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Text: Net-Zero Hero Susan Ward, Photo of Susan standing in front of gate with spinach vines growing behind her.

I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by: being involved in the UT sustainability community

 

Headshot of Susan Ward.Meet Susan…

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Text: Back to school with the three R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

It’s the end of the summer and time for kids to head back to school. So how do you combine school’s three R’s of readingwriting and arithmetic with the planet’s three R’s of reducereuse, and recycle? We all know that instilling good habits is easiest when we're young. As the kids return to class, here are some simple tips to encourage healthy…

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Net-Zero Hero: Michelle Hernandez, Photo of Michelle standing next to a coop

I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by: celebrating chickens as zero waste heroes!

 

Head shot of Michelle HernandezAustin is green and we all want to keep it that way! As a community, we’re committed to reaching the target…

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Text overlay: How sustainable is your city government? Photo background: City hall interior, gold and copper tones.

Have you ever wondered how sustainable City of Austin operations are? Since 2010, our office has been tracking information related to key areas of City service delivery in terms of water and energy use, waste, mobility, green building and wellness. Recently, we released the City’s report card for 2017 that shows how we’re doi…

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Net-Zero Hero: Juan Benitez

I’m helping to make Austin Net-Zero by: walking or jogging to work every day — I'm living car-free!

 

Headshot of Juan with tree bark in the background.Austin is green and we all want to keep it that way! As a community, we’re committed to reaching the target of Net-Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050…

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Text: Traversing Austin's newest trails: These newly-opened urban trails are worth exploring with Office of Sustainability Logo. Photo overlay of person walking a dog and several other people walking on a concrete trail in the background.

Just how beloved are Austin’s trails? Go take a stroll along Lady Bird Lake on a Saturday and you’ll have all the evidence you need. In fact, some might say that this tree-lined 10-mile trail is one of our city’s best assets. But, the famous Butler Hike…

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Text reads "Our future is in very green hands" overlay on photo of kids sitting at long wooden desk in Austin City Council Chambers

On May 11, students and their proud teachers were on hand in the atrium at City Hall to talk about the innovative sustainability projects they are implementing at their schools. The 4th Annual Central Texas Student Innovation Showcase provided the forum to highlight the res…

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Net-Zero Hero logo with text, "Yellow Bike Project Net-Zero Hero" overlayed on group picture of Yellow Bike Project volunteers in the shop surrounded by bikes. Sign above them says "Previously enjoyed bikes for sale".

We're helping to make Austin Net-Zero by: recycling Austin's bicycles!

 

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Text overlay: Giving back to the planet: a garden that prevents wildfires. Photo: three firefighters planting a garden.

In 1969, a massive oil spill occurred near Santa Barbara, California. Over 21,000 gallons of crude oil was dumped into the ocean, killing thousands of marine animals and igniting public outrage. It was this event that inspired the first Earth Day.

Founded on April 22, 1970 as a national “teach-in” to educate the public about environmental issues, this past Earth Day mar…

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Earth Month Message - Lucia Athens, Chief Sustainability Officer

Each April, the calendar reminds us that Earth Day is coming. But we all know that Earth Day is every day. We live on a precious planet where nature and all its gifts should be celebrated on a daily basis.

Viewed from a scientific perspective, the possibility of life on earth exists as a rare occurrence of conditions referred to as the “Goldilocks Zone.” This means that our planet falls within the slender range of the…