Auburn University Office of Sustainability

04/14/2025

Pack a blank old or thrifted T-shirt and come celebrate Earth Day with us on the Campus Green Space April 22nd from 11–2 PM!

The Office of Sustainability will have two tables—one with games and sustainability education, and another where you can bring a thrifted shirt to upcycle using our custom “Sustain the Plains” stamps, designed by .art

Come get crafty, learn something new, and help us celebrate the planet!

04/11/2025

Looking to clean out your closet and give back?

Drop off your gently used men’s and women’s business professional clothing at our curbside donation drive behind Samford Hall!

Volunteers will be on-site all day to assist with unloading your donations—no need to leave your car.

All clothing will go directly to support the Auburn University Career Closet, helping students look and feel confident for interviews, internships, and beyond.

04/10/2025

https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2025/04/the-unusual-inspiration-for-this-energy-free-cooling-system-is-elephant-skin/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fungi-tiles-inspired-by-elephant-skin-keep-things-cool-and-look-cool

Biomimicry!

Mimicking the heat-regulating ability of an elephant's skin, the bumpy fungus-based tiles improved cooling rates by as much as 70% compared to flat tiles.

04/08/2025

Join us for Mending Night on Thursday, April 17 from 6–8 PM in the RBD Library’s Innovation & Research Commons!

We’ll have sewing machines, supplies, and dedicated stations for hemming pants, sewing buttons, patching holes, and even upcycling old pieces into something new. Volunteers from Auburn’s Apparel Merchandising and Design Association (AMDA) will be there to guide you through every step—no sewing experience needed!

Plus, Auburn Outdoors will have a table to help repair your outdoor gear, so bring along any worn jackets, backpacks, or other adventure essentials that need a little love.

Whether you’re learning a new skill, meeting new friends, or making sustainable choices—this night has something for everyone. Bring your damaged clothes and give them a second life instead of tossing them away!

04/03/2025

https://trellis.net/article/crocs-climate-pioneers-change-management/?mkt_tok=MjExLU5KWS0xNjUAAAGZmn8oMWt5HRDEoy0U0VUZyi0WRaHBxcKw6XHyJxDQmMZvnpGKFLtbtS5soNPYVgqhGk70sz3Vw9OWSkzaX9M4DcqMBYheFSThdYY6JizipCQoYQU

What commitment and determination can achieve.

Danone sustainability veteran Deanna Bratter is driving Crocs toward net zero status by rethinking plastics.

04/02/2025

https://medium.com/presencing-institute-blog/universities-as-innovation-ecologies-for-human-and-planetary-flourishing-84313c75c0d7
By Otto Scharmer, published in the Field of the Future Blog.

In an era of planetary crisis and a time when universities are increasingly under attack, an underlying question that has gradually moved…

03/14/2025

THE GREAT SPIRIT: WORKS IN NATURE

“When I was ten years of age I looked at the land and the rivers, the sky above, and the animals around me and could not fail to realize that they were made by some great power. I was so anxious to understand this power that I questioned the trees and the bushes. It seemed as though the flowers were staring at me, and I wanted to ask them Who made you? I looked at the moss-covered stones; some of them seemed to have the features of a man, but they could not answer me. Then I had a dream, and in my dream one of these small round stones appeared to me and told me that the maker of all was Wakan Tanka (the Great Spirit), and that in order to honor Him I must honor His works in nature.”

— Brave Buffalo

03/12/2025

Climate change, habitat loss, and pesticides. It need not be this way.

A new study finds the popular, fluttering insects have declined by 22 percent in the last 20 years

03/10/2025

https://www.weforum.org/videos/earth-planetary-boundaries/.

The science is clear and undebatable, as is the evidence all around us. The solutions are at hand and scalable. Can we summon the will to act in our own self-interest and in the interest of all life on Earth?

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Incorporated as a not-for-profit foundation in 1971, and headquar...

03/05/2025

Film update: we are moving indoors due to weather- we will still have hot chocolate, tea, and smores so bring your mug and get excited!!!!

02/20/2025

The economic impacts of a warming planet are growing in size and variety. We know what to do to stop warming the planet if we can summon the will to act.

Arnaud Brohé, PhD, the founder & CEO of Agendi, signals the increasing risks of climate change in the US real estate market. If left unaddressed, these risks carry significant economic and social consequences, endangering the wellbeing of families and communities across the country.

02/14/2025

A tip o' the ball cap to our colleagues across the state for the addition of 8 electric buses!

Eight electric buses are set to join The University of Alabama’s Crimson Ride fleet this July as part of a partnership between the College of Engineering’s Center for Advanced Vehicle Technologies and UA Transportation Services. The addition of the fossil fuel-free buses, along with other innova...

02/13/2025

The Conscious Leadership Group is a terrific resource.

Read When Home Feels Unsteady, Here’s How to Find Your Ground write about Home is a place where we feel safe and secure, where we belong. But our true home isn’t something external. It can’t be destroyed or shaken. Unlike the temporary homes we rely on for comfort, our true home is unshakable....

02/13/2025

"As Meghan Rosen reports, we’re not far from hitting average global temperatures 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. At that threshold, parts of South Asia, South America, West Africa and the U.S. Southeast will experience such extreme heat and humidity that even young, healthy people will be at risk."

As early as mid-century, an area of land that adds up to the size of the U.S. could hit temperatures hazardous for human health.

02/13/2025

Research by the Yale Program for Climate Change Communication

Americans who think global warming is happening outnumber those who think it is not by a ratio of more than 5 to 1 (73% versus 14%).

02/12/2025

Check out our February 2025 Newsletter and comment or DM us your Auburn email to be added to our list!

02/06/2025

Sustainable Flowers for your Valentine! The bottom line: purchase locally produced flowers.

02/05/2025

"The study by reseachers at the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) and the University of Exeter warns development, wellbeing and economic health are “intertwined with and dependent” on the stability of Earth’s eco-system."

Dr. Jesse Abrams from the University of Exeter said we are “grossly underestimating risk due to climate change and nature-related crises” in an interview.