University of Nebraska - Lincoln
EN-3: Student Life

Sustain UNL is an aggregate of students from diverse backgrounds coming together to create a sustainable world through activism, education, and service-engagement. Members of the organization work to promote environmental sustainability on campus and in the broader Lincoln community through hosting speakers, workshops, community service events, fundraisers, socials and weekly meetings. Recent campaigns included working to get the University of Nebraska system to divest from the fossil fuel industry, “Code Red” which is designed to educated students on sustainable period products, a new initiative to bring a student-led community garden on city campus with Nebraska native plants and many others. We stand with open arms to anyone who is looking for a place on campus where they can be surrounded by wonderful, passionate people that have a dream to ensure a livable future for everyone on Earth.

Divest NU - DivestNU is a coalition of UNL, UNO, UNMC, and UNK students advocating for the University of Nebraska to divest from the fossil fuel industry. The group works as a subcommittee under Sustain UNL and have been advocating about this issue for over two years now through meetings with the NU administration, testifying at Board of Regents meetings, and planning rallies.

The ASUN Environmental Sustainability Committee is the student government’s main outlet for sustainability initiatives. The Committee presents new opportunities and facilitates continuing projects every year that foster environmental stewardship, knowledge in sustainability, and community outreach. ESC has been highly active since its inception in 2011, and continues to engage UNL in improving campus sustainability.

The Environmental Leadership Program is a program of ASUN targeted at developing Freshmen and Sophomore students into leaders in sustainability on campus. Students are mentored by ESC members to learn tangible project management skills. Examples of past ELP activities include a sustainability roundtable event and an annual team project.

Acclimate - Acclimate is a UNL RSO centered around passing science-based equitable climate policy. We accomplish this goal by working with Nebraska’s federal and state legislatures. They deliver ask sheets to senators and engage in direct lobbying.

https://sustainability.unl.edu/

Students at UNL have the opportunity to participate in a student run organic farm located on East Campus. UNL SOF provides experiential learning for students interested in gardening, operating Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), or supporting local food grown by their peers. Their mission is to reduce food insecurity while providing knowledge of small scale organic farming through hands-on experience. In 2021, they ran a 32 person CSA and, in addition to this, engaged over 60 students in various events, volunteer opportunities, and cooking classes. They also sold produce to local restaurants and at a market stand as a student enterprise.

Besides the Student Organic Farm, there is the Food for Thought club. They are a food insecurity and nutrition education outreach program. They seek to provide resources for those in need by connecting them with organizations and programs in the community such as local food pantries, including the Husker Food Pantry, Food Fort, and Catholic Social Services. They also connect those in need to mutual aid programs such as the Everett Free Grocery Program. One of their main partners is the Student Organic Farm, and they encourage members to volunteer, as volunteers receive free produce as well as valuable hands-on experience. They also partner with the Produce from the Heart organization and provide volunteering opportunities where volunteers learn how to harvest produce.

https://sustainability.unl.edu/

Alumin8 is an aluminum recycling startup by College of Engineering students that converts aluminum cans into recycled specialized aluminum products to be sold online or other reusable products like silverware that are donated to the local homeless community. Their cause helps minimize the metal waste generated by removing aluminum from this flawed sustainability cycle and transforming it into more permanent forms. Alumin8's two-pronged strategy allows them to tackle aluminum waste while establishing relations between local university students and the homeless.

Students at UNL have the opportunity to participate in a student run organic farm located on East Campus. UNL SOF provides experiential learning for students interested in gardening, operating Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), or supporting local food grown by their peers. Their mission is to reduce food insecurity while providing knowledge of small scale organic farming through hands-on experience. In 2021, they ran a 32 person CSA and, in addition to this, engaged over 60 students in various events, volunteer opportunities, and cooking classes. They also sold produce to local restaurants and at a market stand as a student enterprise.

The Green Fund Selections Committee (GFSC) consists of 7 voting, student members and is advised by UNL’s Sustainability Coordinator from the Office of Sustainability. With help from an external board of subject matter experts, the GFSC student members review grant proposals and make recommendations about which projects should be funded. The Green Fund is housed within ASUN and funded through student fees. During annual ASUN elections, 4 students are elected to serve on the GFSC by the student body during ASUN elections and 3 students are appointed by the ASUN appointments board.

On November 21st, 2022, the University of Nebraska system hosted the inaugural NU System Sustainability Summit. For the first time, the Nebraska-system Sustainability Summit brought together NU sustainability leaders and stakeholders including administration, faculty, staff, and students from all four University of Nebraska institutions in the hopes of prompting growth and understanding in sustainable initiatives and visions. The 2022 summit included opportunities for networking for the over 100 attendees, remarks from NU President Ted Carter; Chief Sustainability Officer Chris Kabourek; and UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green. The summit also featured panel discussions with community leaders and experts from across the NU system, and a keynote address from Rob Hanson, Monolith founder and CEO. Headquartered in Lincoln, Monolith develops next-generation technology for producing low-cost, low-emission hydrogen and carbon black — an important raw material used in manufacturing rubber and plastic.

The Office of Sustainability hosts its annual Sustainability Summit at the beginning of the Fall semester each year. The 2021 summit was the fifth annual, held September 7th – 9th. The Summit aims to educate and engage the UNL community in current sustainability initiatives on campus and in the larger Lincoln community. Through a variety of events, attendees are provided with information that will help contribute to developing a culture of sustainability at UNL. In 2021, the following events were hosted as part of the summit: Lincoln's Vision for a Climate-Smart Future with Miki Esposito, Senior Policy Advisor to Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird; Myths and Misconceptions: Searching for Answers for your Sustainability Questions; Getting Involved on Campus: Finding your Sustainability Niche. The Summit events are conceptualized, planned, and executed by Office of Sustainability student interns. The Office of Sustainability partners with the Environmental Studies department to hold the events during ENVR class times during the Fall semester, in order to maximize student participation and engagement. The 2021 Summit, hosted in-person with the opportunity for zoom participation, engaged over 150 community members. Pre 2021 Summit events included information related to UNL’s Environment, Sustainability, and Resilience Master Plan, Intersections of Climate Change, Living sustainably on Campus, the ASUN Green Fund, and Climate Change science.

The E.N. Thompson Forum's mission is to bring a diversity of viewpoints on international and public policy issues to the University and the residents of the state to promote understanding and encourage debate. Over the past two decades, the E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues has established itself as one of the preeminent speaker's series in higher education. In 2011-2012, the Forum focused on water and global security. In 2015-2016, the focus was activism, one speaker included Bill McKibben, who spoke about climate activism. In 2020-21, the focus was Regeneration: Leadership and Hope for a changing planet and featured Xiuhtezcatl Martinez Indigenous Climate Activist, Hip Hop Artist; Forum Youth Panel: "Naming the Beast: Climate Change and our Youth Taking Action"; Ann Bancroft Polar Explorer, Climate Advocate, Philanthropist. In 2022-23, the theme was Creativity to Solve Global Challenges. Topics include: "A Clear and Steady Eye: Storytelling and Our Shared History"; "Putting the Public Back in Public Health: A Global Perspective"; "The Craziest Thing We Can Do is Nothing", "The Urban Landscape and The Future of Cities"; and "How Design Thinking Saves Lives - Lessons on Innovation, Leadership and Resilience".

E.N. Thompson website: https://enthompson.unl.edu/

The Heuermann Lectures focus on addressing issues related to worldwide security in the areas of food, natural resources, and renewable energy for people, as well as on securing the sustainability of rural communities where the vital work of producing food and renewable energy occurs. Over the past five years, these agricultural lectures have brought distinguished speakers to the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources to address topics of interest and importance including in 2021: Myth Busting: Cattle and Climate, A Discussion on Nebraska's Livestock Enviromental Footprinting.

Heuermann Lectures website: https://heuermannlectures.unl.edu/

The ASUN Environmental Sustainability Committee hosts many events during April for EarthStock. Cultural arts are always included in the festivities through displays, local artist performances, local art exhibitions, poetry, and film media.

EarthStock website: https://asun.unl.edu/earthstock

Outdoor Adventures through Campus Recreation offers students opportunities to engage in the natural world around them, while instructing all participants to use 'leave no trace' principles and offset all carbon emissions from travel using the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

Campus Rec Sustainability page: https://crec.unl.edu/sustainability

The Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) is targeted at developing Freshmen and Sophomores into leaders in sustainability on campus. Twenty students are paired with an Environmental Sustainability Committee member and assist on their projects. The ELP class traditionally plans and facilitates a sustainability roundtable event, bringing together local experts in areas such as waste, food, water, policy, transportation, energy, and more. In the Spring, ELP implements their own project original to that year’s class. (http://asun.unl.edu)

EcoLeaders is also sustainability-themed housing in one section of a dorm through the Learning Community program. EcoLeaders live and work together on a variety of sustainability projects in their own dorm and the community. The focus of this learning community is building community with the students around the natural environment and environmental causes found both on campus and the larger Lincoln community. During the past three academic years, the program has seen 31 participants. EcoLeaders website: https://learncom.unl.edu/firstyear/ecoleaders

The UNL Office of Sustainability hires interns during the summer and school year to assist in projects to enhance campus sustainability. The Office of Sustainability strives to integrate sustainability into the core mission of the university through teaching, research, service and extension and is committed to projects that make efficient use of resources in order to create a more sustainable campus and community.