Water

The western United States is facing water scarcity issues. You can do your part by saving water. This may seem like a small step in the right direction, but with everyone working together to save water, the western U.S. will be better for it! 

Some of the best ways to save water as an individual are: 

• Take showers instead of baths, and keep them short
• Only wash large loads of clothes once a week rather than a bunch of loads throughout the week 
• ​Turn the water off when you’re brushing your teeth or washing your face until you absolutely need it 
• Tell your landlord about faucet or toilet leaks 
• Don’t leave the water running 
• Avoid using hoses or sprinklers when you can

Conserving water is good for the environment, but it’s also good for your wallet! More sustainable practices also tend to be more cost-effective as well. This makes it even easier, at least for me, to stay motivated with sustainable practices. 

Cleaning

As for cleaning, I try to look into environmentally friendly brands. Something that I care about personally is waste reduction. For this, I buy what I can in bulk. Oftentimes, things like dishwasher pods are cheaper the more you buy. This is better for my wallet and reduces the amount of packaging. 

I also noticed - maybe about a year after I had moved out of my parents' house - that I tended to buy certain cleaning brands only because that’s what my parents used. So, I started forming my own opinions. Rather than using dryer sheets, which just end up in the trash eventually anyways, I switched to dryer balls. These are reusable, which is great! 

I also significantly cut down on buying paper towels. Instead, I switched to using thicker kitchen towels for pretty much everything. These are washable, so I only have to buy them once, and they generate a lot less waste, as I can use them till they are bare. 

I think one of the best ways to be more sustainable is to save money. Look at how you can use reusable products rather than single-use ones. Some of these may have more expensive upfront costs but will save you money in the long run. Or, as my dad says, “Buy once, cry once.”

Maybe your heart is really set on using the same products you always have, and that’s okay! Change can be hard. Instead, look for refillable packages or if any brands you love have plant-based products. Dawn dish soap, for example, has refillable spray nozzles now! Opting for things that are washable and/or reusable rather than single-use is easier than ever. It may not be perfect, but it’s a start! 

Tracking your sustainable actions with AWorld

The AWorld app makes it easier than ever to start incorporating sustainable habits into your daily routine. One of the hardest parts about becoming more environmentally conscious is deciding where to start. The AWorld app makes that easy by providing you with your own carbon footprint breakdown, plenty of journeys that educate you and suggest habit changes, and showing you how your changes matter. 

Step 1: Download the app from  or .  If you are already a user, logout. 
Step 2: Select “Organization Login”
Step 3: Search “University of Colorado Boulder”
Step 4: Login with your credentials to join the CU team
Step 5: Sign up to participate in challenges offered to the CU community. 

For More info:

/ecenter/actnow

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As the western United States continues to be plagued by a mega-drought and our water sources continue to be stressed, it's important to be mindful of how much water we use each day.

Conserving water daily

One way to conserve water is to transition from drinking from individual plastic bottles to using reusable water bottles. Plastic bottles are harmful to the environment, and water from plastic bottles contains more microplastics than tap water. In some Colorado cities, the tap water has been ranked first in the nation for being the cleanest and best-tasting. If you prefer to drink filtered water, you can buy a filter for your faucet or a pitcher filter.

Another easy way to conserve water is to take shorter showers. Taking a shower that is five minutes or less will help cut back on the amount of water you use daily. Typically, we use five gallons of water per minute while showering, so cutting back on the length of our showers will allow us to save gallons of water.

Turning the water off while brushing your teeth or washing your face and hands could also save gallons of water each day, whether you're at home, on campus or out and about.

If you have glasses of water sitting around your home that are no longer cold, rather than dumping the water out, use the water to water plants or as water for your pet's water dish. 

A few other ways to conserve water include:

• Only run the washing machine and dishwasher when they are both full.
• Keep an eye out for leaks in your kitchen and bathroom and get them fixed as quickly as possible.
• Turn the water off while you’re washing dishes, if you wash them by hand.
• Use the garbage disposal sparingly; instead, compost food waste, which will help save gallons of water.
• Eat fewer water-intensive foods. Cutting out animal products and shifting to plant-based foods can help reduce our water footprint.

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The data for this graph was collected by the  (headquartered in Denver, CO) and shows that toilets, showers and faucets make up most of our personal water usage in the U.S. A whopping 12% of our water usage can be traced to leaks. Do you know if your toilet is leaking? We provide toilet tabs which test your toilet for leaks in our ! Notice a leak? Be sure to report it to !

EcoVisits are a great way of learning helpful and valuable tips to reduce your environmental footprint and live greener in Graduate and Family Housing. It's really easy!  to set up an EcoVisit and the GFH sustainability cordinator will set up an EcoVisit whenever it is convenient for you!

During an EcoVisit, you will review all the great things you are already doing to live green, and learn tips about additional steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint even further. 

You will also be given with a FREE EcoKit which contains the following items:

• Countertop composting bin
• Reusable shopping bag
• Reusable utensil kit
• LED (energy efficient) lightbulbs
• Bike lights (front and rear)
• Toilet tabs to check if your toilet is leaking
• Hair Snake drain cleaner

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An individual following a zero waste lifestyle is someone who has consciously made changes to their habits in order to support a non-polluting future. Our generation is the first to grow up in a world that requires all of us to implement sustainability into our lives in order to preserve our planet. As university students, we live chaotic lives. Between balancing classes, work, assignments, friends and mental health, the thought of changing our already ingrained habits can seem difficult. However, living an eco-friendly lifestyle is not only good for the environment, but makes us healthier as well. This article will investigate ways that the average student can adapt to a lifestyle that saves money and time while reducing their ecological footprint.

Using a glass or steel water bottle is an excellent option for students trying to reduce plastic waste while saving some money.  Our landfills and oceans have become breeding grounds for these non-biodegradable plastic buildups and have endangered wildlife, compromised air quality and polluted landscapes on both a global and local scale.

• Check out these .
• Thrift shops have hundreds of used water bottles for cheap prices. For more information on thrifting and how it reduces waste, check out another one of our articles.
•  Fear of drinking contaminated tap water has turned more people towards plastic water bottles. Using a water filtration device such as a Brita can protect against pollutants. 
• Did you know you can request an annual water report from your local government? The information tells people exactly what biochemicals are in their water. If someone is immunocompromised, they can even purchase a filter that works for filtering out the exact chemicals that would be hazardous to them! 

Use a personal reusable cup to take coffee on the go or even take it to your favorite coffee shop. Annually, 9.4 million trees are harvested for these cups and 363 million pounds of waste are sent to landfills. It's important to note that almost all paper cups are  that makes them un-recyclable.

• Many smaller coffee shops will offer a small discount for bringing your own cup.
• Lug Your Mug is an event hosted by the E-Center's zero waste outreach team where you can bring your own mug and receive free coffee every Wednesday starting March 2.

Grab a reusable mask. The pandemic has caused a huge . Since the virus can live on surfaces for three days, hospitals are forced to throw out any infected vaccines, IVs, masks, etc. in order to stay safe. Avoid getting sick by practicing good hygiene and wearing masks, and always stay home if you do get sick. By doing your part to keep everyone safe, virus spreading rates will slow down and thus the need for disposable masks will also decrease. Disposable masks have plastic in them that makes them not recyclable or reusable. 

• Tip: make your own masks out of cloth and use a reusable filter liner for extra protection. t.

Eliminate single use plastics at lunch time.

• If dining out for lunch, eat at the restaurant instead of ordering to go to avoid excessive packaging.
• If ordering takeout, bring your own utensils. You can keep a set in the car or in your backpack.
• Bring a reusable container for lunches packed at home.
• Use a lunch box.
•  are like small lunch boxes that have tiny compartments which are great for packing a well-balanced meal or a variety of snacks to eat throughout the day.
• Save money by not eating at dining halls every day.

Throughout your day on campus, be mindful of the three bins seen all over campus (recycling, compost, trash) when getting rid of day-to-day waste. We are fortunate enough to attend a school that has a recycling center on campus that sorts through recyclables and compostables and re-distributes them to be reused. 

 Examples: 

• Gum wrapper goes in landfill trash (not recyclable).
• Receipts go in landfill trash (have receipts emailed instead).
• Disposable masks go in landfill trash (use rewashable masks instead).
• To go containers and food waste from dining halls on campus are compostable.

Composting food scraps when cooking dinner each night reduces the amount of waste going into landfills. Items that are compostable are used to make vitamin rich fertilizers that sustain growing plants and vegetables. 

• Toss fruit and vegetable peels and scraps into a compost bin. .
• : Save scraps from vegetables and store in a freezer bag until used to make a vegetable broth.
• Free compost bins are available to those who schedule an eco-visit through the E-Center’s Eco Buff team schedule.
• Save leftovers for a quick and easy lunch the next day.

When you grocery shop once a week, it lessons the likelihood of your food expiring or going bad. Meal prepping is also a great strategy for finding a set quantity of food to use each week. When you  you'll save money and help the environment.

• Buy ingredients that come in recyclable and compostable packages.
• Look online for eco-friendly grocery stores where you can bring your own reusable produce bags.
• If you must buy plastic, look for plastic with as they can be recycled in Colorado.

Online grocery stores such as  offer a sustainable packaging grocery delivery service.

As students, we are always learning. Changing a habit can be difficult which is why the Eco Buff team offers a free in-home visit to educate, support and give away eco-friendly amenities. There are a multitude of issues beyond zero waste initiatives such as greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, climate extremes, water source contaminations and so much more. The Environmental Center at 91��Ƶ is dedicated to making the campus an eco-friendly place for all its students and faculty. The E-Center employs students who have a passion for environmental issues and gives them a platform to learn and spread awareness. As students, we must keep having conversations surrounding climate change so that we can continue to make change happen as we enter the professional world. 

Sign up for an EcoVisit from the EcoBuff team here!

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On Friday, February 4, 2022, the Olympics officially kicked off in Beijing, China. The United States is represented by 223 athletes who will compete in hopes of winning gold. Over the past few years, the Olympics have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, but there is another issue at play with this Olympic year: the snow, or the lack thereof. 

This year will be the first year that a Winter Olympics produces almost all of the snow used within the Games. Beijing will use over 49 million gallons of water to produce roughly 42.4 million cubic feet of snow. This will be done by operating 170 fan-powered snow guns and 30 fanless stick lances. Stick lances look like lantern poles and are permanently installed along the edge of the designated area. Both the snow guns and stick lances will operate 24 hours a day to produce the snow needed at both venues in Beijing. In the past, other Olympics have produced their own snow. In 2014, Sochi produced roughly 80% of snow and in 2018 PyeongChang produced roughly 90% of snow.

The production of artificial snow is very costly, utilizes large amounts of energy, and has significant impacts on local and national water supply. Northern China, where Beijing is located, has a critical issue with its groundwater supply. People are not only concerned about the environmental impacts, but also the impacts on athletes. Artificial snow can be harder on athletes' bodies than natural snow because it consists of more ice, making takeoffs, landings and alpine races more difficult and dangerous. 

Why should you care?

Well, many of our favorite ski resorts in the United States and Canada rely on artificial snow, just like the Olympics. Multiple resorts in Colorado rely on artificial snow because of increasingly warmer temperatures, lack of snowfall and the unpredictability of when snow will fall. Relying on artificial snow is impacting the water supply in the drought-stricken Western United States. Colorado’s economy relies heavily on the ski and snowboard industry, and artificial snow could become a topic of debate when politicians debate how we will relocate our already limited water supply. 

This is one example of how climate change is impacting Colorado and its residents. It may be easy to think of climate change as happening “over there” and push it out of our minds; however, it couldn’t be closer to home. 

The small changes you make add up. If you are looking for ways to combat your carbon footprint, check out this article about 5 ways to become more sustainable.

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FLOWS, Foundations for Leaders Organizing for Water and Sustainability, serves primarily low-income communities with energy and water conservation upgrades and information. This fall the program is back in action with some exciting news to share. The City of Boulder has funded FLOWS to support the Climate Mobilization Action Plan (CMAP) and to take bold, innovative and collaborative actions to create systemic change that equitably address the global climate crisis and ensure the quality of life of all Boulder residents and beyond. Since 2016, FLOWS has been an in-person program that highlights the leadership of members of Boulder's BIPOC communities that live in affordable housing.

The COVID-19 pandemic put a temporary halt on our service, but this has also allowed us to become more adaptive and to implement creative solutions to continue to build capacity in the communities that we belong to. Through this partnership's funding, FLOWS has decided to host a virtual education series for the community led by community members, and to continue to provide training for our FLOWS technicians. These Spanish-first educational series will be a platform for diverse voices to speak on social and climate justice and its undeniable intersection.

With this partnership, FLOWS hopes to support the City’s racial equity commitment, in order to create an equitable and resilient community that is able to respond to the effects of the climate crisis and to engage and mobilize all of Boulder’s communities in climate justice.

From our technicians

This is what our amazing FLOWS technicians had to say about working and learning with the program.

"My favorite part about FLOWS is having a good time doing the work." - Henry

"The best part about FLOWS is getting together with people from different backgrounds who are working together towards a common goal." - Elizabeth

"My favorite part is the education that FLOWS provides to diverse communities in order to understand how we are all interconnected with climate change." - Andrea

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Making a difference can be more than a text. Water source restoration projects in Boulder, Longmont and other counties impacted by the 2013 floods are helping riverbanks and natural habitats recover quicker and stronger than before. On Oct. 19, your Ralphie's Green Stampede team worked with Longmont County Open Space to restore the St. Vrain Creek that was devastated by the flood. So much water moved through the creek in such a short period of time that the local vegetation was almost completely wiped out. We spent a Saturday morning helping to re-plant cottonwoods, wild rose, wild plum and black currant plants. These trees are native to the St. Vrain Valley and are key to the foundation of a healthy water habitat. 

Planting new trees strengthens the ground around a flowing water source. The roots of growing trees white-knuckle the soil, holding it in place and providing a stronghold against potential harsh waters. The new trees help the animals, too. Beavers thriving along the St. Vrain creek feed on the cottonwoods, but curiously, don’t use their wood as material for dams.

There’s a number of opportunities to get involved in habitat restoration, water cleanups and other projects that improve our community and open spaces. Whether you’re seeking to get your hands dirty, educate others or learn more for yourself, there’s something for everyone. Gather your friends, family and fellow Buffs to help make a difference! By texting “CUwater” to 27126, Wells Fargo will offset 1,000 gallons of water, mitigating water use and protecting the Colorado river. Find passion and purpose in supporting our community today. Sko Buffs!

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In the summer of 2014, CU-Boulder installed the university’s first landscape designed for and dedicated to pollinators. The landscape consists of barberry, currant, monarda, spirea, rudbeckia, yarrow, gooseberry, catmint and lavender, all of which should tolerate and beautify the roadside conditions. The first phase was installed along Broadway and the bike path from 18th Street to the Regent bus stop. In 2015, the second phase of the campus pollinator sanctuary landscape was installed at the east entrance of main campus, located on the north side of the new campus recycling building and west of the 28th Street underpass. The initiative is funded by Sustainable CU.

These two areas total 10,000 square feet in area and are examples of an urban demonstration pollinator garden that provide pollinators consistent forage throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons as well as provide the community with beautiful pedestrian entrance points to campus and serve to educate about the importance of pollinators.  

The Environmental Center has worked to support campus operational initiatives to reduce water use and reduce pesticide use. This project supports these sustainability goals and creates habitat for pollinator species which are in decline. The phase 1 area on Broadway was selected to convert an “unmanageable” landscape area from turf to heat-tolerant and less water intensive perennials. It was unmanageable in that narrow strips of grass are harder to maintain by campus grounds staff and then can become more laden with undesirable plants which then creates pressure to apply herbicides. Phase 2 was an opportunity to convert an unfunded landscaping area that was impacted by construction.  

The pollinator landscape follows the following principles for pollinators:

• It uses a wide variety of plants that bloom from early spring into late fall.
• The plants are arranged in dense clumps rather than many single species. This helps pollinators find and use them.
• The plants are either native species or are well-suited to the Front Range climate. Natives are adapted to our local climate, soil and native pollinators. 
• No pesticides are applied to the landscape.
• As much as possible, plants will be sourced to be free of neonicotinoids, which are a relatively new class of systemic insecticides that potentially pose risk to pollinators. 

Pollinators include bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other animals which feed from flowers, transferring pollen in the process. Nearly 80% of all flowering plants need the assistance of pollinators to transfer pollen within flowers in order to produce seeds, fruits and vegetables.  Approximately one out of every three bites of food you eat depends on the work of a pollinating animal. The pollination process also produces seeds and fruits that feed birds and other wildlife. Many blooming plants depend on pollinators for survival and globally many pollinators are showing disturbing signs of decline from a variety of causes. When you use pesticides you could unintentionally harm pollinators and other beneficial insects. Taking precautionary measures can prevent harming pollinators.

The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) recommendations to help protect pollinators in your world are as follows:

1) Create pollinator habitats

• Cultivate native plants especially those that provide nectar or larval food for pollinators
• Install houses for bats and nest boxes for native bees
• Supply salt/mineral licks for butterflies and water for all wildlife

2) Reduce pesticide use

• Use insecticides and herbicides only when no alternatives are available
• Practice IPM (Integrated Pest Management)
• Follow label directions, apply with caution, pay special attention to “bee toxicity” information
• Substitute flowerbeds for turf grass

3) Minimize your environmental impact

• Buy locally produced or organic food
• Walk, cycle or use public transit – minimize your automobile and electricity use
• Reduce your consumption, reuse and recycle

4) Get involved

• Volunteer for pollinator-friendly organizations and garden groups
• Lift a shovel, sow seeds, develop natural areas for pollinators
• Vote! Make your voice heard for pollinators

5) Enjoy nature

• Build your connection with the natural world by enjoying time outdoors
• Experience gardening, working with plants and animals and scenic getaways

 to view a great handout and quick overview. Click  for more information on the importance of pollinators, or  to learn specifically about gardening for pollinators. 

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