New Years is a time to reflect on the past year and decide what measures we can take to be happier, healthier, and a better person in general in the coming year. With that, this New Years I challenge you to think about the impact that you have had on the planet Earth this past year and make a difference this coming year. Here are some pledges you can take to decrease your footprint and become a greener citizen:
1. The Better Bag Challenge: Promise not to take any disposable plastic bags for a whole year. Instead, bring your own reusable bag.
2. Take Back the Tap Pledge: Pledge to choose tap water over bottled water whenever possible, fill a reusable bottle with tap water, and support policies that promote clean, affordable tap water for all.
3. The B.Y.O Pledge: Pledge to bring your own mugs, water bottles, and reusable bags to work, school and whenever you are on-the-go.
4. The Lights Off Pledge: Pledge to turn the lights off whenever you leave a room for two months.
5. Colgate Make Every Drop Count Challenge: Pledge to turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth.
6. Zero Waste Pledge: Pledge to recycle or repurpose all waste. (Bonus: you even get a free gift for this one!)
Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
2017: a Year in Review
Hurricanes Irma and Maria, Taylor Swift's comeback, The Women's March, Beyonce's Pregnancy announcement, etc.-- all things that made 2017. Here are Rensselaer Dining Services, we have had quite the eventful year as well. From zero waste Commencement Day to compost bins in the Rensselaer Union, 2017 has been full of positive, sustainable changes on the Rensselaer campus. Let's take a chance to look back and reflect on our sustainable year at Rensselaer.
Zero Waste Commencement Day: The class of 2017 was honored with a joyous celebration at the ECAV football stadium. Though the graduation celebration was obviously the highlight of the event, coming in close second was the fact that it was entirely zero waste! This means that all the garbage produced by the event was either recycled or composted-- none of it was destined for a landfill.
Red's Best Sustainable Seafood: Every Friday on campus, a Red's Best fish is served in each of the dining halls. Red's Best provides sustainably caught fish meaning the process minimizes energy expenditure.
Campus Composting at Rensselaer: Student's at the largest retail location on campus, the Rensselaer Union, have the opportunity to utilize a compost bin in order to dispose of leftover foods and napkins. This minimizes the amount of landfill waste that we, as a campus, create.
Reusable Mugs/Bags: All students on a meal plan received a free reusable mug and bag to use throughout the year. This was an effort to reduce coffee cup waste and plastic bag waste on campus.
Clean Water Aid: When trouble struck campus, in the form of a boil advisory, Rensselaer Dining Services was there to save the day with free bottled water for students as well as canned sodas and juices inside the dining hall.
Straight A's on Vegan Report Card: Peta2 came out with vegan report cards for 2017 and Rensselaer scored straight A's. Scoring was based on the availability of vegan services. Rensselaer currently fulfills 7 out of the 10 criterion, earning us an A.
Get Local Meals: Locally sourced ingredients have become an integral piece of our dining halls. Twice a month we host "Get Local" meals in which all the ingredients are locally sourced from New York. On a daily basis, we also feature dairy products sourced from Byrne Dairy in Lafayette, New York.
What an incredible year it has been! The progress that we have made within dining services and as a campus is inspiring. Looking ahead, 2018 is going to be filled with even more of a sustainable push toward an even brighter future.
Zero Waste Commencement Day: The class of 2017 was honored with a joyous celebration at the ECAV football stadium. Though the graduation celebration was obviously the highlight of the event, coming in close second was the fact that it was entirely zero waste! This means that all the garbage produced by the event was either recycled or composted-- none of it was destined for a landfill.
Red's Best Sustainable Seafood: Every Friday on campus, a Red's Best fish is served in each of the dining halls. Red's Best provides sustainably caught fish meaning the process minimizes energy expenditure.
Campus Composting at Rensselaer: Student's at the largest retail location on campus, the Rensselaer Union, have the opportunity to utilize a compost bin in order to dispose of leftover foods and napkins. This minimizes the amount of landfill waste that we, as a campus, create.
Reusable Mugs/Bags: All students on a meal plan received a free reusable mug and bag to use throughout the year. This was an effort to reduce coffee cup waste and plastic bag waste on campus.
Clean Water Aid: When trouble struck campus, in the form of a boil advisory, Rensselaer Dining Services was there to save the day with free bottled water for students as well as canned sodas and juices inside the dining hall.
Straight A's on Vegan Report Card: Peta2 came out with vegan report cards for 2017 and Rensselaer scored straight A's. Scoring was based on the availability of vegan services. Rensselaer currently fulfills 7 out of the 10 criterion, earning us an A.
Get Local Meals: Locally sourced ingredients have become an integral piece of our dining halls. Twice a month we host "Get Local" meals in which all the ingredients are locally sourced from New York. On a daily basis, we also feature dairy products sourced from Byrne Dairy in Lafayette, New York.
What an incredible year it has been! The progress that we have made within dining services and as a campus is inspiring. Looking ahead, 2018 is going to be filled with even more of a sustainable push toward an even brighter future.
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Get in the Giving Spirit
In 2016, the United Nations launched their bold and transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this agenda, there are 17 sustainable development goals focusing on wiping-out poverty, fighting inequality, and tackling climate change.
As the holiday season descends upon us, with the second night of Hannukah tonight, and Christmas, Winter Solstice and Kwanzaa in a little over a week, it is officially time to get in the spirit of giving. That being said, here are some ways you can tackle at least one of these 17 sustainable development goals this holiday season.
Goal 1: Donate to End Poverty, an organization focused on ending poverty through microenterprise.
Goal 2: Contribute your time to volunteer for or send in a donation to the Sodexo Stop Hunger Program.
Goal 3: Donate to Doctors Without Borders, an organization that delivers emergency medical aid to impoverished, disease-stricken countries worldwide.
Goal 4: Donate to or become a child sponsor at Save the Children, an organization focusing on providing worldwide education.
Goal 5 + 10: This holiday season, reflect on the times that maybe you haven't been so open-minded and accepting. Then make a change in 2018. Being kind is easy.
Goal 6: Help fund the building of clean water sources in Africa by donating to The Water Project.
Goal 7: While the cost of solar panels and windmills is far too steep for the average person to afford, investing in switching the lightbulbs in your house from incandescents to LEDs or CFLs can save 5 to 10 times the amount of energy expended.
Goal 8: While there is not much you can do to help economic growth in other countries, you can educate yourself. In most places in the world besides the United States, the average person lives on about $2 a day. To put this in perspective, the average meal costs about $12.75 in the United States.
Goal 9: Donate or volunteer your time to Construction for a Change, an organization that focuses on building necessary infrastructure such as medical buildings and schoolhouses in impoverished areas of the world.
Goal 11: Talk to a town councilman or councilwoman about the sustainable projects currently in the works in your town and how you can contribute. Remember, you can always start your own!
Goal 12: Make it your New Years Resolution to be a responsible and thoughtful consumer. Remember, we only have one planet and change starts with one person.
Goal 13: Become a member of the Climate Action Campaign to stop climate change. You can also donate and/or volunteer at one of their events!
Goal 14 + 15: Make it your goal to only consume sustainably caught and killed seafood, meat and poultry.
Goal 16: Don't be a bystander to injustice. See something, say something.
As you can see, it is incredibly easy to get involved this holiday season. From taking a moment to reflect on your own actions, to donating to an organization or even volunteering, you can make a difference. Remember, change begins with one person, so be the change you want to see in the world and others will follow.
Happy Holidays! Chag Sameach! Likizo Furaha!
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