Wednesday, April 6, 2022 - Environment/Sustainability

Volume 141, Issue 10 Wednesday, April 6, 2022

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GREEN IS THE NEW ORANGE

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, April 6, 2022

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Letter from the Editor: The future of our planet depends on us

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ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABILITY

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for checking out our environment and sustainability special edition of the Beacon. While I believe that every edition we publish is important, this one is especially crucial. One thing that we all have in common is that we are living on the lovely planet Earth, and she is not doing so well these days.

Although I am not actively studying the environment or sustainability through either of my majors, I have always been fascinated by the evolution of our planet and how the human race has altered it. It’s very possible my fascination stems from watching the film “The Day After Tomorrow” when I was in seventh grade and first learning about climate change — although

an extreme depiction — but my interest had been piqued nonetheless.

It is an unarguable fact that climate change exists. The earth is dying and, if we as a species do not do anything to help prevent this death, it will come much sooner than anyone would like, and “The Day After Tomorrow” may not seem so far fetched in the near future.

While other doomsday and intergalactic films give their own takes on climate change, such as the recent “Don’t Look Up” with its relating the phenomenon to a meteor destroying Earth and “Interstellar” where a severe drought leads Matthew McConaughey to the stars in search of a better planet, we need to become alert to the fact that climate change is serious.

It is not just a plot point in movies to entertain us — these movies are meant to terrify us to our core and to show us that, for the sake of future generations of human beings, we have to do something to help our planet now.

As of today, we do not have another planet that we can fly over to while in Cryosleep — we have to focus on bettering Earth because it is the only home we’ve got right now.

This edition includes numerous resources for students to partake in helping to save our Earth little by little, such as joining or checking out the Compost Coalition or the Students Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville (SPEAK), becoming aware of local pollinators, changing our eating habits and more. While mitigating climate change is largely in the hands of those with a bit more resources than we college students, every little bit helps. No action is too small.

For any students looking to gain informa-

tion on what is happening to our planet or how to help it, I not only suggest checking out the pieces in this edition, but also taking a look at the courses offered at UT for next semester when making their fall 2022 class schedule.

I learned a ton about climate change through my Geography 131 class entitled “Weather, Climate, and Climate Change” — which, along with Geography 132, fulfilled my natural science class credits through the College of Arts and Sciences — and also Geography 331, called “Natural Hazards,” which helped fill my global challenges requirement.

While I completed my class requirements through these courses, I also gained even more perspective on climate change and what is at stake with the future of our planet. The geography department at UT has several classes on climate change and the environment, and there is even a sustainability major and minor offered for those who are especially interested.

Climate change is something that everyone should take an interest in. Whether that looks like reading the pieces in this edition, watching documentaries, taking classes at UT, joining an organization like SPEAK or simply doing a quick Google search, I highly suggest looking into it.

While the problem on a larger scale is somewhat out of our hands, it is still important to stay informed and do whatever we can to help. The future of the human race depends on us.

Letter from the Managing Editor: UT’s sustainability progress

CALEIGH ROZMENOSKI Managing Editor

In Jan. 2020, Chancellor Donde Plowman signed the Zero Waste Commitment with the goal of reducing UT’s waste by 50% by the end of 2030. A reduction of 90% is necessary to be considered a Zero Waste Institution, but this commitment put UT on track to move in that direction. As of the fiscal year 2018, the university has diverted about 33% of its waste.

UT also created its Sustainability Master Plan for 2020-2030. This master plan outlines the university’s sustainability goals and its path to

carbon neutrality with focus on areas including: energy, land and water use, waste and transportation.

In fall of 2019, UT also became a signatory to the United Nations Institute for Training Research and the Association of Public and Landgrant Universities joint program the Declaration on University Global Engagement.

Moves like the ones listed above are great first steps to take as an institution to fight climate change and work to make campus more sustainable. UT’s commitments also set examples and models for other SEC schools. However, commitments and plans alone are not enough.

Action is key.

Through organizations like Students Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville (SPEAK) and the Compost Coalition, students are doing their part to hold the university accountable and make sure change really is taking place.

Individuals can only do so much. Shorter showers, plant-based diets and carpooling are all wonderful ways to move toward a more environmentally conscious lifestyle, but this does not address the root of the problem.

According to The Carbon Majors Report in 2017, only 100 companies and corporations are responsible for 71% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Big businesses are at fault, yet the blame

has been shifted to the individual. That is why it is so important for institutions like the University of Tennessee to take part in commitments and declarations to strive toward more sustainable means.

I do not mean for any of this to sound discouraging. It can be overwhelming to think about how much needs to be done to reverse the harmful effects of climate change. But, small, impactful changes like bringing your own bags to the store and carrying a reusable water bottle are still important and meaningful. However, reaching out to your legislators and expressing your concern can be just as powerful.

Using your voice and exercising your civic rights is another quick and easy way to be more environmentally conscious. Voicing your concern for unsustainable policies and practices to all levels of government – including local governments.

Email or call Mayor Indya Kincannon or Mayor Glenn Jacobs’ offices with suggestions and concerns. Writing to your district’s senators is an option too.

Don’t worry about not sounding official or scientific enough. Your voice matters and your concern as a citizen of the world is qualification enough.

ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABILITY

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

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Student-led organization SPEAK encourages environmental action worldwide AUTUMN HALL Staff Writer

Each year, Earth Day inspires people to become involved in sustainability initiatives, but these inspirations can be quickly lost as the day ends and celebrations cease. Behind the scenes, however, student organizations such as Students Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville (SPEAK) are working year-round to make a difference.

Founded in 1992 by Mary Anne Peine and Michelle Case, the student-led organization focuses on a wide array of environmental issues, both on campus and on a national spectrum. In the past, they have participated in events such as “Say No to the Foam,” in which members successfully strived to eliminate styrofoam from UT’s dining halls, campus cleanups and river waste removals.

Sadie Kimbrough, president of SPEAK and a junior at UT, explained the basic premise of SPEAK, and what its members aim to do as one of the main environmental organizations on campus.

“Our mantra is to ‘Think globally, act locally’ so a lot of the projects that we do are on UT’s campus. We kind of try to have a focus each semester, whether that’s a campaign or working on our garden. … The garden is our most consistent project, we have a plot that is across

from Sorority Village and next to the UT Culinary Institute and we actually recently just got a grant for it, so we are working to expand our garden to grow a lot of foods,” Kimbrough said.

The SPEAK garden works not only to allow students to have hands-on experience with gardening, but also to feed those who are in need. Members of SPEAK work to cultivate the garden and grow edible goods that can be donated to organizations such as Smokey’s Pantry, which allows students to pick up groceries and fresh produce for free.

Knoxville is very prone to being a food desert, which means that it can be incredibly difficult to buy affordable food, so by providing accessible food free of charge, Kimbrough believes that SPEAK is helping to find a solution for this problem.

Kimbrough described SPEAK’s current and future efforts and how members are continuing to make a difference both on and off campus.

“This semester we’re trying to get a public compost drop-off on campus. We really try to focus on the campus because there’s a lot to work with there. There are a lot of people and organizations that are always willing to help us out,” Kimbrough said. “... Right now we’re focused on getting ready for Earth Month. … We have events planned like cookouts, painting the Rock, etc. Social events are one of the best things we can do as

an organization. We can do as many petitions or campaigns or protests, but I think really bringing people together around these issues is important.”

While many SPEAK members are continuing to make contributions on campus, others are taking their impact to a global level. Rachel Stewart, former SPEAK president and senior at UT, is currently making environmental contributions while studying abroad in Kyrgyzstan.

Stewart explained her work in Kyrgyzstan and how it was originally inspired by the projects she performed during her time in SPEAK. “SPEAK was one of my first involvements on campus as a freshman, and it was a really great way to plug into the sustainability scene.

As soon as I found it I knew I wanted some kind of leadership role. … I see it every day in how I pursue things in Kyrgyzstan. I’m volunteering with local organizations, like yesterday, we planted trees at a park, and that was cool just drawing experience from SPEAK, you know, working in the garden and learning,” Stewart said.

“I’m six thousand miles away, but it is just kind of similar issues everywhere.”

Stewart believes that the work that she performed during her time with SPEAK is directly impacting her knowledge surrounding her ongoing projects in Kyrgyzstan, and she did not hesitate to discuss the similarities in environmental issues between the two locations. In

UTK SPEAK has a Labor Day picnic on Sept. 6, 2021. Courtesy of o�cial UTK SPEAK Instagram, @utkspeak

addition to tree planting, she is also volunteering at a local landfill and researching uranium mines, in which her experiences with waste sorting with the UT Office of Sustainability are proving to be beneficial.

Kimbrough and Stewart urge students who are interested in getting involved to do so through following the organization’s Instagram page or joining their GroupMe. Stewart believes that making the first move can be very difficult, but once this step is made, SPEAK can prove to be an integral part of becoming involved on campus.

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, April 6, 2022

ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABILITY

Letter from sustainability student, SGA treasurer: Lighting the way to a sustainable future

SIMON JOLLY SGA Treasurer

As this year’s Earth Month kicks off, there’s much to be looking forward to on Rocky Top! The days are warming, tulips are blooming and robots are zooming while we celebrate what it means to Make Orange Green all throughout April.

Apart from the many exciting, in-person events happening for the first time in a couple years, this Earth Month is special for being at a turning point for the university. In this moment, students are organizing and university systems are changing — albeit some faster than others — for the better.

When I first arrived on campus four years ago, plastic straws and Styrofoam cups were the big-ticket items energizing students around campus sustainability. Today, the straws are paper, the to-go boxes are reusable and the conversation around what is needed to make our campus more sustainable? It’s bigger and more ambitious.

Renewable energy, compost and procurement now compose the growing number of action items which students are organizing around to make our campus more sustainable. Further, each of these issues maintains their own student organization or group filled with passionate Vols actively programming and advocating to reach their strategic goals.

This is made possible because of many student leaders who came before; it is years of students moving the needle and growing support that there’s the capacity for what is happening now.

This Earth Month, let us take pride in how far we have come as we look toward an exciting and eco-friendly future for campus.

Over the course of the last year, the Sustainable Energy Working Group (SEWG) was formed to survey the student body on and advocate for the university’s investment in renewable sources of energy. This group, composed of students, faculty and staff, surveyed over 3,000 members of the student body, and we found that climate change ranked as students’ second highest institutional priority — preceded only by parking.

Further, over 90% of respondents supported the development of on-campus forms of renewable energy generation. The results of this survey were resounding and now inform this group’s advocacy to administration — where

we have already seen our first win! Senior Carly Broady recently was granted funding through the Green Fee for an on campus sustainable energy garden to showcase renewables beautifully and publicly. While it may take more time before the university is powered by renewables, this organizational infrastructure through SEWG is now able to advance the ongoing and vocal support necessary to push forward a project of such massive scale.

Though renewable energy has attractive solar panels to signal success, it is the collection of increasingly more food waste which energizes many students on campus. UTK Compost Coalition is a student organization founded about a year ago that is committed to educating students about composting as well as facilitating in-residence hall compost programs.

These compost champions may have handed you a plant with UTK’s internally composted soil on Ped Walkway!

Still, the university must make significant investments in its composting infrastructure to continue meeting campus needs, and the Compost Coalition works to advocate for such investments, increase student engagement with compost and allow students to compost for themselves. It’s a big deal that students are learning how to compost in their residence halls and seeing what happens with the food they don’t finish at Rocky Top Dining — it might have made its way into the planter outside your classroom. Thanks to the Compost Coalition, there are compost champions springing up all around.

And for those ready to dive more into the weeds than food waste, students are even digging through the university’s enormous pur-

chasing decisions to determine how we can be more environmentally friendly. Lucy Buck and Joe Roebuck created the Sustainable Procurement Group to work with administration on incorporating sustainability into the issues they consider when working with vendors and making purchases for the university. Spending over $600 million dollars each year, this is certainly one of the most influential ways that the university can make a dent in their carbon footprint. As this group continues to grow, be on the lookout for their big wins and ways to get involved.

This Earth Month is different. This month, students are in their best position yet to push for the sustainability changes which we want to see. Let’s not squander this moment; let’s continue to light the way for future Vols as we come together this month and every month to Make Orange Green.

Simon Jolly is a senior at UT this year studying sustainability. He can be reached at sjolly3@vols.utk.edu.

Columns and letters are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.

OPINION: Your Over-Opinionated Uncle: How America is tackling climate change

ERIN GWYDIR Columnist What is the Paris Climate Agreement? It was on Dec. 12, 2015 that 196 countries adopted an agreement to do their part in reducing the effects of climate change and global warming with the intent on becoming completely carbon neutral by 2050. The Paris Climate Agreement is the first binding agreement of the whole world to combat climate change, most importantly the commitment of the top

two contributors of greenhouse gas emissions: China and the United States. From 2014 data, the two countries make up 45% of global carbon emissions.

The agreement outlines a five year cycle in which, starting in 2020, each nation will submit a plan to reduce their carbon emissions in a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). In these NDC’s, nations will describe the transformative plans of multiple sectors of their economy. In the first and most recent NDC from the United States, these sectors include: electricity, transportation, buildings, industry, agriculture and non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions.

The specifics of domestic policy concerning climate change are clearer in Biden’s budget plan for 2023, introduced in late March.

The plan will tackle everything from increasing the international budget finance to raising the minimum wage for firefighters to combating environmental racism. The current president has made it clear, starting with his campaign, that tackling climate change was a top priority of his, and rightfully so as the world is running out of time to reverse the effects of climate change. However, the upcoming mid-

terms this November will prove crucial for whether those plans are carried out.

Common knowledge unfortunately does well to remind Americans that no matter how popular a bill or budget is, it’s often a political game of power that stunts true progress. In the case of climate change, the American republican party is king in spreading harmful misinformation to block crucial legislation regarding most budget increases to do with global warming, but in particular, preventative measures are what the right wing either cannot seem to understand or relentlessly blocks for reelection from voters who do not understand.

However, arguably more powerful than Congress is the elites in America for whom the Clean Electricity Program harms financially such as Joe Manchin — who is known to have large ties to the coal industry. While Manchin can’t vote directly on the approval of this budget, he can and has lobbied against it so that house reps and senators do not. In other words, if the executive wants to meet their deadlines including an 80% reduction in greenhouse gasses from the power sector by 2030, the “oligarchs” of modern America should be sure to

benefit.

Plans to transform the transportation system are no different. Global initiatives show the need to replace cars that rely on gas with electric cars and improved public transportation, which can be done multiple ways. It seems a priority on the back burner for the Biden Administration as they tackle the power grid first.

The economic impact will be fruitful in the long run, but Americans in particular should expect dramatic changes in the upcoming years if the budget is adopted.

Erin Gwydir is a freshman at UT this year studying political science and cinema studies. She can be reached at egwydir@vols.utk.edu.

Columns and letters of The Daily Beacon are the views of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Beacon or the Beacon’s editorial staff.

ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABILITY

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, April 6, 2022

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Infrastructure issues, solar panel additions: Students offer perspective on UT’s sustainability practices MACKENZI DAVIS Staff Writer

Environmental sustainability is a more prevalent topic than ever as companies and establishments work to create more sustainable initiatives. With the state of climate change worsening, it is no surprise that people want to see more change in the fight against climate change.

The university has made efforts to enforce more sustainable practices through the Make Orange Green Campaign. This campaign promotes more recycling, composting, student ideas on sustainability projects and “No Waste Game Days” for football games.

While there is an abundance of initiatives the university is taking to promote sustainability, it begs the question if they are doing enough in order to be as sustainable as possible. Many students have their own ideas about the university’s sustainability practices.

Tickle College of Engineering student Thomas Peplow gave his perspective on the university’s approach to sustainability. Peplow is a junior majoring in civil engineering. He appreciates the recycling initiatives, however, he believes there are still more efforts that could be made by the university.

“The university is a large producer of waste, so we should try to reduce it when we can in terms of recycling,” Peplow said. “Initiatives like recycling and sustainable infrastructure exist here on campus, so they’re doing a little bit. I’m not sure if it’s that effective because not everything is up to the standards it should be.”

Peplow was also vocal about the constant building of new infrastructure at the university. The university often builds new facilities, rather than renovating old buildings that are out of use or soon to be out of use.

“One thing we could do is stop tearing down old buildings to build new ones and try to renovate existing buildings to improve facilities,” Peplow said.

Another student gave their insight on the university’s environmental impact. College of Information and Communication student Evan Hooper was passionate about things the university could do to improve its environmental footprint. Hooper is a senior majoring in journalism and electronic media.

“UT themselves, as an organization, needs to work towards more sustainability, whether using renewable energy or whatever,” Hooper said. “It’s also important that UT teaches and educates its staff and students about being sustainable because the more awareness there is for helping the planet and becoming more sustainable, the better.”

Hooper acknowledges the efforts already

Rows of solar panels line the roof of the Knox Central Building as the first of 14 citywide solar panel installation on Sept. 29, 2015. File / The Daily Beacon

implemented at the university but believes there is more that could be done. The minimal solar panels and encouragement to recycle may not be enough in the long run.

“I’ve seen solar panels on a few buildings, and there are specialized places for recycling, and recycling is encouraged, but I’m not sure of what else,” Hooper said. “Obviously, every little bit helps, and something is better than nothing. But the more, the better. And I think UT could do better. It’s not fully possible to run off of pure renewable energy currently, and it’s impossible to get everyone to recycle, but more effort could be put in.”

Hooper also talked about what he would like to see more of at the university in regards to

sustainable practices. This includes more solar panel use and more accessibility to public transportation for students.

“For UT to be more sustainable, I think there should be more effort into using renewable energy and limiting as much harmful consumption as possible,” Hooper said. “I would love to see solar panels on every building, less cars and more public transportation and more outlets for electric vehicles.”

These perspectives from students shed some light on ways the university can enhance its practices. These are not changes that will happen overnight, but eventually, the university could work towards a variety of different initiatives to increase its sustainability efforts.

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, April 6, 2022

ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABILITY

food4VOLS collects food, prepares free meals for campus KEENAN THOMAS Senior Staff Writer

For those who are unsure of where to get their next meal, food4VOLS provides free, ready-to-heat and eat meals at the Big Orange Pantry.

Started in Aug. 2021, food4VOLS is a program that aims to fight food insecurity and redistribute food waste on campus. Every meal they prepare is pre-cooked and ready to eat for any student, faculty or staff member on campus. Anyone can come and grab a meal through the Big Orange Pantry located in Greve Hall.

Program manager at the Culinary Institute Tyler White oversees food4VOLS. He summarized what the program does.

“We’re more manufacturing,” White said.

“We collect unused food on campus. We bring it back to the Culinary Institute. We transform and prepare ready-to-heat and ready-to-eat meals — they’re all in microwavable containers — and then we take them to Big Orange Pantry.”

The program worked with Vol Dining, Americorps Vista Members and the Office of Sustainability to get it started. Recent research from the university has found that one out of three college students will experience food insecurity at least once throughout the semester.

During an unrelated meeting, White began to discuss this issue with sustainability manager Jay Price. At the end of the meeting, the program began to formulate until they formally started in the fall 2021 semester. It’s only grown since then.

We want to be seen as the hub for food donation and collection on campus.

TYLER WHITE Overseer of food4VOLS

“We went from about 50 meals to now we’re up to about 150 meals a day that we’re preparing and sending to Big Orange Pantry,” White said. “We’re hoping to increase that now that Big Orange Pantry has increased their space as well.”

The program works by collecting unused food from Vol Dining, Aramark restaurants and events on campus each day. They take the excess, cooked and properly stored food to the Culinary Institute where they document what they’ve obtained and refrigerate it. The next day, they take the ingredients that they have, determine if it needs anything else along with it like sauces and prepare a meal using those ingredients, which are labeled on a sticker on

Left: Volunteer Annie Berens preps meals in the Big Orange Pantry for students to pick up and take on the go, as part of the food4VOLS program on Friday, April 1, 2022. Right: Containers ready for pick-up on April 1, 2022. Keenan Thomas / The Daily Beacon

the container. After taking them to Big Orange Pantry, they deliver some to local non-profit organizations and prepare to do it all again.

“It’s one big rotation,” White said. “We come in, we see what we’ve collected, we try and have a game plan.”

This sometimes might include what students cook in culinary classes. For example, White recently used excess eggs from one of his classes along with recovered biscuits, cheese and bacon to make breakfast sandwiches for that day’s meals.

Although the specific meals aren’t preplanned, they try to take into consideration upcoming events, holidays, preferences and allergens so that they can include everyone.

White mentioned that they will prepare pescatarian meals for Fridays because of Lent.

“We try to take into consideration what’s going on nationally with religions and things like that that we can help with,” White said.

“So we make sure that we try and do that. We make sure that we have gluten free options, some vegetarian options.”

Through these meals, food4VOLS has diverted several tons of food waste.

“The amount we’ve done this semester — we’ll look from Feb. 2022 till … the end of March — I think it’s been close to 5,000 pounds that has been diverted from compost or the landfill to here that then went to feeding.”

Last semester, they diverted four times as much into meals, totaling around 20,000 pounds of potential food waste. According to the Earth Day Initiative, one pound of food waste is equivalent to 3.8 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. In other words, around 78,000 pounds of potential greenhouse gasses was diverted by food4VOLS and food collection on campus in their meal preparation.

About 7,000 to 10,000 pounds of that food collecting came from the help of social im-

pact coordinator at the Office of Sustainability Deborah Bethel. She worked with volunteers with the Food Recovery Network to collect unused food from the Sky Boxes after football games. She said that it was one of the smoothest recovering processes that they’ve had after games, according to those that she worked with.

“It was a pretty simple process really after we got into the swing of things with the volunteers who came almost every single game,” Bethel said. “And it was incredible too to see, I think we had recovered around seven tons of food.”

She discussed the amount of diverted food from last semester.

“It’s astronomical,” Bethel said. “It’s something honestly that before I was involved in this program, I didn’t think too to much about, because I personally would take leftover food home and eat it there, but I didn’t think about the background food that’s not being used.”

The food that Bethel would collect came from the Sky Boxes. This food is cooked and ready to serve during games, but most of the time either never leaves their packaging or sits in the hot boxes waiting to be used.

Along with the collecting, Bethel talked about the composting efforts on campus. Most of the unrecoverable food gets taken to the composting facility, which is able to process substances like meat unlike other facilities in town.

“At least we do have that,” Bethel said.

“That makes it hard to know what the emissions diverted are. But, if the food were to go to a landfill and rot, that’s just so much methane created.”

As of now, the only place to get these meals comes from Big Orange Pantry. They hope to continue offering more meals as the pantry expands, while also having an option for stu-

dents who can’t get a meal during their operating hours. White has an idea for how he would like to tackle some of the food deserts on campus, especially for those that are on campus late at night.

“Our goal and hope is that with food deserts on campus, where some of the Vol Dining locations close at lunch time and they’re not open later, that we can create some kind of free vending machine where a student can access a free meal whenever they need to, because food insecurity doesn’t happen between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m.,” White said.

Along with the vending machine idea on campus, White talked about helping out the local community as well. They already take some of their extra meals and deliver them to KARM, as well as programs that deliver meals to homeless camps and people in recovery.

“We work with Second Harvest, they’re kind of our main partner,” White said. “We have an agreement with them that everybody who we donate to is also a partner of Second Harvest, so it’s everybody helping everybody with it and we’re hoping to bring more on.

Rural Appalachia is on our radar on how to get things up there. We work with Compassion Ministries, who also helps Big Orange Pantry, and they take a truck up to rural Appalachia once a month to hand out proteins and things like that.”

“Kids are on my vision of what I want to do and helping after school programs, things like that where there’s kids that don’t know where their next meal is going to come and they can’t control it. If we can help there, that’s where I’d like to see it go as being more how we can help those backpack programs,” White said.

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ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABILITY

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

Local Knoxville pollinators: Bees, butterflies, bats KYRA BOGDAN Copy Chief

locally designed locally printed

As the weather warms up in Knoxville and the flowers begin blooming around campus, pollinators are bound to follow. Here are just a few local pollinators you can find in Knoxville along with a handful of ideas about how you can help these critters do their jobs.

Bees When you think of pollinators, bees are probably the very first thing to pop in your mind.

It goes without saying that bees are crucial to the stability of the environment around them.

There are 14 types of bees that you can find in Tennessee, but I’ll only be talking about the three most common types. There are plenty of cool bees on there such as long-horned bees, squash bees and digger bees just to name a few.

First up on my short list of bees found in Knoxville are bumblebees. They’re the most recognizable with their round bodies, fuzzy coats and signature black and yellow stripes.

They don’t produce honey, but they are essential for fruit and vegetable crops.

Next are European honey bees — if you’re a fan of local honey, you have these guys to thank for it. They are a subtype of Eastern honey bees, which are the most common honey bee in all of North America. You can spot them by looking for an amber/brown colored bee with significantly less fuzz than their bumblebee “cousins.”

Last are the carpenter bees. They are sometimes referred to as pests due to their habit of burrowing in the stems of plants like raspberries and hollowing out the wood of anything ranging from dead logs to your backyard deck.

Without them though, we would have a hard time growing anything at all. They are mostly active March through October and are divided into two species — large and small carpenter bees. The large ones are about the size of a bumblebee, but are shiny instead of fuzzy. They are mostly black with bright yellow only found on the thorax. The small carpenter bees on the other hand can range in color from forest green to navy blue.

Bees need our help in order to continue their crucial role in the environment. A good way to start is to buy local, organic honey. By supporting local beekeepers, you are in turn helping these pollinators. Another way to help is to support any local vendors whose profits go towards supporting the bees.

Butterflies A few of Knoxville’s most common butterflies include, of course, the monarch but-

A Bumblebee sits on a flower in Knoxville on March 31, 2022. Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon

terfly. Easily the most recognizable butterfly, the monarch can be found anywhere there is milkweed — which is the only source of food for their caterpillars. Most people are familiar with the decline of monarchs as of late, and a good way to combat this problem is to plant local milkweed. Not everyone has the space to garden, but it wouldn’t hurt to encourage your family members to add this plant to their home gardens in order to help these pollinators.

Next is the Red Admiral, which is the most common butterfly in all of Tennessee. They have a dark brown color on the majority of the wing with reddish-orange stripes and white spots decorating the rest, but the underside is a dark brown that can be easily mistaken for bark in order for this pollinator to camouflage itself in the trees.

The last butterfly I’ll mention is the Painted Lady butterfly. Their coloring is pinkish-orange with dark brown markings near the tips of their wings and white spots inside those markings.

You can look for them in open spaces like pastures, fields, gardens — anywhere that is open, quiet and relatively undisturbed is where these butterflies thrive.

Bats Maybe my favorite kind of pollinator, bats are usually active at night — think of them as taking on the night shift for the bees and butterflies.

Although they might not be the first example to pop up in your mind, they are equally important and pollinate the same way as the rest — they’re attracted to the nectar from the flowers, and while they’re feeding, the pollen sticks to their bodies as they move from flower to flower.

There are about 14 species in Tennessee but the most common is the little brown bat.

Unfortunately, like most other pollinators, bats are in danger. White-nose syndrome has taken a huge toll on Tennessee bat populations.

There is not yet a cure for this disease, but scientists are currently working on a way to help these important mammals.

Even though we can’t yet help bats with this disease, there is another way that we can assist them. Installing a bat house is a great way to help bats raise their young. As college students, we don’t all have the space or property to put up a bat-house, but if you’re renting a house in the area, see if this is a possibility for you.

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, April 6, 2022

ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABILITY

KnoxFill on providing zero-waste goods, encouraging sustainability MADELYN MUSCHEK City News Editor

Pictured is Mel, founder of Knox Girl Soap, set up at Commonplace Coffee on Saturday April 2, 2022 among many other local Knoxville vendors.

Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon

Following its one year anniversary on March 27, KnoxFill continues its work to bring sustainability and zero-waste resources to Knoxville.

KnoxFill is a local zero-waste shop which sells products designed to be zero-waste. With a wide range of products that include laundry detergent, toothpaste, dish soap, lotion and shampoo bars, to name just a few, the shop currently operates with pop-up shops around Knoxville for pick-up and a delivery system to refill products and reuse containers.

Michaela Barnett is the founder of KnoxFill, and spoke about her vision for KnoxFill and her inspiration for starting the business.

“It’s much more than a store, I would say.

I call KnoxFill customers KnoxFillers, and I think that we’re really creating a community around low-waste living and sustainability,” Barnett said.

Additionally, Barnett said that before KnoxFill, some customers would drive as far as Nashville to get their low-waste products refilled.

Barnett has experience with sustainability in a practical sense with KnoxFill, but she is also currently pursuing a PhD from the University of Virginia, which she’ll graduate with this summer. Her program focuses on behavioral science combined with engineering, and she expressed excitement about getting to spend more time on KnoxFill post-graduation.

She also discussed her hopes for the future of KnoxFill and sustainability initiatives in Knoxville more generally, which include plans to move into a brick and mortar location in the coming year.

“I want to help make Knoxville one of the least wasteful cities in America, and if we flip that, that’s making Knoxville one of the most sustainable cities in America, and I think we’re laying the foundation for that now,” Barnett said.

Barnett also spoke about the differences be-

tween recycling and zero-waste and how each relates to larger ideas about sustainability, as well as how we consume and process waste.

She emphasized that while recycling is better than other waste strategies, like energy conversion, it is not better than preventing waste.

“The promises of recycling have really been oversold, and that we’ve really been taught of this idea that ‘recycling is one of the most sustainable things you can do’ has really been drilled into us,” Barnett said. “Recycling defers, rather than avoids, final disposal. … Recycling can’t be our strategy for all materials because the mechanics of it don’t work.”

Amber Heeke is a contractor for KnoxFill, and has worked various jobs in the business, such as filling and delivering orders to photography, as well as social media management.

She spoke about KnoxFill’s role as a Knoxville business, adding that customers expressed curiosity and excitement about KnoxFill.

“KnoxFill is a model for what modern consumerism could look like, a demonstration of possibilities outside of the current disposability culture,” Heeke said.

“We would be delighted to see other businesses following this model, even though most would consider this ‘competition.’ Really, it’s evidence that the idea is catching, and that means we are all winning in the bigger picture.

My guess is that we are going to see more and more refill options and that we will see those

options more regularly in big chain stores as well. Supporting local is very important to me, but that would be an exciting thing for exposure and accessibility to plastic-package-free options in a broader community,” Heeke said.

Barnett was also a founder of the Free Store when she attended UT, which is a community resource focused on continuing sustainability through a donation-based model.

Daria Baker, a senior nutrition student and Donations Assistant at the Free Store, spoke about the importance of sustainability, echoing Barnett’s statements about the realities of recycling and why it’s better to reduce waste wherever possible.

“Giving people the resources they need instead of them having to get something that’s new and recycled. The energy that it takes to create new things and recycle items puts a strain on the environment,” Baker said.

When speaking about advice to those that are interested in sustainability, both Barnett and Heeke agreed that it’s important to focus on making small changes and remembering that imperfection in the effort to produce less waste is okay. Specifically, Heeke recommended starting with laundry detergent, because it’s an easy, less-waste swap.

“It’s okay to be an imperfect zero-waster,” Barnett said.

SEC school sustainability programs on, off campus OLIVIA HAYES Staff Writer

With the start of April, Earth Day is fast approaching — a day created to bring awareness to environmental protection, sustainability and humankind’s impact on the planet. While UT has several programs dedicated to sustainability, other universities in the SEC are environmentally conscious in their own ways.

Auburn University As of March 2021, Auburn University partnered with Beam Global, “the leading provider of innovative sustainable technology for electric vehicle charging, outdoor media and energy security,” to create Alabama’s first solar-powered electric vehicle charging station on the Auburn campus. The charging station is available for students and staff, free of charge.

Auburn developed a Climate Action Plan with the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.

Meaning, the university plans to eliminate all carbon emissions that pollute or damage the environment within the next 30 years.

Auburn also adopted a policy focused on tree preservation as a commitment to natural landscapes. The policy describes efforts to maintain and preserve trees on campus and outlines sit-

uations in which a tree should be removed, for instance, if it is dead, damaged or poses a safety hazard. The policy recommends that removed trees should be replaced.

University of Kentucky (UK) The University of Kentucky has developed an extensive sustainability plan that seeks to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions, conserve energy and water usage, incorporate sustainable eating practices and packaging at dining halls and alter transportation methods and infrastructure.

To put this plan into action, the university has already replaced light bulbs in some buildings with LED lights, reducing carbon emissions and conserving energy. Improvements to their chilled water production and steam distribution systems also contributed to a reduction in emissions.

Recycling is another environmentally friendly practice UK has implemented on campus. Teaming up with Bluegrass Greensource, an organization focusing on environmental education and outreach, there has been a push to increase recycling in dorms and residence halls. The campus campaign “Pick It Up” is another motion to eliminate litter on campus.

The Student Sustainability Council motivates sustainability projects on campus through funding and grants. In four years,

Sustainability Challenge Grants have awarded $700,000 to 26 projects, allowing them to pursue their sustainability projects on the UK campus and beyond.

Louisiana State University (LSU) In 2020, LSU received the Sustainability Innovation Award from the Association of Plant Administrators for a project in which Black Soldier Fly insects were used to compost campus-generated food waste and turn it into organic fertilizer.

LSU used both food waste from dining halls, which accounts for 40% of LSU’s total campus food waste, and other sites on campus that leave behind food scraps. The project and award contribute to LSU’s plan to divert 75% of all waste from landfills by 2030.

University of Tennessee (UT) In 2021 alone, the compost facility on UT’s campus composted over 730 tons of food waste, animal waste and landscaping debris.

There are also recycling bins located all across campus to discard paper, plastic, aluminum, cardboard and steel.

UT has instituted solar panels, four electric vehicle charging stations and LED lighting in all campus buildings. Vol Dining food is also sourced from local businesses, and leftover

Smokey statue on UT’s campus on April 3, 2022.

Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon

food from orientation is donated to the Food Recovery Network.

For frugal, environmentally conscious shoppers, the Free Store is a second hand shop where students, faculty and staff can find free clothing, accessories, kitchenware and small appliances.

All of these eco-friendly efforts put forth

by SEC universities highlight the importance of sustainability and serve as a reminder that there is no planet B.

STORY CONTINUED ONLINE Read more at utdailybeacon.com

ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABILITY

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

9

Compost Coalition pushing for more ways to make composting more accessible practice ABBY ANN RAMSEY Staff Writer

The UT O�ce of Sustainability recycling truck gets a makeover and is posted to Twitter on July 1, 2021. Courtesy of the o�cial Twitter of the UT O�ce of Sustainability, @sustainableUT

For years now, every UT dorm room has been equipped with a recycling bin. If you’re ever looking for a trash can on campus, it’s almost more likely that you’ll find a recycling bin.

While recycling is one way for students to easily practice sustainability, Daniel Covington, the logistics executive of UT’s Compost Coalition and senior environmental studies major, says it is not the only way. Ironically enough, though, he thinks some of those other ways have been thrown out.

“I think it’s one of those parts of waste that’s always overlooked,” Covington said.

“You know we really push recycling hard on campus and all this other stuff but compost usually historically on campus has been cast to the wayside.”

But now, the UT Compost Coalition has made it their mission to make composting more of a viable option for students on campus. For the past year, they have been working on a composting pilot with the goal of getting composting bins in residence halls.

This week, they’re starting workshops in residence halls to introduce composting to oncampus students so they can get bins for their dorm rooms and start the process.

As part of the pilot, the club has been gauging student interest in composting by sending our surveys asking if people would be willing to try it out. While they received a lot of initial interest in the campaign, they got a smaller turnout of students wanting to attend the workshops.

One of the stipulations implemented by the residence halls was that in order for students to compost in the dorms, they would have to attend one of these mandatory workshops, so they know how to properly compost. The club hopes that after people begin to see what the process is like, they will be more willing to at-

tend workshops and get started.

“People I think are perhaps a little bit afraid of it,” Covington said. “I think there is a stigma against compost because I think people think there are going to be pests and it’s going to smell, but once the composting pilot is in full swing, I think people will see that it’s not so bad.”

After all, Covington said, composting is not all that different from what students are already doing day-to-day.

“It’s literally the same waste you would be throwing in the trash can,” Covington said.

“You’re just putting it in a different bin now.

It’s going to end up in a bin in your room either way.”

With compost bins for paper towels in campus bathrooms and the participation of dining halls composting food waste, there is quite a lot of compost produced by UT as a whole already.

According to Christina Young, the acting copresident of the Compost Coalition and a senior communication studies major, those opportunities just haven’t “trickled down” enough so students can compost their other waste.

“It would be a lot easier to create this kind of circular waste economy on campus if we were able to do that for the students,” Young said.

Although the process of composting is not as gross as many people might expect, that does not mean it’s easy. Until recently, there was not a simple way to compost in Knoxville without paying for Green Heron Compost to pick it up or doing it all yourself, which for college students living in apartments, dorms or houses often with a lot of roommates is simply not feasible, according to Young.

The coalition has worked endlessly trying to accomplish not only the pilot project for dorms but also to get composting available to all students, including those who live off campus.

Covington and Young said they have bounced back and forth between residence hall groups and directors, maintenance workers and everyone in between.

“It’s been a complicated issue. There are a lot of different stakeholders at play here and we’re just trying to strike a balance with all of them,” Covington said.

Where they still need assistance, according to Young, is getting initiative through administration and having support from the top that could provide the resources they’re lacking.

They are looking for more workers to assist in the understaffed waste management department, better pay and more infrastructure that would allow for these drop-off centers to be easy to access and receive waste from.

“I mean really being able to work collaboratively with the administration if they were to show a vested interest in making UT more sustainable in action rather than name, I think

that would really really help,” Young said. “We have a master plan, we have a vision for what we wanna do and we’re doing what we can but it’s pushing through all the barriers that gets really discouraging in the process.”

Not only is composting a sustainable practice that could help to combat climate change and reduce waste but Covington also said it is a tangible way to help and can even foster communities. The coalition has gotten to work with Green Heron, the city of Knoxville, UT’s SPEAK club and many other organizations and people.

“Composting is a really important part of waste management,” Covington said. “In terms of what you’re getting back from it, it’s probably the most personal kind of waste management because when you recycle it goes into a bin and gets sent to a recycling facility and you probably will never see the products of that again. But with compost, this is a situation where students are donating their food waste to the composting facility and then the compost is put back on campus.”

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Composting is a really important part of waste management.

DANIEL COVINGTON Logistics executive of UT Compost Coalition

Now, the city of Knoxville is offering a compost drop-off station which does simplify the process quite a bit and provide everyone in Knoxville with more environmentally friendly opportunities. While this is a large step for the community, the city will not compost a lot of foods like meat and dairy that UT’s composting facility is large enough to handle.

That’s why the coalition’s next major goal once the dorm initiative is in full swing is to provide compost drop-off centers on campus, so students can take advantage of UT’s noteworthy facilities.

“One we get a public drop-off for students, you can compost almost everything … because we have such a giant freaking facility and that’s so unique to almost any university in America,” Young said. “We do have that awesome base to go off of so we’re trying to put that to use.”

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The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, April 6, 2022

ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABILITY

Plant-based lifestyles offer means to fight climate change, save resources DANIEL DASSOW Campus News Editor

Every so often, climate activists come to campus to hand out flyers from the Californiabased Factory Farming Awareness Coalition (FFAC) which detail how, by switching to a vegan diet, one person could save 219,000 gallons of water, 1,533 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and the lives of around 35 animals every year.

The flyers are part of a broad movement bringing awareness to the negative effects of meat and dairy industries on the environment.

Data suggests that around 14.5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the meat and dairy industries, especially from cows. This is roughly equivalent to the yearly greenhouse gas emitted by all cars, trucks, airplanes and ships.

It is hardly surprising then that more and more people who switch to a plant-based diet do so out of concern for the environment and for sustainability. Reducing or eliminating the consumption of meat and other animal products is now considered one of the most effective ways to reduce a personal carbon footprint.

There are many ways to follow a plant-based diet and each is helpful for curbing climate change, whether that’s cutting out all animal products — including leather and products tested on animals — giving up meat or simply eating a greater ratio of plant-based foods.

Alex Gardner, a registered dietitian and graduate student in the Masters of Public Health program at UT, said that a so-called “flexitarian” diet, made up of around 90% plant-based products and 10% animal products, is becoming more popular and may hold the key to reining in the factory farming industry.

“You’re not saying, ‘I can’t eat animal products,’ you’re just saying … ‘a majority of my diet comes from plants, and then I sprinkle in some animal products in there so I don’t feel restricted,’” Gardner said. “So that’s very popular and that’s where, if we want to see a switch to environmental sustainability, that we need to be heading.”

Gardner holds a certification in plant-based nutrition from Cornell University. She and her husband follow a plant-based diet and have seen both physical and economical benefits.

Pound for pound, plant-based proteins such as beans or tofu are several times cheaper than meat.

“My husband is a soldier and he follows a mainly plant-based diet as well, and he can feel a difference in his athletic performance by including more fruits and vegetables and having less meat,” Gardner said. “I also feel like budget-wise, we save a lot on groceries.”

By 2050, the world population is projected to grow to around 9.7 billion people, and feeding that many may require a scaling back of the factory farming industry. The problem is the amount of land and water required to produce meat and dairy products.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, 9% of cropland in the United States, or 34.1 million acres, is dedicated to growing feed for dairy cows alone. Scientists and activists worry that by dedicating such large amounts of land and water to keep animals alive for humans to eat, limited resources will run out, which could lead to various humanitarian crises such as mass starvation, drought and civil war.

“We are overfishing our oceans, we’re polluting our water, we’re polluting our air and we’re having deforestation, all for human food consumption,” Gardner said. “So these are all things we have to think about.”

On Wednesday, March 3, 2022 the UTK Veganteers gather for games, movies, and camaraderie over the tasting of vegan and vegetarian foods and recipes. Edward Cruz / Contributor

Harmony Fine, a sophomore studying sustainability, stopped eating meat in 2015 and became vegan in 2019 because she shared these concerns. She is a member of the UTK Veganteers, a campus club that provides space for any students curious about plant-based food and lifestyle.

“I have realized that too many people underestimate just how much of an impact animal agriculture has on our environment,” Fine said. “When considering the methane produced from the livestock, the mass amount of water used for the animals, the land we dedicate to growing animal feed and the pollution created from herbicides and fertilizers, the whole industry is one of the top contributors to global warming.”

Diana Dalton, a sophomore cinema studies major, became vegan a few months ago after being vegetarian for five years. She said it was an ethical choice made out of concern for how factory farming affects all species.

“I think that the animal rights side of veganism and the environmentalist side of veganism are largely the same. The changing climate is already impacting every species on our planet, and is only going to get worse if we allow it to continue unimpeded,” Dalton said. “The science is clear that animal agriculture as it exists on a global scale is ridiculously unsustainable, and that adopting a vegan lifestyle is one of the largest changes an individual can make to reduce their carbon footprint, at least on par with not owning a vehicle.”

There has never been an easier time to reduce the personal consumption of animal products, since a variety of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives are available at most grocery stores and restaurants. In addition, many clothing and beauty stores offer leatherfree items and products not tested on animals.

Faux meat and dairy products, however, are often expensive and not accessible to everyone. Dalton believes that individual consumer choices, while they are the reason more companies are providing plant-based alternatives to begin with, cannot ultimately turn the tide on climate change — at least, not fast enough.

“Consumer change alone — which is a luxury for many — won’t ‘save the world’ in time.

Sweeping changes are needed at corporate and governmental levels to reduce emissions, which we don’t see happening at anywhere close to the rate we need,” Dalton said. “Some of the poorest countries in the world will suffer the brunt of the disaster of a warming climate, while at the same time being the least responsible for emissions.”

Dalton said subsidies for powerful meat and dairy industries artificially lower prices on animal products and prevent progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions or the swallowing up of limited resources. For one small example, she cited the requirement that public schools include cow’s milk in lunches in order to receive reimbursement.

“In most states, public school meals re-

Revolution Gelato is a popular treat at the Scruffy City Veganfest held in the Knoxville Expo Center on Oct. 6, 2018. File / The Daily Beacon

quire a carton of milk on the tray in order to be counted as a ‘full’ meal and be reimbursed by government programs. I’ve seen more grade school trashcans than I can count filled to the brim with unopened milk cartons kids don’t want. This is a massive, preventable waste of resources, all for the economic interest of outdated corporations,” Dalton said.

There are many misconceptions surrounding plant-based diets, perhaps most commonly that it is difficult to get enough protein without eating animal products or that plantbased protein is more expensive, both of which are untrue.

Cole Owens, a junior studying to become a dietician, went vegan seven years ago in order to lose weight and lost around 90 pounds. But he has stayed vegan for so long because the change also offers him a way to care for other people, for animals and for the planet.

“Ethically, being vegan is the best. I think that if we can live healthily off of plants, why kill innocent animals?” Owens said. “Also when it comes to the environment, being vegan is great for the planet. I would recommend everyone to at least try veganism out. Whether someone goes full vegan or if they just incorporate more plants into their life, it will improve their lives.”

ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABILITY

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 • The Daily Beacon

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‘Do the right thing:’ Solving excess waste a simple fix for Vol football fans JOSH LANE AND ETHAN STONE Sports Editor and Assistant Sports Editor

University of Tennessee facility services bought 200 additional recycling bins for a primetime Volunteers football game against Brigham Young (BYU) in 2019.

It sounds like overkill for a routine, nonconference matchup, but it was a necessary precaution. As Tennessee football kicked off a new era under newly-hired head coach Jeremy Pruitt, so did Neyland Stadium. Facility services was preparing for a venture it had never before undertaken.

In May of 2019, SEC chancellors and school presidents voted on a policy to allow league members the ability to sell alcohol at sporting events, one that would provide a considerable financial boost on game day. UT took advantage of that ruling.

In addition to the abundance of recycling bins, UT wheeled in “dozens and dozens and dozens” of concession stands to sell alcohol, pallets of ice to keep the drinks cold and even extra workers to run the stands. It was an operation the likes of which Neyland Stadium had never seen before.

“It was a radical, radical change,” University of Tennessee sustainability manager Jay Price told The Daily Beacon, “bigger than anything previous in my 14 years.”

The introduction of alcohol, despite being a logistical challenge, was an immediate success.

UT sold, on average, more than 18,000 beers per game and accumulated nearly $1.5 million in alcohol sales in 2019. In that first game alone versus BYU, UT produced 1,000 pounds of aluminum can waste — its lowest amount of the season in games that sold alcohol, but a stepping off point for a larger issue.

In 2019, UT produced 260.19 tons of total waste across its eight home football games, according to a report from the university’s sustainability department. That mark was Tennessee’s highest in five years, when it produced 283.59 tons of total waste in just seven home games in 2014.

It was not a perfect process — UT hadn’t discovered the most efficient procedure for selling alcohol in year one. Its original process produced double the amount of waste that the sustainability department would have preferred.

“The rule was you had to crack open the can, pour it into a cup and hand the cup to a patron,” Price said. “So now you have two containers, you have a can at the source and a cup that’s going with the consumer. That can, we have recycling bins right there at the stand that the concessioners would just drop into a can-only

bin. It sounds great, but that stadium is so huge logistically it’s a nightmare to gather all that stuff up.”

Those bins filled at an exceptionally fast rate, and an additional “army” of stadium workers had to wheel them outside to one of two waiting dump trucks to dispose of. It was far from the most efficient method.

By the COVID-shortened 2020 season, UT had devised a better game plan — crack the can and hand it directly to the patron. That action alone cut alcohol-related waste in half.

“That was a huge improvement and it’s made a significant difference,” Price said of the change. “Year one, it was rough, it was a nightmare because there was a lot more material and our cleaning staff — both internal and the cleaning contract we had on Sunday — had a rough time keeping up with that additional amount of material.”

Tennessee’s waste problem has certainly been heightened by the sale of alcohol, but it did not create the problem. Feeding 102,455 people at Neyland Stadium each Saturday has always been a major operation that produces its fair amount of waste.

When it comes to a game, enjoy yourself ... but just put the material where it belongs.

JAY PRICE UT Sustainability Manager

Top: Trash thrown on to Neyland Stadium’s field at the game against Ole Miss on Oct. 18, 2022. Alana Adams / The Daily Beacon Bottom: Vols score a touchdown against the South Carolina Gamecocks in Neyland Stadium on Saturday Oct. 9, 2021.

Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon

Neyland’s population on game day is equivalent to the fourth most populated city in Tennessee. At full capacity it is more than triple the student population of the University of Tennessee. Each of those fans have to make a quick decision on what to do with their waste, and if they make the careless choice, trash piles up quickly.

Most people learned in preschool to pick up after themselves, yet hundreds of workers clocked overtime hours cleaning up a record level of waste at Tennessee football games.

Price’s message is not a call for a drastic change in game day routines. The sustainability department is not asking patrons to stop buying concessions, but instead be mindful of where your trash goes.

“When it comes to a game, enjoy yourself,” Price said. “Have fun, but just put the material where it belongs. Whether it’s something that can get thrown away in the trash, put it in the trash, if it can be recycled, recycle it … Do the right thing with the material, that’d be amazing.”

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ENVIRONMENT/SUSTAINABILITY

The Daily Beacon • Wednesday, April 6, 2022

10 ways to become more sustainable as a college student LEXIE MARTIN Staff Writer

Sustainability is something that is vital to our environment and for our own well-being.

It can be difficult to do as a college student, especially because some efforts can get expensive. But, here are some things that we all can do to try and promote a better living environment as well as things that can really help in the long run.

Reusable water bottles Using a reusable water bottle helps reduce plastic use. On campus, there are numerous water bottle refill stations, and if you bring a mug (24 oz.) to some on campus locations, like PODs, you can get fountain drinks and drip coffee for $1.19. You get to help the environment, save money and stay hydrated and fueled.

Repurposing containers If you have a glass jar or plastic ones, you can always find a use for these. An example is using body scrub jars for bobby pins, scrunchies, hair ties, etc. You can use jars from sauces to hold pencils or paint brushes or you could use them as a vase for your favorite flowers — real or fake.

Using reusable shopping bags This is something that many people do, but they are so useful for things like shopping

and even moving. You can use them in place of boxes for smaller items and you can easily fold them and store them.

Reusing plastic bags A great example of this is using plastic grocery bags for food scraps or trash. You can also use them to carry things if you don’t have tote bags or if you are giving someone food, books, etc.

Getting involved with on campus or community programs We have some programs on campus, like the Mug Project, that students and faculty can get involved with. There is also the Office of Sustainability. They offer a lot of programs and a work-study program for students that want to get involved more. Their passion and motto is to Make Orange Green.

Another idea is to organize a campus or city clean up — do this through your apartment complex or a community outreach program.

You can also get in touch with different groups and offices on campus or plan it with your floormates in your residence hall.

Recycle as much as possible Do what you can in order to recycle what you can. Do research as to what can and can’t be recycled and look into the different types of plastics and the different ways that recycling works. There is so much to learn about and so much that can be done in this area.

Two students set up a hammock at HSS Amphitheater on April 3, 2022.

Alexandra Ashmore / The Daily Beacon Turning off lights and appliances as well as limiting water usage Turning off lights when you leave the room, as well as turning off appliances that aren’t currently in use can help as well. This saves energy and electricity. Also, limiting your shower times and doing laundry on colder settings can help as well.

Compost If you have the space available, you can always compost. If you don’t have space in your apartment or dorm room, get in contact with groups in the Knoxville area or on campus, like a hall director or the Office of Sustainability.

This is a great way to make sure that certain items, like food waste, don’t go unused if they are able to be used for something and benefit the Earth and others.

Meal plan and prep This is something that is occasionally overlooked. If you do this, you can save more money at the grocery store and reduce waste if you only buy what you need and will use.

Diet can play into this as well. Limiting the amount of meat and animal products that you consumes daily is good as well. It helps your body, and it can be helpful to the environment at the same time.

These are just a few things that anyone can do. There isn’t a lot that students can do other than promote sustainability, since a lot of global warming and climate change has been out of the hands of many for quite few years.

Since not everyone is a billionaire who could donate money to help find solutions, this list is comprised of things that anyone can do. They are good for our planet and might bring you some joy as well.

Thrifting or making your own clothing Thrifting isn’t just fun or a way to find great deals — this adds to it though. It is much more sustainable than buying fast fashion. You can always alter pieces and make them your own.

You can also make your own clothes or repurpose an item that you might have thought about just throwing away or donating. You can get more use out of something and find a new way to love it.

Make Orange Green logo. Courtesy of the UT Office of Sustainability

Sustainability is something that is vital to our environment and for our own wellbeing.

LEXIE MARTIN Staff Writer