Sustainability Blog

Year: 2013

  • Time to step up to the plate, Gusties

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    jdontje

    Some days, the connections between our environmental vocation at Gustavus and wider global issues just jump up and slap you in the face. I got up early this morning to welcome our new composting vessel to campus. Two years ago, the Student Senate passed a resolution asking for our food waste to be composted, and…

  • Gustavus Environmental Studies Transitions

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    jdontje

    The Gustavus Environmental Studies (ES) program celebrated its annual spring picnic on Tuesday, May 14. Thanks to an unseasonably warm May day (temps at 97 to 100 F), the picnic goers gravitated to the inside. Besides another great round of ES trivia (thanks Joel Carlin and Laura Triplett) and recognizing a great bunch of the…

  • Bike Repair Stand!

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    jdontje

    Check out the new bike repair stand by Lund. Just in time for the April 25 Wellness Fair and more importantly, for a long overdue spring, we have a new self-service bike repair station at Lund. And if you see Katie Barta and Sam Good, tell them thanks for applying for the Coke Educational Partnership…

  • Climate change and clean energy presentation in Mankato April 23, 2012

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    jdontje

    Climate Change and Clean Energy Solutions in Minnesota Tuesday, April 23, 2013, 7 PM St. John’s Episcopal Church 302 Warren St Mankato, MN 56001 the speaker is J. Drake Hamilton, science policy director at Fresh Energy speaking about progress on effective climate actions that benefit our health and economy.

  • Gustavus community speaks out on climate change

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    jdontje

    One of the things that keeps me moving forward in my work with Johnson Center is the way good environmental initiatives can “bubble up” from this community. Since Thanksgiving, Gustavus students Rebecca Hare, Jennifer Steffen, Jessica Burggraff, as well as some other hard working students, have stepped up to engage the Administration and the college’s…

  • Anna Lappe talk on “Building Real Food Communities” March 14

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    jdontje

    Anna Lappé leads the Real Food Media Project, a collaborative movement which works for sustainable food and farming across the U. S. Se will be speaking on March 14 in Minneapolis as part of the Westminster Town Hall Forum. See https://www.facebook.com/events/452459244802499/ for details

  • MSU Mankato Students Hosting Ecology and Ideology Film Series

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    jdontje

    Ecology and Ideology Film Series all are welcome * film: Is God Green? Thurs Feb 28 CSU 285 5 pm discussion: theology and ecology * film: A Sense of Wonder: Interviews with Rachel Carson Wed March 6 CSU 256 8 pm discussion: women, science and the environment * film: Taking Root: the Vision of Wangari…

  • Transition Mankato event, March 28, 2013

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    jdontje

    Transition Mankato, an area group exploring ways to transition to a more resilient and sustainable community, is continuing their conversation by hosting a viewing of two movies, “Transition 2.0″ and The Power of Community” on Thursday, March 28. The first movie begins at 5:30 PM at Good Counsel in Mankato. See https://www.facebook.com/CenterForEarthSpirituality/events for more details.

  • Renewable energy installations on the Gustavus campus

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    jdontje

    Over the past year, several renewable energy installations have come online on campus. As they have become operational, I have been working with the installers, Gustavus Physical Plant staff, and the Physics department to make these installations live up to their potential as teaching tools as well as energy generators. Here is an update about…