sustainability

Page created to list the sustainability efforts on campus in the city of Davis and Yolo County.

What is Sustainability?

Define by Wikipedia

Defined by the City of Davis

Sustainability is a general concept used to describe a community that considers the long-term affects of its decisions on future generations and the natural world. It is a tool that helps individuals, communities, states, and nations focus on what needs to be done to ensure that future generations and natural communities are stable and thrive. In practice this means that a community recognizes that economy, society, and environment are mutually dependent and need to be balanced. To move toward sustainability, communities and individuals must incorporate this concept into both long-term and day-to-day decisions.

For most communities this requires a new mind-set. For Davis this means a renewed focus on established core community values of innovation and conservation and building on existing programs. This will allow Davis to take positive steps toward sustainability and provide an even stronger example of a community designed to address and adapt to the environmental challenges on the horizon.

The Sacramento Business Journal published a story indicating that this is a billion dollar business and consumers are ready to Go-Green.

Yolo County Climate Change Initiative On January 23, 2007 the Yolo County Board of Supervisors established a working group consisting of Yolo County Supervisor Matt Rexroad, Deputy County Administrator Dirk Brazil, and outside consultant, John Mott-Smith, charged with determining a course of action for Yolo County on the issue of climate change.

California Native Grasslands Association Located in Woodland, The Mission of the California Native Grasslands Association is to promote, preserve, and restore the diversity of California’s native grasses and grassland ecosystems through education, advocacy, research, and stewardship.

Yolo Land Trust The Yolo Land Trust is a private, non-profit corporation founded in 1988 by farmers, community leaders and conservationists dedicated to protecting Yolo County's land resources. To date, Yolo Land Trust has helped landowners place conservation easements on almost 7000 acres, permanently protecting their land for future generations.

Sierra Club: Mother Lode The Sierra Club's members are over 750,000 of your friends and neighbors. Inspired by nature, we work together to protect our communities and the planet. The Club is America's oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. Mother Lode Chapter (MLC) serves 24 northern California counties. Volunteer leaders in 11 local groups work together to provide opportunities for Club members to explore, enjoy and protect the planet. Membership is not required to go on Club outings or attend programs or committee meetings.

The City of Davis Sustainability Page The City is currently focused on addressing local greenhouse gas emissions. The City is conducting an inventory of community greenhouse gas emissions and will set reduction targets when the inventory is complete early next year. The Low Carbon Diet Program hosted by the City of Davis Parks and General Services Division, Sustainability and Climate Change. The city also hosts a site on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a decision-making process to determine pest levels and tolerance thresholds and combines biological, cultural, physical, and chemical tools to minimize health, environmental, and financial risks.

Protection and stewardship of natural resources and local ecosystems is a guiding principle of sustainability. These resources and ecosystems provide the foundation for all human activities. The City has many programs related to the protection and stewardship of natural resources and wildlife habitat. A sampling of these programs can be found at:

• Open Space Program The City of Davis Open Space program implements long-standing community goals related to the protection of natural and biological resources.
  

• Urban Forestry Program The City of Davis Urban Forestry Program officially began in 1963 with the establishment of the Street Tree Committee (now the Tree Commission). Prior to 1963, developers were encouraged to plant a tree in the "parkway" in subdivisions which, in most cases, the City assumed as street trees. The purpose of the program initially was to provide shade and aesthetics for our community, which remains the primary concern. However, through the years, the program has evolved into a much larger one than the initial planting of a street tree.
  

• Davis Community Gardens The garden is located at 1825 Fifth Street, on the north side of Fifth Street between L Street and Pole Line Road.
  

• Pollution Prevention Program The program's goal is to reduce pollutant discharges to the sewers and storm drains — the systems that flow into our ponds, creeks, and other wetlands. This is being accomplished through increased residential, business, and municipal awareness and practice of pollution prevention methods.
  

• Davis Wetlands The 400 acre Davis Wetlands Project is part of a growing effort throughout the Central Valley to preserve and restore native habitats and the wildlife they support. The Wetlands is one of the City's most valuable open space resources. It provides wildlife habitat, flood control, wastewater and storm water treatment, recreation, and environmental learning opportunities.

Davis Rise The Davis RISE Recycle Program Partnership is committed to reducing waste at our schools. Since 2003, Davis Rise.pdf recycling and waste reduction programs have reduced solid waste at our elementary school sites by 50%!

• Marguerite Montgomery Elementary School specifically recycles, composts, has gardens, and follow energy collection of for their solar panel.

The Davis Village Homes are striving to continue a Sustainable Community and started by responsible building.

The community strives to promote itself as one of the top bike-friendly cities in the world. Davis was made the 1st bike lanes in the United States. 1st dedicated bike signals at major intersections. 100+ miles of bike lanes and paths. For more information please visit Bicycles and Davis. Additionally Davis the only platinum level awarded bicycle friendly city in the United States League of American Bicyclists.

To minimize cars in the downtown Davis area, U-DASH was started, a joint effort between ASUCD and Downtown Davis Business Association, the city of Davis and the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District. Service to downtown is free through July 31st and will be $1 round-trip starting August 3rd. This is a shuttle service which departs from Shields Library and makes 4 stops in the downtown Davis area.

Community members are also utilizing other forms of transportation to minimize car smog. Here are some resources in the community if you'd like to utilize Alternative Forms of Transportation. Davis is consistently rank in the top 3 in number of riders on the Capitol Corridor inter-city rail service (even though Davis is one of the smallest cities on the route).

Davis Farm to School Program The mission of the Davis Farm to School Connection is to create an educational and cultural environment in our schools that connects food choices with personal health, community, farms, and land.

Davis Farmers Market Creating an organic and sustainable life style, everything sold in the market is either grown by or made by the seller.

Tree Davis Helping our air and cabon health, the mission of TREE Davis is to enhance our urban forest by teaching the people of our community to plant and care for trees.

Davis takes recycling seriously. To learn more about how to recycle please visit Davis recycling. A private company that services much of Davis' recycling needs is the Davis Waste Removal company. Their mission is to effectively serve the waste and recycling needs of our customers and the City of Davis, while ensuring a safe and rewarding career for our employees. We will strive to be innovative and professional, demonstrating the highest degree of integrity and service for our customers, employees, and the environment.

The Fountain of Youth program recently evaluated the role of our local youth programs and sustainability.

Le Tournesol was designed with energy conservation in mind (from a 1970s standpoint). The apartments utilize passive solar heating and cooling, which uses little gas or electricity. Additionally, the units have conventional heating and cooling systems (gas wall heater, wood stove, room air conditioners) designed to be used as "back-up."

The Davis American Youth Soccer League frequently participates in service events around sustainability goals.

To follow our Green Report Card, please check the College Sustainability site, we are currently at a B+ and they've detailed the reasons behind that score.

Students participate in urban planning projects to make regional parks more sustainable April 15, 2005

The campus starts being recognized for its efforts in sustainability including composting and lighting programs August 3, 2007. An annual Sustainability Day is held on campus each year and we've reflected on our goals and progress October 29, 2007. This more recent article features the campus plans for the future to Go Green All Over, including to be 100% zero waste by 2020 Summer 2008.

New Graduate School of Management (GSM) building will use Green Technology September 28, 2008. Additionally the GSM published a feature on being globally responsible leaders Winter 2008. The GSM to competed against other schools win the 2008 Bank of America Low-Income Housing Challenge with their proposal for The Gateway, an affordable housing project in downtown Sacramento featuring a safe and supportive environment for residents, and an economically and environmentally sustainable design.

Editorial Review: Wine Grapes Go Green, Sustainability of California Viticulture California Agriculture October–December 2008. More recently Women in Wine feature how they are making the industry more green Summer 2009.

Research paper by students in the computer science program Why Should a Company Go Green?

The 2008 Idea Fair featured some work on Green Ideas, there is a video clip available online.

The Cal Aggie Alumni Association has created a program called Aggies Go Green. The Aggies Go Green program was created to further the campus’s mission of sustainability. The program provides green products and service as well as volunteer opportunities, green workshops and a listing of green jobs.

The city and campus co-funded University/City mass transit system (CNG buses) to generate UNITRANS. Although the double deck bus is the symbol of Unitrans, about 95% of their service is provided by modern buses fueled by CNG (with one even-cleaner prototype bus operating on a Hydrogen-Natural Gas blend).

UC Davis is also at the forefront of research in sustainable and alternative transportation systems. The campus hosts a Sustainable Transportation Center which works with the Institute of Transportation Studies which hosts the Sustainable Transportation Energy Pathways, Air Quality Research Center, Center for Regional Change, Energy Efficiency Center, Road Ecology, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Research Center on campus and Pavement Research Center at UC Berkeley.

• For some news briefs for these groups please see ITS in the News

New office for Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability has been created. However, they are still building their webpage. Check back for updates.

Sustainability Advisory Committee has several subcommittees, which may now be under the role of the new office for Sustainability. These include:

• Campus Planning/Transportation Focus: Environmental Impact Report (EIR) requirements; green space; landscaping and water use; lighting; site-planning issues; storm water; and transportation optimization.
  

• Education/Outreach Focus: Documents actions and progress (best practices, consumption/use metrics, performance measures); promotes individual responsibility; suggest routine communications for campus publications.
  

• Energy/Atmosphere Focus: Air emissions; demand-side consumption; energy-use policies; identification of highest payback area of focus; identification of outdated and energy-inefficient equipment; new building design criteria; supply-side procurement and/or generation.
  

• Green Buildings Focus: Building remodeling; coordination of new building energy issues with Energy and Atmosphere Subcommittee; EIR issues/requirements; indoor environmental air quality; material/finish selection; new construction; water use in buildings.
  

• Material Management Focus: Diversion of municipal waste, and food, green and hazardous wastes; means and methods; paper, plastic, metals; purchasing policies; regulations; R4 program; strategic sourcing.

The John Muir Institute of the Environment houses an Environmental Leaders Program for graduate students allowing students to function as liaisons between the university and outside entities to help fulfill the land grant mission of UC Davis and create a more sustainable world.

ASUCD hosts several offices and commissions, such as the Campus Center for the Environment, the Environmental Planning and Policy Commission and the Education for Sustainable Living Program which is in conjunction with Students for Environmental Education at Davis. There is also a club that meets on campus regularly California Student Sustainability Coalition.

Facilities Management, Grounds Division hosts the R4 recycling program across campus. They sponsor our annual Recycle Mania event, a national competition where we compete against other campuses. Here is the original press release for the 2009 event.

Project Compost is hosted on campus and their office is located in the MU.

The UC Small Farm Program has some programs in sustainable farming, including a publication “California's New Green Revolution: Pioneers in Sustainable Agriculture,” by cooperative extension specialist Desmond Jolly, profiles a cross-section of farmers and marketers who use and seek out innovative methods to protect natural resources while building community links with consumers through farmers markets and community-supported agriculture. Jolly, former director of the Small Farm Program, wrote the book with Isabella Kenfield, a former staff member. The full-color volume is available from the Small Farm Center, at purchase book.

The Russell Ranch Sustainable Agriculture Facility The Russell Ranch Sustainable Agriculture Facility conducts long-term research assessing the sustainability of different cropping systems by comparing system outputs and soil quality indicators. Russell Ranch is a 1500 acre tract near the UC Davis campus, which hosts the Long Term Research on Agricultural Systems (LTRAS) and Sustainable Agriculture Farming Systems (SAFS) projects. Russell Ranch is a unit of the Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI). This work is also part of a Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program on campus.

Another campus publication “The Bike to Work Guide: What You Need to Know to Save Gas, Go Green, Get Fit,” by Paul Dorn, assistant director of marketing for campus recreation, and Roni Sarig. The paperback guide is for cyclists who want to extend the fun they have biking on weekends to their daily commute. Those who haven't been on a bike in years but want to start saving on fuel and car costs will also find useful information.

The UC Center for Entrepreneurship hosted a Green Entrepreneurs Academy in the summer of 2008, therefore being a great resource on campus for information on green businesses and management styles. Here is an article of some of their work January 16, 2009.

The UC Davis Design Program educates designers on sustainable textiles and hosts an annual design symposium. The2008 symposium eatured how fashion can be sustainable for the future

The UC Student Davis Housing unit has the annual Resource Recover Drive. The Resource Recovery Drive is a program that has the goal of collecting unwanted but reusable items to be donated to Goodwill and the Food Bank. The Drive takes place in the residence halls during the week before the halls close for the year, so students - as they prepare to move out - may identify clothing, electronics, and other items that they no longer need or want and turn them in so they will continue to be used by others. The drive also encourages appropriate recycling of broken electronic goods at the Goodwill.

The University's new housing project West Village will try to be the first zero energy project in the United States. Here are the news briefs WV media.

Involved in a Sustainability project and want to be featured on this page? Please leave a comment about your group and contact information.

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