Even though Arizona State University is situated in the Sonoran Desert, it happens to be one of the “greenest” places on Earth.
The university is a model of sustainability with 54 LEED certified buildings, solar installations at each campus and a culture that encourages seeking innovative ways to make a positive impact on the world with a commitment to climate neutrality.
ASU continues to raise the bar in its sustainability education and leadership in 2019 and will participate in Campus Sustainability Month, which starts Oct. 1.
Held every October, the monthlong event is an international celebration of sustainability in higher education designed to engage and inspire incoming students and other campus stakeholders to be sustainability change agents.
Senior Sustainability Scientist Michael Dalrymple works with many change agents across the university to head up ASU’s aggressive operational sustainability goals, which include making the university carbon neutral by 2025. ASU Now spoke to Dalrymple about Campus Sustainability Month and how the Sun Devil community can participate.
Michael Dalrymple
Question: What is Campus Sustainability Month?
Answer: It is a national campaign, held every October, started by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) to promote sustainability on college and university campuses around the country. It is an opportunity for everyone in the ASU community to become more aware and engaged in achieving sustainability on campus. According to AASHE, “The main goal of Campus Sustainability Month is to raise the visibility of campus sustainability and provide campus sustainability advocates with a platform through which to deepen campus engagement around sustainability."
Q: How can people get involved?
A: Recently, in ASU Now, an article put forward 10 simple ways Sun Devils can go green. These are practical ways anyone can start to get involved in sustainability. People can also visit AASHE's website to learn more about Campus Sustainability Month in general and also see what is happening across the globe. Additionally, individuals can participate in any of the events being held on the Tempe and Poly campuses, a calendar of which will be live soon.
Q: Why is sustainability so important to ASU?
A: ASU is and has been a leader in sustainability, from President Michael Crow being a founder of the ACUPCC Climate Commitment to setting up the first School of Sustainability in the country. We want ASU to be the example of how a small city — ASU has over 125,000 community members, bigger than Flagstaff — can figure out how to operate sustainably. To be a Sun Devil is to be sustainable.
Q: One event this week is about greening your home or office — what are some easy ways that people can do that?
A: Greening your home and/or office can be an exciting process that celebrates creativity and stimulates a sense of well-being. Several simple ways to green your space include:
Home
• If you haven’t started recycling, look into your local recycling program and begin reducing waste-to-landfill responsibly. In Tempe or Phoenix, you can start recycling and reduce the size of your landfill bin and save money. If you’ve been recycling for a while, think about composting opportunities as this will further reduce your waste-to-landfill as well as provide nutrient rich soil for your garden.
• Identify money saving practices that also green your space, like switching to LEDs once your old lightbulbs go out or installing low-flow fixtures that reduce water consumption as well as hot water needs.
• Remember to change the air filter for your HVAC as this can improve efficiency by 5% to 15%.
• Utilizing fans can allow you to adjust your thermostat setting by 4 degrees during the summer.
• Try to find ways to reduce consumptive practices as much as possible: Switch to towels that you wash, rather than paper towels.
• Then focus on what you can reuse: Switch out store-bought water bottles like disposable plastic with reusable bottles — Nalgene, Hydro Flask, etc. Utilize reusable bags for groceries.
Office
• Ask your office purchaser to buy 100% recycled paper.
• Transition to double-sided printing and use single-sided copies for scrap paper.
• Identify alternative transportation — walking, biking, public transportation — to and from work one or two days a week.
• Set electronics to enter sleep mode after no longer than 10 minutes when not in use.
• Turn off lights when leaving.
• Request digital copies instead of printed.
• Support paperless software like DocuSign, Google Drive, Drop Box, etc.
• Reuse office supplies before purchasing new, where applicable.
Q: What other events can people look forward to?
A: Here's a schedule of events we have planned for Campus Sustainability Month:
• Sun Devil Volleyball green game: 7 p.m. Oct. 4 at Wells Fargo Arena, celebrating sustainable athletic events.
• Zero Waste Team Diversion Demonstration: 10:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Oct. 9 at Memorial Union Mall Space 24, supporting zero waste efforts and ASU’s goal for a circular resource system.
• "Chasing Coral" documentary: 6:30–8:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at Marston Exploration Theater, emphasizing the impacts from climate change on the most diverse ocean ecosystems.
• Sustainability Walking Tour: 8:30–10 a.m. Oct. 17 meeting at Fulton Center Lobby Area Near garage entry, showcasing ASU's commitment to sustainability via the built environment.
• Sun Devil Dining A Taste of Tooker: 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Oct. 23 at Tooker House Dining Hall, supporting ASU's food-reconnection sustainability goal. Stop by to enjoy local and organic foods.
• Fourth Annual ASU State of Sustainability Summit: 9–11 a.m. Nov. 4 at ASU Memorial Union Ventana B+C, celebrating collaborative action across ASU and showcasing achievements that support ASU’s sustainability goals.
Top photo by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
More Environment and sustainability
Charles Redman, founder of the School of Sustainability, faces a new adventure: Retirement
At the retirement celebration for Charles Redman on Oct. 22, two messages persisted: Redman’s contributions to Arizona State University helped to shape the interdisciplinary efforts we now find…
10 climate insights to guide our future
A group of globally renowned social, natural and climate scientists has once again convened to offer their newest annual synthesis report, “10 New Insights in Climate Science.”The report, published…
The future is green: Job demand translates to high employability for ASU sustainability grads
A 2023 report by Forbes on the state of green jobs confirmed what Arizona State University has been trumpeting for years: Sustainability will play a large part in the new economy.The report suggests…