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Ideas for a greener Valentine's Day

Holidays often create a lot of waste, and Valentine's day is no exception. But, there are ways to celebrate without sending items to the landfill. Here are some ideas on how to have a Valentine's day that’s kinder to the environment:

1. Enjoy the outdoors

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Zilker Zephyr miniature train in Austin full of families riding through Zilker Park.

Organization-wide, the City of Austin has thousands of utility billing accounts. These include all of the electric, water, and gas meters for everything from City offices and recreation centers to libraries and parks. When it comes to managing usage for so many properties, it can be challenging to spot issues and intervene quickly enough to save resources and money.

The department with the largest number of utility accounts is the…

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10 Sustainability Resolutions for 2019

It’s that magical time of year when we take stock of what we’ve accomplished and make a list of New Year’s Resolutions to (hopefully) keep in 2019. If the idea of a more sustainable lifestyle has been of interest to you, but you don’t know how to begin your journey, here’s a list to help you get started:

1. Reduce plastic waste

More than 33 million tons of plastic waste is generated annually in the U.S., causing serious harm to animals and…

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Photo of Rosie on a wooden bench. She is looking off to the side and is wearing a blue and grey striped sweater. Her hair is dyed bright blue. The text next to her reads "Net-Zero Hero Rosie Trevino"

I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by: Reducing, reusing, and getting creative with food!

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Group photo of the office of sustainability in front of a brightly-colored truck that reads "Nourishing Lives Here". There is a title overlay on the photo that reads "Office of Sustainability Volunteers at mobile food pantry". There is an Office of Sustainability logo in the bottom-right corner.

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'“ – Martin Luther King Jr.

This week, our office volunteered with the Ce…

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Photo of Susan Peterson in a black jacket and blue and white polka dot top. Text reads: Susan Peterson Net-Zero Hero

I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by: helping to create green, affordable housing managed by staff trained in sustainability — powered by solar!

 

Meet Susan Peterson, the former Director of Green Initiatives for Foundation Communities, a local non-profit affordable housing developer. D…

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Climate change in Austin: What's being done locally, and the top three things you can do to help

Austin already has an extreme climate, and climate projections tell us that it’s going to get even more extreme. But the City of Austin is taking climate change very seriously, and there are many ways you can help. Below are the answers to questions you might have, and the top three things that would make the biggest difference to reduce Austin's carbon footprint.

How is climate change impacting Austin?

 

Impacts from climate change are already being experienced…

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Text: Local Fourth Grade Student wins Presiden'ts Environmental Youth Award, photo is of child with buckets of batteries.

Nine-year-old Asvini Thivakaran has been tirelessly raising awareness about battery recycling in her community in Round Rock, Texas for the past two years. Beginning with battery recycling in her home, she expanded her efforts to multiple locations in her community, diverting thousands of batteries from the landfill. Asvini was recently recognized for her efforts with the…

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Oh my gourd! It's pumpkin season: Make use of the entire pumpkin with these tips

Fall is here, and Halloween is right around the corner! But, before you start breaking out the carving tools for your Jack-O-Lanterns, be sure you’ve got a plan for what to do with the seeds, pulp, and finished product. Avoid throwing out your pumpkin’s treasured innards and reduce pumpkin waste by following these tips:

Roast the seeds

Depending on who you ask, half the fun is scooping out the…

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Photo of Anneliese near garden signs. Graphic reads: "Anneliese Tanner Net-Zero Hero"

I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by: reinventing the urban school meal experience

 

Headshot of Anneliese TannerWhen you picture school cafeteria food, what comes to mind? Many of us remember…