SUSTAINABILITY E-NEWSLETTER
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Final days to Reduce, Reuse, Rewear at the Clothing Swap
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Last Thursday, December 6th, The Center for Sustainable Communities kicked off our Reduce, Reuse, Rewear Clothing Swap event! We had about 50 students shop the clothing donations. A lot of second-hand gems found great homes! The swap has sweaters, jeans, business casual button downs, hats, gloves and so much more! Didn’t get to the swap last week? Not to worry, the Clothing Swap will be open
Monday, December 10th
and
Tuesday, December 11th
from 2 p.m.- 4 p.m. Stop by before break to drop off some old clothes and find something new!
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Luther Compost: Following the Trail of Food
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Something is in the air on campus...Can you feel it? Is it finals stress? Is it PCALDS (Post-Christmas at Luther Depression Season)? No...something even more potent - or perhaps the lack of it. What’s missing, you might ask? There are no longer earthy aromas lingering or calling you to compost your food scraps in the four compartment bins around campus. The 5-gallon containers in residence hall kitchens and common areas have also mysteriously vanished. That’s right folks,
Compost
has closed for the semester! Luther only composts when classes are in session (we rely on students to work our compost system).
When classes and compost are in session, the food used at Luther goes on a journey to becoming rich fertilizer for further growing. All food waste can be composted in the bins around campus. Once this food waste is collected by the Compost Crew, each building’s waste is weighed and recorded. From there, it goes on a truck and is transported to the
Luther College Farm
about a mile off central campus on Pole Line Road. There, it is added to our growing compost pile! The pile is now contained by concrete barriers and is turned and monitored by Facilities. Once this pile decomposes completely, it will turn into fertilizer to be used around campus by the Luther College Grounds Crew!
Interested in becoming a part of Luther’s food story? Divert food waste from the landfill and pick up your own personal compost container from the Center for Sustainable Communities, located in Valders 372! While you’re at it, pick up an “I Compost” sticker to show your pride for our compost system!
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Rideshare
Your Way to a Sustainable Winter Break
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Have you thought about how you are getting home or to your destination for the holidays? Just a reminder that Luther offers two great services that can help cut down on the number of cars on the road. The
Luther College Ridesharing Facebook group
connects people who need rides and those who can give them. Post if you need ride home or have extra space in your car! Additionally, you can purchase a ticket for one of Luther’s shuttle buses which run through cities across the Upper Midwest . Tickets can be bought at the Box Office or on the
Box Office website.
Make sure to get your tickets early - no sales will be made 24 hours before the departure time! These options not only cut down on air pollution and the number of cars on the road but also can foster new or existing friendships and create fun memories. Can you feel a Christmas music marathon coming on? Perhaps playing a round or seven of your favorite car games? Either way, may your holidays be safe and sustainable, Norse!
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Resilient Northeast Iowa: A Climate Change Reflection
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Climate change is scary. We need to talk about it and how to combat it as a community. After the IPPC's October 8th report, the Northeast Iowa Peace & Justice Center started organizing community climate discussions in Decorah to guide action and peace of mind to this corner of Iowa. One of our educators, Kim Chham, wrote a
reflection
on her takeaways from the event. Stay tuned for news of the next discussion in this series!
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Are you headed home for break and/or going to be off campus next semester? Make sure to check these Mindful Move Out steps off your list to make moving out a breeze!
- Take stock of your clothing before you go- donate what you don’t want to the Sustainability clothing swap in Valders 379! Shop the swap from 2-4 p.m. Monday (12/10) and Tuesday (12/11) to get some new clothes.
- Unplug all of your electronics and surge protectors to avoid the phantom load
- Are you graduating early or moving dorms? Donate large furniture that you can't take with you to the Depot, Spectrum Thrift or Goodwill!
- Lower the temperature on your thermostat before you leave
- Make sure to take your plants home or make a plant-sitter plan!
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Student Spotlight
Sean McKenzie '20
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Sean McKenzie is a junior hailing from Des Moines, Iowa. At Luther, he is a double major studying Political Sciences and Environmental Studies. As a first year, Sean started working for the Center for Sustainable Communities as a Sustainable Transportation Educator. From there, he has gone on to work on the Recycling and Compost Crew, and now works as a Sustainability Educator! Sean has been instrumental in our yearly bike storage events, as well as coordinating Move-Out at the end of Spring Semester. His favorite part about working for the CSC is seeing the impact his work is able to make on campus. Sean will be travelling to Washington D.C. as part of Luther’s involvement in the Lutheran College Washington Semester (LCWS) program this coming Spring Semester. There, he will be interning and taking classes in our nation’s capital. While we will miss Sean at the Center, we are happy for him as he embarks on this journey!
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- Monday, December 10th and Tuesday, December 11th, Clothing Swap: 2pm-4pm, Valders 379. Want to shop your friends' closets? Bring clothes you no longer want, and leave with free, new-to-you clothing. Read more.
- Thursday, December 13th, Emeriti Colloquium: 3pm-4pm, Mott Room of Dahl Centennial Union. Learn from Jim & Phil Iverson as they give a presentation on "The Science and Measurement of Climate Change. Read more.
- Tuesday, December 18th, Winneshiek Energy District Breakfast: 7:30am-8:30am, T-Bock's Downstairs. Steve Falck, a Senior Policy Advocate at the Iowa Environmental Law & Policy Center will be speaking on energy topics that affect Iowans. Come to enjoy the talk and, if you want breakfast, do not forget to register by Thursday, December 13th! Read more.
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The Center for Sustainable Communities is always looking for ways to improve our publications. If you have any questions, concerns, general comments, or story ideas for future newsletters, please email
sustainability@luther.edu
at any time.
This newsletter is provided by the Center for Sustainable Communities, which coordinates all sustainability initiatives at Luther College. The mission of the Center is to promote sustainability and be a catalyst for change on campus and in the region. For more information on sustainability initiatives at Luther and the outreach work of the Center for Sustainable Communities, please v
isit:
www.luther.edu/sustainability
.
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