UH Showing Green Streak During Sustainability Fest Dec. 3

Autumn brings seasonal color to the University of Houston, but the Cougar community is committed to maintaining a green campus throughout the year. On Dec. 3, Coogs can learn how to further reduce their carbon footprints and live healthier lives during the UH Sustainability Festival in Lynn Eusan Park (Entrance 1 off Calhoun Road).

From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., faculty, staff and students can become more informed on sustainability initiatives on campus and in their communities. Presented by UH’s Office of Sustainability, the festival will offer insight on the economic, environmental, social and health-based advantages of sustainable living.

Festival-goers can explore different sustainability-specific zones focused on health, arts, green systems, transportation and the natural environment. Each zone will host informational booths and educational activities. Free snacks, reusable water bottles and tote bags will be available while supplies last.

Festival highlights will include:

  • Yoga demonstrations
  • Cooking demonstrations from UH Dining
  • A weather balloon launch (scheduled for 1 p.m.)
  • Nissan Leaf test drives
  • Sustainability Poetry Contest (featuring works by faculty, staff and students)

Festival participants include campus departments, as well as local agencies. Community partners include the Houston Zoo, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Greens Bayou Corridor Coalition, Katy Prairie Conservancy, Galveston Bay Foundation, Galveston Bay Estuary Program, City of Houston Solid Waste Management Department, Zipcar, STAR Vanpool, Bike Houston, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and Project C.U.R.E.

UH’s Office of Sustainability is committed to enhancing sustainability-based collaborations among UH constituents and external organizations. The office also educates faculty, staff and students on the benefits of sustainability practices. For more details on the UH Office of Sustainability, visit its website.

The University is consistently ranked among The Princeton Review’s Guide to 332 Green Colleges. The annual guide profiles institutions of higher education in the United States and Canada that demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability in academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation.

Among the initiatives that have earned UH high marks as an earth-friendly university are trayless dining, office and residence hall recycling programs, campus recycling receptacles, green commuting tips, green computing and solar panels (powering offices in UH’s Central Utility Plant). Recently, the University installed dual recycling receptacles and solar-powered trash compactors, as well as filtered water refill fountains (to reduce the number of plastic bottles in landfills).