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Sustainability in Athletics Student Panel

By Francesca Green and Sam Kleinfinger

Introduction

As role models on and off the field, student athletes hold influence in promoting sustainability. Two UW athletes, Eli Maesner, a current POE senior and a member of the UW rowing team, and Melanie Wade, a recent UW graduate and a women’s volleyball player, each had the opportunity to share their experiences with sustainability both on and off the court.

Figure 1. Melanie (left) and Eli (right) sharing their experiences with sustainability.

Eli talked about being out in nature during rowing practice everyday being one of the main reasons he wanted to get involved, which he did by interning with the UW athletic department, specifically the green games program which includes things like the green minute that interacts and teaches fans about sustainability topics. Melanie also got involved in a big way when she requested that compost bins be available in all locker rooms, taught her teammates how to properly sort their waste, and helped get waste volunteers at football games.

Challenges and Successes

Both Melanie and Eli agreed that the biggest challenge in making athletics more sustainable is how fans are focused on enjoying the sport. Interestingly enough, they also talked about how fan engagement could be the key to integrating sustainability in athletics. Melanie said that if we can, “give something for fans to take home in terms of sustainable knowledge,” that that is where the wide reach of sports can really come into play.

However, athletics should be both enjoyable and sustainable because these events generate waste that all stakeholders (fans, athletes, etc.) are responsible for. UW is actively promoting sustainability by increasing waste diversion, reaching an overall diversion rate of 75% during the2018 football football season, holding recycling and composting competitions between Pac-12schools during basketball games, retrofitting the Dempsey Indoor Facility with LED lights, and hosting the Pac-12 Sustainability Conference which focuses on integrating sustainability into college athletics and campuses (University of Washington Athletics, 2019). But is UW doing“enough”? Achieving this goal requires more than only sustainable infrastructure; again, it requires participation from all sides.

According to Eli and Melanie, Ohio State University has been successful in promoting sustainable athletics. Ohio State has a season average of 94.12% diversion rate, ranking number one in diversion rate within their conference for the past seven years (Ohio StateUniversity Athletics, 2019). Similarly to UW, Ohio State has a tailgate recycling program and participates in the Gameday Recycling Challenge. But why does Ohio State consistently rank higher than UW in waste diversion?

Interestingly, Ohio State has a sustainability fan guide athttps://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sustainability/fan-guide/. The fan guide includes transportation tips, such as where to find nearby bike racks, and suggests walking, public transportation or at least carpooling.

Figure 2. “Transportation” Segment of Ohio State Sustainability Fan Guide.

The fan guide even gives tips on how to host a sustainable tailgate which is helpful since tailgating is a huge part of the athletic event experience and generates tons of waste.

Figure 3. “Hosting a Sustainable Tailgate” Segment of Ohio State Sustainability Fan Guide.

Lastly, the guide includes which game day items can be composted or recycled.

Figure 4. Ohio State Sustainable Fan Guide includes compost vs. recycling list.

Additionally, Ohio State’s website includes a list of sustainability goals, such as achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and reduce building energy by 25% by 2025. While this sustainability fan guide and website did not single handedly help Ohio State become more sustainable than other colleges, it is clear that the attitude towards sustainability is unique at Ohio State.

While the achievements made by Ohio State in terms of sustainability are certainly a goal for UW, both Eli and Melanie made the point that in order to achieve this goal, we must start small. Starting with things like adding compost and recycling bins, providing sustainable info to fans, and holding promotions for sustainable actions can help set a precedent that can then be leveraged to enact bigger change. Student athletes themselves can help set that precedent as they hold a connection to fans, coaches, teammates as well as the university as a whole. By providing more information and opportunities for student athletes to get involved in sustainability, they can start to utilize this huge platform they have to make both our school and our sports a greener place.

References

Ohio State University Athletics (2019). Sustainability. Retrieved from https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sustainability/

University of Washington Athletics. (2019). Green Initiatives. Retrieved from https://gohuskies.com/sports/2014/8/19/209613681.aspx

The Future of Sustainability in College Athletics

By Remy Nguyen

A trend that came up during The Future of Sustainability in College Athletics (as well as other classes) is the need for stakeholders to “buy in”. Stakeholders can be understood as those who can affect or be affected by a business or organization’s actions (Business Dictionary). Stakeholders in college athletics range from fans to elected officials, and they all play different but equally important roles. To create change, identifying leverage points where the greatest amount of change can be created from the least amount of work is essential, and will be the focus of this blog post. To understand where leverage points lie, we must start at where the ultimate change will occur; with legal officials.

Though the fan holds the foundation of power due to the money they throw at their chosen team, without the support of elected officials, fans have limited power to change the actions of their team without staging a boycott, something that many fans are wary of doing. This lack of leadership from fans or government has lead to “many organizations that have committed half heartedly or not at all” (Kellison, 2018). Getting elected officials on board with creating mandatory standards for waste management, energy usage, and transportation would create a huge difference, and appears to be an area for significant improvement in the future of college athletics.

To create buy in with elected officials, there must be a significant societal need, fan support, or legal issue. Seeing as there are currently none of those, this may be a good place for those who are working on change to target in the future. Understanding the dynamic between a team and their fans will prove key for developing new associations and will likely prove to be a large challenge.

A group of stakeholders that has a large influence on the associations a fan has with “their team” are the players themselves. Fans not only idolize “their team”, but certain players who hold leadership or celebrity roles within the sport. If you’re looking at leverage points, the difference in amount of people who will be impacted by what Russell Wilson says compared to a green minute in the middle of a game is astronomical. If players can tactfully position themselves as ambassadors of the environment without stepping too heavily on the toes of their sponsors, there is a much larger potential for changing fan associations than if an outside group were to attempt something similar.

In all, to create long lasting unwavering change, elected officials will need to create laws that support sustainability initiatives in athletics (college as well hopefully professional). To do so, fans will need to associate those values with their team and feel inclined to support officials in the decision to act sustainably. The best leverage point I currently see is creating player engagement and support, which seems feasible with college athletes who are in their teens or twenties. Being in their formative years, college athletes are still discovering who they are and have space in their being for new ways of thinking.

Works Cited

McCullough, B. P., & Kellison, T. B. (2018). Routledge handbook of sport and the environment. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Stakeholder. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/stakeholder.html

Husky Stadium Tour

By Brenda Cueva, Jessica Garcia, Eunice Lee

Figure 1. The view of the Husky Stadium from the Dawg Pack area.

University of Washington Husky Stadium

The Husky Stadium, originally built in 1920, has undergone several renovations throughout the years with its most recent one being in 2013. The renovation allows a current holding capacity of just over 70,000 people. With a crowd of that size, it comes as no surprise that the University of Washington has taken great measures towards a more sustainable future in athletics.

As one of the Pac-12 schools, the University of Washington aims to increase their sustainability with a great focus on the Husky Stadium.

Getting To, From, and Around Husky Stadium

Figure 2. The University of Washington link station sits just feet away from the Husky stadium.

In 2016, the University of Washington light rail station opened at the home of the Huskies. Running 20 hours a day, and every 7 minutes during peak times, it is the most convenient form of transportation; especially on game days. Not many schools can brag about their stadium being just seconds away from their public transportation drop off location. The light rail station also provides bike racks for those who need to commute from a further distance. In addition to the convenient public transportation that is offered, the Burke Gilman trail leads walkers, runners or joggers straight to the Husky Stadium as well. Whether commuters choose to bus, bike or walk they are guaranteed to have made an efficient and sustainable choice.

Through sustainable renovations, gas golf carts are no longer a necessity in transporting people inside the stadium. However, if needed most vehicles used on the premises are electrical.

A Look Inside Husky Stadium

The new stadium was built with sustainability and efficiency in mind. A small design choice made was to not put ceilings inside the stadium halls. While this made the stadium look a bit more warehouse like, it made maintenance on the different pipes and systems on the ceiling easier for workers. When the stadium was first being rebuilt, materials from the old stadium were repurposed and put back into the new stadium. One example is that concrete from the older stadium was crushed up and reused for fill under the new structure.

Figure 3. The archway made of Northwest Pines

In addition to repurposing the material from the old stadium, some of the new materials used were sourced locally.

Though the majority of the stadium has the industrial-warehouse look, there are elements of nature added. For example, the small archways that lead to the seating sections have wood panels that are made from Northwest Pines. Though not using new materials may have been inevitable, the stadium used materials from local trees to minimize the environment impact of transporting the new matierals.

The food vendors try to source foods as locally as possible. This minimizes the distance that food must travel, thus also minimizes the emissions from transportation of the food. In addition, sourcing local foods also supports the local economy. By minimizing the impact on the environment through food sourcing, the stadium is making a positive step into the direction of sustainability.

The only options for the waste bins inside the stadium are recycle and compost, there are no landfill bins for fans to use. However, there are plenty of food wrappers and others items sold in concessions that must be disposed of in the landfill. This creates an issue as the items in the compost and recycle bins must be re-sorted by workers which is inefficient and wastes both time and money. The stadium decided to switch to only compost and recycle bins to be more environmentally friendly, and to get fans to start thinking about being sustainable. However, they have seemed to have skipped an important step in making all the food and other items sold to be either compostable or recyclable. Although this is a big step, they either must go through with it, or possibly incorporate some smaller landfill waste bins to lower the waste contamination they are currently experiencing.

Figure 4. The compost and recycle bins that are placed inside the stadium.

Supporting localism is a method of how the stadium implements sustainable practices.

The stadium also supported local artists, building local and Husky identity. The hallway that connects the field to inside the stadium has huskies painted along it. Though this may be an area of the stadium that the general public may not see, the paintings may reinforce a sense of identity, especially for the students who go through the hallway.

Figure 5. The artwork in the hallway connecting the field to the inside of the stadium

Husky Stadium has been making big steps to setting sustainability standards. From repurposing materials to rebuild the stadium, to using athletics as a platform to get fans to start thinking about sustainability, to incorporating unique artwork by supporting local artists, Husky Stadium is demonstrating how environmentally sustainable practices can be incorporated into an industry that is not particularly known for their sustainability.

Achieving Sustainability in Athletics

By Jessica Goulet, Stuart Smith, Zixin Wang

Sustainability is a growing global force that has taken hold in many private industries. One primary industry that uses sustainability as a platform, but still has room to grow is athletics, and in particular, college athletics. Athletic facilities around the country are becoming greener, but there is still a lack of organizational accountability in many divisions and leagues. This means that while individual schools or organizations may be implementing sustainable methods into their facilities and everyday lives, there are no overarching rules regarding sustainability. Even the definition of sustainability can be argued depending on who or what it would benefit. For example, the Seattle Sounders are one of the most sustainable soccer teams in Major League Soccer (MLS). Recently, they announced their plans to be the first carbon neutral soccer team. To do this, they plan to plant enough trees along the Duwamish River to offset all the impacts of their team on the environment.

Sounders FC’s 2018 Carbon Footprint

While this is a step in the right direction, it is only occurring because the Sounders organization is highly influenced in this regard by its fanbase. And unfortunately, sustainability is not a common practice around the MLS or other leagues in the US. There are no league-wide sustainability requirements for the MLS, which means that most of the other teams are not practicing sustainability as much, or at all like the Sounders are. Implementing sustainability standards would ensure that all MLS teams have a clear understanding of what is to be expected from them and have a robust set of guidelines to refer too in time of doubt.

However, this is when LEED certification can come in handy and serve as an incentive for teams and institutions to achieve. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is awarded to buildings that meet specific sustainability standards. Their mission is to provide “a framework that project teams can apply to create healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings” (“What is LEED?”). LEED certification has gained so much momentum over the years that it is now a globally recognized sustainability achievement.

One school that has worked hard to achieve sustainability in their college athletics is the University of Washington. The UW is a world-renowned school that prides themselves in their sustainability efforts both on and off campus. The Husky Stadium was recently renovated in 2012, and after its completion was awarded the LEED Silver certification for its “design, construction, and sustainable operating practices” (“Husky Stadium”). There are many ways an athletic facility can achieve a LEED certification, but for the UW Husky Stadium specifically, they made sure that:

Over 95% of construction waste that was created was reused or recycled

They renovated using Salmon-Safe practices in which wastewater was filtered before being released into Lake Washington

Old elevators were replaced with spiral staircases do encourage healthy practices and to decrease energy consumption

All lights were automatic and LED, and water utilities were low-flow

Compost and recycling compactors were installed to the loading dock to reduce the number of trips required to dispose of the waste

Any trees or shrubs that were removed during the construction process were saved and replanted afterward (“Husky Stadium”)

Husky Athletics Sustainability Logo

An additional sustainable practice that we’ve explicitly seen at UW football games is their recycling during halftimes in the student sections. UW athletic staff pass blue bags down the rows of students to collect any recyclable waste, which is mostly empty bottles. Some of their goals of doing this are to reduce congestion around recycling reciprocals after the game is over, to prevent recycling bins from overflowing, and to engage students in the act of recycling. UW athletics have students recycle during the game to show them that everyone is capable of recycling, and overall be more sustainable.

It is through environmental initiatives such as this that goes to show how athletics can have a significant influence on a large population. We believe that when athletic teams become leaders of sustainability through their environmental actions, their fans will be more excited to participate as well, therefore having a ripple effect of other sustainability actions starting on, and off, the field.

Works Cited

FC Communications. (2019, February 14). “Sounders FC becomes first carbon neutral professional soccer team in North America.” https://www.soundersfc.com/post/2019/02/14/sounders-fc-becomes-first-carbon-neutral-professional-soccer-team-north-america

“Husky Stadium.” Husky Athletics, https://gohuskies.com/sports/2014/8/19/209613684.aspx

“What is LEED?” U.S. Green Building Council, https://www.usgbc.org/help/what-leed

Images

Husky Athletics Sustainability Logo https://gohuskies.com/sports/2014/8/19/209613681.aspx

Sounders FC’s 2018 Carbon Footprint https://www.soundersfc.com/post/2019/02/14/sounders-fc-becomes-first-carbon-neutral-professional-soccer-team-north-america

T-Mobile Park Tour

By May Xie, Jacob Huskey, and Fiona Cromarty

T-Mobile Park (PC: Seattle Times)

Introduction

In 2011, the Mariners at Safeco field became a founding member of Green Sports Alliance, a non-profit alliance with the mission to help sports teams enhance their environmental performance. Now with over 50 teams joining the alliance, this was the starting point of T-Mobile Park (then Safeco) becoming a leader in sports sustainability.

Vice-President Scott Jenkins set the groundwork for Seattle having one of the greenest stadiums. Switching to compostable goods costed much more upfront, which was a risk Jenkins and his team took, but quickly the cost difference was made up. They discovered that they were actually saving over $70,000 just by avoiding landfills because transporting waste to a compost facility costed much less than to a landfill. They also saved money by not needing to hire someone to separate the trash, as nearly everything inside the ballpark was compostable.

The Mariners cut water usage by 60% by installing dual-flush toilets in women’s bathrooms and low-flow urinals in men's’ bathrooms. They also saved 70% on their lighting bill for parking garages by putting in fluorescent lights and motion sensors. In 2013, the park also switched to LED lighting for the entire stadium and since the shift in 2016, the Mariners were able to save about $1.2 million.

The stadium is also using innovative ways to be green. The park has an urban garden that supplies their concession stands with vegetable and herbs. Thanks to their continual efforts of changing to a green facility, the Mariners received the Green Glove Award in 2017 for their recycling efforts. 96% of stadium waste was put towards recycling, making them the club with the highest waste diversion rate.

Urban Garden at the Field (PC: KOMO)

Field Operations

Our tour guide spent a significant amount of time discussing how the field was prepared for game days. Since the quality of the field is of the utmost importance to coaches, players and owners, grounds crews operations can often be very energy and resource intensive. The Mariners don’t advertise their green initiatives regarding grounds work, but our tour guide highlighted some of the ways in which the Mariners are trying to reduce the impact of taking care of the field.

Waste disposal stations on Game Day (PC: CleanRiver Recycling Solution)

The process actually starts in the stands, as hired staff go around and collect waste, compostables, and recyclables from each section of the stadium. After these large items are cleared, the crew pressure washes each section of the stands. It’s this grey water that's collected and used for the field. This grey water is combined with collected rainwater and used to keep the grass green on the field. The tour guide mentioned that this greywater is used, recollected, and re-used five times before it leaves the stadium and goes into city stormwater drains.

It’s worth noting that none of this information is published on the Mariners website, even where they discuss other green initiatives (Mariners Sustainability). In fact, water is only mentioned once on the page, and it's not in the context of stadium operations. It’s also was not mentioned in the NRDC report we read in class. However, if the Mariners are upholding these greywater and water re-use practices, it would be another way they are a leader in sports sustainability.

In addition to these water re-use practices, the Mariners are trying to keep it “green” with their fertilizers on the field. Our tour guide said that the Mariners only use natural fertilizers on the field, rather than synthetic one that can linger in runoff and cause environmental harms. Again, this is not mentioned on the Mariners website.

There’s still plenty of work to be done, though. Like many MLB teams, the Mariners use multiple mowers and other heavy equipment every day to create a pristine playing surface, even on days when the Mariners are not playing at the stadium. We also learned that in the winter, the Mariners remove and replace the entire playing surface every year. While the tour guide Siam the sod is diverted from the landfill, this practice of removing and replacing the field every year is hardly sustainable.

Waste/Recycle/Compost:

Although the T-Mobile park has converted plates, knives, forks, cups, straws, among other items to become non-plastics that are recyclable or compostable, they still continue to sell plastic water bottles and wrappers such as potato chips bags at the stadium which are somewhat unsustainable, and usually are thrown in the landfill. Although they provide clear instructions to ensure waste is disposed of correctly, they also have cleaning crews to hand separate plastics and compostable items after each game.

For their overall recycling and composting rates, they have averaged with an 85% recycling rate, one of the highest in all professional sports. They also collaborate with the Northwest Harvest, Operation Sack Lunch and the Salvation Army to donate leftover concessions goods. Due to these factors, most recently the T-Mobile park in 2018 received the Environmental Protection Agency Food Recovery Challenge Sports & Entertainment Venues Award for diverting more than 761 tons of food waste.

In conclusion, T-Mobile has been making strides to set sustainability standards, and hopefully other teams will begin to follow suit and even compete through similar efforts. The industry itself is somewhat environmentally unsustainable due to transportation, consumption, and maintenance costs. Considering this, overall T-Mobile Park’s decisions to switch to LED lighting, reduce food waste, and focus on sustainability as one of their guiding principles within internal development and management demonstrate how important sustainability is to their corporation.

References

Danigelis, A. (2017, December 7). Seattle Mariners Win 2017 Green Glove Award for Recycling. Retrieved from https://www.environmentalleader.com/2017/12/seattle-mariners-green-glove-award/

EPA presents Mariners/T-Mobile Park with national award for food recovery. (2019, April 25). Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-presents-marinerst-mobile-park-national-award-food-recovery

Mariners Sustainability. Retrieved from https://www.mlb.com/mariners/ballpark/information/sustainability

Zelen, R. (2011, December 22). Seattle Mariners Go Green: Time to Give Praise to Those Who Take Responsibility. Retrieved from https://bleacherreport.com/articles/993831-seattle-mariners-go-green-time-to-give-praise-to-those-who-take-responsibility

Large Scale Behavior Change

By Gina Durst, Claire Kasinadhuni, Anton Resing

As college students, we consistently discuss the fact that human actions are affecting the planet irreversibly. Most individuals in the United States consume over double the resources of people in many other countries (Open Data Platform). With the rise of a wealthy middle class worldwide and a heavy influence from Western cultures, even more countries are leaning towards less sustainable habits than before. Figure 1 shows how the consumption of meat has dramatically risen from 70 million to 300 million tons a year within the past 50 years, causing strain on both land and water resources (Ritchie & Roser). However, despite the fact that we are surrounded by a constant barrage of information regarding our need to reduce our consumption and usage, our logical side isn’t enough to motivate us to implement long-term change in our lifestyles.

Figure 1. The dramatic rise in global meat production from 1961 to 2014. (Ritchie & Roser)

While most people agree that our climate crisis is the primary concern of our time, there is still a huge discussion about the best way to incite that change. Typically, those participating in the debate fall into two “camps” of opinion for which type of change will be more effective: systemic change or individual action. While individual action is something that anyone can participate in, it goes beyond simply starting a composting bin or remembering to bring a reusable bag to the grocery store every so often. Individual action, when undertaken with purpose and motivation, is the basis of adjusting one’s lifestyle to be more conscientious of one’s effect on the environment.

However, finding the key to that motivation is a crucial factor in being an active action-taker and environmental advocate. In Switch: How to change things when change is hard, Heath, C. & Heath, D. discuss the struggle between the logical and emotional sides of your brain. Heath & Heath use the analogy of the Elephant and the Rider to discuss how difficult it can be to convince someone (yourself, perhaps, or people you know) to make a change. Someone primarily directed by the Elephant may struggle with keeping long-term goals in mind, while one directed by the Rider can be caught in a web of overthinking and self-doubt.

Figure 2. Moving towards change requires agreement between the Elephant and the Rider. Or alignment between the feelings of emotion and logical ideas. (Listening to Your Elephant)

Let’s go back to the issue of meat consumption. Looking at the numbers can be daunting, but understanding why meat is so appealing to the rising middle class is a crucial factor in curbing this issue. Beef, once a luxury only seen “two or three times a month” by millions of Chinese who previously lived in rural areas, is no longer dubbed “the millionaire’s meat,” (Rossi). In fact, “China consumes 28 percent of the world’s meat”, which is now twice as much as the United States does each year (Rossi). In middle-class homes across Southeast Asia, there is a great desire to enjoy what had previously been an unobtainable luxury. Although too much red meat in the diet has been known to cause health problems, the Elephant, not the Rider, may be the one responsible for those purchasing 140 pounds of beef a year (Rossi).

“...the Rider’s control is precarious because the Rider is so small relative to the Elephant. Anytime the six-ton Elephant and the Rider disagree about which direction to go, the Rider is going to lose. He’s completely overmatched.”

-Switch: How to change things when change is hard (Heath & Heath)

However, while both extremes can be a hindrance to enacting environmental behavior change, these weaknesses can be positively channeled. While most of us already recognize the need for more environmental actions, the emotional side (the Elephant) isn’t being motivated enough. However, it can also be appealed to in order to make such changes. In The Psychology of Sustainable Behavior, a handbook for Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Christie Manning writes that one of the most effective ways to encourage behavior change is to “make sustainability the social default.”

As social creatures, we are unconsciously influenced by the actions of those around us. Although there are multiple ways to do so, this use of a ‘social default’ has been a proven influence in repeated scenarios. One notable 2008 study showed that by simply changing the wording of the towel re-use signs in hotel rooms to be focused on social norms, more people were likely to reuse their towels (Jaffe). When the study was attempted again several years later, it even was found that guests whose signs mentioned the specific room that they stayed in “used fewer towels than guests whose signs mentioned the hotel at large”, and of course, far fewer than those guests whose signs were generic (Jaffe).

Figure 3. An example of a sign commonly found in a hotel room to encourage the reuse of towels. (Jaffe)

This leads us to believe that many of these small, individual action changes can actually be kick started by altering the environment to be more reflective of human desires and fears. As Heath and Heath wrote, “...that’s the first surprise about change: What looks like a people problem is often a situation problem.” Encouraging the public with these subtle emotional cues is called Shaping the Path for the Rider and the Elephant to follow. Shaping the Path is also an analogy for official policy change, as not everyone is willing to adapt without motivation. But in order to make that Path an option, successful environmental advocates need to understand that normalizing sustainability and encouraging the public to be open to this type of change will make Shaping the Path easier as well.

References:

Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2013). Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard. Erscheinungsort nicht ermittelbar: Random House US.

Jaffe, E., & Jaffe, E. (2014, October 30). Read About How Hotels Get You To Reuse Towels. Everyone's Doing It. Retrieved April 30, 2019, from https://www.fastcompany.com/3037679/read-about-how-hotels-get-you-to-reuse-towels-everyones-doing-it

Listening to Your Elephant. (2019, January 22). Retrieved April 30, 2019, from https://startuptown.wordpress.com/2019/01/15/listening-to-your-elephant/

Manning, C. (2009). The psychology of sustainable behavior: Tips for empowering people to take environmentally positive action. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Retrieved April 30, 2019, from https://www.pca.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/p-ee1-01.pdf.

Open Data Platform. (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2019, from https://data.footprintnetwork.org/#/

Ritchie, H., & Roser, M. (2017, August 25). Meat and Seafood Production & Consumption. Retrieved April 30, 2019, from https://ourworldindata.org/meat-and-seafood-production-consumption

Rossi, M., Ball, J., Kaufman, A. C., Harris, A. J., Walter, S., Segerstrom, C., . . . Levintova, H. (2018, July 31). The Chinese are eating more meat than ever before and the planet can't keep up. Retrieved April 30, 2019, from https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/07/the-chinese-are-eating-more-meat-than-ever-before-and-the-planet-cant-keep-up/

Consulting 101

By Pooja Kumar, Jessica Murphy, & Jennifer Zhou

What is Environmental Consulting and Why is it Important

Environmental consulting is often a form of compliance consulting, in which the consultant ensures that the client maintains an appropriate measure of compliance with environmental regulations. There are two main groups of environmental consultants, those who enter the field from an industry standpoint and those who enter the field from an environmentalist standpoint. An environmental consultant main duty is to advise businesses, governments, organizations, and individuals on problems that affect the environment. From the environmental side, a consultant will focus on working with a business to help them implement sustainable practices and reduce their harmful impact on the planet. From an industry standpoint, an environmental consultant may complete a hazard assessment for harmful substances such as lead or asbestos. Some other duties of an environmental consultant include: performing field surveys, monitor the environmental impact of businesses or advising in legal cases, evaluating environmental policy and laws.

Environmental consulting is important because it not only protects the environment and community, but also a positive medium that can spread environmental awareness and ensure best practices. It requires knowledge across disciplines, so a diverse team with consultants from various backgrounds is often critical for a successful project.

Cascadia Consulting Group

Cascadia Consulting Group focuses on serving business and government organizations with environmental related projects. Because the environment subjects are sometimes related to all kinds of fields, people need professional assistance to make decisions. The Cascadia Consulting Group has teams that consist of members from different fields, who strive to provide products, foster outcomes, and create tools to help clients with the decision-making process. Their services include:

Research & Analysis

Decision Support Tools

Strategic Planning & Facilitation

Education & Behavior Change

Outreach & Engagement

Program Management

Evaluation

Since the establishment in 1993, The Cascadia Consulting Group has performed hundreds of projects across the globe. They have developed expertise in recycling and material management, sustainable land care, resource conservation, etc.

An example case study of a Cascadia Consulting Group project is the Bellevue, WA’s “Refresh Recycling” Program. Cascadia used community-based social marketing (CBSM) to capture real-time data of Bellevue residential recycling habits by developing and piloting a program to increase recycling participation at apartments and condominiums. Through collecting real-time data on recycling habits, Cascadia was able to give feedback to residents on their performance. By doing this, the program resulted in an increase of recycling volume by 33% and decreased contamination rate by 44%.

Overall, we believe environmental consulting and consulting groups like Cascadia Consulting Group is very important and beneficial to our society. Environmental consulting brings the opportunity of offering a wide-range of quality services with professional skills, resources, and action to help clients optimize their resource use, eliminate waste, and save money. Environmental consulting also plays a crucial role in promoting sustainability and environmental protection through education and outreach, which then generates positive influences among society.

References

http://www.cascadiaconsulting.com/service/services/outreach-and-engagement

https://www.alphaenvironmental.com.au/importance-environmental-consulting/

https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-environmental-consultant.htm

http://www.cascadiaconsulting.com/portfolio/project/bellevue-was-refresh-recycling-program

Sustainability in College Athletics

By Victoria Choi, Avie Niece, Madelyn Bloom

Introduction

Where sustainability in college athletics are today? You may have noticed some environmentally friendly features around the athletic facilities at the University of Washington, that's because we are working to make changes along with other schools in the PAC-12 to understand and implement sustainable features and practices around college athletics. Exploring and comparing different large-scale college athletics programs across the United States allowed us to see that programs are engaging in greener, more sustainable practices. These practices include saving water, reducing electricity usage, waste management and diversion. Many of the universities in the PAC-12 have worked to understand how they can not only make these new sustainable choices possible, but also how they can teach their own communities about the importance of these choices. Here are some of the categories which schools have focused their energy, and some specific examples of how they have made these changes a reality, provided by the NRDC Report.

Water:

Arizona State University: Created water- efficient landscaping which reduced water use by 50%.

University of Arizona: 47.5% reduction of water usage since the addition of high-efficiency plumbing.

University of North Texas: 52% reduction in water usage compared to stadiums of a comparable size due to low-flow plumbing fixtures.

Waste:

Arizona State University: Recycled 65% of waste created from the reconstruction of the football stadium

University of Arizona: About 28% of their LEED Certified Rec Center was built with recycled materials

University of Washington: Almost 100% of packaging from concessions is compostable or recyclable

Ohio State University: Achieved 90% waste diversion rate

Yale: All paper used must contain recycled content

Energy:

Arizona State University: 45% of the building’s energy is created by solar panels.

University of Colorado Boulder: Near net zero energy in Student Recreation Center.

University of Colorado Boulder: as of 2013 only LEED Platinum will be the standard of building or renovating buildings.

Education:

University of Arizona: “UA Green Fund”, supplying grants to students and staff who have innovative, sustainable ideas. $24 added to tuition to help fund UA Green Fund projects.

University of Colorado Boulder: Chooses many sustainable brands as sponsors to educate students and community over sustainable brands promoting topics such as organic food products, or hybrid cars.

University of Washington: “Green Minute Campaign” is a one minute PSA encouraging fans to recycle and compost, filmed with student athletes and coaches and played at every second half of every football game.

Husky Stadium

While the stadium underwent major renovations in 2012 steps were taken to create a sustainable construction plan. One feature important to locals is the Salmon Safe practices that are taken which filter all waste before entering Lake Washington. 95% of construction waste was reused or recycled. Husky Stadium is LEED Silver Certified for design, construction, and sustainable operating practices. During the 2015 football season, UW Athletics received the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USG Corporation Sustainability Award.

Promoting Sustainable Behavior Change

Universities may be trying to promote sustainable development, but how are they using their platform to encourage people to also take on sustainable behaviour. A argument brought up is weather it is more successful to promote sustainable behaviour change through making sustainable options the most convenient option, or through value change. In general there is a preference in value change to have people perform with sustainability on their mind willingly and with the environment on mind to have people know more on the topic and want to choose the more sustainable option whenever it is possible. Though value change is prefered, many times having sustainability be the most convenient option is a quicker way to promote sustainability. People enjoy convenience and tapping into this common human behaviour is many times easier than trying to change the value of people. Unfortunately convenience does not promote further education on the topic and in the long run will not be as effective when the sustainable option becomes the less convenient choice. Both value change and convenience have their benefits and flaws so our conclusion that a balance of both factors is necessary for a successful change in behaviour towards sustainable mindfulness.

https://pac-12.com/videos/bill-walton-announces-pac-12-zero-waste-challenge-winners

Significance

Universities as higher education institutions have a responsibility in being sustainably aware and leading by setting good examples of behaviour. Sports, events that greatly bring the community together, are bound to be a setback in sustainability due to its production of waste, high energy consumption, increased amounts of transportation, and generally a larger need in resources. Many Universities have taken measures to making sure the environment won't become the cost of collegiate athletics. The current actions taking place on campuses to decrease the environmental impacts of college athletics is inspiring. Collegiate athletics is working towards using sports as a platform to further promote sustainable behaviour. The hope is that these sustainable choices grow and expand within the programs themselves, their larger communities and even to other colleges across the United States.

References

Announcing the Results of the 3rd Annual Pac-12 Zero Waste Bowl. (2017, March 15). Retrieved from https://greensportsalliance.org/announcing-the-results-of-the-3rd-annual-pac-12-zero-waste-bow/

Enterprises, S. (2019). Pac-12 Sustainability Conference. Retrieved April 22, 2019, from http://pac-12sustainabilityconference.com/sustainability/

Henly, A. (2013). Collegiate Game Changers How Campus Sport is Going Green. Retrieved from NRDC Report

Sustainability in College Athletics

By Mick Smoot, Duke Clinch, & Maddy Carr

Sustainability Drivers: Environmental Awareness vs. Ecological Footprint

Implementing sustainability into athletics is a growing trend, as our society starts to shift towards and prioritize sustainability where we need it most. Sports teams or venues may choose to become more sustainable for a variety of reasons - from care about the environment to reduced expenses. Depending on each team's short and long term goals, reasons for incorporating sustainable practices may differ from team to team, or even from year to year. However, the two primary drivers of athletics implementing sustainability into their operations or products are to increase environmental awareness, or to reduce their ecological footprint. While the two are not mutually exclusive, these two factors play dominant roles in pushing athletics towards sustainability, depending on the team and what their specific goals are.

Professional sports teams and their home arenas taking steps in order to become more sustainable. One of these teams was the Portland Trailblazers, who have brought in an environmental consultant in order to bring in impactful change to their arena. Some of the steps that were taken were an increase waste diversion rate, implementation of onsite solar energy, and LEED gold certification(Henly et al., 2012). While Portland and many other teams and venues are pursuing sustainability, there hasn’t been much of an attempt from these teams to educate the public on how they are making changes.

For example, I’m a lifetime fan of the Seahawks and have gone to CenturyLink field times but I never knew they had onsite solar at the venue. Education would be a great next step for these teams to improve their sustainability and to normalize companies taking action against climate change and other environmental issues.

While there may be numerous underlying reasons as to why a team or venue chooses to prioritize sustainability, two main drivers for best practices are environmental awareness and ecological footprint, both incredibly important aspects of sustainable change. Whether a team chooses to inspire fans with the need for sustainability, or implements a system to reduce waste production, any environmentally aware practice benefits the planet and is a step towards change in athletics - in an environment where sustainability can and should be prioritized.

Green Sports Alliance

The Green Sports Alliance is an affiliation of colleges that work together to promote sustainability across athletic programs. The alliance brings together programs and seeks to educate fans and athletes alike to become more sustainable. While they promote being more sustainable, the alliance doesn’t provide any incentives for athletic programs to change. So, while it is good that they promote becoming more eco-friendly, it is really up to the colleges themselves to change their ways. The alliance is more like a club that any college can be a part of rather than a certification type group (like LEED or ZERO-Waste).

What’s Next for Sustainability in Athletics?

Athletic programs across the country are realizing that the future must incorporate some degree of sustainability. College athletics have an incredible opportunity to promote sustainability and potentially have a larger impact than the academics of the college themselves.

College sports reach an enormous audience. Fans are more than just the students. Alumni, local residents, families, and people all over the world support and follow their favorite teams. Athletes and programs are put on on a pedestal. Furthermore, they reflect the university’s mission and values. Therefore, sports programs have a responsibility and a perfect platform to educate fans.

Most of the current colleges involved in making their programs more eco friendly focus on waste. This makes sense since waste is such a large impact. Schools around the country are focusing on adopting zero-waste programs. Some schools, such as University of Colorado Boulder, implement this by actually removing trash bins and only providing concessions that can be recycled or composted. Some schools also focus on student involvement. Volunteers will help pick through trash after games and sort any items that made it into the wrong bins.

Moving forward, athletic programs across the country could do better. The Green Sports Alliance could be improved by making sustainability a competition between schools. If there was some incentive to improve, then schools would likely fund more environmental programs.

References

Henly, A., Esposito, J., Lewis, J., Beinecke, F., Adams, J., Redford, R., ... Parkes, J. (2012). NRDC report_intergov, (September).

Can Electric Cars Save the Day?

By: Lianna Rzajeva, Katie Lam, and Siyao Xiao

Introduction

The influx of electric vehicles (EV) on the road has been quite a noticeable phenomenon in the past couple of years. The appeal of this automobile lies in its notable efficiency and sustainability efforts on the road, considering it emits no tailpipe emissions. While many individuals consider EVs a great solution to reverse the effects of global warming, some have questioned the legitimacy of its efforts, recognizing the social and economic implications. One research lab that is assessing the progress of EVs in relation to emission rates as well as the convenience for the driver is the University of Washington’s Sustainable Transportation Lab directed by Dr. Don Mackenzie, an assistant professor and researcher for the University’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. His recent Panel Discussion suggested that driving cars is ultimately inevitable; people that can afford it will usually opt to drive instead of taking public transportation. The broader question at hand is whether EVs are the only viable option individuals can take to be environmentally-conscious commuters, and how much these choices truly make a difference in promoting sustainable transportation.

The Importance of Electric Cars

Car driving in America is generally associated with being the most reliable mode of transit nationwide, considering the commuter has full control of departure time and route taken. With more than half of the country behind the wheel, it seems that getting people out of their vehicle may not be the most feasible solution (Pew Research Center 2014). An alternative that many are exploring is redesigning the automobile, not the commuter. This perspective has influenced the rise of vehicle electrification. In 2016 the Environmental Protection Agency released results of total US greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), with transportation making up 28% of total emissions (EPA 2016). When comparing the annual emissions of all electric versus conventional vehicles, electric was considerably lower than conventional, revealing a defining difference in how each automobile type plays a role in global warming. However, even with subsidies put in place for electric vehicle owners, the upfront cost may be too much for some households to splurge. Prices are decreasing, some studies even finding up to 18%, but even that may not be enough for families to even contemplate an EV (Ratner 2014). Another concern is whether these reductions are practical enough to reverse climate change and save the planet altogether? Standing alone, no, vehicle electrification can modify the problem, but not solve it. Nevertheless, it is a great alleviator if you can afford it, but if you cannot, other transportation options still exist that may be profitable for not only the Earth, but also your commute.

(State emission averages, ADFC https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/electric_emissions.html)

Other Sustainable Modes of Transit

As commuters, our top priorities on a day to day basis when traveling are comfort, time, and financial costs. Cars are instantly thought of the prime choice in all those categories, but other alternatives can still cumulate travel savings and financial de-stress. Taking public transportation is one way for commuters to get to where they need to be in a relatively short amount of time and at a low cost, especially during traffic hours. As for emission mitigation, public transit significantly decreases GHGs in the air, as well as traffic congestion by compacting commuters into a single unit, rather than their own vehicle. However, if a commuter finds public transit too burdensome, ridesharing is still a viable option, and the benefits are optimized with electric car-sharing. Car-sharing systems lower the idle time of the vehicle, are feasibly cheaper, and with vehicle electrification, can dramatically reduce both total emissions and total number of vehicles in cities (Gambella et. al. 2018). Both of these options are great alternatives that commuters can take to get to their desired location, save money, and stay environmentally responsible individuals.

Individual Action vs. Public Policy

Transportation is an interesting sector in a sense that the relationship between individual action and public policy is constantly at war. Conversations have swirled stating that no matter what an individual does in the context of environmental preservation, it does not matter, and rather, policies will be the ones to save the day. However, it is much more complex. Individual action and public policy are heavily intertwined: the commuter hopes that regulation is in their best interest, and policymakers are dependent on civilians’ cooperation and support. As individuals, it is our responsibility to support government officials and regulations that demand sustainability efforts that are accessible for civilians of all socioeconomic standings, such as increasing subsidies for EVs. Demanding changes include voting and member participation, but if that is not an option, then adjustments in consumer habits, such as changing from single-vehicle occupancy to carpooling, can make a difference economically socially, and environmentally. In turn, officials have a duty to comply to these demands and with a basis of research, provide regulation that incentivize environmentally-conscious behavior while improving accessibility. The collaboration between individuals and their governing bodies is essential to the preservation of human health globally as well as the security of our Earth.

Reference

Gambella, Claudio., Malaguti, Enrico., Masini, Filippo., & Vigo, Daniele (2018). Optimizing relocation operations in electric car-sharing. Omega, Volume 81, pp. 234-245.

Poushter, Jacob (2015). Car, Bike, or Motorcycle? Depends on Where You Live. Fact Tank,Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/16/car- bike-or-motorcycle-depends-on-where-you-live/

Ratner, Jonathan (2014). The Future of the Electric Car. Financial Post Magazine, pp. 43.

https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicles/electric_emissions.html

Transportation, Sustainability, & Equity

By: Molly Thompson, Annie Chan, and Sammy Chu

What is transportation equity?

Transportation equity is providing safe, environmentally sustainable, accessible, and affordable transit options to support:

Communities of color

Low-income communities

Immigrant and refugee communities

People with disabilities

People experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity

LGBTQ people

Women and girls

Youth

Seniors

Issues that Arise from Transportation Inequality

Public Health

Residents more likely to be near busy traffic areas such as highways increasing rates of asthma

Safety

Poor infrastructure leads to more collisions and injuries for bikers and pedestrians

Less Access

With easy transportation not readily available it is harder for people to access healthy food and health care providers

Solutions to Increase Transportation Equity

Barriers such as lack of signage in languages other than English, cost, and safety issues discourage people from using sustainable transportation such as biking, bussing and walking. Transportation equity should allow a safe space for all people to have the freedom to travel in a sustainable way. The goal should be to help alleviate racial disparities and the effects of displacement on less privileged communities. Improved infrastructure and safety measures could include:

Better street lighting

Wheelchair accessibility

Discounted fares for certain income levels

Better sidewalks/signage

Measures like these would increase the number of people who have access to sustainable transportation and overall improve the safety of our transportation systems.

(https://sdotblog.seattle.gov/2018/01/16/connecting-communities-through-transportation-equity/)

Present Sustainability and Equity Issues in Seattle

Sustainability

The transportation system is still has room to become more sustainable

Specifically, the Alliance is encouraging the City of Seattle to utilize their budget to speed up the reduction of our carbon footprint from transportation consumption and to create more protected bus and bike lanes.

The Alliance includes the Cascade Bicycle Club, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways, and other groups

News Article covering this issue: https://www.king5.com/article/traffic/alliance-asks-for-more-sustainable-transportation-in-seattles-next-budget/281-607354908

Equity

There are mobility issues in some areas of Seattle where there are missing sidewalks, and the routes to and from bus stops are both long in distance and difficult to navigate

In low-income neighborhoods, there aren’t enough transportation options and transit services are extremely infrequent

The Seattle transit model mainly prioritizes areas where most people are going to/through downtown

There are digital barriers for low-income individuals to access information pertaining to new projects, construction delays, transit options, low-income programs, etc.

Steps to More Equal Transportation in Seattle

Seattle has changed gears to focus on the safety of its transportation system by redesigning roads. Streets which have the most crashes and fatalities are prioritized in this redesign in efforts to create behavior change. There is a link between streets that are less safe and with areas of diversity. By redesigning dangerous roads in Seattle, the areas with higher diversity will receive equitable transportation. This plan is called Seattle Vision Zero and was launched in 2017.

(http://murray.seattle.gov/seattle-launches-vision-zero-plan-to-end-traffic-deaths-and-injuries-by-2030/)

Additional Transportation Improvements After One Year

So far over the past year changes in transportation in the city of Seattle have included:

Programming to enroll income-eligible Seattle residents for pre-paid transit cards.

A program in which high school students at Seattle Public Schools receive transit passes.

Engage community-based organizations and service providers that work with vulnerable individuals and families.

More funding for staff buildings and training.

Education about all the low-cost ways people can enroll in reduced-fare programs.

Organizations embed information about low-cost mobility resources into their day-to-day life.

Methods of Sustainable Transportation: Bike Share

Bike share is one great method of active transportation that is both good for the environment as well as having health benefits. However many barriers exist that prevent people from utilizing bike share programs, such as Lime Bikes.

Bike Share Equity (McNeil et. al., 2018)

Current Barriers

Expense / Lack of payment methods

Lack of stations in low-income neighborhoods

Lack of information/resources pertaining to the program

Unsure of where to find bikes and park the bikes after usage

Unsure of how to adjust the bikes

Unsure of whether they need to wear a helmet or not

Personal concerns (have children with them, don’t want to use their credit cards, etc.)

Not having a smartphone

Worried that there aren’t enough bikes

Concerns about paying for any loss or damages

Safety concerns (bike lanes, riding alongside traffic, etc.)

There are many misconceptions and concerns surrounding the bike share program. People of color and low-income individuals, in particular, are less likely to be familiar with bike share due to lack of information and connections to people who have ridden the bikes or at least have information about them. These individuals also face other barriers, such as expenses, reliable internet access, and owning a smartphone.

Aside from underserved neighborhoods, there is also concern for safety and payment/liability. Safety concerns usually pertain to females and children who are more vulnerable while using public modes of transportation, but bike routes are also a major concern. Bike lanes and routes to destinations can be improved for bike riders in terms of space, clearly marked lanes, and visibility for the bike riders and vehicle drivers. There is also lack of information in terms of payment and liability when using bike share bikes - some individuals prefer to pay with other types of payment methods and some are worried about having to pay more loss and damages.

Overcoming Barriers

To successfully engage diverse usage of bike share in our communities, Bike Share should:

Increase exposure of information for lower-income residents and people of color

Implement discounted memberships and address cost and liability (be clear on credit card charges, bike liability, etc.)

Assure safe routes to nearby destinations

Innovate program by utilizing customer feedback

(https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/7/20/16000882/limebike-bike-share-seattle-launch)

References

Equity. (2013, December 17). Retrieved from https://www.transportation.gov/mission/health/equity

Cohen, J. (2018, January 12). Seattle's DOT Is Rethinking Transportation Equity. Retrieved March 4, 2019, from https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/seattles-dot-is-rethinking-transportation-equity

McNeil, N., Broach, J., & Dill, J. (2018, February). Breaking Barriers to Bike Share:Lessons on Bike Share Equity. Retrieved March 4, 2019.

Singer, J. (2018, November 13). Inside the Nation's First Transportation Equity Program. Retrieved from https://medium.com/vision-zero-cities-journal/inside-the-nations-first-transportation-equity-program-6af080c7d71d

Retrieved from http://www.policylink.org/blog/equitable-transportation-investments

Active Transportation

By Diana Kawczynski, Isa Bonnin & Monica Contreras

What is active transportation?

Transportation decisions play a significant role in the state of community and individual wellbeing, health, and environment. Active transportation is a crucial part of transit networks and includes non-motorized transportation options such as:

Walking

Running

Cycling

Skating

The health and environmental benefits of active commutes have been well-documented by many studies over the years, confirming the positive influence that transport-related walking and cycling can have on individuals and communities. Policies regarding this issue are also important, and as cars are made a less attractive option through implementation of these policies, the competitiveness of active travel modes increases.

Health benefits

In the past decade, health problems in America, such as obesity and heart disease, have emerged as urgent policy mandates. Transportation networks have the power to either promote or hinder public health and influence the level of physical activity performed by residents every day. Poor promotion and integration of active transportation can negatively impact public health in the form of issues such as increased obesity and cardiovascular disease, which are caused in part by reduced daily exercise levels. Chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, cancer, and diabetes are also possible outcomes of increased physical inactivity.

Consider the following health statistics:

Obesity is responsible for roughly 9% of health care costs in the U.S.

Approximately 23% of American children perform less than 60 minutes of weekly physical activity, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Now, consider the following health benefits for American cities that support enhanced transportation networks and infrastructure:

New York saves approximately $19 billion annually due to residents’ low reliance on motor vehicles in comparison to other major U.S. cities.

Women who use modes of active transportation such as walking or cycling for 30+minutes a day have lower breast cancer risk.

Active commuting is connected to an 11% risk reduction for cardiovascular disease.

It’s evident that there is a connection between lack of active transportation and increased health problems. Cities with auto-oriented transportation inadvertently limit opportunities for active commutes and often the choice of motorised vehicles over active transportation is due to lack of accessibility, rather than personal preference. Thus, the nation’s most vulnerable populations -such as low-income communities, senior citizens, and children - suffer the most in terms of negative health impacts. Efficient connections between streets and safe pedestrian or bicycle paths and supportive infrastructure are essential to facilitate healthy, active lifestyles for all individuals.

Reducing climate change

Climate change is a growing problem and more people are starting to take note. It’s easy to claim that any environmentally-friendly action can help reduce climate change, but it’s often harder to understand why. The reason why active transportation can help reduce climate change is actually really simple. Every vehicle emits greenhouse gases; per gallon, vehicles emit around 20 lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere. This accounted for nearly a third of U.S.greenhouse gas emissions in 2007. Reducing the amount of vehicle use reduces the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, which then reduces climate change.

A good portion of car use can be attributed to short trips that could be easily walked or biked. Additionally, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per gallon of gasoline is the same regardless of the number of people in the vehicle. This gives driving alone some steep consequences. In the University of Washington, drive alone rates are extremely low, with most people choosing to walk or take public transport to, from, and around campus. The drive alone rate for Seattle is higher, but still low for a large city.

This is good, but it can still be better. While public transit is a major step up from driving alone, most forms of public transit still emit greenhouse gases. Active transportation, however, emits nothing. With the Burke-Gilman Trail running through it, the UW has a significant number of active transporters. The second largest transportation mode is walking, at 28%. Seattle has a significantly lower percent for both walking and biking. Increasing the number of commuters taking active transportation modes would reduce the drive alone rate further, which would reduce emissions.

Promoting and integrating active transportation

Some of the biggest barriers people face incorporating active transportation in their commutes is lack of infrastructure and safety concerns. Trail infrastructure, such as specialized walk and bike trails a safe distance from the road, are one of the biggest promoters of active transport. Those who live near such a trail, (think the Burke Gilman), are much more likely to ditch the car and use active transport to get to places within a few miles. The majority of short car trips could be eliminated with construction of a more integrated and well built trail network. Chamberlain, director of active transportation in WSDOT, refers to the benefits of a “connected network” like this. A connected network is when the mode of transportation has a continuous right of way. Increased trail infrastructure would allow for a more connected network and help people easily and safely integrate cycling and similar modes of active transport into their lives. Safety concerns generally arise when it comes to cycling in vehicle traffic and poor lighting. Chamberlain explains how connected networks are important because even if “drivers are legally required to stop for her, road design usually puts the most vulnerable road users in positions to take responsibility for avoiding danger.”

REFERENCES

https://www.apha.org/-/media/files/pdf/topics/transport/apha_active_transportation_fact_sheet_2010.ashx?la=en&hash=E2DD3E9B1BFD861B57C490A5FA0FC18FC201FE15

http://med-fom-spph-health-design.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2013/10/Frank_et_al1.pdf

https://crosscut.com/2019/02/can-woman-save-biking-washington-state

https://activelivingresearch.org/ActiveTravelreview

Phil Miller, Transportation Planning Analyst for UW Transportation Services

Transportation at the UW

By Kaitlyn Birkholz, Niki Hadighi, & Vishaka Nirmal

Introduction

The University of Washington leads as one of the top national Universities dedicated to a more sustainable future. One aspect they have vigorously been working on for over four decades is their transportation impact on the greater Seattle community. Promotion of the U-Pass, updated infrastructure for active transport, and education about environmental impacts have been swaying students and staff to reduce their carbon footprint every day. With a total enrollment of 45,766 across all 3 campuses, UW has high influential power not only in Seattle but in the nation. Here are some ways UW has strengthened its commitment to a smarter and healthier transportation system.

U-Pass, I-Pass, We-Pass

The University of Washington’s main initiative to reducing student and staff drive alone rates substantially dropped with the introduction of the U-Pass and Sound Transit Light Rail, which connects neighborhoods from Angle Lake to the University District. The pass cost a mandatory quarterly fee of $84 for students and $150 for staff and faculty. This reduced fare gives students a 72% discount off an average transit pass and a 52% discount for staff. The only thing users must do is to tap on and off. Even though the U-Pass is a ‘free’ service provided to students and staff, there are still many areas that can be improved. For example, deliberating with agencies to increase early and late departures to aid in rider flexibility is one of the goals UW is continually working towards. So don’t worry, that $84 you’re spending every quarter is going to good use.

Pedal to the Metal

The university encourages various forms of sustainable transportation. Biking is definitely included on the list of modes supported. They have improved the infrastructure of campus to accommodate bicyclists who are commuting to the campus. For example, having plenty of spaces on campus to be able to safely lock up your bike and/or store your bike. Not only are bicyclists taken care of on campus, but it has also been made easier to get to campus. The Burke Gilman Trail and the University Bridge make the commute for people easy and safe. However, the university is not stopping here. There are numerous goals that the university has set out to try and make the campus even more bike friendly. Some of these include:

Improving capacity of the Burke Gilman Trail

Working with outside communities to develop better biking paths to campus

Improving bike security

Walk the Walk

Walking around campus is one of the most common ways that students get around. The university has a network of walkways and trails that allow people to navigate the campus swiftly and easily. The university also made sure that there was access to the waterfront and other areas around campus that have scenic views. There is always room for improvement though, which is why various implementations have been made to provide greater access. Here are just a couple of the potential improvements:

Provide more secure and stable pathways (better lighting, repair sidewalks, etc.)

Communicate with the city and make sure that pathways to the university are also being taken care of

Make sure that pathways are well signed and/or have maps that users will be able to easily understand

Surf the Web

The recent improvement in distance and online learning tools has a large impact on transportation at universities, including the University of Washington. These tools and resources provide flexibility, can reduce emissions, and allow for wider access to class material. In terms of flexibility, with online tools such as the library or course resources, students can access information without having to commute to campus. This flexibility in commuting also allows for fewer cars on the road. Instead of driving to a library on campus, students can access most library materials through the UW research library database online. The use of online materials for courses allows more students to access information easily. This reduces the barrier of commutes, conflicting timings, or overenrolled classes. Although the UW does have many library resources online, certain course materials are not always made available online, restricting the benefits.

Life-long Lessons

Throughout all these methods of improving the transportation systems at the UW, the university can make strides in creating a long-lasting impact on students. With many of these transportation methods available to students and staff, they are able to continue these methods well after they move on from the campus. For undergraduate students, as they spend four years with the U-Pass access to bus routes, along with multiple bike and pedestrian pathways throughout campus, they get into the habit of using these sustainable transportation methods. With a variety of sustainable transportation methods, the UW can impact Seattle’s transportation well into the future.

Resources

UW Campus Master Plan 2018

A New Course: How Innovative University Programs Are Reducing Driving on Campus and Creating New Models for Transportation Actions

https://kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro/travel-options/bus/transit-tunnel.aspx

https://www.roadtrafficsigns.com/bike-sign/bicycle-symbol-bike-route-sign/sku-x-d11-1.aspx

https://kuow-prod.imgix.net/store/e451503e7dee0c093e6b73108cf4df3d.jpg?ixlib=rails-2.1.4&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&h=634&w=924

https://green.uw.edu/sites/default/files/snapshot/120918%20Snapshots_UPass-1.JPG

TRANSPORTATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT: Finding Holistic Solutions

By Eléni Williams, Emily Forsberg, Megan Sim

INTRODUCTION:

Transportation plays a significant role in greenhouse gas emissions contributing to 23% of total global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Of the transportation emissions, 71% come from road transport such as family cars, buses, semi-trucks etc. In order to mitigate the global average temperature increase from irreversible consequences, it is absolutely crucial we take action towards more sustainable transportation systems with new vehicle technologies and alternative energy in order to cut fossil fuel consumption. In his article on “Environmental Impacts of Alternative Fuels and Vehicle Technologies”, Ashani articulates the “attention drawn to sustainability is mainly rooted in social awareness of necessity of reaching a balance between human development and conservation of the environment” (Ashani 206). Thus, the significance in stressing the necessity to finding a sustainable balance throughout all aspects of society, with transportation being a priority.

FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION:

Active: Walking, Running, Biking, Skating, Scootering, etc.

Public Transportation: Buses, Link light rail, Ferries

Alternative Transportation: Carpooling, Uber, Lift

Unsustainable: SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES

TRANSPORTATION THAT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE:

When talking about the sustainability and impact of transportation, it is very important to consider the impact of various methods. Single occupancy vehicles are one of the most unsustainable modes of transportation, but also one of the most widely used. The embodied energy of cars in addition to the petrol used while driving is quite hazardous to our environment and health. According to Anashi, air quality worsens, resources are depleted, and climate change occurs. It is important though to consider that currently, almost all of our transportation options run on petrol or diesel. And the small percentage of cars that are electric, are not significantly more sustainable. Electric cars are typically powered by natural gas burned elsewhere to create electricity. According to an article in the Guardian, electric cars are more efficient, and use ⅔’s the amount of fuel to travel an equal distance, they emit fewer greenhouse gases, BUT the particulate matter released is worse (Seán Clarke).

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE:

At this point in time, all forms of transportation are unsustainable to some extent. Most run off burning fuels that release greenhouses and particulate matter. Though, it is important to consider that there are forms of transportation that are more sustainable than others. In other words, there is somewhat of a hierarchy of sustainability in transportation. Single occupancy vehicles would be at the bottom, followed by single occupancy electric vehicles. Then there is public transportation, ferries, carpooling, and rideshare. The sustainability of the options is very dependent on how they are being used. For instance, a full bus is very sustainable, but an empty bus is far worse than a single occupancy vehicle. The most sustainable ways of transporting one's self though, are through active transportation. This involves walking, running, biking, scootering, etc. The impact is extremely low compared to alternative options. There are no direct fossil fuels burned, and in addition it can make people healthier and happier.

HOW TO ENCOURAGE (MORE) SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION:

Having to change what we do every day and going for something with possibly less convenience and comfort might be challenging for many. Hence, it’s important that we first change our mindsets and behaviors, to understand the importance of using sustainable transportation and all its benefits. Improving the transport network efficiency and interconnectedness would be part of the motivating factor for individuals to switch to using these sustainable transport means:

Behavioral Shifts/Personal Goals - Understanding the importance of minimizing use private transportations

Government Actions - Improving public transport networks, making it more efficient and convenient for users

Monetary Incentives/Disincentives - using money as a way to encourage or force behavior shifts to more sustainable alternatives.

CONCLUSION:

After all, in order for us to achieve rapid declines in emission outputs and make a significant impact on the environment, it is crucial we all work together towards a common goal. Be it to make an effort to not drive alone, or to use the public transportation. All these small steps would allow us to reach our common goal, to make a difference together! It is not about walking every single place you go, but being intentional about how you are getting from point A to point B and choosing the most sustainable option you can. So what do you think? Would you start taking responsible action to save our environment?

Works Cited

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878029615006313https://

www.nrdc.org/stories/future-seattles-ferries-electric?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=socialmedia&fbclid=IwAR3-LasEsnZXI98TR9uZHa8LS3dMWnAwJjruYxiMqi-CWgC5e6t2IPNJcnQ

https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2017/dec/25/how-green-are-electric-cars

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE & PLANNING

By Li Tan, Rebekah Rongo, & Avie Niece

Transportation infrastructure is a significant part of global landscape. It is comprised of communities, parks, roads, bridges, sidewalks and gives our cities form. We move through the infrastructure via different modes of transportation, such as cars, bikes and more. Transportation infrastructure is the social framework connecting us with each other. Today there are two sectors of infrastructure, and are referred to as green and grey.

WHAT IS GREY INFRASTRUCTURE?

Grey infrastructure is hard, engineered systems such as freeways, pipes, concrete paving, culverts, ditches, detention ponds, and other non -permeable material that moves water off and away from it. Grey infrastructure is designed to avoid any type of ecosystem to grow on it.

WHAT IS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE?

Green infrastructure incorporates both natural occurring ecological processes and soft engineered systems to create cost effective, resilient designs. Green infrastructure includes naturalistic methods that utilize porous permeable material allowing infiltration. Examples include bioswales, green roofs, rain gardens, wetlands, and stormwater catchment. Green infrastructure relating to transportation includes green trail networks, wildlife crossings, pollinator highways, and environmentally-sensitive roadway design, and construction. The overarching goal is to use the landscape as infrastructure aiming to blend the natural and built environment enabling a more harmonious relationship between humans and the planet.

PLANNING: Making the Grey...Greener!

There are many reasons to integrate sustainable forms of infrastructure into the growing environment. The issue of climate change is urgent, and green infrastructure has been proven to alleviate and address many of these environmental problems.

The transportation sector is responsible for as much as 30 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, which is the primary cause of climate change.

Stormwater runoff from streets and other paved surfaces is laden with pollutants from cars, leading to downstream pollution and degraded water quality in streams, rivers, lakes, and estuaries.

Highways contribute to habitat degradation and fragmentation, leading to dwindling wildlife populations and reduced biodiversity.

Below, are examples of projects across the nation that are already in motion and great precedent to follow moving forward.

WILDLIFE CROSSINGS

This wildlife overpass is being built over I-90, just east of Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains in Washington State. The state Department of Transportation is improving a 15 mile stretch of highway which is a lifeline for freight and traffic connecting our state east to west. I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition which was formed in 2004 brought diverse stakeholders together. This makes the roadway safer for wildlife and motorists and connects fractured ecologies.

GREENSPACE TRAIL NETWORKS

The Stewards of the Emerald Necklace from the organization Amigos De Los Rios have many projects finished and underway. Their mission is to create natural infrastructure of green spaces both parks and trails in underprivileged areas throughout the Los Angeles Basin. Mental health, physical health and academic performance are optimized and protected within each project. One project Amigos De Los Rios created is the L.A. City History Trail which they have implemented into the area including 20 points of historical interests along the two mile stretch of trail.

GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE

Philadelphia’s Water Department created a plan called Green City, Clean Waters to help reduce stormwater pollution which is currently being emitted to the cities’ Combined Sewer System using green infrastructure. The department is adding green to its streets, sidewalks, and parking lots and more to slow and filter rainfall. When the whole plan is completed, stormwater will be reduced in Philadelphia by 85 percent! Green City, Clean Waters is creating environmental, economic, and social benefits for the city. These projects are increasing property values, beautifying the city, fighting summer heat, creating natural habitats, and enhancing the quality of transportation throughout the city.

CONCLUSION

Highways and interstates have been built through the middle of cities and neighborhoods, dividing communities and creating corridors of air, noise, and visual pollution. Therefore, moving forward, governments and authorities should include green infrastructure in their future planning goals. This is because green infrastructure helps mitigate climate change and reduces greenhouse gases. This would benefit our current society, and future generations to come.

SOURCES FOR BLOG POSTS

http://www.phillywatersheds.org/what_were_doing/documents_and_data/cso_long_term_control_plan

https://amigosdelosrios.org/los-angeles-city-history-trail/

https://i90wildlifebridges.org/

https://www.asla.org/sustainabletransportation.aspx#GreenStreets

https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure

Transportation Options & Policies

By Felix Reinhold, Max Rennie, & Cole Zwierzynski

Transportation options and policies take on many forms and for the most part these options and policies are concerned with behavioural change within the population, and there are multiple ways that this can be done. Two ways that are often implemented by cities and states is a combination of incentivizing drivers positive behaviour change as well as disincentivizing negative behaviour change. Examples of incentivising positive behaviour changes include:

Financial incentives

Carpool lanes

Rideshare car parks

Examples of disincentivizing negative behaviour changes include:

Higher tolls during peak times

Higher parking fees in downtown areas

Eco-taxes on gasoline

Quantifying sustainable transport can be a difficult task, and because of this, promoting it can be even more difficult. Rune Elvik and Farideh Ramjerdi took on this challenge and conducted a study implementing some of the behavior-change tactics listed above, and observing how they were able to change a transportation system. They were able to find that over all, the economic instruments were the most effective in changing the way a population chose to transport themselves. Increasing the price of gas, congestion charges, and tolls were all found to be very effective in controlling overall traffic volume, while distance-per-trip reduction, non-speeding, and avoiding driving during rush hour economic rewards were found to be effective in reducing rush hour and speeding numbers (Elvik & Ramjerdi 2014).

To conclude; it is vital to understand how to work efficiently around problems in sustainable transportation as well as knowing how to effectively change behavior of the commuter. Solving the problems to improve Transportation Options will help reduce traffic congestion, road risk, environmental impacts and cost for the consumer. To work on a solution we must understand the user, and to allow the user access to a variety of transportation methods and increase the accessibility of public transport and encourage environmentally friendly means of transportation.

Sources:

A comparative analysis of the effects of economic policy instruments in promoting environmentally sustainable transportElvik R., Ramjerdi F. (2014) Transport Policy, 33, pp. 89-95.

System Mapping: An Innovative Approach to Problem Solving

By Chuqi Cai, Chrina Munn, & Russell Monroe

System Mapping and Transportation

System mapping could help people understand and solve complex problems, and all we need is only a piece of large paper and some markers. We write down our goals as the output, and include components like the people, the organizations and indicators as nodes, and then link them to show the interconnection. It works well when we are working as a high diversity group, as it fosters high participation and allows group members to show specialized knowledge of their expert field. Through system mapping and analyzing we could determine what actions are needed from different stakeholders to change the system; and we could trace them down to the root in order to find the possible reasons for social behavior change. So therefore, this map plays a vital role in business, social research and policy making.

As one the essential elements in urban planning, the transportation system is complicated not only because of its infrastructure, vehicles, and operations; but also for its close relationship to people and organizations. Transport policies should evolve to meet the demand of expanding population and growing cities. However, changing in one factor could influence others in an unexpected way as understanding how variables interact with each other is crucial. After clarifying the goal or the problem, we could use system mapping to predict the impact of the actions, identify the key components and find the most effective solutions. Barbara C. Richardson’s sustainable transport framework is a great example. She uses system mapping to present the factors that influence the five indicators of transport sustainability: safety, fuel consumption, congestion, environment and access. She shows the interaction among those factors and identifies the opportunities for policy intervention.

The Seattle Connection

Bringing the concept of system mapping to life, we can analyze transportation in the city of Seattle. Drawing from Richardson’s version of transportation system mapping, the first major input for the Seattle transportation map is ‘natural resources’ which are then dictated by all levels of government agencies through policy. Another input from Richardson’s work is ‘physical, psychological, social needs’ which is a particularly prominent component in Seattle transportation because of the “green” inclinations of the citizens as a whole. This “green” character trait of Seattle leads to the next component in the map - infrastructures such as rail lines, bus cables, subway tunnels, bike lanes, and roads. The infrastructure lends itself into the next component, which is modes of transit such as the Link Light rail, the King County bus system, Amtrak trains, cars (both personal and company owned), and bikes (both personal and company owned). All the different modes of transit around the city of Seattle lead to components such as traffic, emissions, safety, and access. Each of the listed components could be analyzed to come up with numerous other pathways, but a Ted Talk by Tom Wujec suggests that the simpler systems can be far more effective than the most complete or detailed ones because of information overload. Regardless of detail, the outputs for the system map of Seattle Transportation are environmental impacts such as CO2 emissions, habitat fragmentation, air and noise pollution. Additionally, changes to landscape and potential water quality and supply. This is a scaled down idea of the Seattle Transportation system map, but the basic principles and major components are highlighted.

The Road Map to Success

Currently, the concept and usage of system mapping is experiencing high levels of popularity by professionals in the social sciences for a variety of reasons. Not only does it take a holistic approach to a given issue or system; it also fosters cohesive, human interaction in the workplace. While both of these associations are certainly positive, it would also be wise to explore potential pitfalls a group may encounter when working within a system mapping project. On the human side of things, the most successful system maps come from those who have been properly trained in the various types of system maps and their related applications. Furthermore, if the members of the group have some level of familiarity with each other and their respective cognitive styles and abilities, success rates go up even higher. However, it can be challenging to task groups of veteran workers with a different type of modality that not only requires training, but a greater amount of social contact with their peers. For the mapping itself, an important point to always remember is that system mapping reflects a dynamic, ever changing situation. This requires the mappers to constantly have an awareness of the system as a whole as the interrelationships between components can quickly change over time. Therefore, the importance of keeping a system map up to date cannot be overstated. Another challenge to system mapping is that it rests entirely in theory. While it allows for a group to access potential solutions, it does not guarantee the successful application or implementation of those solutions. Fostering a beneficial relationship between those involved in system mapping and the policymakers relying on their expertise remains a critical requirement for actual socio-political change to a given system. Taking into account the aforementioned variables will ensure that an organization interested in utilizing this new modality can effectively and properly execute it for a variety of systems.

Sources:

Acaroglu, Leyla. “Tools for Systems Thinkers: Systems Mapping – Disruptive Design – Medium.” Medium.com, Medium, 20 Sept. 2017, medium.com/disruptive-design/tools-for-systems-thinkers-systems-mapping-2db5cf30ab3a.

Richardson, Barbara C. “Sustainable Transport: Analysis Frameworks.” Journal of Transport Geography, vol. 13, no. 1, 2005, pp. 29–39., doi:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2004.11.005.

“Systems Thinking: A View from the Trenches (SSIR).” Stanford Social Innovation Review: Informing and Inspiring Leaders of Social Change, Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2 May 2017, ssir.org/articles/entry/systems_thinking_a_view_from_the_trenches.

Wujec, Tom. “Got a Wicked Problem? First, Tell Me How You Make Toast.” Ted, Ted, 2013, www.ted.com/talks/tom_wujec_got_a_wicked_problem_first_tell_me_how_you_make_toast?language=en.

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