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Looking to advance sustainability in your department? An offset is an optional added fee to the cost of traveling (air or ground transportation) to fund a separate project that reduces carbon emissions elsewhere, such as a wind farm or forestry project. In some cases, offsets can make the net carbon footprint of travel effectively zero. For OSU-funded travel, the Sustainability Office offers assistance to campus units by sourcing high quality offsets and bundling offset purchases. These offsets are affordable -- 1 metric ton of CO2 emissions can cost as little as $10 to offset! They also make a significant impact -- if all OSU-funded travel were offset, total emissions would drop by 14%!
Looking to make a difference in sustainability at OSU and hone your communication and leadership skills? Or maybe you're excited about meeting students from diverse fields of study?
OSU's Eco-Representative program is the perfect program for you! The Eco-Reps program took off at Oregon State in the fall of 2012, driving sustainability initiatives on campus and enriching the student experience. As an Eco-Rep, you'll have the rewarding responsibility of fostering a culture of sustainability in your residence hall. Your role involves educating residents about sustainable living, sharing valuable resources, assisting with marketing and outreach efforts, and organizing exciting sustainability-focused events. And let's not forget about maintaining the composting program for your hall!
If you're an incoming student looking for a cool opportunity, the Eco-Rep program is where it's at! It's a fantastic entry-level job that's both flexible and fun. You'll usually work around 5-8 hours per week, and the best part is that you can easily fit those hours into your class schedule and other commitments
Curious to learn more about the program? Be sure to check out their page and if you are interested in applying for the 2023-2024 academic year apply here!
Green Certifications help the OSU community further sustainability efforts and receive recognition for excellent work. Green Office, Lab, and Greek certifications utilize online Qualtrics surveys to assess existing practices, such as energy and water use, waste management, purchasing, transportation, and outreach. Each survey can be saved and continued at any time, allowing you to complete it at your own pace. Once data entry and analysis are complete, we will send your score and certification level, as well as customized recommendations for improvement to reach the next level!
As part of a recent Capstone project, four senior-level Mechanical Engineers teamed up to design and implement a new mechanical cable management system for the OSU Solar Trailer. The Solar Trailer has a flexible conduit connecting the panels to the lower part of the trailer, and the new system is designed to prevent the conduit from getting caught or damaging other moving components. The simple device can be easily assembled and adjusted for future uses. Learn more about this project here.
Check out other innovative Capstone projects at last year's Engineering Expo.