issue that people often don’t see the impact of directly. Vampire Energy, or Standby Energy, was given this name because many individuals assume that because the appliance isn’t on means it is not drawing energy. In actuality, The Department of Energy has estimated that around 10% of the energy in an average household is spent on vampire energy alone. (Slay the energy vampires in your home 2021). The easiest way to avoid wasting energy is just to unplug electrical appliances that you are not currently using.
I have started making it a daily habit so I am not wasting money on energy that I am not using. When I make breakfast in the morning, I unplug the toaster and my tv after I use it. Even though unplugging appliances seems insignificant, it does provide many benefits. I have only recently started doing this (since I am living in my own house and now realize bills are quite expensive) and I have already started to notice my bills becoming gradually cheaper. Saving money is important for a lot of people and it is also a good way to start living sustainably. The use of energy is often looked at as something that we can keep creating. This is true, but the environmental impact on the way we get energy negatively impacts the planet. The less energy we use, the less negative impact it will have on the environment.
There are plenty of more ways to make your residence hall room more energy efficient and sustainable! There has been an increase of sustainable products in the past few years which means they are more accessible to find! Start small and swap out things you run out of. Are you done with your plastic toothbrush? Find one made out of bamboo that is biodegradable. Run out of shampoo that was in a plastic container? Search the web for solid shampoo and conditioner bars, or you can even look up a recipe to make your own! Before you add something to your shopping list try researching to see if there is an eco-friendly alternative that you might like instead.
Another way to become more sustainable is by reusing items. Instead of shopping for dorm necessities, see if any of your friends that have graduated from college are getting rid of their old items. You won’t have to pay as much and new products are not being made, this helps save natural resources that can be used elsewhere or not at all. If you are off-campus, try going to a secondhand store to buy used furniture. If you don’t know what you need for your dorm or off-campus apartment, then do not buy anything right away. Oftentimes, people buy furniture that they do not need and end up wasting money, and afterwards it could end up in the landfill.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is a common phrase we have heard since we were young and we often forget about the most basic part, recycling. There are a lot of myths people assume about recycling; for example, anything plastic can be thrown into the recycling. This however is not always true. Each city has their own rules and it depends on the company that provides the service. Whitewater takes plastic #1-7 which means that relatively all the plastic you have should be recycled if it has any of these numbers inside the recycling logo. Our city has a cheat sheet that provides everything you would want to possibly know about recycling in our community.
A recent addition to the slogan Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle are the phrases Refuse and Repurpose. The former is about saying no to products you do not need. Living on a college campus there is bound to be free handouts that most people decide to take. Flyers handed out are often thrown in the next garbage can, instead just don’t take the items offered. The latter, Repurposing, is focused on the idea of mending items you already have. Individuals often just throw items away that they believe are broken when all they need is to mend it. Taking the time to see if you can repurpose a product will save you money and instead of depleting resources from the environment you are able to repair the item or turn it into something new.
Even one small step can help the planet especially if we all take the initiative to make it a daily habit. Turning off the lights in the daytime might just make you realize that it’s a better mood to study in. Unplug your electronics and you might not get distracted from your schoolwork as much. Replacing your old plastic shampoo with a new solid shampoo bar might help you find a new scent that you really enjoy. When you are shopping for a new pair of sneakers that just launched take a moment to think if you really need them. A lot of sustainable actions are more cost effective and can help you save money. Starting off with something small might make you realize how important that first step is.
By Jarrett DeBruin, Sustainability Office Gardens and Grounds Intern
It was a sunny day last April 30. The sky was blue with soft clouds drifting through the troposphere, a cool breeze gliding through the small town of Whitewater. As folks gathered at the “Little Red Schoolhouse” atop the glacial drumlin at the center of UW-Whitewater’s campus, they exchanged introductions and chit chat. Waiting for the exciting event to unfold, students, professors, staff members, and the campus Chancellor shared enthusiasm and anticipation…
The first Arbor Day was held in 1872 on April 10th thanks to J. Sterling Morton; Arbor Day is now held on April 30. Morton was a Nebraska native who took concern over the sparse population of trees in his state. An avid writer of agricultural content, Morton believed that trees could provide many benefits to crops and eco-services to the people of Nebraska. What was originally started to promote the planting of trees in Nebraska is now celebrated all over. Today, many celebrate Arbor Day and the planting of trees, not just for its original purposes of agriculture and celebrating the future, but for much more. This brings us back to the 2021 Arbor Day event here on the UW-Whitewater Campus.
Organized by UW-Whitewater’s sustainability director, Wesley Enterline, the 2021 Arbor Day Event served the purpose of giving back to the community and reaching the public. Once everyone gathered at the Little Red Schoolhouse, Wes provided a compelling background on Earth Day, Arbor Day, the campus, and the Salisbury Idea. The Salisbury Idea was inspired by Albert Salisbury, a campus professor who had the dream of planting every tree, shrub, and forb that could grow in our climate on the campus’ grounds. Since then, the idea has evolved into locating every tree native to Wisconsin that will grow in this climate and planting it somewhere on campus. These efforts include the newer 50 Trees for 50 Years Campaign at UW-Whitewater. The Sustainability Office on campus has been hard at work with this impressive project, and Arbor Day 2021 marked another milestone in the undertaking.
After completing his engaging dedication speech, Wes led the party over to the planting site. Waiting there in a precisely dug hole was a beautiful Pink Flair Cherry tree which had been donated by PEACE, a campus organization focused on social justice. One by one, everyone present grabbed a shovel and showered the Cherry with love. All attendees took turns, and before long, the Cherry was packed in nicely, waiting to grow and provide our campus with a blooming, ornamental aesthetic. Following the engagement of playing with dirt, everyone went for a peek at the Log Cabin on top of the drumlin, enjoying more history and conversation.
All in all, the Arbor Day event was a major success and achieved everything it was meant to. This event brought together members of the UW-Whitewater community to work together and support a great cause. That cherry tree that everyone tenderly cared for is now more than just a tree. It is a deep representation of community and care for one’s neighbors and the environment. Not only will that tree be a part of the beautiful arboretum for years to come, but it will also contribute to important eco-services that we all rely on. On Arbor Day of 2021, a small group of students, professors, staff, and the Chancellor all contributed to caring for the planet, for each other, and for the future one tree at a time. Best said in the words of J. Sterling Morton: “Other holidays repose upon the past; Arbor Day proposes for the future.”
So, if you ever happen to be in the area of the drumlin, take some time to peek at the Pink Flair Cherry tree as well as all the other trees that the community has worked hard to provide. Take a few moments to appreciate trees and what they do for us, take a few minutes to consider the importance of community and the efforts to care for it, and take a few minutes to appreciate those that make these efforts possible. Remember to reflect on the hard work that has been done to care for the UW-Whitewater Campus and look to the future of our community.
Often, we assume that conservation and sustainability is only to be found in the outdoors among the plants and wildlife, but it can also be found within our daily lives in the energy and resources we use, which have consequential impacts on the outside world. A crucial component of any organization’s efforts to measure its success in sustainability is analyzing how it is currently doing and what areas it could improve in to be more successful and that’s where data analytics can be crucially useful.
Where We Started
Creating a greener campus and organization is always an ongoing work in progress where one can seldom say that we have reached our goal and cannot improve the environment we inhabit. A more common question is: “what do we prioritize first?” As discussed, resource use costs money, time, and sometimes the well-being of the environment, so being able to outline to an organization the best and most effective ways to positively benefit sustainability are vital to ensuring resources are being efficiently used. One of the primary ways that I assist the Sustainability Office is by creating and organizing campus building energy data into formats to make it easier to gather insights from it. At times, this means pulling data from historic sources on Excel spreadsheets and cleaning that data up into more machine-readable forms in a predefined Excel table.
Typical source data formatMachine-readable format
This process can seem daunting at first, but often is one of the easiest portions of my job and I think most people, if trained correctly, would also find it relatively easy. It is the portion of data analytics that takes up well over 90% of time and energy, converting and creating what we have as data into something that we can plug into a website or piece of software that can analyze and interpret it. This conversion in data types might seem a bit mundane at first, but consider this: which of the data below would you rather interpret?
The above examples aren’t meant to knock on how data was gathered and interpreted previously. If anything, the first visualization would not be possible had the prior work never been done in the first place, but it highlights how additional development and refinement to the data on hand can create stories that were previously hiding under an assortment of cells and rows. This work can open up many doors into creating efficiencies in energy use on campus and narrow down issues that might have previously been known but understood poorly. Visualizations like the one above are truly just the beginning of the work data analytics can do for any organization’s data, but to keep things simple I’ll stick to how any employee can provide data analytics value to their job.
How Can I Help?
Without getting too far into the weeds of how one technically performs data analytics, I think there are some general ways in which anyone can provide value in this critical area of business operations.
Keep your data in an organized electronic form
Barring any privacy or legal concerns, one of the first and easiest points of data analytics is maintaining an organized electronic file of the data that you perceive as having value. Having data on member participation, recycling rates, or a survey in physical form will prevent deep dives into data analytics, so convert relevant data and maintain that data in a logical and organized way. When I say logical and organized way, I mean within the confines of an appropriate data structure for that data. If it’s numerical data, keep that data within the confines of a structured spreadsheet with well-defined columns and rows.
File Organization and Process Documentation is Essential
Once we have the data within the confines of a spreadsheet, now we need to make sure we know what this data is describing and when. The energy used to create the spreadsheet should also match the energy to maintain a clear and organized file folder. File folders where each spreadsheet can find its appropriate home will help future data analysis on an underlying file because there is a clear source file to work with that is accurately and appropriately described.
Keep It Simple & Get Creative
As I said before, it is a common misbelief that since we’re doing data analytics we have to get into the weeds of complex formulas, macros, and data analytical tools. Sometimes the most straightforward way to answer a question about underlying data is just to visualize the data. There are many ways to visualize a spreadsheet. Internal to the spreadsheet program, both Google Sheets and Excel have built-in visualization tools such as pivot tables and chart functions, but there are a couple free external tools (for students) that allow for more flexibility and depth if needed. PowerBI and Tableau are both powerful software platforms that allow individuals and organizations to create striking stories about their data and I recommend anyone to poke around with the software to get comfortable using them and learn the visualization portion of data analytics. Lastly, when keeping it simple, make sure to keep the process for recording information into your spreadsheets relatively straightforward and documented in some manner. Often our spreadsheets outlive the job we may be currently working as college students, so it is important to have some semblance of simplicity for yourself and other coworkers to maintain the work you have done.
Microsoft PowerBI Example
Personal Guidelines for Data Analytics
As a passing point, I think that if you intend on participating in data analytics it is important to keep these points in mind while you work towards creating data structures for your organization’s data.
Be patient – Data analytics is a marathon, not a race, in the way a newly planted tree may take years to grow into a fully mature tree, so it’s important to know that most of the work you will do will be in answering a relatively small number of questions in relation to the amount of data you gather. Be focused on the health and integrity of the data you are developing and its role within your organization, not just what it can immediately do now.
Be an avid learner – Data analytics can be a difficult process when you encounter roadblocks that you’ve never had to overcome before. Being able to search an error code or look into the help section of a software to answer a question isn’t an admission of defeat, it’s a highlight of your perseverance in getting things to work
Have fun with it – I have had many times where I put in several hours processing a long list of spreadsheets into a working input for PowerBI visualization and it wouldn’t work, but when I did get it to work and I got to see the visualizations that I could create, the work I did to create that was well worth the wait. So, don’t get overly frustrated, it’s all part of the process and look for the light at the end of the tunnel
If you are able to follow the guidance above and keep in mind those important components of maintaining good data you will be well on your way into introducing data analytics into your work.
Hello everyone! It’s Gabby here with a recap of March. What a crazy month is has been as we’re already enjoying our wonderful Earth Month celebrations. In March, we focused our content on Women in Sustainability Month and tied black women/creators in sustainability into this theme as we just celebrated Black History Month in February. Ashley and I released two new podcast episodes this month titled ‘danner, doc martens & more’ and ‘the (wo)man, the myth, the legend.’ These two episodes were dedicated to answering questions about sustainability and environmentalism overall and episode 5, ‘the (wo)man, the myth, the legend,’ featured Maryam Enterline, who is a woman of color that incorporates many amazing sustainable practices in her lifestyle. She is a super interesting lady who founded and runs her own business, Enterline Designs. Maryam and her husband, who also happens to be our boss, have also visited all of the state parks in Wisconsin, so tune in to that episode to learn more about her and her adventures! All of our podcast episodes are located on anchor.fm/theconsciouslypowerful.
We just finished up our first Earth Month events, including a new one called Wellness in the Nature Preserve. This event featured many local wellness groups, such as Active Minds, Brienne Brown Yoga, Community Health in Practice (CHIP), University Health and Counseling Services, Whitewater Grocery Co., and Working for Whitewater’s Wellness (W3) tabling with some great information and resources. We held three different sessions on introductory yoga, meditation, and a quick prairie tour to practice mindfulness in nature. You can find our whole list of Earth Month events at our website. Events go until Friday, April 30th and include many events hosted by Whitewater Student Government during their Sustainability Week.
With coming up on my graduation in May, I’ve been focusing a lot on finding jobs in the sustainability and environmental field and this last year and a half at the office has been my saving grace when it comes to defining my ‘personal mission’ while applying for new positions. The Sustainability Office has been an internship where I’m allowed the opportunity to show what I’m capable of doing all while working on amazing projects like the podcast and a full Earth Month event calendar.
Reflecting back on my time here, it has urged me to explore many different work environments from testing water in a stream, growing a massive garden, tabling at campus events and planning events behind a computer screen. Writing a ‘recap’ can be difficult when there’s so many amazing things to point out that we do every day in the office.
I hope the month of March has brought you all many great things and I can’t wait to see where the rest of this semester takes us! 🙂
I’ll be the first to say that the year of 2020 was eye-opening for me in terms of the racial injustices faced by people of color, especially Black Americans. I’ve always been relatively informed of recent hate crimes and major events involving racism, such as the murders of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. However, after the world shut down some of our usual distractions and George Floyd was brutally murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis just a couple months later, the whole world, including myself, was forced to finally pay attention. Protests erupted all over the world in defense of Black lives and the movement became shockingly polarizing as the phrase “Black Lives Matter” became more politically charged than ever before. We learned about the stories of Breonna Taylor, Philando Castille, Eric Garner, Ahmaud Arbery, Tamir Rice and so many more individuals who mercilessly lost their lives at the hands of injustice, seemingly for the “crime of being Black.”
Millions of Americans also started asking, “How can we help?” We took to the streets in the form of protesting, signing petitions, sending donations, and educating our fellow citizens regarding the history of racism within our nation. As the momentum died down and other worldly news took over our screens, it became apparent that many instances of activism were simply performative. The challenge we all face is to stay engaged in the work of “antiracism,” as Dr. Ibram X. Kendi identifies it, as simply being “not racist” is passive and we need active antiracism to fight for social justice.
“How to be an Antiracist” by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. You can also watch many of his lectures and keynote addresses online, which are very engaging and thought-provoking.
The UW-Whitewater Sustainability Office set an intention to educate allies through a marketing campaign targeting environmental racism and social justice initiatives throughout Black History Month. As we reach the end of Black History Month 2021, we want to reflect on the information we’ve learned and the feelings we’ve experienced. Here are just a few examples of systemic racism faced by Black Americans:
Lower employment-population ratio
Higher unemployment rate (especially during COVID-19)
Under-representation in high-paying jobs, corporate hierarchy, government, etc
In addition to some of these familiar measures, environmental racism is one of the many ways systemic racism is practiced in our society. According to the NAACP, “race is the number one indicator for the placement of toxic facilities in this country.” Environmental racism is just as prominent as other forms of discrimination, and can be found in the forms of:
Higher exposure rates to air pollution
Lead poisoning (ex: Flint, Michigan)
More likely to experience the effects of climate change such as extreme weather and natural disasters
Higher rates of water contamination
Neighborhoods more often located in and/or near landfills, hazardous waste sites, and industrial facilities
When we think of real-life examples of environmental injustices and racism, certain communities such as Flint, Michigan, Warren County, North Carolina, and Cancer Alley, Louisiana come to mind. However, from oil refineries and air pollution to neglected water systems, public health around the country is jeopardized by negligence and discrimniation in the form of environmental hazards in many communities, disproportionately affecting communities of color.
Environmental justice is the solution to environmental racism. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines environmental justice as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” Policies that promote environmental justice will help us address the impacts of environmental racism and there are several organizations working toward these goals. For example, Green Action is an organization dedicated to health and environmental justice through cleaning up contaminated sites, protecting sacred land, and securing clean air and water for all. They define environmental racism as “the institutional rules, regulations, policies or government and/or corporate decisions that deliberately target certain communities for locally undesirable land uses and lax enforcement of zoning and environmental laws, resulting in communities being disproportionately exposed to toxic and hazardous waste based upon race.”
As part of our environmental and social justice campaign during Black History Month, our podcast hosts, Ashley Roscoe and Gabby Pogantsch, interviewed a couple of people who play a big role in equality and diversity on campus. Episode 2 features an interview with Dr. Kenny Yarbrough, UW-Whitewater’s Chief Equity, Diversity, Inclusion Officer. Dr. KEY encourages members of campus to take accountability to the next level and call out injustice when we see it. He shares his thoughts on intersectionality, defined as multiple social identities residing in one person.
Kenny Yarborough, the assistant vice chancellor of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, at the UW-Whitewater 2020 Unity Walk in September. (photo credit Craig Schreiner/UWW)
In episode 3, our hosts sat down with Jaida, an executive-board member for Black Student Union (BSU) on campus. Jaida goes into the history of BSU and how it inspires her to take on this leadership role through events such as the Unity Walk and her position on Whitewater Student Government. She talks about her role as an advocate for minority students and the importance of accountability in predominantly white institutions. Stay tuned for the “Say Their Name” exhibit featured in the Roberta’s Art Gallery during April.
Jaida Shellaugh-Russell, who organized the Unity Walk, is the director of public relations for BSU and the director of student affairs for Whitewater Student Government. (photo credit Craig Schreiner/UWW)
Education and activism play a huge role in dismantling systemic racism, but is often just the starting point for antiracist actions. For example, monetary donations benefit local organizations who help disadvantaged members of our communities. If you have the resources, please consider researching and supporting any of the following local organizations:
Most importantly, the work of an antiracist does not end on March 1 of every year. Black History Month is an important recognition of what African-Americans have faced through the legacy of slavery and unequal treatment throughout the course of our country’s history. Even now, we find this work must continue in earnest. We hope the content we shared in February is just a starting point for those that follow our digital platforms to find other ways to get involved in the fight for environmental justice. Commit your time, money, and voice to this cause by maintaining active involvement as an ally and advocate for social justice by connecting with the great organizations that focus on this work, but don’t just leave the work to them. We all need to fight for this change, for a more just and sustainable world.
The UW-Whitewater 2020 Unity Walk safely brought members of the community together for Black Lives Matter. (photo credit Craig Schreiner/UWW)
By Makenna Beland, Waste and Recycling Intern with contributions from Wes Enterline, Sustainability Director
The UW-Whitewater main campus has been working hard to reduce waste by creating a more consistent program in 2020. Recently, the Sustainability Office implemented the Waste Bin Reduction project, in which consistent common area waste bins were systematically labeled and placed on campus. This project allows students and faculty to easily identify which bins are sent to the landfill and which are recycled. These community waste bins also reduce the amount of smaller office and classroom waste bins that the custodial staff need to service and sort through to dispose of items correctly. The proper sorting of landfilled materials and recyclable materials will reduce the amount of contamination within UW-Whitewater’s recycling stream and reduce the amount of recyclable material incorrectly placed into the landfill bins on campus.
New recycling labels from Recycle Across AmericaNew trash labels from Recycle Across America
Often, there is a misconception that “waste all goes to the same place” because the dumpsters look similar and are serviced by similar trucks. However, our waste hauler has incentive to improve recycling because the stream generates revenue, while we are required to pay for disposal of items by paying a “tipping fee” for landfill space. We also often hear of complaints that the custodial staff “does not recycle” because it appears they put all of the bags into one receptacle when they remove them from the bins. This is simply a convenience for them to avoid bringing two cans on their routes so they can sort the items at the dumpster. If you are curious to see what our traditional recycling rates look like, please see our spreadsheet (slightly out of date with the transition to a new waste hauler in 2020).
On the other hand, many people have a strong habit to recycle and engage in something called “wishcycling.” This term means items are being put into the recycling stream when they should be directed to the landfill. The most common source of confusion here is related to plastic materials, as there are many different types (called polymers, denoted by the number with the chasing arrows on plastic items). The chasing arrows do NOT mean the item is always recyclable and polymer numbers matter.
For example, recyclers have traditionally taken #1 and #2 plastics which make up a variety of common household plastic bottles. #5 plastics are now more common in items like yogurt containers, although traditionally they’ve been used for more durable products. These bottles and containers with screw on, snap on, or peel off lids are also easier for the sorting machines to handle. On the other hand, it is rare for #3, #4, or #6 plastics to be used as containers. Often these are trays, films (like plastic bags), and other plastic packaging that is difficult to process into recycled plastic. Finally, #7 is a catch-all category where eco-friendly alternatives like plant-based plastics occur. Rarely are these materials recyclable because many are designed to break down more easily or apply to specialty plastics like nylon. Your best bet with plastics is to avoid them as much as possible, as even the more durable recyclable plastics have more limited use as recycled products.
Currently, UW-Whitewater is participating in a Trex recycling program to collect more than 500 pounds of plastic bags in a six-month span to receive a high-performance composite bench for the campus. There are collection bins located in Starin, Wells, Arey-Fricker, Hyland, and Upham Halls. Please bring your plastic wrap, film, bags, and others listed on their website to help us meet our goal! Please make sure the plastic is free of debris and residue.
The Whitewater campus also offers a variety of collections for universal waste, including rechargeable batteries, small electronic waste such as cell phones and wires or cables, CDs, DVDs, other physical media, and printer cartridges. There is a bin in the University Center near the Information Desk for the campus to use. Additionally, all batteries picked up by FP&M staff are properly recycled if sent back with surplus items from departments, and iCIT recycles all electronics if requested from the Help Desk. For large-sized or large quantities of printer cartridges that don’t fit into the UC collection bin, these items can also be brought directly to the iCIT Help Desk in Andersen Hall.
Battery recycling station at FP&M Stores Receiving Dock.
In order to promote proper recycling practices, UW-Whitewater is participating in the Campus Race to Zero Waste Competition between the months of February and March. The mission of this friendly competition is to provide tools and opportunities that inspire, empower, and mobilize colleges and universities to benchmark and improve efforts to reduce or eliminate waste. This year, one of the main focuses of the Campus Race to Zero Waste is the reduction of plastic use on campuses. Plastic waste can have a negative impact on wild and marine life, including in our own local lakes, rivers, streams and ponds. Microplastics are extremely small pieces of plastic debris in the environment that can find their way into drinking water and can be consumed by local wildlife. Want to know how you can help? Here are a few tips on how you can reduce your plastic waste on campus.
Campus Race to Zero Waste was formerly known as RecycleMania
Carry your own reusable water bottle or drink container while on campus.
Say no to the straw or bring your own reusable straw.
When purchasing items on campus, place them in your backpack or bring a reusable bag with you.
Recycle plastic items when possible, being mindful of the considerations listed above.
Spread the word! Remind your friends, families and professors about how they can reduce their plastic waste.
As winter snowfalls surge and the pandemic drags on, boredom, anxiety and isolation continue to dictate many aspects of our lives. We’ve baked our banana bread and streamed endless TV shows all while navigating a strange election and instances of social injustice. 2020 was a year of coping and adaptation as many of us felt unsure, afraid, and even a little lost. Generally, the Sustainability Office serves as a tool to improve the education and awareness of environmental sustainability issues, but we’re taking that a step further this semester.
In honor of Black History Month, we have dedicated the month of February to a campaign surrounding environmental racism and social justice issues facing the Black community and other people of color. During March, we will conduct another campaign dedicated to women in sustainability to recognize the inspiring women who play a huge role in environmental advocacy. Finally, the month of April is designated to Earth Month! Last years’s Earth Day (the 50th anniversary) was overshadowed by other global trepidations, so this year’s April is dedicated to virtual resources and education surrounding the important day. Featuring various resources and perspectives, these campaigns aim to expand the conversation surrounding intersectional sustainability. Stayed tune to hear from our other interns as they offer their own perspectives through future individual blog posts.
Educational campaigns aren’t the only new development coming to the Sustainability Office this semester. Introducing…our new TikTok account and a Podcast! TikTok is a social media platform consisting of one-minute long videos. Find us on TikTok (@uwwsustainability) for sustainable living tips and office updates. If you listen to podcasts and you’re interested in all things sustainability…we’ve got the perfect one for you! “the consciously powerful” dives deep into environmental advocacy from lifestyle choices to intersectional feminism. It’s available on both Spotify and Anchor; stay tuned for episode drops on Fridays!
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater campus sustainability news and related articles.
