The University’s Nitrogen Working Group will conclude its pilot study of the University’s nitrogen, water and carbon footprints at the Clark Hall Café tomorrow.
The project aims to engage with University faculty, staff and students on the environmental responsibilities surrounding the production of excess resources.
The group labeled different foods in the cafe with various star-ratings, indicating the sustainability levels of each food, said Lia Cattaneo, a fourth-year Engineering student involved in the project. The group plans to track purchases to determine if the labels changed the number and type of items bought during their two-week study.
“We want to use the labels to inform students about the environmental impact of their food choices,” Cattaneo said.
Environmental Science Prof. James Galloway said the University is the first to conduct this kind of research.
“No other universities, as of two years ago, were focusing on nitrogen pollution caused by an institution's use of resources like food or energy,” Galloway said. “The University of Virginia was the first one to do this and U.Va. is now working with 16 other universities to use the same approach.”
This approach to the problem of excess carbon and nitrogen in the environment focuses on the consumer rather than the producer, Galloway said.
The group plans to use the data from the project to determine if the labeling system had possible effects on consumer decisions at the Clark Hall Cafe, said Mary-Michael Robertson, a first-year Engineering student involved in the working group.
“I definitely feel that our poster describing the project and the labeling system itself have made a positive impact on customers' thought processes when determining which food items to purchase,” Robertson said.
The group hopes the project will lead to further on-Grounds awareness about the effects of food production on the environment, and encouragement for members of the university community to make sustainable food choices in their “everyday lives,” Robertson said.
“We hope that students will work to help U.Va. achieve and surpass its sustainability goals in the future,” Robertson said.
Galloway said the group plans to extend the project to a larger scale next semester.
“It [has] only been possible because of the work of [the students]…they’ve done a fantastic job with this project,” Galloway said.
Read More
Podcast revolutionizes storytelling for Charlottesville and its sister city
By Brandon Kile | 7 hours agoCharlottesville has four sister cities total, the other three being Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Poggio a Caiano, Italy and Winneba, Ghana.
Student Council debates resolution for increased allergen transparency, reviews summer budget
By Arshiya Pant | YesterdayThe resolution aimed to support students by requiring U.Va. Dine locations to provide a comprehensive list of allergens for food items on GrubHub.
Honor Committee brainstorms sanction diversification, considers future steps for AI
By Lexie Stadler | 2 days agoHancock and Carson Breus, vice chair for sanctions and third-year Commerce student, said they are collaborating to explore fresh sanctioning avenues.
