Electric Cars and Bikes, Oh My!

As a native Coloradan, it is typical to drive long distances to get to places like school, the grocery store, and the mall. Before moving to Seattle, I only rode the bus a handful of times and biked no more than a leisurely ride down the street. Yet, living in this city with school, entertainment, grocery stores, and other amenities all conveniently within a few miles of each other, it is easy to choose more environmentally-friendly modes of transportation. From carpool lanes, the link system, biking, to even kayaking, people in Seattle find convenient, active, and unique ways to get where they need to go without the stress and expense of driving.

An exciting new resource for Seattelites are dockless bikes, an idea that previously originated in China. SPIN, Limebike, and Ofo currently are the three major companies represented in Seattle. They’re cheap and carbon-free without the hassle of docking the bike at specific locations, like Seattle’s previous bike share program Pronto. We also soon might have the luxury of dockless electric-assist bicycles for those of us who need a little help up those steep Seattle hills (3rd Ave. hill, anyone?).

SPU supports and mirrors Seattle’s innovative sustainable vibe through various departments’ efforts. One of the ways it tries to offset its carbon emissions is by encouraging students, staff, and faculty to utilize alternative modes of transportation to get to school. Last year (2016-2017), 39% of undergraduate and 12% of graduate students used modes of transportation like walking, biking, bus, train, and ferry. Certain incentives provided by SPU help make transportation easier through cheaper parking passes for carpool, bus passes at a reduced rate, and a 20% parking discount for those who drive a qualified fuel-efficient vehicle. In 2016-2017, 14 drivers of these fuel-efficient cars avoided 1,176 kg of greenhouse gas emissions by charging their vehicles – the equivalent of planting 44 trees!

Though SPU and the greater Seattle have a long way to go to further decrease its carbon emissions, they are at least working towards offering alternative options. Though I strive to live a more sustainable life, I am still often fearful of giving up the comfort and convenience of my routine. So my challenge to you and myself is this: start small and try everything at least once. Use one of the dockless bikes to bike to a coffee shop. Bus to work one day. Walk to the grocery store on your day off. You don’t have to completely forgo carbon-producing methods to have an impact. You might even see a boost in your mood!

Rail Turned Trail

While researching the Burke Gilman Trail (BGT) and its Missing Link, I found the origins of the (t)rail particularly intriguing. Rather than loading readers down with a ton of historical data in the original BGT post, I dedicated a separate post to the history of the multi-use trail.

Rail History

The origins of the Burke Gilman go all the way back to 1885, six years before SPU’s inaugural year. The Seattle Lake Shore and Eastern (SLS&E) Railroad founders: Judge Thomas Burke, Daniel Gilman and ten investors, spearheaded an effort to get Seattle on the map as a major center for transportation and trade. 

Compost Champs

If you read our last waste-related post from the summer, you may be hungry for updates on how SPU is doing this school year. As we will be conducting our next waste audit come May 2017, we thought we’d give a mid-year update, specifically regarding compost.

In its second year, SPU’s compost program is already diverting more food and yard waste as compared to last school year. Here’s a graph detailing our campus compost by tons for the last year and a half:

New Zealand: Part II

One post could not contain the fullness of the study abroad trip to New Zealand that I recently embarked on. So I gladly made another one!

Aotearoa New Zealand: Sweet As!

Eighteen students, thirty-thousand sheep, two Kiwis, twelve days, and one incredible experience in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

These numbers only begin to describe the study abroad I recently participated in. This trip was organized for more than two years by two Kiwis: Dr. Ross Stewart, SBGE Dean and Professor of Accounting, and Dr. Daniel Schofield, Professor of Chemistry.

Daniel and Ross at the Waimangu Inferno Crater Lake. Photo courtesy of Daniel Schofield.

After Fall Quarter finals, eighteen students studied abroad in Aotearoa New Zealand. We focused on aspects of environmental and cultural sustainability from both accounting and chemistry perspectives.

“Aotearoa is the [indigenous] Māori name for the country of New Zealand. The literal translation of Aotearoa is ‘land of the long white cloud’” (Māori Tourism Lmtd.).

Sustainable Creativity as Healing

 

This month has been a tough one for me and many in the SPU community, especially with the current political, economic, and social unrest happening in our nation and world. Closer to home, a fellow student, dear friend, and committed social justice advocate recently died in a car accident while traveling to Seattle from North Dakota. Erin Kimminau and a handful of others were on their way back from showing their solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and its protest against the construction of the 1,200 mile-long Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). This pipeline is set to be done in early January 2017 and spans from North Dakota to Illinois. It will transport 570,000 barrels of crude oil daily, thus impacting the tribe’s access to drinking water and disrupting sacred burial grounds.

Before the accident, I had bought fabric at a sustainable craft store in Greenwood, and the trip could not have come at a more opportune time. I brought home four different patterns of scrap fabric and planned to use them for Christmas presents. Instead, ripped strips of the fabric were offered to folks to pray over and tie together into a beautiful garland as a way to tangibly honor Erin’s life. Being able to contribute this reused and reclaimed fabric was special for me, especially after seeing the ways in which it ministered to, comforted, and healed the pain that many of us were (are) experiencing.

From the looks of Seattle ReCreative, nestled on a busy part of Greenwood Avenue, one wouldn’t imagine the potential crafting opportunities contained within the store. Here’s the creative space’s mission:

“Seattle ReCreative is a non-profit organization dedicated
to promoting creativity, community and environmental
stewardship through creative reuse & art education.”

What Do You Call Dangerous Precipitation?

A rain of terror!

That was some very bad Washington weather humor. But with the weaker-than-forecast weather systems that blew through the area last weekend, I couldn’t resist a bit of comic relief.

Mottainai: Waste Nothing, Respect All

Have you ever thought about how much waste you generate on a daily basis? If you’ve spent any time in Japan, you may be more aware of your waste habits. Last December, my sister visited the country and got first-hand experience of this. She was struck by Japan’s lack of public trashcans and surprisingly litter-free streets. Some municipalities have over 44 different garbage categories and people often carry around their trash all day to dispose of it properly at home.

Waste is a serious matter in Japan, guided for centuries by the cultural concept of Mottainai: 

“having respect for the resources around you, to not waste these resources and to use them with a sense of gratitude.”

This way of life and disposal makes sense for an island country with limited landfill space. It’s encouraging that affluent, consumer-based countries have created such dynamic cultural waste norms, especially in light of America’s throw-away habits. For food waste alone, it’s estimated that the U.S. tosses 30-40% of its food produced annually, costing about $165 billion and producing almost 34 million tons of waste. Considering that every ton of food wasted creates 3.8 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the scope of this issue is staggering. What’s more, globally about $1 trillion or one-third of all food produced goes uneaten.

Due to these realities, we conduct an audit to track SPU’s waste contribution. This year with the implementation of a campus-wide compost program, it was a lengthier collection and recording process. Over the course of May, we analyzed about 820 cubic yards or 310,535 lbs. of waste: 26% garbage, 61% recyclables, and 13% compostables. 

The Commute

Almost half of SPU’s student body commutes to campus. Have you ever wondered how all of that time getting to and from campus contributes to overall student wellness and SPU’s environmental footprint? Over the last few months, we’ve collected a bit of data to find out.

In terms of happiness, studies connect commuting to lower rates of well-being, physical exercise, political activity, and life satisfaction as well as higher levels of emotional and relational stress. At the same time, some studies have found that the happiest commuters are those who walk, cycle, or take the train to work. In addition to increasing happiness, fewer greenhouse gas emissions are emitted into the environment by commuters who are able to take advantage of these options. If you’re a commuter unable to walk or cycle, consider carpooling or taking public transportation even a few times throughout the year to decrease your eco-footprint – every bit helps. Additionally, be sure to check out the resources offered by SPU’s wellness initiative! 

As far as environmental footprint goes, commuting mileage has a bigger institutional impact than one might think. In 2011, faculty and staff commuting made up 6% and student commuting accounted for 23% of our total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions.  To continue our efforts in effectively measuring and lowering SPU’s GHG emissions, we conduct an annual Student Commute Survey.