DePaul’s Sustainability Plan – what you might be shocked to know

By Hailey Hinton

We often think that many schools, companies, shops, and brands are going green–trying to be earth friendly and having sustainability plans and ideas. Why wouldn’t they? Being eco-friendly is the wave of the future, it’s the “in” thing. It’s cool to help the earth–after all, if we don’t attempt to preserve it now, it won’t last forever. DePaul University is one of those schools that has the right idea and mindset to try and help the earth. The recycling bins on campus, the water bottle refill stations, the solar panels in the quad, and other small “earth-friendly” things, make you think we really have our stuff together when it comes to saving the earth. But not so fast– many students also think we have a sustainability plan, when in reality, we do not.

Other schools in the area such as Loyola University and University of Chicago, have sustainability plans. This topic interested me and two of my classmates Erica, and Gina for two reasons. For starters, why do these two other big city schools have sustainability plans, but we do not? And secondly, what can we do about it? Through interviewing numerous students, faculty, and others either at DePaul or Loyola, we were able to get more of a look into why DePaul University does not have a sustainability plan. 

Looking at it first off from a student’s perspective, this is what helped us see deeper into the issue. We interviewed Lauren Paris, who is executive board member on DePaul’s chapter of Climate Reality. In hopes to try and bring attention to the idea that DePaul does not have a sustainability plan, #WhatAboutDePaul was formed. This was in hopes to try and bring awareness to the idea that these other city schools have plans, but DePaul does not. “They were taking a look at all steps Loyola, University of Chicago and Northwestern, have taken. All of these Universities have a concrete sustainability plan, and a lot of people of who started climate reality DePaul chapter, are environmental studies students. They started researching what DePaul sustainability initiatives are and they were shocked to find we don’t have a sustainability plan in play,” Paris said. 

As a start to the dilemma, we took it one step further and talked to someone who knew more. Dr. Christie Klimas, is an Environmental Science and Studies professor at DePaul University. When she started teaching at DePaul, she joined the sustainability task network–which was a group focused on moving sustainability forward at DePaul. According to Christie, there was a sustainability plan proposed, but it was rejected. Klimas, gave us some insight as to why: “Groups that work towards sustainability and fair practice, but because we don’t have a sustainability coordinator or core group that has oversight over this, we often times don’t know what we’re doing and efforts aren’t cohesive. If we were collaborating together, instead of individual faculty, and staff doing projects that are useful on their own, we could potentially be better.” However, Klimas made it clear that we do a lot in the learning aspects of sustainability. “That doesn’t mean that nothing is being done in terms of sustainability research and service, we have state center for service learning, and faculty who work to incorporate sustainability into their curriculum.” Klimas said while we don’t do the best job at marketing what we have, that Loyola University, does a great job at marketing what they have. 

Zach Waickman, is the biodiesel lab manager at Loyola University. We interviewed Zach on Loyola’s campus in their environmental science building. Just from walking in, you knew this school knew what they were doing. Waickman started by telling us where their sustainability initiatives started. “Our plan at Loyola really started when we launched an interdisciplinary  research center called the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Policy. That center then launched a course called solutions to environmental problems, and that first iteration of the class looked at biodiesel. That’s how the biodiesel program got started here at Loyola back in 2007.” In terms of how the sustainability plan got proposed, Waickman says that a lot of their initiatives are student led. At Loyola University, students are required to take sustainability courses as a part of their curriculum, no matter what their major is. This then creates more ideas and pitches, which can turn into a long-term change on campus. 

 For the rest of the time, Waickman walked us through the entire process of their biodiesel production. “We start the whole process by collecting used cooking oil from universities and museums throughout Chicago. That’s the starting point for the biodiesel production process. During that, we have a number of by products that are generated from that as well, and our long term goal of being a zero waste production facility starts there.”

In trying to help DePaul have a more concrete plan, our next thought was, what can students do, and how can they get involved? 

Nicole Granados, is another student in DePaul’s climate reality chapter on the executive board. She talked to us more about a bigger issue–which is getting people to understand climate reality first. “The goal of climate reality has always been to involve students in the climate crisis, especially young people in the climate realm. This always get weighed down by the climate crisis, because it’s a really hard issue to understand. Climate reality projects on campus have always been getting students involved and feel as if they can be a part of it, and that they do have a voice, and helping them understand that and empowering them through that.”

Erica Carbajal’s blog: https://greenecoprint.wordpress.com

Gina Brennan’s blog: https://livewellchicago.blog

DePaul’s sustainability plan–what else needs to be done?

By Erica Carbajal, Hailey Hinton, and Gina Brennan

Many students at DePaul assume right off the bat that the University has a sustainability plan. We’re a private school, we have a lot of funding, our environmental science department is very good, and there’s many items scattered around campus that make us looklike we know what we’re doing when it comes to “sustainability” (solar panels, recycling, etc). Lauren Paris, the director of communications and media for DePaul’s climate and reality chapter, confirms that we don’t. The chapter recently launched the “what about DePaul” campaign, in hopes that we can change that. She concludes that in order for students voices to be heard, more needs to be done in the direction of developing a long-lasting plan.

Erica Carbajal blog: greenecoprint.wordpress.com

Gina Brennan blog: https://livewellchicago.blog

Jeans in the workplace

My podcast is about whether or not jeans should be allowed in the workplace. My sister, Emma Hinton, is a salon manager at Mario Tricoci on 900 N. Michigan Avenue–they are not allowed to wear jeans there. When I asked my sister about jeans in the workplace and why they should or should not be allowed in the workplace, she believes there is a place where you can draw the line. There’s a lot of gray area when you tell people they can wear jeans to work. But, that also depends on where you work. If you work at an office where you sit all day, jeans are more tolerable.Mario Tricoci Salon Manager Emma Hinton, doesn’t think jeans can be worn professionally in the workplace–at least most of the time. #JOUR280https://t.co/fdGn25kQwa— Hailey Hinton (@HaileyHinton11) February 20, 2019

For the full story, click here.

Do style and sustainable go hand-in-hand, or is it not really attainable?

There’s been a lot of the “eco-friendly” fashion movement going around lately–but are we blindsided to a lot of it?

It’s no secret that it’s the “in” thing to be eco-friendly. Even if you do not necessarily care about the movement, unknowingly attributing to the movement is unavoidable. Buying a re-useable water bottle, bringing reusable bags to grocery stores, or receiving your daily Starbucks coffee without a straw in it, are all things that you at some point or another, have probably experienced. Doing these things most importantly help the earth, but doing these things are also what everyone else is doing–so why wouldn’t you?

            All of the major markets we know, love, and encounter everyday, are trying to become more “eco-friendly.” The food industry has taken part in it successfully, the beauty industry has taken part in it successfully, is the fashion industry next? 

Allison Leahy, is an assistant professor of instruction in fashion studies at Columbia College Chicago. “I do believe the industry is shifting their approach to sustainable fashion, in some ways it has become more fashionable to be sustainable,” Leahy said. “I think a driver of this shift is the consumer interest.  Millennials are the largest population currently with growing buying power as they enter the job force and continue to work.”

There are many fashion brands out there that are slowly trying to become more “eco-friendly”–or so we think. Some of those brands include H&M and JCrew. H&M has a recycling program and occasional recycled lines, while JCrew has an eco-friendly denim line. 

Christie Klimas, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Environmental Science and Studies at DePaul University. “I’m underwhelmed in terms of H&M and some of their environmental commitments. They get more credit than they’re due,” Klimas said about H&M. “H&M’s recycled clothing is not actually post-consumer recycling. What they’re recycling is stuff that doesn’t sell.”

While it is still an effort, we’re not exactlyhelping to save the earth. “Recycling the clothing I would say is a way of mitigating the effects of a system that they’ve created, a fast fashion system. But better eco-design would be to produce fewer items of clothing, and to have those last longer, and to not cycle through styles,” Klimas stated.

This also brings up the question whether or not the fashion industry is really ever going to be a “sustainable” industry. 

“It’s not a particular “eco-friendly” industry to begin with,” Klimas said. 

Leahy also agrees. “By nature, the fashion industry creates waste – it can be through the process of producing the fabric with the dying and finishing or through the waste created when cutting fabric to sew garments.”

Another issue is cost–will consumers pay more for eco-friendly at their demand?

“The reality is that the consumer is not always willing to pay more for these products – if you interview consumers, they say are interested in eco-friendly garments however their purchases do not always reflect this.  Ultimately they want the retail price to remain the same, and sometimes that is hard for fashion brands to accomplish while reaching sustainable goals,” Leahy said.

If eco-friendly fashion does continue to try and build in a good way, both Leahy and Klimas propose ideas in helping this.

“The best example is sustainable design.  What this means is designing the garment so there is very little waste in fabric. This can be achieved with focused patternmaking and marker making which determines how the pattern pieces will be cut,” Leahy stated.

 The way things are made also can make a difference. “Often times companies can switch out materials and do things better, and reduce pollution,” Klimas said.

  • The storefront of JCrew in the 900 shops on Michigan Ave, markets their recycling program.
  • JCrew has an “eco-denim collection”, that are made from recycled material
  • A recycling jean program through JCrew allows you to recycle your jeans.
  • H&M is not as environmentally friendly as people think–but it’s rather marketed that way.
  • H&M’s recycling program is widely advertised, especially at their location on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, IL.

CPS expansion from 2015-2016

While there are many options as far as how to get to school in the city of Chicago, the concern is more of where one might have to go to get there.

Getting to school safely in the city of Chicago is a major concern for teachers, students, and parents. Routes can be a huge issue, and sometimes certain routes are not the most efficient or safe for kids to be walking or biking.

These routes shown on the map were implemented to increase kids safety upon arriving, and departure for the school day.

The pink areas on the map show the routes in the 2014-2015 school year. They are labeled by route number and school name when you click on them (i.e. route number 9 and Northwest).

The black lines on the map show the routes in the 2015-2016 school year. They are also labeled by route number and school.

The black lines lie within the pink, were existing routes in 2014/2015. The black lines that lie outside the pink, are new routes CPS has added.

With over 25 new routes, CPS hopes to make going to school even more safe and accessible.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-cps-transit-student-free-rides-school-0821-20180820-story.html

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150724/near-west-side/cps-cut-bus-stops-by-more-than-half-save-money-this-year/

“Accessible Luxury” jewelry–the wave of the future?

Monica Vinader, the founder of the British Jewelry brand, is quickly making a statement by being affordable “luxury” jewelry. Will the more expensive brands take a hit from it?

Article: “How Monica Vinader Conquered Demi-Fine Jewelry”

There are many high-end jewelry brands out there that most of dream we could afford, but only a few actually can. Such as Cartier, Tiffany and Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, David Yurman, and more. 

Monica Vinader, the founder of her own British Jewelry Brand, had the goal of making her business worth $64 million by 2019. It turns out it’s worth more than that already. 

Vinader’s brand is marketed as “accessible luxury”– meaning a lot of people can afford it. 

Monica Vinader jewelry ranges in prices as low as $45, to closer to $5,000 (depending on what it’s made with). This, in the high-end jewelry world, is more than affordable. 

Part of what makes the jewelry so affordable, is the fact that the jewelry is forged in sterling silver, and coated with 18-karat gold vermeil. Most high-end jewelry is made with 14 or 10 karat gold pave diamonds–such as Cartier.

 “We’ve helped people understand what a quality product vermeil can be and that’s what we want to focus on,” Vinader said in a Business of Fashion article. 

The question then becomes, is “accessible luxury” the wave of the future in jewelry? 

To put it into perspective, the cheapest bracelet at Cartier is $580–and part of it is made with a glorified yarn. Their solid yellow-gold Love bracelet is $6,300, and their engagement rings can cost up to $80 million. 

This yellow gold Cartier “Love” bracelet costs $6,300, and the Cartier “Juste un Clou” is $11,800–totaling in $18,100.

Daniela Dadic has been a sales representative who’s been at Cartier for over five years and been in high end retail for ten. “While ‘accessible luxury’ is becoming popular, it isn’t driving high-end retail into the ground,” she said. “There will always be a demand for expensive jewelry, because there will always be someone who can afford it, and someone willing to spend $12,000 on a bracelet.”

It’s questionable what “accessible luxury” can do brands such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and David Yurman, but they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.

Traffic – Why it isn’t just an “annoying” aspect of your day.

“It’s not just an annoying time waster — there’s a case that it’s a public health issue.”

Austin Frakt – New York Times

It’s no secret that commuting to or from work or school in a car is enjoyable by any means. Maybe it’s a 20-minute commute. Maybe it’s a 30-minute commute. It might even be a two-hour commute. 

There’s one thing that makes a commute so hectic. It’s annoying. It’s dreadful. It’s unavoidable at some point. It’s, traffic. 

While traffic takes a toll on you mentally–allowing you to get frustrated, tired, or irritable, recent studies show that sitting in traffic on a day-to-day basis can really affect your health and well-being.

This article written by Austin Frakt in the New York Times, explains how commuters spend an ungodly amount of time in traffic, and it is worse depending on where you may live. Therefore, the more time you spend in traffic, the more fuel you’re burning, the more pollution is racked up. This, being the first health effect talked about in the article. 

Another study in the article shows (briefly mentioned above), is that traffic takes a toll psychologically on someone. Some of those being “helplessness” and “unpredictability.” Thus, for all the time wasted on that, people reported that could be doing other “leisure” activities (Frakt 2019).

Coming from a perspective of someone who goes to school in a big city, lives 45 minutes away in a suburb, and has had a fair share of sitting in traffic, these all seem to make sense. It really make me think about traffic as a whole, and how it does affect the way I go about the rest of my day. For all the hours I’ve sat in traffic, I could have been doing homework, applying for a different job, making dinner, etc. 

My sister Emma Hinton, 23, has commuted to the city for her job five days a week for a year now. “I probably spend 6 hours a week in traffic. For all of the other things I want to do when I get home, I lose almost all motivation to do them. It just drains you.”