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The University News » Entries tagged with "Sustainability Corner"

Sustainability Corner: RecycleMania

March 5th, 2013 | Add a Comment

For the past two weeks, UMKC stands at number four out of 275 competing colleges in the RecycleMania Tournament. Another 250 colleges are participating in the non-competitive benchmark division. Colleges in the U.S. and Canada are putting their recycle programs to the test in this friendly competition. From February 3 to March 30, schools weekly report the percentage of total waste that is recycled throughout campus. The goals of the competition are to promote the recycling programs of the campus and encourage individuals to recycle. RecycleMania is also beneficial to track the weekly progress of recycling programs on campus over time. UMKC started the first week of the competition in 11th place but has moved up to fourth place with a 73 percent recycling rate. Last year UMKC finished the competition … Read entire article »

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Sustainability Corner: Beat the winter blues by biking

March 5th, 2013 | Add a Comment

March and its warm spring days are just around the corner. The snow on the ground shouldn’t inhibit you from riding your bike. Instead, it should remind you that spring is coming soon and it is time for you to get your bike out of the dust. There are many reasons to ride your bike all around the year. Of course, you warm up your body in the cold and shed winter weight gain. Secondly, you always have free V.I.P. parking on campus. There are many bike racks on campus, even in the quad in front of Haag Hall. Finally, riding your bike is great for the environment, your health and lets us all have a breath of fresh air. Get an early start to this season with these tips on how to survive bike rides … Read entire article »

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Sustainability Corner: Keep the green in your wallet with guilt-free holiday gifts

December 4th, 2012 | Add a Comment

During Thanksgiving break, my mom discussed her new seasonal job at a mall. She spends her mornings unpacking small articles of clothing out of individual bags from numerous boxes. This time of year always makes me cringe when I see the overconsumption created by of shoppers worrying about holiday gift giving. Retail stores market many items as gifts. However, they are items that many people don’t particularly want or need. Packaging used to wrap these items is often immediately thrown away in the trash. Also consider the pollution and waste created by the production and transportation of these items. This winter, if you enjoy giving gifts, give the planet a break with all the usual trash and give a gift that matters. Try some of these clever presents that are sure to make a … Read entire article »

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Sustainability Corner: EPA tour highlights UMKC’s food recovery efforts

November 27th, 2012 | Add a Comment

UMKC’s Food Recovery Challenge efforts were touted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Nov. 15 in recognition of America Recycles Day. The Food Recovery Challenge, which asks participants to reduce food waste, is part of the EPA’s Sustainable Materials Management Program. This program aims to lower the environmental impact of materials through their life cycle, during which the material is extracted, produced, used and either recycled or disposed. According to the EPA, 97 percent of the estimated 35 million tons of food waste generated in 2010 was thrown away in incinerators or landfills. When food decomposes in landfills, it emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The Food Recovery Challenge encourages food waste reduction by: prevention, donation and recycling. A whole range of businesses, universities and non-profit organizations across the country have participated in the … Read entire article »

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Sustainability Corner: Can efficiency lead to overconsumption?

November 13th, 2012 | Add a Comment

Author David Owen discusses this topic at UMKC lecture Are our sustainability efforts only hurting the environment? Are we “going green” all wrong? David Owen visited the Student Union on Nov. 8 to discuss his latest book, “The Conundrum: How Scientific Innovation, Increased Efficiency, and Good Intentions Can Make Our Energy and Climate Problems Worse,” as part of the Cockefair Lecture series. Owen opened listeners’ minds to his latest discovery: a vicious cycle of how improvements in efficiency are actually fueling demand for more energy. He explained how energy consumption increases with wealth, and that consuming energy also leads to increased wealth. This shows how energy consumption has made the United States so prosperous, but has also made us the world’s largest energy consumer. “We are just about five percent of the world’s population, … Read entire article »

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Sustainability Corner: ‘No Impact Man’ makes an impact at UMKC

October 29th, 2012 | Add a Comment

New York City resident and author Colin Beavan visited UMKC last Tuesday to discuss his family’s year-long experiment to see if it could live without making any negative impact on the environment. Beavan discusses this experience in his book, “No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet, and the Discoveries He Makes About Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process.” The Division of Diversity, Access and Equity sponsored the event in the Student Union as a part of its Social Justice Book and Lecture Program. The 2009 documentary “No Impact Man” filmed Beavan, his wife and their daughter on the year-long experiment to see if it was possible or practical to live such an extreme environmentally conscious lifestyle. Beavan and his wife never considered themselves … Read entire article »

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Sustainability Corner: Online survey promotes future campus sustainability

October 22nd, 2012 | Add a Comment

Our campus is a great example of a college going green. There are many services and features on campus that allow students to be environmentally friendly. Take, for example, the various recycling bins throughout campus, bike repair and rental shops and access to the city bus by student ID. UMKC has been recognized for its sustainability efforts locally and nationally. This year, UMKC was ranked by the Sierra Club as a top 50 “Cool School.” In the National Recycle Mania competition, UMKC received 13th place in the Grand Champion category. In both 2011 and 2012, UMKC was awarded a Sustainable Success Story by Mid-America Regional Council. As the campus keeps striving to make UMKC as environmentally conscious as possible, the voice from students is necessary. Campus Sustainability Coordinator Kaye Johnston sent … Read entire article »

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Sustainability Corner: When living in a box is cool

September 3rd, 2012 | Add a Comment

Shipping container home piles up a green path An icon of international trade has found a unique double purpose. The one-way transportation of goods from across the globe leaves an over-abundance of shipping containers in major ports and harbors. Globally, homeowners, businesses and colleges found pride in building with shipping containers. The trend has taken off in the past decade, especially in Europe. Amsterdam makes dorms and apartments out of shipping containers and London has shipping container shopping centers, or “box parks.” During Helsinki, Finland’s 200th birthday this summer, shipping containers filled with art, fashion and live music were scattered throughout the city for celebration. But what better way to reuse discarded shipping containers than to live in them? Shipping container homes are safe and durable. Practically indestructible, steel shipping containers offer safety from floods, tornadoes … Read entire article »

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