Senior is Washington D.C.’s First ‘Green’ Intern

What do you do when you've already built a 20-foot long, 200-pound concrete canoe and helped install photovoltaic solar panels on the roofs of several campus structures? Well, just ask Mark Galvan who has topped himself once again by landing a job as Washington D.C.'s first green intern. I've had the pleasure of meeting Mark on a number of occasions and he's genuinely one of those cool, hard-working, dedicated and humble students.

I'm not surprised that others, such as Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA-53) and the Capitol’s chief administrative officer, Dan Beard were also impressed with him when they came to visit to UCSD. The two have given Galvan the opportunity to work in a multi-faceted internship that is the first of its kind and a unique opportunity for Mark to do what he loves, help build a sustainable future :) Click here to get the full scoop on Mark and his new gig.

here come the Econauts!

When school starts this month, the EcoNauts, a corps of environmental student educators, will fly into action. Seven students have been hired to help their peers and the residential staff learn more about sustainable practices, and ultimately, help UC San Diego lower its carbon footprint. EcoNauts will work with student groups on campus wide events involving: recycling, composting, water conservation amd conservation, and social sustainability.


ABC 7 in Los Angeles recently highlited the econaut's commitment to being green. Click here to read the full story

new eco-friendly dorms

On Friday, Aug. 28, UC San Diego unveiled its newest housing facility, “The Village,” a huge 1,000-bed project for transfer students that is tracking LEED silver certification. The facility features drought-tolerant, bio-swale landscaping, “hydration stations” that eliminate the need for disposable water bottles, natural free air-flow ventilation and radiators heated by hot water. Granite counter tops are used in place of laminate for a long-term gain, and steel stairs replace carpeting in the eco-friendly buildings.

The new housing also features rooms designed by six teams of interior design students from the Design Institute of San Diego. The themes of the specially designed rooms range from surfing to Paris-chic.

Green Meals

The lunchrooms at UC San Diego are about to get greener and it's not just because of the lettuce. The campus’s Housing, Dining, and Hospitality division will offer cage-free eggs; fair trade coffee, tea, and sugar; organic food and; locally grown fruits and veggies in its dining halls and markets.

Student groups have supported the availability of cage-free eggs, fair trade, and organic foods, a trend that reflects a larger national and international movement for an alternative food system, according to Jeff Haydu, professor of sociology at UC San Diego. “People increasingly believe that they can advance political or social justice goals through their choices as consumers rather than, or in addition to, more conventional political action,” Haydu said. “There is something very appealing about the idea that you can make a difference simply by buying this and not that. Some say, ‘change the world one bite at a time.’”

Dining locations on campus will soon begin regularly featuring locally gown, organic farmer’s markets where students will have the opportunity to buy produce directly from local food businesses :)