UCSF Kicks Off “Cool Campus Challenge”

This month the University of California launched The Cool Campus Challenge, a 10-week online competition between the 10 UC system campuses designed to motivate and reward staff, faculty and students who take steps to reduce their carbon footprints and help the UC system reach Carbon Neutrality by 2025.

Each week of the Challenge will highlight an important theme along with suggested actions participants can take that will directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase education and awareness about climate disruption. These activities can be as simple as turning off the lights, taking public transportation, or eliminating space heaters. [node:field_syn_pull_quote]

Weekly random drawings will be held for participants each week for a solar cell phone charger. The team with the highest score will receive a celebration!

"We’re excited to see the engagement across the both the campus and medical center.” said UCSF Sustainability Director Gail Lee. "We encourage everyone to create teams to compete and put into action ways to reduce their emissions!"

The Cool Campus Challenge is an important part of President Janet Napolitano’s 2013 Carbon Neutrality Initiative, which outlines the direct actions the University will take to address the growing crisis of climate change driven by fossil fuel emissions. The Challenge, a collaboration between the University of California and the UC Berkeley Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory, is the first major cross-campus effort to engage staff, faculty and students alike in a communal effort to become carbon neutral. 

“UC campuses are already leading the world in so many ways. Now we’re on our way to becoming the very first university system to wipe out our carbon footprint for good,” said President Napolitano. “It’s a daring goal, and one that we can only meet if we work together, which is why the Challenge is so important.”

In the spirit of competition, staff, faculty and students will have an opportunity to score points for their campus and department each time they complete one of the activities. UCSF teams with the most points will be eligible for raffle prizes, and the one with the most points accrued by the end of the Challenge will earn the title of “Coolest UCSF Team”

Participants can help promote the Challenge and track Challenge updates via social media using the hashtag #UCool.

To sign-up for the Challenge, campus participants should visit www.coolcampuschallenge.org.