Seymour s Sustainable

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1 JANUARY 2014 STUDENT OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY Monthly Newsletter JANUARY 2014 Sustainability in the City Mariah Dorner The City of Eau Claire has recently created an Advisory Commission on Sustainability (ACS) to function within city government. A public meeting was held on December 9th to discuss the ordinance for the creation of the commission. Voting for approval took place the following evening where the ordinance was passed by a vote of 8 to 3. The ACS will be made of one city council member and eight other citizens of Eau Claire, including stakeholders of environmental groups, businesses, and sustainability leaders. The purpose of this commission is to offer recommendations to the city council regarding sustainability and environmental concerns as they are relevant. Suggestions made by the commission will pertain to issues like energy, food, pollution, waste, etc. While other city commissions do touch on these issues as well as other sustainability topics such as transportation and waterways, the ACS would be a go-to place for citizens to bring environmental concerns and ideas for greening and lowering the carbon footprint of Eau Claire. We are hoping that a city-wide sustainability movement, as spearheaded by the ACS, will create sustainability outreach and collaboration opportunities between our campus and the city of Eau Claire in the future! Follow the link below to view the ordinance document for the creation of the ACS: And here, to learn more about sustainability in the city of Eau Claire: Seymour s Sustainable LIFESTYLE TIPS: SUSTAINABLE WINTER SURVIVAL SEAL OFF ANY DRAFTS IN YOUR HOUSE OR APARTMENT, SAVING ENERGY AND MONEY LOOKING FOR FUN OVER BREAK? SUPPORT THE LOCAL THEATER OR ART SCENE BY GOING TO A SHOW WHICH CUTS DOWN ON EMISSIONS GO TO A WINTER FARMER S MARKET AND MAKE A MEAL WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY NEED A NEW YEAR S RESOLUTION? PLEDGE TO LIVE A MORE SUSTAINABLE LIFE 1

2 DECEMBER MARCH JANUARY Climate Change Public Opinion Research: Comparing China and The United States Emy L. Marier Picture of Wes, Dr. Jamelske, Myself, and Elora at the Great Wall The negative effects of climate change are of global concern. Meaningful action to address climate change will require the involvement of China and the United States, the two largest carbon-emitting countries in the world. Therefore, public opinion on climate change in these two countries directly pertains to whether national and international commitments to reduce carbon emissions will be achieved. From September to November 2013, Wes Meives, Elora Leene, and myself traveled with Dr. Jamelske to China and partnered with Chinese research students to gather survey data from adults in four major Chinese cities Guangzhou, Beijing, Xi an, and Chengdu. The survey addressed topics such as whether climate change is happening, the risk it poses to humans, and whether to join an international emissions reduction commitment. In addition, respondents were asked, using a willingness to pay (WTP) variable, if they would support a national emissions reduction policy, such as cap and trade or a carbon tax, which would in turn increase their monthly expenses. This Spring we will be working with our data to Picture taken with our Chengdu Students after a preliminary results presentation create research presentations and posters to disseminate the results. Please be sure to find our research poster at CERCA this May. One significant contrast between the two countries found thus far regards responses to the survey question asking for the most important issue to society with choices such as healthcare, poverty, education, human rights, national security, etc. The number one response among Americans is the economy, while the number one response among Chinese respondents is the environment. 2

3 MARCH 2013 JANUARY 2014 January January Student Office of Sustainability October 2013 Monthly Newsletter Winter Scenery Around UWEC Photos by Zoe Clemmons and Alan Mendizabal 3

4 JANUARY MARCH DID YOU KNOW? In 2012 Singapore opened Gardens by the Bay an 11 million square foot complex designed to fight against the heat island effect. This occurs from the rise in temperature from concrete and asphalt in cities. The space features a glass atrium that holds 220,000 types of vegetation, and a grove of 18 supertrees. The supertrees are really vertical gardens that help filter exhaust from transportation, capture rainwater, and utilize solar panels. It has been proven that urban plantings can reduce particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide levels by 40 to 60 percent. January Local, Seasonal Seasonal There are very few vegetables in season during the bitter winter, however spinach does have an extended growing period. Storage While some produce is no longer in season by the end of fall, many hearty root vegetables and other produce are stored easily through winter months and can effectively be considered seasonal. Beets, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Garlic, Onions, Parsnip, Potato, Rudabaga, Winter Squash, Turnip, Apples, Pears 4

5 MARCH JANUARY The Frac Front Zoe Clemmons Frac sands operations in Wisconsin are here to stay. Promoted as an opportunity for economic growth in our region and an important counterpart for another energy source, there is no escaping the reality of the frac sands operations invading many parts of Wisconsin. Frac sands are characterized as porous quartz sandstone used to inject into surfaces for hydraulic fracturing. The sands are unique to western and central Wisconsin due to the sandstone formations natural to the region. Trempealeau, Chippewa, and Eau Claire all have high concentrations of these formations which provide ample resources for companies to pop up everywhere. One of the newest companies to start up is Calgary, Canada based Source Energy Services located in Weyerhaeuser. Source Energy Sources is hoping to have a production capacity of 2 million tons of sands by the third quarter of 2014.These sands will then be transported on by railway in conjunction with hydraulic fracturing companies throughout the country. 131 operations have popped up within the last few years in Wisconsin. There are many known problems associated with gathering these frac sands; the damage of wetlands, the transferring of sediments into homes, and risk to resipiratory health have just been a few of the reported issues. However, a company called Preferred Sands in Trempealeau County recently was charged $200,000 for storm water and air pollution violations. An article dated December 18th, 2013 from thenorthwestern.com reports that, A road was left with a 6-inch-deep layer of sediment. Surprisingly, this is the first reported suit brought against a sand mining company in the state of Wisconsin. The company is expected to pay through a series of installments up until Wisconsin is currently the top producer of frac sands in the country. Only time will reveal more potential lawsuits. Sand mining companies need to be responsible for disclosing how they dispose of the sand sediments, but the challenge is how we can combat money over what really matters. Sound like a familiar tune? Sources: Photo via: wisconsinwatch.org MISSION The SOS provides funding for projects that reduce UW-Eau Claire s negative impact on the environment and make UW-Eau Claire a more sustainable campus. The SOS allocates funding to projects addressing the various sustainability areas of transportation, energy, waste, climate change, food systems, campus ecology, environmental ethics, and outreach. CONTACT STUDENT OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY MEETINGS: Tuesdays, 5 PM DIRECTOR: Emy Marier stusen65@uwec.edu 5