Want to know more about the University of Louisville’s efforts to promote sustainability? Sustainability Week, which runs this year from Oct. 23-29, is a chance to catch up on the progress UofL is making toward its green goals and learn ways to incorporate sustainability in your daily life.
“I look forward to Sustainability Week every year because it’s such a great opportunity to celebrate and share all of the great, but little-known things that are happening to make UofL an even better steward of our environmental, social and economic resources,” said Justin Mog, assistant to the provost for sustainability initiatives.
Mog, who has been in his post since 2009, earlier this year was awarded the city’s Joan Riehm Memorial Environmental Leadership Award, just one of several sustainability highlights from 2017 at UofL.
Others included being named a Tree Campus USA for the seventh year by the Arbor Day Foundation and garnering the highest ranking of any Kentucky college in the Sierra Club’s “Cool School” list at No. 51. Additionally, UofL issued a report, the 2006-2016 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, that showed the university is close to meeting its first benchmark in its goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
Sustainabilty Week begins Oct. 23 with “Mindful, Meatless Monday” events at various locales to show the links between sustainability and mindfulness practices. Try out Restorative Yoga (1 p.m.) or Yoga Flow (4 p.m.) at the Student Recreation Center. Drop by the Humanities Quad to catch a vegetarian cooking demonstration or learn about “mindful snacking” (2:30-4 p.m.).
Don’t forget that the UofL Free Store is open on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The store in the basement of Unitas Hall gives away donated items that would otherwise end up in a landfill.
On Tuesday, Oct. 24, get to The Ville Grill from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to try some of the featured locally-sourced or Kentucky Proud food items.
The 10th Annual Campus Sustainability Day Fair is Wednesday, Oct. 25, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Humanities Quad, featuring booths and information about what UofL and community organizations are doing to advance sustainability.
Thursday, Oct. 26, is the last chance to visit the Gray Street Farmers Market this season and pick up local produce and food items, baked goods, honey, jams and jellies (11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.). Swing by on your bike and get a few tips at a free bike maintenance station hosted by Falls City Community Bikeworks.
On Friday, Oct. 27, come talk about “Global Politics of Climate Change” at the UofL Sustainability Roundtable with speaker Rodger Payne, UofL professor of political science. The roundtable is from 11 a.m. to noon in Urban Studies Room 123 (426 W. Bloom St.) In addition, students are encouraged to take advantage of discounted registration fees for the Louisville Sustainability Summit from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage (1701 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd).
Tree planting in Jeffersonville, Indiana, takes place Sat., Oct. 28 (9 a.m., 240 Wall St.) and volunteers are needed. Volunteers are also needed Sun., Oct. 29 at UofL’s compost site in the 200 block of East Bloom Street (one block north of Cardinal Boulevard between Brook and Floyd streets).
More Sustainability Week details can be found online.
