New bike lanes north-bound from Belknap campus: After two years of advocacy and community meetings organized by UofL, Louisville Metro government has just installed new bike lanes on Brook and First streets through Old Louisville, providing Belknap Campus with its first north-bound bike facility and providing improved connectivity with the Health Sciences Center. The lanes run from Cardinal Boulevard to College Street. The city plans to complete the connectivity to HSC, but even now it’s a fairly safe, low-traffic connection from there.

Expanded : The Sustainability Council has worked with UofL Housing over the summer to expand its bikeshare program considerably. Nine newly restored bikes (with fenders, baskets and locks) have been added to our campus bikeshare fleet and are available for daily free checkout by any employee or student from the front desks of three residence halls along Fourth Street: Community Park, Kurz Hall and Bettie Johnson Hall. These bikes used to be available for residents only, but now are available to anyone at UofL. They can be of particular help to folks on the northwest side of Belknap Campus who want to get across campus, across town or just to pop over to the new Get Healthy Now Employee Wellness Center to the east of campus.

Suffering from flat tires? The Sustainability Council is stocking pre-glued tube patches at all five of its . The stations offer 24-hour access to basic tools and a pump at Bingham Humanities Building, Student Activities Center/Red Barn Plaza, SAC Floyd Street entrance, University Tower Apartments and HSC Kornhauser plaza. For help with repairs, scan the QR code on the Fixit to see detailed instructions, or download the .

Find the facilities. Our interactive has been updated to include the three new bike check-out locations and our new bike racks installed over the summer at several Belknap and HSC locations. The map also indicates the Fix-it Station locations. You also can find bike lanes, paths and safer routes throughout Louisville with the which now includes a UofL campus inset.

Foremen on two wheels: The Sustainability Council has recently equipped six Physical Plant foremen and two parking officers with work bikes for getting around campus instead of golf carts or other polluting, unhealthy, motorized vehicles.

Health Promoters on three wheels: Over the summer, the Sustainability Council equipped the Office of Health Promotion with an industrial tricycle for health advocates to use in hauling items across campus and raising awareness at campus events.

Notable fall dates:

Aug. 22 ‒ Car-Free Lunch Trip to
11 a.m.Ìýmeet up. Cyclists gatherÌýin front of the Red Barn. Bus riders bring UofL ID and meet at the TARC Route #18 stop across from the Floyd Street Garage Belknap Bus Station. Bring spending cash/debit card for local food/lunch items. Join UofL’s Sustainability Coordinator at 12:20 p.m. for (School of Public Health Room 103). All attendees receive a reusable UofL Sustainability shopping bag made in the USA of 100 percent recycled materials.

Aug. 28 – Free Bike Tune-ups at UofL Involvement Fair. 11 a.m. ‒ 1 p.m., Red Barn plaza. Stop by the UofL Sustainability table to find out how you can make a difference, take the and grab some green goodies, or get a free bike tune-up.

Aug. 29 – Pedal with the President!
Thursday, Aug. 29, at 7:30 a.m. Cyclist leave from Amelia Place (2515 Longest Ave.). Join President James Ramsey and others for a fun, easy 30-minute ride to campus for Welcome Week. Riders will leave together and then split into two groups—one headed to Belknap Campus and another to the Health Sciences Center. Both routes will be fairly flat and low-traffic. The route to Belknap is mapped out . The route to HSC is mapped out . This event is a collaboration between Get Healthy Now, the Sustainability Council and the Office of the President. By cycling to campus, Ramsey seeks to set a powerful example for the community, highlighting his support for a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.

Aug. 30 – Last day to apply for the 2013 (for those willing to trade-in parking permits for a $400 bike shop voucher.)

It may seem quick and easy to grab your keys and jump in your car anytime you need to get somewhere — heck, with all the slick auto ads we’re exposed to every day, you’d think it’s nothing less than the American dream — but just consider all the ways our car-dependency is literally killing us:

• Hundreds of people are killed and injured by vehicles on Louisville’s streets each year. 32,310 people were killed on America’s roadways in 2011. It’s a constant, rolling tragedy vastly more deadly than the 9/11 attacks, wars, or gun violence claiming the headlines. Add in the undocumented body count of animal ‘road kill’ and you’ve got a truly horrifying amount of carnage that is simply unacceptable. It doesn’t have to be this way. You can help make our streets safer simply by choosing a better way of getting around.
• Auto-dependency is also contributing to our sedentary societal crisis that is resulting in an unprecedented epidemic of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other preventable diseases associated from lack of activity. With a , perhaps it is time for us to get some exercise in the process of getting where we need to go. Studies have found that the average person loses 13 pounds during the first year of bike commuting, but even daily walks to/from the bus stop or a carpool driver’s house can build a life-saving base of activity into your daily routine.
• Just like second-hand smoke victims, even those who don’t drive are suffering from our car-dependency. Driving pollutes our air with carbon monoxide, nitrogen and sulfur oxides, ozone and particulate matter, all of which contribute to Louisville’s poor air quality and a wide variety of acute health impacts. Vehicle emissions also contribute to global climate change. At UofL, roughly 10 percent of our total greenhouse gas emissions result from commuting to campus. We’re already witnessing the deadly effects with record-breaking heat waves, violent storms, floods, droughts and lethal tornadoes.
• And consider the direct financial costs of driving. The that, excluding loan payments, the average person driving a medium-sized sedan 15,000 miles/year can expect to spend $8,776 each year on fuel, parking, insurance, maintenance, tire wear, license and registration fees, loan finance charges, and vehicle depreciation costs. (SUV drivers will spend $11,239/year.) These costs are only expected to rise. Couldn’t you use an extra $9,000 in your pocket this year?

Well, I’ll see your $9,000 and raise it $400! UofL wants to help you think outside the car and we’re willing to put our money where our mouth is. This fall we’re launching a whole suite of initiatives to make it even easier to give in to your dreams of spending less time behind the wheel and more time living.

• Earn-A-Bike Program: If you’re willing to go without a UofL parking permit for at least two years, we’ll reward you with a $400 voucher redeemable at area bikes shops toward a bike or other cycling products/services. Applications will be accepted each year through the end of the first week of classes (Aug. 24). Our resource page for UofL bike commuters provides valuable tips, route mapping tools, videos, and information about classes to keep you safe and happy on two wheels.
• : Why bring your car to campus when you can borrow ours? Reserve one of our fuel-efficient vehicles online and pay a low hourly or overnight rate that includes gas and insurance. Employees pay just a $10 one-time application fee and can set up a personal or professional profile. Join by Sept. 1 to receive $30 in driving credits! Learn more.
• Bike-Share: New this fall, anyone with a UofL ID will be able to check out a bike with helmet and lock for free from the SAC gym on Belknap Campus.
• Increasing Bike-Friendliness: In accordance with UofL’s Bicycle Master Plan, we’re installing a total of 66 new bike racks (432 bike spaces) at numerous locations all around Belknap Campus, as well as five DIY Bike Fix-It Stations with basic tools and a pump. For help with repairs, users can scan the Quick Read (QR) code on the front of the Fix-It Station to see detailed instructions on a smart phone.
• Ride TARC Free: Simply show the driver your UofL ID to ride the for free. You can also combine modes by if it’s too far, you’re too tired or the weather’s too nasty.
• Carpool: UofL soon will launch a social media platform to match people offering and needing rides, whether for your daily commute or one-time trips. In the meantime, you can use the regional service to set up carpools, vanpools and even bikepools throughout Kentuckiana. Carpoolers also can register to access the free providing 80 percent of the cost of an emergency taxi ride home up to four times per year! Use this handy to see how much you’ll save.

These exciting developments are being funded through UofL’s Climate Action Plan, but it’s up to you to take advantage of this opportunity to make the biggest, most important change in your personal sustainability. Choose life! Car-pe diem.

We all know the holidays can be hard on our wallets, but they can also be hard on the planet. This year, consider ways to make the season memorable while saving money, resources, and the environment.

Energy:

Save money and energy this holiday season while helping keep the planet cool:

• When you leave for the holidays, turn down thermostats and unplug chargers, printers and non-essential equipment. Always turn off lights and power-down equipment when vacating a room.
• Choose more efficient LED holiday lighting and switch off holiday lights when you go to bed.
• Skip the hassle of driving those crowded, slippery roads this holiday season by taking the bus!
• Cold? Donning an extra sweater or thermal underwear is more cozy and energy-efficient than cranking up the thermostat.
• Got snow? Use a shovel instead of a snow blower or salt! Get some exercise while saving energy and preventing corrosion and damage to plants, wildlife and aquatic ecosystems.

Gifts:

• Instead of a gadget they might not like anyway, consider low-impact non-material gifts that keep on giving this year:

1. Gift memberships to a fitness club or yoga studio;
2. Tickets to a local performing arts company;
3. Gift subscriptions to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) which provides a weekly basket of food from a local farm. even offers a winter CSA share.
4. Registration for skill-building classes (e.g. UofL’s Lifelong Learning classes);
5. Give the gift of energy savings with a home energy audit! For just $25, LG&E customers can request loaded with information and energy-saving products customized to each home. There are numerous to help fund energy efficiency retrofits and replacements for homeowners.
6. Give the gift of renewable energy. For just $5/month, LG&E and KU customers can sign up for (in 300kWh blocks). Or make your own power at home! The federal government will cover 30 percent of the costs for installing .

• When shopping for material gifts, support your local economy by avoiding chain stores and look for locally-made or fair trade products (like those available at ).

• Look for toys powered by fun rather than electricity! If your gift requires batteries, give rechargeable batteries and a charger.

• No matter what you choose, avoid that mountain of trash by using reusable gift bags or recycled wrapping.

Food:

What you choose to put on your holiday table has a huge impact on the environment, health, and the local economy. Some things you can do:

• Seek healthier, fresher options. Avoid processed, excessively-packaged and individually wrapped foods.
• Serve less meat and animal products, as these generally require 10 times the resources to produce, are often high in fat and cholesterol and typically involve animal suffering.
• Strive to purchase as much local, seasonal food as possible — the Bardstown Road farmers’ market is year-round on Saturday mornings. Look for Kentucky Proud items at the grocery store and if you can’t find them, ask the manager to stock local items.
• Instead of serving drinks in individual cans or bottles, use pitchers and glasses. Serve award-winning Louisville tap water instead of bottled water.
• Plan for .
• Eating in moderation will help keep you and your environmental footprint lighter.
• Give Uncle Bob something to do in the kitchen (the dishes) — avoid disposable plates and dinnerware.
• Don’t send those food scraps to the landfill! Compost them to make your own .

After a year on the job as UofL’s first-ever sustainability coordinator, I have to say that I’m really proud of what’s happening here. We truly are moving towards ever greater sustainability as we take new, diverse and bolder steps toward a more environmentally, socially and economically responsible institution. The latest quantum leap? A Climate Action Plan developed by a broad spectrum of the university community over the past year as a road map to UofL climate neutrality by 2050.

With this plan, UofL is saying, We will not sit idly by and watch the climate crisis deepen. We will take action now and in the coming decades to tackle the problem head-on. We will cut out waste and pollution. We will make our operations more efficient and less expensive over the long haul. And in the process, we will create a more livable, healthy and resilient institution, campus, and community.

Making commitments like this and sticking to them can really revolutionize the way an institution or an individual sees the world and responds to it. Let me share with you my own personal example. When I was 15 years old, my father took me on a cross-country bike trip from our home in Washington, DC to Seattle. For two months straight I saw the beauty and diversity of this great nation and learned how incredibly rewarding it is to get around under your own power. I fell in love with bicycling as a means of transportation — the pace, the connection to nature, the personal health and wellness I derived, the absence of environmental impact.

I came back a changed person. When I returned to high school, and all my peers were signing up for drivers’ education and committing themselves to a lifelong dependence on cars and fossil fuel, I decided to forgo getting a drivers’ license and to commit to a life without cars. That commitment has shaped nearly every choice I’ve made in the 21 years since — from the mundane (how much to buy, what to wear, where to travel and recreate) to the profound (where to live, what to do with my life, who to fall in love with) — and I believe in nearly every case it has pushed me to choose that which is healthier, more economical and much lighter on the planet.

It’s exciting to see UofL make a similar commitment to climate neutrality and a path of greater sustainability. The choices we make today will be pivotal in shaping our institutional future — not just in terms of our environmental impact and financial health, but in terms of the kind of community we create and the kinds of citizens we educate.

By taking pains to shape our choices around the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we are closing the door to a lot of dangerous possibilities and opening the door to a clean, green future filled with resilient promise. Realizing this vision will take considerable time and effort, but our Climate Action Plan gives us concrete goals to strive for and practical steps to take along the way. We’ve crafted the plan as a flexible, living document to be revisited and revised as circumstances change.

I urge you to explore this road map (available at) and to contribute your ideas and actions to the effort. There’s no time to waste and no reason to be fearful. All hands on deck!

Don’t leave your car idling while you wait. Save yourself some money and gas while saving us all from unnecessary pollution. Shut off the engine – and take a deep breath. The amount of fuel consumed to restart a car is the equivalent of idling 20 to 60 seconds. Idling longer than this is a waste, and an idling engine produces more emissions than a moving car.

You, too, can turn waste into organic fertilizer! Instead of filling the landfill, why not compost those fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells and yard wastes? Consider setting up a compost collection in your office (5 gallon buckets with gasket lids work well) and composting at home.

• Winter’s the perfect time to try taking the bus to campus! And it’s free with UofL ID! .
• Cold on campus? Donning an extra sweater or thermal underwear is more cozy and energy-efficient than cranking up the thermostat.
• Got snow? Use a shovel instead of salt! Get some exercise while preventing corrosion and damage to plants, wildlife and aquatic ecosystems.

That’s about seven tons for every employee and student. We can all help reduce those emissions by changing the way we do things. Learn more about our greenhouse gas emissions at . Find out what we can do about it at the Feb. 11 Teach-In on Climate Change in Ekstrom Library, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free local foods lunch provided!

Consider the effects of your choices on people’s health, the environment and the local economy.

Some things you can do:

• Seek healthier, fresher options.
• Minimize environmental impact by serving less meat.
• Strive to purchase as much local, seasonal food as possible – there are Louisville caterers that specialize in this.
• Avoid excessively packaged and individually wrapped foods.
• Provide a pitcher of tap water instead of bottled water.

ÌýThe University of Louisville is committed to going climate neutral and one way you can help (and stay fit) is by bicycling to work! Map a safe bike route .

The UofL Sustainability Council is exploring ways to reduce car commuting, including a program to provide a free bicycle to anyone willing to forgo obtaining a campus parking permit for at least two years.

If you’d like to help test-ride potential bike models, email , assistant to the provost for sustainability initiatives.

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