SDG Archives - Page 5 of 17 - Office of Sustainability

Guest Posts SDG15 SDG3 Updates

The Importance of Planting Native Vegetation

by John Kush Anyone who has moved about Auburn in last few years has noticed the continued growth of our community. With this growth, we continue to lose valuable green space and tree canopy, which negatively impacts the ecological function of our local environment. Water filtration decreases with an increase…

ContributorJanuary 4, 2023

SDG15 SDG3 SDG6 STARS Updates

GROUNDS ASSESSMENT: AUBURN UNIVERSITY’S STARS REPORT

by Meleah Montgomery, Office of Sustainability Universities draw students because of exceptional academic programs, job opportunities, and most importantly, the environment on campus. Grounds are a crucial component of an institution because it is the first thing students observe when visiting and serve as a daily route for thousands of…

ContributorJanuary 3, 2023

Guest Posts SDG11 Updates

The Case for Higher Parking Fees at Auburn

by Becki Retzlaff When I arrived on campus at Auburn 16 years ago, the campus green space and the location of what is now the Harold Melton Student Center was a giant parking lot. Since then, other former parking lots have also been transformed into beloved buildings and green spaces…

ContributorJanuary 2, 2023

Director's Corner SDG13 SDG15

Director’s Corner: What we can learn from “Earthrise”

The Gift of Perspective Created on December 24, 1968 “To see the Earth as it truly is, small and blue and beautiful in that eternal silence where it floats is to see ourselves as riders on the Earth together, brothers on that bright loveliness in the eternal cold.” Archibald MacLeish,…

Mike KenslerDecember 2, 2022

SDG12 SDG15 SDG3 SDG6 SDG8 STARS Updates

Purchasing Assessment: Auburn University’s STARs Report

by Randy Martin, Office of Sustainability With this “Purchasing” criteria, ¹STARS is drawing attention to the purchasing power of universities. Collectively universities spend billions of dollars on essential items. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, the total revenue for degree-granting, postsecondary institutions in the United States was $695…

ContributorDecember 2, 2022

SDG12 SDG15 SDG8 Sustainability in Action Updates

Campus Changemaker: Beau Brodbeck

by Camille Colter, Office of Sustainability When you drink your cup of coffee in the morning, how often do you think about the process and labor involved? If the answer is not a lot or never, Beau Brodbeck wants you to rethink that. Beau has worked for Auburn University since…

ContributorDecember 1, 2022

Guest Posts SDG12 Sustainability Auburn Alumni Affiliate Updates

I never stopped thinking green…

by Jerald Crook Jerald as an Auburn Freshman, holding his teddy bear (Jay). Jay today. “Should I show them my sustainability-themed bear from when I worked at Build-a-Bear?” The three dots from my fellow Auburn band alum Becca’s (‘11) end of the iMessage chat popped up immediately. *bwoop* “Probably not.”…

ContributorNovember 14, 2022

Guest Posts SDG12 Updates

ALUMINUM IS A RECYCLING CHAMP

by Jesse Teel I started as the Waste Reduction and Recycling Department Coordinator for Auburn University in August. The learning curve is steep when you begin two weeks before the first football game. Gameday operations are a major focus for our department as we add hundreds of trash cans and…

ContributorNovember 14, 2022

Guest Posts SDG11 SDG12 Updates

The Greenest Building is One Already Built

by Becki Retzlaff Auburn University is home to some excellent examples of green buildings, and Auburn has made commitments to purchasing sustainable equipment and construction materials for new buildings. One fine example of such a building is the new Jay and Susie Gouge Performing Arts Center, which is certified by…

ContributorNovember 11, 2022

Director's Corner SDG13 Updates

Director’s Corner: What should college graduates know about sustainability?

“…a new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels.” Albert Einstein First off, there is no consensus on an answer to the question posed in the title of this column. I sure don’t pretend to have a complete answer, but I do…

Mike KenslerNovember 7, 2022