Sustainability

College students have notoriously bad eating habits. But what does it mean to eat healthy? And can universities do a better job of promoting it?

Humboldt State University’s charitable foundation has adopted an expansive new policy to strictly limit its holdings in a variety of industries, including companies directly or indirectly involved in fossil fuels. And through its “Humboldt Investment Pledge” is urging other foundations to do more to clean up their investments.

Humboldt State’s Schatz Energy Research Center has been awarded a pair of grants totaling more than $2 million from the World Bank Group to support its continued involvement in the Lighting Global initiative. Lighting Global and its sister programs, Lighting Africa and Lighting Asia, support the development of commercial markets for solar charged off-grid lighting products that are affordable to low income people in developing countries.

E-Waste is the name given to computers, televisions, stereos, copiers, cell phones and other electronics nearing the end of their “lifecycles.” Many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled. Unfortunately, discarded electronics is one of the fastest growing segments of our nation’s waste stream.

Humboldt State University, along with 15 regional partners, has received a $5.88 million grant from the Department of Energy to conduct innovative biomass research.

Do you know how to reduce your carbon footprint at home?

Humboldt State University will host a free public screening of “Becoming California” a public television documentary exploring man’s relationship with the environment 7 p.m. March 8 in the Van Duzer Theatre.

Paper or plastic? Pretty soon, HSU retailers won’t have to ask.

The annual Sustainable Speaker Series gets underway with Adam Browning presenting "Solar Market Development in the US: Theory, Practice, and Prognostications" on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 5:30 p.m. in Science B Room 135.

Humboldt State University will screen two films produced for the California Environmental Legacy Project—a statewide multimedia initiative designed to raise public awareness about environmental change in California—Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Van Duzer Theatre.

Humboldt State has successfully kicked off its participation in the 2014 RecycleMania tournament, the national competition in which college campuses compete over eight weeks to see who can reduce, reuse and recycle the most on-campus waste.

The California Ocean Science Trust has awarded ten grants totaling $4 million to state and local agencies to conduct marine research on the North Coast, including over $2.2 million to Humboldt State University.

Fall 2013 was a big semester for Humboldt State: the university kicked-off its Centennial year with an unforgettable celebration on the Plaza; HSU students, faculty and staff made their mark both on- and off-campus and the university continued to expand its academic offerings with new programs and majors in a variety of disciplines. From student achievements to university milestones, here are some of the highlights of Fall 2013.

If you buy a sandwich at Humboldt State, it’s likely to come with locally-sourced produce, maybe a roll from a local bakery, and tofu made right here in Arcata. But what happens when that sandwich is just a crust and some mustard stains? With the recent installation of a large-scale composter known as the Earth Tub, the beginnings and ends of that sandwich can now be managed locally, too.

Humboldt State University topped NCAA Division II & III schools competing in the 2013 Game Day Challenge, a national competition to promote waste reduction at university and college football games.

Hundreds of sustainability leaders from around the state converged in Arcata Nov. 9-10 for the fall 2013 California Student Sustainability Coalition Convergence, hosted by Humboldt State. The theme of this year’s biannual conference was “Building Sustainable Communities.”

Humboldt State University and the University of California will co-host a biomass energy workshop Thursday, November 7 at the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center.

On the bottom floor of Science D, a group of students sat in small groups discussing water turbidity, pH levels, mineral content and energy consumption.

Engineers at Humboldt State’s Schatz Lab are expanding their work on electric vehicle readiness to New Delhi, India.

Academy-Award winner Jane Fonda has joined a California team of distinguished scientists, educators and media producers, including Humboldt State University specialists, to create inspirational stories about the state’s changing natural environment.

Humboldt State’s Campus Center for Appropriate Technology celebrates 35 years as a university’s sustainable-living demonstration house with a day of activities Saturday, Oct. 12 on the HSU campus.

Humboldt State University and Plan it Green will co-host a lecture by world-renowned climate strategist and energy specialist Jorgen Randers Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. in the Kate Buchanan Room.

After months of collaboration among various campus groups and departments, Humboldt State has been named a top school for sustainability by STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System), a nationwide program that measures the sustainability performance of colleges and universities across the nation.

Finding a ride to campus just got a little easier.

Humboldt State University is named again a “Best in the West College” in the online guide “2014 Best Colleges: Region by Region” produced by the Princeton Review, a privately held education services company headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts.