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The ���߲ݴ�ý University Office of Sustainability is accepting applications for the 2018–2019 Green Raider Internship, a program that engages students in promoting sustainable practices on campus to help ���߲ݴ�ý reach its 2019 carbon neutrality goal. Interns gain hands-on experience in community-based social marketing, event planning, and sustainability projects, while encouraging sustainable behaviors across campus.

Adam Zaharoni ’21 reflects on a hands-on experience at Common Thread, a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm near ���߲ݴ�ý. The CSA connects community members directly to farmers, providing fresh produce in exchange for supporting the farm. During a five-hour shift, he and others spent intensive labor weeding cauliflower, kale, and cabbage, gaining firsthand appreciation for the effort required in sustainable farming. Sampling fresh strawberries at the end highlighted the value and taste of sustainably grown food. The experience emphasizes awareness of food origins and encourages visiting local farms or ���߲ݴ�ý’s Community Garden to understand sustainable food production.

The 2018 Oak Awards

Two ���߲ݴ�ý sustainability interns, Miranda and Revee, organized the university’s first “Carry Your Trash” Week (April 2–9) to raise awareness about personal waste production. Inspired by zero waste initiatives at other schools, they recruited 22 students and staff to carry all non-food trash in clear bags for a week. The goal was to highlight everyday waste without requiring participants to achieve full zero-waste, acknowledging the privilege and effort involved in such a lifestyle.

���߲ݴ�ý University students Ruoyu (Tony) Guo, Asad Jamil, and Van Tran participated in the 2018 Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling (ICM), creating a mathematical model to predict a timeline for a national switch from diesel to electric vehicles. Their model accounted for financial resources, infrastructure development, and public willingness to adopt EVs, with examples for both developed (Ireland) and developing (Indonesia) countries. The model showed that, under ideal conditions, developed countries could transition by 2050, though realistic constraints delay this, while developing countries face greater challenges but could succeed with sufficient government and private support. The project highlights how mathematics can quantitatively inform and advance sustainability initiatives, providing precise, reliable predictions to guide planning and investment.

From February to April, ���߲ݴ�ý’s ENST 390 courses explore maple syrup production in central New York. Past students studied the history and community traditions of sugaring in Madison County, while current students are evaluating the feasibility of producing maple syrup on campus. Sugaring relies on temperature fluctuations—above freezing by day, below freezing at night—to make sap flow, which is about 2% sugar and requires roughly 40 gallons of sap for 1 gallon of syrup. Well-managed sugar maple forests can produce syrup sustainably for over a century. Historically, sap was boiled into granulated sugar, but today it’s typically made into amber syrup. While ���߲ݴ�ý doesn’t yet produce its own syrup, local New York maple syrup is available at nearby markets and stores, offering a sweet way to support the community and celebrate spring.

The Office of Sustainability hosted a question and answer session on the ���߲ݴ�ý University Twitter account Saturday, April 14. See the full thread below, and follow ���߲ݴ�ý and the Office of Sustainability on Twitter.

The Green Summit and Oak Awards

On March 25, ���߲ݴ�ý sustainability interns conducted the fourth waste audit of the year in first- and second-year residence halls to evaluate recycling effectiveness and contamination. The audits aim to improve ���߲ݴ�ý’s low recycling rate (15%) and address rising landfill waste. Results showed that residence halls with Landmark-style recycling bins, like Bryan Complex, had much higher recycling rates (57.8%) than halls without them, such as East Hall (22.2%). Audits involved collecting and sorting trash and recyclables, noting contamination from items like coffee cups, straws, chip bags, and liquids, which can cause recyclables to be sent to the landfill. Recyclables were also found in landfill bags, including coffee sleeves, cardboard, aluminum cans, and plastic bottles. The audits highlighted the importance of education and better bin infrastructure. The interns are compiling a full report with recommendations, suggesting that adding more Landmark-style bins could significantly improve campus recycling rates. The project also serves as a resource for students to learn how to recycle effectively.

Earth Day began on April 22, 1970, following public protests against pollution and environmental harm, leading to the creation of the EPA and major environmental laws. Today, over 1 billion people in 192 countries participate annually through activism, cleanups, tree planting, and sustainability initiatives.