The Green Blocks Initiative is designed to showcase personal and community actions by Yale Alumni that contribute to carbon reductions and a more healthy environment.
Every “Green Block” story contains three parts:
- Describe an action that you or your community is taking to combat climate change or contribute to environmental sustainability.
- Describe the impact of the action on climate change or environmental sustainability and health.
- Describe how to get involved, and how other people or communities can take this same action.
Read more about local sustainable actions taken by Yalies across the country and the world below.
We invite any Yale graduate to submit a Green Block post by filling out the form at the bottom of this page, also accessible here.
Seeds are the Wealth of Any Nation
I wasn’t a seed saver until Spring of 2020 when all leafy green seeds were sold out at the local food coop, the hardware store and the grocery. I started to save every seed…
Milling Backyard Lumber
When three of our pines died, the thought of them decomposing and releasing the carbon they stored for decades was daunting. To use the wood would sequester the carbon and save the escalated cost of lumber for a shelter from the seasonal insects. Milling local wood reduces the carbon emissions of shipping.
ASAP – Adopt a Sapling Project
It’s easy to become a tree steward! Basic activities include watering trees, adding mulch and soil, and removing weeds and litter; learn more here.
EV Essentials
Wendy Greenhouse ‘77 and her husband, Mike Trenary, have owned a Chevy Volt since 2012 and a Chevy Bolt EV since 2019. They will never go back to driving an ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle. Learn why in this article.
Solar Energy, Energy Star Appliances, and Electric Vehicle Costs
Margot’s family had twenty-five years in an 1890’s home with a new studio. Read about their holistic approach to home energy saving projects.
One Drop at a Time: Vaulting Rainwater
Learn more about the award winning work of Marcus de la Fleur, landscape architect.
Sustainable Water Management in City Architecture
NYC has an infrastructure problem but it’s not likely to make headlines. It goes by the decidedly unsexy and somewhat gross title of a Combined Sewer System. So what’s a city – or its residents – to do?
Water Collection System
In Georgetown, one of Seattle’s oldest neighborhoods, Peter Reiquam has installed rain barrels to help increase the resilience of his water supply.
Renovation of a 1912 House to Net Zero
We set out to demonstrate that it was possible to retrofit a leaky hundred-year-old house to net zero… and in our case to derive 100% of the power from solar panels
