Opinions and ideas on environmental topics from CEC members and guest contributors. Views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors.
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By Shreya Kabra and Samara Zuckerbrod Americans let Stuff define who we are as people. Luxurious goods and other physical items that supposedly improve our lives are flung around as status symbols that are supposed to fulfill a deeper emotional desire within us. However, buying one thing after the other doesn’t always provide the emotional … Continue reading Redefining Materialism
Illustrations by Elianna Pannakis and Abbey Lehr Written by Parker Lynas, Vianey Sierra, Abbey Lehr and Diego Allison The Sustainable Development Goals are outlined by the United Nations to “achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice.” … Continue reading Addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals with Making Amends
Illustrations by Elianna Pannakis and Diego Allison Written by Parker Lynas, Vianey Sierra, Diego Allison, and Abbey Lehr Leather, like any material used in the construction of a garment, is subject to ethical and environmental concerns. Many of these growing concerns involve animal cruelty, habitat destruction and waste mismanagement. Leather is known for durability and … Continue reading Mycelium: The Future of Leather
Artwork by T2T Design Team (Ella Whittaker, Diego Allison, Elianna Panakis, Abbey Lehr) Written by T2T Team (Diego Allison, Abbey Lehr, Mika Kochheiser) The Trash to Treasure team is excited to share Making Amends, our new collaborative initiative! Making Amends facilitates the upcycling process of clothing within the UT community through circular design practices. This … Continue reading Making Amends: How To
Artwork by (Abby Raffle + Claren Moyers) Written by T2T Team (Diego Allison, Abbey Lehr, Mika Kochheiser) Trash to Treasure was one of the first Campus Environmental Center projects. Since 2006, the project has worked to divert reusable goods throughout campus instead of ending up in the landfill. By hosting donation drives at the end … Continue reading Trash to Treasure & Making Amends
Image Credit: Ananya Majesh By: Samara Zuckerbrod & Sally Jung What do Nutella, bread and soap all have in common? Their ingredients lists seem like they would be vastly different. And while I like Nutella and bread and soap separately, I would hesitate to combine them. Is it that you can eat all three? No, … Continue reading Palm Oil: The Secret Ingredient with an Environmental Cost
Every semester the CEC leadership team crafts a vision statement that reflects our leaders' goals, current events and campus needs. This is our vision statement for the 2020-2021 semester: An accessible and interdisciplinary community focused on individual accountability and taking collective action to promote systemic change. We aim to remain adaptive and promote inclusive education … Continue reading Our Vision Statement for 2020-2021
By: Jack Rouse This summer I collected a lot of seeds. It felt constructive and restorative while everything else was put on hold. I was able to look forward to a time when the weather wasn’t so hot and they could be planted to bring more life to the world. Every native seed planted is … Continue reading Half-Pint’s new seed library, how-to collect seeds
My introduction to water scarcity began with an episode of Star Trek in which, on a planet far far away, wars were being fought over a precious resource — water. If I remember correctly, the Star Trek officers were shocked by this conflict, having water so readily available aboard their intergalactic vessel. However, to our … Continue reading What to know about water conservation in Austin
These past few months, stuck in our houses amid the pandemic, we’ve all had to do some thinking. Where did the world go wrong? Could we have prepared better for the spread of COVID-19? (Answer: YES) How will we all keep ourselves and our families safe while still participating in the ever-important economy? All of … Continue reading Black Lives Matter is Environmental Justice
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