Sustainability

Three Virginia municipalities will see lower energy costs and lower emissions thanks to the Schar School’s Local Climate Action Planning Initiative’s Energy Action Plans. More are coming.

Helping the community understand the parameters of recycling and composting is one of the biggest challenges in recycling and waste management, according to Kevin Brim, supervisor in Facilities Management at George Mason University. “It can be confusing trying to decide what is recycling, trash, or compostable,” said Brim. His team is working hard to change that.

Jeremy Campbell, associate director for strategic engagement in Mason’s Institute for a Sustainable Earth, says that at the current pace the Amazon rainforest, in five to 10 years, could pass a tipping point in which it could transform into grasslands. That process, fueled by deforestation and climate change, has already begun and is a threat to the biodiversity and socio-cultural aspects that define the region.

April is Earth Month, and it is a great time to promote sustainable best practices on George Mason University campuses and off.

The Office Supply Swap at George Mason University launched in Spring 2023, thanks to the efforts of the Staff Senate and University Sustainability.

In November 2023, Mason students, faculty, and staff gathered to help transplant 1,700 plants of more than 50 native species into two groves near the stream behind Student Union Building I between Aquia Creek Lane and Patriot Circle.

Right before Earth Day, Small Island Big Song presents a "jaw-dropping" (Billboard) concert experience at the Center for the Arts on April 20, combining music, spoken word, and stunning projections to showcase unique oceanic grooves and soulful island ballads, while shining a light on the devastating effects of climate crisis on our world’s oceans. As a Mason Artist-in-Residence, Small Island Big Song will also deeply engage with the community through a series of education and engagement programs.

George Mason and AWS are working together on a new renewable energy lab and launching a concentration in Sustainable Data Center Engineering.

A new minor in sustainable systems engineering will be on offered at George Mason University, part of a collaboration between the College of Engineering and Computing, the College of Science, and the Institute for a Sustainable Earth

Honor Earth Day weekend with Small Island Big Song on April 20 for a moving musical experience that combines music, spoken word, and stunning projections to showcase the sounds of various island nations of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, while shining a light on the devastating effects of climate crisis on our world’s ocean.