By: Keith Danner, Counselor, LCPC LADC Thoughts matter as they are a defining part of who we are. They are essential to survival by helping us identify risks and rewards. They can be simple or sometimes complicated and conflicting. They can be automatic and habitual, sometimes subtle. Thoughts can influence our relationships regarding how we…
By: Ben Whitcher, USM Eco-Rep According to goingzerowaste.com, zero waste is the redesign of resource life cycles so that all products are reused. Sounds nice. You’re probably thinking, “But I’m just a college student, I don’t know my left from right, let alone how to eliminate all my waste”. Well, you’re right, you’re probably not…
By: Chelsea Malacara, Sustainability Education & Outreach Coordinator Since the end of last semester, the Winter Solstice has passed and a new decade has begun. This time of year sparks a time when many of us are looking forward to new possibilities, reassessing our past, and setting new goals. Every spring semester, the Office of…
By Shereen Toolabi, USM EcoRep As the semester comes to an end and I finish up my undergraduate career, I realized that throughout my four years at USM I have come to live more sustainably. As an environmental science major and Eco-Rep with the Office of Sustainability, sustainability has become ingrained in my daily life…
By Oona Molyneaux, USM Eco-Rep The goal of this weeks Sustainability & ME piece is to give a little background of what brought me, Oona, to become an Eco-Rep. I come from a little town so far up the Maine coast you are practically in Canada. Some know this area as Downeast. I grew up…
By Tom Dolloff, USM Eco-rep I have been a vegetarian for six years. My decision did not stem from health concerns, animal ethics, or flavor preference but rather the impact that meat consumption has on the environment. Eating meat is rooted both in human evolution and culture. However, the modern meat industry has created a…
By Oona Molyneaux, USM Eco-Rep Are you interested in living more sustainably? Do you like food? If your answer is yes, this article is going to be your jam. There are many ways in which one can adopt a sustainable lifestyle, one of which is seasonal eating. Seasonal eating refers to a conscious decision to…
By: Aaron Witham, Contributor To some people, climate science seems like straight-up fiction—so why even try to lower your carbon footprint? For others, climate science seems real but also too complicated—so why try to take action if you are not sure which action is best? Finally, some people just plain shut down when they hear about…
By Emily Eschner Wasting food – we’re all guilty of it from time to time. The head of lettuce you forgot about in your refrigerator. The extra helping you took at that party and were too stuffed to finish. It happens. The truth is, it happens way too much. But it’s not just you –…
By: Jocylin Egan The USM Assistant Director for Sustainable Programs, Tyler Kidder, and a few student workers ,are planning the launch of an EcoRep program at USM for Fall 2014. A USM EcoRep will act as a liaison between the Office of Sustainability and their fellow residents. EcoReps will promote sustainable practices at the university…
By: Shaun Carland A USM committee generated the University’s Climate Action Plan, entitled “USM’s Guide to a Climate Neutral Education,” in 2010, under former president Selma Botman. In 2008, USM signed the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment, which publicly declared the USM’s commitment to achieving climate neutrality by 2040. But what exactly is…
For those of us who try to eat locally, the winter used to be a bit of a challenge and left us longing for the warmer days of spring, summer and fall, when our beloved nearby produce was easier to obtain and contained more variety. Now, thanks to a growing demand for healthy, high-quality, local…
By: Iris SanGiovanni I’ve spent a lot of time thinking and planning for my future. This has become an especially pervasive thought in college as I design my classes around my major. I am currently a first year, political science major at USM. Education is a tool I intend to use to craft a better…
I have been studying herbal medicine and the magic of wild plants and herbs for a couple of years now. I have found a distinct change in my immunity and strength during the change of seasons and among these cold winter months now that I support my body with herbs daily. I want to share…
By: Shaun Carland Anyone who has spent significant time at USM knows that coffee is a way of life. It fuels our last minute study sessions and is a perfect way to meet up with new friends. We all know where our coffee comes from–Coffee by Design, but where does it go? Historically, the university…
By: Tyler Kidder Here at USM we are always working to lighten our carbon footprint in creative ways including establishing sustainable landscapes right on our campuses. In the spring of 2011, the Office of Sustainability teamed up with the Grounds Department and the Department of Environmental Science and Policy to plant a small heirloom fruit…
Most ways you slice it, commuting via single occupancy vehicle seems less attractive than alternative modes of transportation such as biking and walking. The financial savings alone should make you think twice about your transportation options but there are also great environmental impacts to biking or walking, plus you can exercise while getting to class….
It’s that time of year again. Election day is upon us. Decisions need to be made, and it is up to us to make them. Some of us discuss and debate and offer our opinions. Some are quiet on the subject. In the end, what we say doesn’t matter all that much; it’s what we…
Here at USM, we signed on to the President’s Climate Commitment in 2007, which is an agreement to actively reduce the carbon emissions of our campus and operations, signed by college and university presidents around the country. USM has committed to being carbon neutral, or having no net greenhouse gas emissions, by 2040. Five years…
Written by Shaun Carland If you’ve spent time in an academic building’s bathroom over the course of the semester, you may have noticed that paper towel dispensers are disappearing and hand dryers are popping up, especially on the Portland campus. This is in due to an initiative by the Office of Sustainability to reduce external…