Environmental Justice - Get Involved

flowers

"Illustrating Regeneration" created by Professor Rachel Beth Egenhoefer,
Department of Art + Architecture

How to Support Environmental Justice Everyday

We can all become advocates and allies in this fight to ensure there's a redistribution of decision-making power back to vulnerable communities that are systematically impacted by environmental racism. We have provided a list of opportunities available at USF and in our community to either help you get started or to continue on the environmental justice journey.

  • USF provides one paid day of leave per year to participate in a USF Day of Mission Integration and Community Engagement.
  • All members of the USF and surrounding community are invited to join our weekly Garden Harvest Days on Thursdays, 11 am - 3 pm. Whether you are a seasoned pro or merely gardening curious, join us to learn new skills and meet new friends. And for your labor, you can go home with a bag full of fresh, organic produce from the garden.
  • Borrow seeds from the USF Seed Library

Volunteer for a local organization:

Challenge Yourself

  • Go waste free by refusing single-use disposables and choosing reusable options whenever and wherever possible
  • Go plastic free! Here are 100 ways. Refusing single-use plastic products is a great start. When considering options, glass, aluminum, and stainless steel are more easily recycled than plastic. Sustainable materials such as bamboo and hemp are compostable and rapidly renewable.
  • Personal challenge: Can you reduce your meat consumption by one day a week? More? Try Meatless Monday or go Vegan before 6. Guide to ideas on CO2 impact,

Recycling

Home

  • Conserve water with these easy tips! Upgrade your fixtures with water saving devices:
    • SF residents can sign up for free water saving devices, rebates, and other incentive programs at SFPUC.
    • Elsewhere in the Bay Area, visit BAWSCA for rebates from your local water agency.
  • Consider switching to 100% renewable electricity at home through your local Community Choice Aggregation program.
  • Own your own home? Consider replacing old gas appliances with efficient, all-electric appliances and apply for home and electrification rebates through BayREN.

Commute, Cars, and Travel

  • Bike or take public transportation. Rather than purchasing a personal vehicle, use a car share option, if you only drive occasionally.
  • If you do purchase a personal vehicle, consider an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid. You may qualify for federal income tax credits as well as state and local rebates. PG&E offers a helpful electric vehicle comparison tool as well as a map of public charging stations in the Bay Area.
  • Consider buying carbon offsets when you travel.

Community