Because Utah Valley University is the largest institution of higher education in the state, the University is working to become a more sustainable campus. UVU has a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and has made huge strides towards meeting that goal. Here are five ways that the university is mitigating its carbon footprint.

1. Conserving energy in dining services

One sneaky source of carbon emissions is unnecessary electricity use. UVU Dining is cutting down unnecessary electricity use by using a special dishwasher that uses 75% less energy than other models.

Another source of carbon emissions is meat production and consumption. UVU Dining includes many restaurants with vegetarian and vegan options, including Guru’s Café, Aubergine Kitchen, Costa Vida, and Jamba Juice. Check out UVU Dining’s website for more information about dining options.

2. Using geothermal energy to heat and cool campus

Instead of using strictly electricity or natural gas to keep campus warm or cool, UVU relies on geothermal technology to control the temperature of the entire campus. This is done by extracting water from an underground aquifer, using it to control the temperature of all the buildings on campus, then injecting it back into the aquifer. To learn more about this sustainable way of heating and cooling, check out the US Department of Energy’s Guide to Geothermal Heat Pumps.

3. Electric vehicle charging stations

Did you know that UVU has 10 electric vehicle charging stations around campus? Students, faculty, staff, and visitors with applicable parking permits can use the charging stations for up to three hours at a time. Not sure if there’s a charging station near your usual parking spot? Check out this map for electric vehicle charger locations.

4. UTA passes

All current UVU students, faculty, staff, and their dependents have access to free UTA passes via their UVU ID cards. These passes grant access to the FrontRunner, TRAX, and city buses. If you’re interested in saving money on gas and parking as well as making the air in Utah County a little cleaner, get your ID card from Campus Connection and start taking UTA to and from school.

5. Urban forest efforts

UVU is recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus Higher Education Program. In order to receive this recognition, UVU had to meet five standards:

· Establishment of a campus tree advisory committee

· Evidence of a campus tree care plan

· Verification of the plan’s dedicated annual expenditures

· Observing Arbor Day

· Creating a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body

Did you know that UVU was doing all of these actions to become more sustainable? Check out UVU Sustainability’s website for more information. Come back next week to learn more about ways that you can make your Thanksgiving break more sustainable!

by Ally Bichsel

Photo credit: UVU Marketing