SDG13 Archives - Office of Sustainability

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Sustainability Through Art: Reviving the Old, Reimagining the Future

By Johanna Kunz My introduction to sustainability began in ninth grade, with a school project that challenged us to research an issue we cared deeply about and educate others to inspire positive change. I chose to explore fast fashion—something I had heard of but never truly understood. Like many people,…

ContributorJuly 2, 2025

SDG13 SDG7 STARS

Energy Assessment: Auburn University’s STARS Report

By Hannah Schwartz Universities play a pivotal role in shaping the future, not just through education but also by setting an example of responsible stewardship. Saving energy isn't just about cutting costs; it's about society, wellbeing, and environmental impact. By implementing energy-saving measures, universities demonstrate commitment to mitigating climate change…

ContributorApril 27, 2024

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Coordination & Planning Assessment: Auburn University’s STARS Report

By Randy Martin & Bella Wright A quick look at the top public colleges reveals that in each of their strategic plans, sustainability is taken seriously and given a prominent seat in the future of their institutions. This isn’t for show. Beyond the “good citizen” reasons, it's a smart business…

ContributorApril 13, 2024

Director's Corner SDG13

Director’s Corner: Earth Day & a “new type of thinking”

“…a new type of thinking is essential if mankind is to survive and move toward higher levels.” Albert Einstein In July of 1969, as he floated alone above the moon while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon, Command Module pilot Michael Collins made this observation of the…

Mike KenslerApril 2, 2024

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Go Green for Graduation!

By Bella Wright* Graduation is right around the corner! While we celebrate fellow graduates, let’s keep in mind these tips to help sustain the Loveliest Village on the Plains! Looking to jazz up your graduation photos? Embark on a fun D.I.Y craft to create your own confetti by hole-punching dried…

ContributorFebruary 27, 2024

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Emissions Assessment: Auburn University’s STARS Report

By Randy Martin, Office of Sustainability The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently released its latest report assessing the current status and trends of climate change, future risks and the long- and near-term responses. This report contained a sentence that has stuck with me since I first read it: …

ContributorApril 6, 2023

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Campus Changemaker: Karen McNeal

Karen on a hike with her family By Camille Colter, Office of Sustainability Karen McNeal is a professor of Geosciences within the College of Sciences and Mathematics, hired as one of the first disciple-based education researchers (DBERs). DBERs conduct nontraditional disciplinary research on education. Karen’s work focuses on understanding how…

ContributorMarch 31, 2023

Guest Posts SDG13 SDG16 SDG17 Updates

The Weather is More than Small Talk: What I Learned from Climate Scientists on a Trip to the Southeast

By Sabrina De Los Santos Rodríguez Dark clouds over the Week's Bay boat. Photo credits: Sabrina De Los Santos Rodríguez On Sunday, August 7th, 2022 I was on a white van with seven other people - all climate science graduate students and professors with diverse specialties. We were leading the…

ContributorMarch 27, 2023

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Climate Change: An Issue of Climate Justice

by Ghanashyam Khanal and Nabin Bhandari While about two frenetic weeks of discussions and negotiations on climate change, damage and loss, and climate finance were going on at COP27 in Egypt, a documentary that depicted the impact of climate change on women and children in the Himalayan regions of Nepal…

ContributorMarch 13, 2023

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The Big and Small ways to Celebrate Earth Day

by Becki Retzlaff Every Earth Day I am reminded of two things. The first is when I was a teenager, and my friends and I volunteered to plant trees at a park near my home in Michigan. We labored all day to carefully plant little pine tree seedlings in long…