Ecological Footprint Challenge

The Results are In!
And the Winners are...

At a celebratory event held Thursday May 13, the Office of the President's Sustainability Initiative team announced the winners of this year’s Ecological Footprint Challenge, and presented the results of our preliminary data analysis. The grand prize winners for each category were as follows:

Lowest Overall Footprint:

Student: Sarah Naumann (Masters in Library & Info. Science (MLIS)
Faculty: Dayana Salazar (Urban & Regional Planning)
Staff: Sstoz Tes  (Center for Steinbeck Studies)

"Biggest Loser" (Most-reduced Footprint)

Student: Tamara Hoyt (Digital Media Arts)
Faculty: Robin Love (Childhood & Adolescent Development)
Staff: Sandra Smith (Athletic Academic Advisor)

Honorable Mention-Lowest Overall Footprint:

Student: Jill Harris (Masters in Library & Information Science (MLIS)
Staff: Anthony Bettencourt (Student Services)
Faculty: a close and dedicated cluster, all deserving mention...!
Alex Gershenson (Environmental Studies)
Anne Marie Todd (Communication Studies)
Eugene Cordero (Meteorology & Climate Science)
Hilary Nixon (Urban & Regional Planning)

Honorable Mention-"Biggest Loser" (Most-reduced Footprint)

Students:
Andre Rivera (Natural Resources & Conservation)
Nicholas Canaparo
Faculty: Edward Collins (Geography)
Staff: Mike Palmieri (Residential Life Coordinator)
& ...
Jon Whitmore (SJSU President)

Congratulations to these fine examples, and to all who participated!

Engage yourself...

The time is past to officially participate in the competitive aspects of footprint challenge...

...but it's not too late to inventory your own ecological footprint from here, today! You may still take the quiz any time for the purposes of curiosity and personal awareness Don't forget to read all the great "more info" drop-downs and side bars along the way, as well.

What should I do next?

1. Take the quiz.
2. Adopt a plan for reducing your footprint. We have created printable worksheets for you to use, to determine what steps will reduce your footprint by 10% or more.
3. As you like, participate in on-campus sustainability workshops, enroll in one of SJSU's over 200 sustainability-related courses, sign up to receive monthly sustainability tips via e-mail, or simply take action on your own.
4. Re-enter your reduced footprint to see what changes you have made.

Background...

The SJSU Ecological Footprint Challenge Competition is based on a licensed, customized version of the Ecological Footprint Quiz by Redefining Progress and Center for Sustainable Economy.

From March 1 to April 9, 2010, all students, faculty, and staff who took the Challenge in October were invited to re-enter their (hopefully!) reduced footprint data. Individual students, staff, and faculty who reduce their footprints by the greatest amount or who have the lowest absolute footprint will win the terrific prizes described below.

There will also be another random drawing for a Solio charging unit, which you can use to power up your phone or laptop, or MP3 player. There will also be weekly drawings for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Box of vegetables, fruit, and a dozen free range eggs (from JP Organics).

An ecological footprint is more than just a carbon footprint; It's an estimate of the amount of productive land required to support your lifestyle (e.g., 245 acres). This is a useful way of helping people understand how their choices affect both the quantity and quality of the Earth’s precious resources. In October 2009, over 2,700 of you entered your baseline footprint data and pledged to decrease your footprint by 10%. Here's our recently updated general menu for quickly calculating how you can reduce your footprint by 10%.

Through our monthly themed Sustainability Matters Series, we have been providing educational programs on topics ranging from biking to food choices to gifting alternatives, and the collaborative choices you and our University systems play towards our consumption impacts. You can sign up here for our sustainability email, offering monthly helpful tips and other great sustainability related events on and around campus.

Questions about the Challenge? E-mail or call us.

sustainability@sjsu.edu     (408) 924-6348

Only participants who entered their original footprint data in October were eligible to win prizes. Individual student, faculty, and staff members who had the lowest absolute footprint and who reduced their October footprints by the greatest percentage were our Grand Prize winners. These six individuals chose from the following fantastic prizes:

• 6-speed Alloy Folding MTA Metrobike by Citizen Bike
• Dell Inspiron Mini 10v Netbook Computer
• Sony e-Book Reader

Eligibility

All students with a valid Student ID number and faculty and staff with a valid Tower ID were eligible to participate in the Challenge.

Prize winners for March were determined by:

1) greatest percentage reduction in ecological footprint based on October 2009 and March 2010 data,

and

2) Overall smallest footprint (as measured in global acres) for March 2010 data.