Sustainability

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.

For electric vehicles to take off on the North Coast, Humboldt County would need about 43 charging stations from Orick to Garberville.

The Schatz Energy Research Center at Humboldt State University has received a $95,000 state grant to continue experiments aimed at converting biomass—slash from logging and fuel reduction efforts—into energy dense “bio-coal.”

Humboldt State is looking at ways to make campus lighting more energy efficient.

Humboldt State University recently received a Silver Rating in STARS, a nationwide program that evaluates an institution’s programs and practices in sustainability. The rating places HSU among the nation’s leaders in sustainability.

Humboldt State University is making substantial gains in waste abatement, decreasing its solid waste disposal in 2012 by 176 tons.

What role do native bees play in local crop pollination? And should local farmers establish better habitats to support them?

_The following was provided by the CSU Chancellor's Office._

Humboldt State has discarded over a ton of hazardous materials and electronic waste this past year thanks the Campus Wide Waste Collection Project.

_The following was provided by the California State University Chancellor's Office_:

An international agency has adopted a new technical standard led by the Schatz Energy Research Center at Humboldt State University that harmonizes national quality assurance requirements for solar-powered light-emitting diode devices (LEDs).