In the University's quest for sustainability, Dining Services, the Department of Parking and Transportation and the President's Committee on Sustainability have implemented countless initiatives. Many of these initiatives have contributed to a more sustainable University. Eliminating trays from dining halls, for example, significantly reduced water use, but the new "Sustainability Pledge" is more symbolic. The Committee hopes to prove to students that even individual contributions toward living a greener lifestyle can, in fact, make a difference. "We wanted to develop a mechanism that helps to overcome negativity such as, 'I'm just one person, my actions don't matter,'" said Ida Lee Wootten, Community Outreach and Communications Subcommittee chair. And although many sustainability programs address the idea that one person's actions do not matter, no program tries to do this more than the UVA Green Challenge.
The UVA Green Challenge, which started this year, is a competition that encourages students to live greener lives. Students join and earn points based on sustainable actions they take or new initiatives that they use. Sheffield Hale, project leader and Food Collaborative member, said, "Competition excites us and drives us to new heights. The goal of the UVA Green Challenge is to foster a healthy competition amongst students to acquire the most points throughout a year." There are seven phases to the program: food, energy, consumption, trash, water, community engagement and travel and transportation. Each phase is full of different ways to live greener, help the environment and help the University achieve its sustainability goals. These seven phases address all aspects of students' lives and encourage them to make real lifestyle changes.
The best part of the challenge is that it brings the various initiatives and programs at the University together and encourages students to live "greener" lives in more than just one area. Another great aspect of the challenge is the website, which not only tells you exactly how you can live a greener life, but also how to participate in sustainability initiatives in the community. For example, during the first phase of the challenge - food - points are awarded for eating locally. Suggested activities include apple picking at Carter Mountain Orchard, visiting the farmer's market Downtown, using reusable to-go mugs and containers and volunteering at the University Community Garden. The challenge also awards points for continuing sustainable practices even after that particular phase is over - to encourage students to make these changes a part of their lifestyle rather than just for a month-long commitment. Points are also given for washing clothes in cold water, air drying laundry and participating in the Game Day Recycling Challenge.
Furthermore, the challenge places an emphasis on educating participants about sustainability. The website where students track their points also provides a list of resources during different phases. During the current phase - energy - websites are listed with information on how to decrease utility bills and how to conserve energy, among other resources.
The UVA Green Challenge is a great way to encourage students to increase personal sustainability practices in a fun way. By encouraging students to go apple picking or to go to the farmer's market, the challenge shows participants that living greener lives is not a chore, but can instead include enjoyable outings. The project also emphasizes that sustainability is about more than just altering your own habits to decrease your personal environmental impact, but also about positively impacting the greater community through volunteering opportunities.
Students should take part in the UVA Green Challenge not only to live greener lives, but also to find out how to give back to the larger community. This challenge is a great opportunity to combine all sustainability efforts at the University and gives incentives for students to participate. By encouraging individual students to change their environmental impact, the Committee shows that a change in one person's lifestyle can create a positive change in the environment. The UVA Green Challenge is an opportunity for students to learn about greener living habits in a fun, rewarding way. All students should participate in the challenge.
Claire Shotwell's column appears Mondays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at c.shotwell@cavalierdaily.com.
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