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2016 Sustainability

December 14, 2016
The big business of climate change
To seriously tackle climate change, greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced by at least 80 percent by 2050, according to "From Risk to Return: Investing in a Clean Energy," a new report whose lead author is Tim Duane, a UC Santa Cruz professor of environmental studies.
December 06, 2016
Growing mosquito populations linked to urbanization and DDT's slow decay
Rising temperatures due to climate change were found to have less influence on mosquito populations than land use changes and the decay of residual DDT in the environment.
December 06, 2016
Some bats develop resistance to devastating fungal disease
White-nose syndrome has decimated the little brown bat, but researchers found populations that appear to have developed resistance to the disease.
December 01, 2016
Campus receives $440,000 grant to study sustainable practices for urban agriculture
Environmental studies professor Stacy Philpott will lead a research team to explore biodiversity, sustainability, and ecosystem services in urban agricultural landscapes.
November 30, 2016
UC Santa Cruz recognized as top performer in sustainability
The 2016 Sustainable Campus Index ranked UC Santa Cruz No. 10 on the list of Doctoral/Research Institutions.
November 15, 2016
Students to pitch viable ideas for positive environmental change
The first Startup Weekend Santa Cruz for Sustainable Solutions & Social Impact, Nov. 18–20, is just one of more than 200 events happening in November as part of Global Startup Weekend.
November 08, 2016
Politics student named 'Women in Green Forum Youth Trailblazer'
Maxine Jimenez (Kresge ’19, politics and community studies) is the 2016 recipient of the Women in Green Forum Youth Trailblazer Award.
October 26, 2016
Pedestrians may run rampant in a world of self-driving cars
Imagine an urban neighborhood where most of the cars drive themselves. What would it be like to be a pedestrian? Actually, pretty good, according to Adam Millard-Ball, assistant professor of environmental studies at UC Santa Cruz. In fact, pedestrians might end up with the run of the place.
October 26, 2016
Toxins from freshwater algae found in San Francisco Bay shellfish
Study shows toxins from freshwater algal blooms can also contaminate coastal waters and marine shellfish.
October 25, 2016
UC Santa Cruz ranks among greenest universities
Coming in at No. 7, UC Santa Cruz is the highest ranked UC in The Princeton Review's "Top 50 Green Colleges."
October 25, 2016
Coastal wetlands save hundreds of millions of dollars in flood damages during hurricanes
Study led by UCSC researchers finds wetlands prevented more than $600 million in property losses during Hurricane Sandy.
October 24, 2016
Learn to grow garlic at Oct. 29 workshop
A garlic-growing workshop is set for 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, at the UC Santa Cruz Hay Barn.
October 21, 2016
High-tech sensors monitor ecosystems in climate change research program
UC Santa Cruz scientists lead a UC-wide consortium using the Natural Reserve System as a climate impacts laboratory.
October 20, 2016
UC Santa Cruz project wins U.S. agriculture grant to diversify food studies
A $275,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will help Colleges Nine and Ten at UC Santa Cruz expand projects in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties to promote food security and food justice among predominantly Spanish-speaking, farmworker families.
October 18, 2016
UC Santa Cruz expands food support options for students
UC Santa Cruz students who may be temporarily short on cash for meals or have ongoing needs related to food security now have multiple support options on campus.
October 11, 2016
Learning to be a guardian of the Earth
Student Raymond LeBeau, a member of the Pit River tribe, is honing his skills and his familiarity with environmental law at UC Santa Cruz in order to help tribal communities.
October 07, 2016
From number to name: Dedication a proud moment for Rachel Carson College
The ceremony was a chance to honor a pioneering environmentalist and the legacy of UC Santa Cruz students.
October 05, 2016
Student research project looks at affordable housing crisis in Santa Cruz
A UC Santa Cruz multi-media research project on the affordable housing crisis in Santa Cruz is scheduled to be presented to the public 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13 at the Museum of Art and History in Santa Cruz.
September 30, 2016
2016-2017 Campus Food & Garden Guide now available
UC Santa Cruz ranks in the top 20 of Sierra magazine’s list of “Cool Schools” in large part because of its dedication to improving the campus food system.
September 28, 2016
Giving voice to the voiceless
Andres Arias (Oakes, 2016), a double major in Latin American and Latino studies and sociology, has immersed himself in California migrant communities to conduct original research about this vulnerable and often voiceless population.
September 28, 2016
Pesticide predicament for California's strawberry growers
The powerful fumigant methyl bromide will be retired from California’s strawberry fields at the end of this year after more than 20 years of fierce debate over its effects and alternatives.
September 22, 2016
Making 'green' multicolor—and multicultural
The People of Color Sustainability Collective is getting high praise for increasing awareness about the various ways people of color contribute to sustainable practices
September 15, 2016
Philanthropy in pursuit of a healthier planet
Alec and Claudia Webster, who help steward the philanthropy of the Helen and Will Webster Foundation, look at how they can accomplish the most good with their gifts.
September 15, 2016
College Eight becomes Rachel Carson College
The naming gift from the Helen and Will Webster Foundation recognizes Carson for her courage and pivotal role in awakening the public to environmental issues.
September 14, 2016
UC Santa Cruz Farm hosts Fall Harvest Festival Sunday, Sept. 25
Fresh produce, music, farm tours, cooking demonstrations, and much more await visitors at the 2016 UC Santa Cruz Farm & Garden Fall Harvest Festival, Sunday, Sept. 25, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
September 08, 2016
UCSC Natural Reserves director Gage Dayton appointed to endowed chair
The Wilton W. Webster Jr. Presidential Chair for the UC Santa Cruz Natural Reserves provides support for research, teaching, and infrastructure at the reserves.
September 06, 2016
UC Santa Cruz among greenest universities in Sierra Club ranking
Coming in at No. 18, the ranking underscored UC Santa Cruz’s strong commitment to protecting the environment, addressing climate change, and encouraging sustainability.
September 02, 2016
Football, farming, and food security
Former NFL star defensive end Kalimba Edwards is on an ambitious mission: He hopes to one day create a self-sustaining food system that can feed the nation’s hungry and homeless.
September 02, 2016
UC Santa Cruz highlighted in Green College Honor Roll
UC Santa Cruz scored 99 points—the most possible—in a listing meant to provide a comprehensive measure of a school's performance as an environmentally aware and prepared institution.
August 29, 2016
Organic farming and gardening training program accepts applications in 50th year
Aspiring organic farmers and gardeners are invited to apply for the 2017 apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The class of 2017 will mark the 50th year of the Apprenticeship, the longest running university-based organic farming and gardening training program in the U.S.
August 22, 2016
Social sciences faculty garner $7.6 million in research grants for 2015-16
Faculty in the Social Sciences Division at UC Santa Cruz secured more than $7.6 million in research grants during the 2015-2016 academic year, Dean Sheldon Kamieniecki announced.
August 18, 2016
Most island vertebrate extinctions could be averted, concludes new study
Control and eradication of invasive species could prevent as much as 75 percent of all island-level extinctions.
August 12, 2016
Three UC Santa Cruz Ph.D. candidates awarded AAUW fellowships
Three UC Santa Cruz Ph.D. candidates have been awarded 2016-2017 fellowships from the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
August 03, 2016
National conference marks 10 years of growth in sustainable agriculture education
With growing numbers of students and educators interested in sustainable agriculture, food justice, and experiential education, the Sustainable Agriculture Education Association (SAEA) conference held July 29–31 at UC Santa Cruz highlighted hands-on educational efforts that bridge scientific and social issues.
August 03, 2016
UC president encourages teenage girls to aim high during visit to campus
UC President Janet Napolitano visited UC Santa Cruz this week and stopped in on Dickens Universe, UCSC Farm, games and robotics programs, Youth Empowerment Institute, and COSMOS sessions.
August 03, 2016
Advocates for social and food justice
UC Santa Cruz students at the Sustainable Agriculture Educators Association conference show how they advocate for social justice, nutrition security, and food equity.
August 01, 2016
Linking agriculture and art
Harrell Fletcher, a former UC Santa Cruz Farm apprentice who recently created the campus-wide art project Collective Museum, will return as keynote speaker for the sixth annual Farm to Fork benefit dinner.
July 07, 2016
Hydrogeologist Andrew Fisher honored by Geological Society of America
Fisher's Recharge Initiative aims to replenish California's depleted groundwater supplies.
June 28, 2016
Ecologist Kristy Kroeker named Faculty Climate Action Champion for 2016-17
Kroeker will address how environmental changes in the ocean could affect human health.
June 27, 2016
Campus earns gold in higher education sustainability ratings
The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is designed to be a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.
June 16, 2016
'Rebels and visionaries' are the focus of Social Sciences' summer reading list
From farmer to feminist, hacker, judge, surfer, scientist, geologist, and community organizer–meet the people who dared to think and act differently in the Division of Social Sciences’ Second Annual Summer Reading List.
June 15, 2016
Former CASFS intern named to Global Food Initiative 30 Under 30 list
The manager of the UC Riverside community garden, who spent two years as an intern with the UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, is a winner of the inaugural University of California Global Food Initiative 30 Under 30 Awards.
June 08, 2016
Five UC Santa Cruz students receive Global Food Initiative Fellowships
Five UC Santa Cruz students will team with UCSC faculty and staff to improve campus and community food systems as part of the UC Global Food Initiative’s fellowship program.
June 01, 2016
UCSC Farm & Garden’s weekly CSA and market cart open for the season June 7
The opportunity to obtain fresh, organic produce and flowers from the UC Santa Cruz Farm and Garden opens for the 2016 season beginning Tuesday, June 7.
May 25, 2016
This solar greenhouse could change the way we eat
Thanks to solar technology developed at UC Santa Cruz, greenhouses are enjoying a new moment in the sun.
May 13, 2016
Campus recognized for sustainability efforts in education, practices
The campus earned awards from the California Higher Education Sustainability Conference for its lighting retrofit and optimization in the McHenry Library; its carbon neutrality roadmap; and its sustainability minor and Sustainability Living Undergraduate Research Program (SLURP).
May 11, 2016
Strawberry and Justice Festival features music, speaker panels, free strawberries
This year's annual Strawberry and Justice Festival festival takes place Thursday, May 19 from 4–6:30 p.m. at the Hay Barn at UC Santa Cruz and features live music, free food, and guest speakers.
May 06, 2016
Shellfish response to ocean acidification depends on other stressors
Researchers found the vulnerability of mussels to harmful effects from acidic seawater varies among different locations.
May 05, 2016
Original crowd funder honored with Distinguished Social Sciences Alumni Award
Before crowdfunding, there was Drummond Pike. The 1970 politics graduate of Stevenson College was awarded the Social Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award for his accomplishments in combining philanthropy with political activism.
May 04, 2016
Drought helps predict how climate change might affect an endangered species
A study documenting the effects of California's drought on an endangered lizard provides a glimpse into the future.
April 25, 2016
Percolating ideas
Grad student Sarah Beganskas is studying what could become part of the solution to California’s water crisis: collecting storm runoff so it can seep into the ground instead of being diverted to rivers and seas.
April 20, 2016
UCSC Farm & Garden’s annual spring plant sale takes place April 30 and May 1
With winter rains and April showers greening yards and moistening garden beds, the UC Santa Cruz Farm & Garden’s spring plant sale comes at the perfect time.
April 19, 2016
Why understanding racism needs a feminist analysis
In a new book, Sylvanna M. Falcón, assistant professor of Latin American and Latino studies at UC Santa Cruz, takes on the world’s largest political and humanitarian organization: the United Nations.
April 19, 2016
Cafe Ivéta opens in Quarry Plaza
Cafe Ivéta is now open on the ground floor of the Graduate Student Commons building at Quarry Plaza.
April 11, 2016
May 11 deadline for Global Food Initiative fellowship applications
UC Santa Cruz invites applications for student fellowship opportunities with the University of California Global Food Initiative (UC GFI).
April 07, 2016
Reich delivers stinging indictment of 'crony' capitalism
Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich discussed the problems of contemporary capitalism and politics before a full house at the Rio Theatre Tuesday (April 5), an event hosted by the UC Santa Cruz Blum Center for Poverty, Social Enterprise and Participatory Governance.
April 04, 2016
Alumni Weekend 'bioblitz' will document biodiversity on UCSC campus
Teams of naturalists and citizen scientists will fan out across campus to document the area's biodiversity.
April 01, 2016
Arboretum holds Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, April 9
Annual sale offers a wide range of colorful, water-wise plants from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and California.
March 31, 2016
Study reveals the invisible workforce serving Silicon Valley’s tech industry
When you hear about free gourmet lunches at Silicon Valley’s biggest tech companies, the cafeteria worker might not come to mind. Or the shuttle bus drivers, janitors, security guards, and landscapers who serve the region’s tech elite.
March 24, 2016
Robert Reich’s Santa Cruz appearance to be web streamed live
The upcoming Santa Cruz appearance by former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich at the Rio Theatre April 5, sponsored by the UC Santa Cruz Blum Center, will be streamed online live, broadcast on KZSC, and simulcast at the Music Recital Hall on campus.
March 24, 2016
UC Santa Cruz Farm’s CSA program features 5 percent discount through April 1
The UC Santa Cruz Farm’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program is open for business and accepting new and renewing members.
March 22, 2016
Colleges Nine and Ten students enjoy an alternative spring break in Watsonville
Instead of surf, sand, and frivolity, 25 students from Colleges Nine and Ten are taking an alternative spring break this week, and they’re staying close to home.
March 21, 2016
Study shows biodiversity benefits of removing invasive mammals from islands
A global study documents conservation gains from efforts to eradicate invasive species from island ecosystems.
March 21, 2016
Current rate of carbon emissions is unprecedented in past 66 million years
New analysis shows that carbon emissions from human activities are moving the Earth's climate system into uncharted territory.
March 18, 2016
Arts Dean's Lecture Series to explore climate justice, art, activism, and the environment
"Climate Justice Now!--Art Activism, Environment Today" is the title of the 2016 Arts Dean’s Lecture Series--an array of free public talks running March 30 to May 25 at UC Santa Cruz.
March 18, 2016
Coral analysis reveals how ocean ecosystems responded to climate shifts
Long-lived deep-sea corals hold clues to past ocean conditions in their growth rings.
March 18, 2016
Ocean acidification takes a toll on California's tide pools at nighttime
Ocean acidification will put many marine organisms at risk by exacerbating normal changes in ocean chemistry.
March 11, 2016
Learning from the ground up: Students find experiential learning at all levels
The University of California offers more than 200 courses and 150 programs related to experiential learning in food and sustainable agriculture systems.
March 10, 2016
UC researchers publish roadmap for successful groundwater governance
UC Santa Cruz hydrologist Andrew Fisher coauthored recommendations for forming Groundwater Sustainability Agencies.
February 29, 2016
Expect the unexpected is the new climate normal
Expect the unexpected was the key message from a distinguished group of climate experts and policymakers who gathered for the third annual Climate Science and Policy Conference at UC Santa Cruz.
February 23, 2016
Two UC Santa Cruz professors win Sloan Research Fellowships
Astronomer Andrew Skemer and ecologist Kristy Kroeker are among the 2016 Sloan Research Fellows.
February 18, 2016
UC Santa Cruz researchers evaluate groundwater supply and management
Court adjudication of California's groundwater basins is more often focused on resolving conflicts among water users and less on sustainable groundwater management, according to a UC Santa Cruz study commissioned by the State Water Resources Control Board.
February 16, 2016
'Ecosystems of California' documents one of Earth's most biodiverse places
"Ecosystems of California" is a new comprehensive reference of California’s ecological abundance, featuring contributions from 149 experts including 19 with ties to UC Santa Cruz.
February 12, 2016
CASFS researcher Mark Lipson wins sustainability champion award
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has given its “Sustainability Champion” award to UC Santa Cruz alumnus Mark Lipson, currently a researcher with UCSC’s Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems.
February 11, 2016
Organic gardening workshop series features reduced rate for students
"Garden Cruz: Organic Matters," a workshop series in March on the art and craft of organic, French-intensive food and flower gardening, offers reduced rates to UCSC students involved in campus garden projects.
January 26, 2016
Wells Fargo funds coastal sustainability fellowships and graduate program
$560,000 grant will support graduate fellowships and development of a new graduate program.
January 19, 2016
UC’s Global Food Initiative addresses student food security challenge
It’s hard to do your best academically when you’re not eating well, but that’s the dilemma facing many University of California students.
January 08, 2016
Ivéta Gourmet to open campus café at Quarry Plaza during winter quarter
The owners of Ivéta Gourmet, who run a popular café on Santa Cruz’s west side, will open a café in the Graduate Student Commons building at Quarry Plaza on the UC Santa Cruz campus.