Sustainability has been an increasingly hot topic in recent years throughout many California universities, and at UC Davis the Campus Center for the Environment (CCE) aims to promote environmental awareness and a sustainable lifestyle.
This quarter, UC Davis students can participate in the Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP), a two-unit seminar series that provides students with the opportunity to listen to distinguished guest lecturers and learn more about sustainability in Davis and across California.
“The class is a combination of a guest speaker who talks on a range of ideas about sustainability and discussion. We have people coming to talk about agricultural sustainability, oil and drilling, environmental justice and much more,” said CCE intern and Sustainable Education and Research Coordinator Genna Lipari.
Each week will consist of a new speaker discussing various topics, all revolving around sustainability. Guest speakers include Anisha Desai on environmental justice, Melissa Nelson on indigenous perspectives, Garth Lenz on the “True Cost of Oil,” Melanie Madden and Annie Main on agricultural land preservation and more.
The unique class set-up offers students different perceptions on sustainability. In an interactive environment with relatively few requirements, the class is catered to what students want to know, said Hannah Oakes, president of the California Student Sustainability Coalition, UC Davis Chapter.
In addition to participating in the lectures, students have the opportunity to form an Action Research Team (ART) for an additional two units. The team will work on topics ranging from sustainable transportation, food systems, energy and green building.
Lipari participated in the program and participated in an ART her first year at Davis and fell in love. Her ART project consisted of gleaning fruit off trees around Davis that usually go to waste. She and her teammates picked the fruit and donated them to local food banks.
The program is open for all majors and offers an introductory level of sustainability. The CCE encourages all students to sit in on any of the lectures.
“ESLP provides a well-rounded, student-led approach to sustainability education, and is perfect for students who are just becoming interested in sustainability to those who are passionate about it. I really recommend that everyone take it at least once in their time at UC Davis. It’s important for students to get involved because it is an easy, fun way to learn about sustainability,” said Unit Director for CCE Tessa Artale in an e-mail interview.
The funding for this program is sponsored by the Agricultural Sustainability Institute, Society of Conservation Biology, John Muir Institute of the Environment, Environmental Policy and Planning Commission, the CCE and the Geography Graduate Group.
Students can register on Sisweb under PLS 198 (CRN 87711), ESP 198 (CRN 73785) or ESP 298 (CRN 73841).
MICHELLE MURPHY can be reached at campus@theaggie.org.
