Photo credit: Dave Titensor / The University of Utah
By Amy Brunvand, Sustainability Librarian

Earth Day is April 22, 2025. Here are some resources to learn about positive change and support for environmental protection at the University of Utah and in the state of Utah.

Sustainability Office
Your gateway to all things sustainability at the U!

University of Utah  STARS Reports
The Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.  The University of Utah has used STARS to evaluate sustainable practice on campsus since 2011.

University of Utah Climate Action Plan
The University of Utah adopted a new Climate Action Plan in 2023 which outlines a path toward meeting the U’s accelerated 2040 target date for achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions and builds on the U’s recent Climate Resilience Assessment, identifying steps to prepare for impacts of climate change on U facilities and people.

Wallace Stegner Center Video Archive
The Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources and the Environment has a video archive of presentations from it’s annual symposium.

• 2024 Renewable Energy Transition: Building a Bright Future
• 2023 Future of Great Salt Lake
• 2022 Colorado River Compact: Navigating the Future

• 2021 The Plastics Paradox: Societal Boon or Environmental Bane?
• 2020 Resilient and Equitable Food Security for the future
• 2019 Recreation challenges on Public Lands

Talking Climate Podcast, Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy
This podcast features interviews with University of Utah climate change researchers talking about research and innovation happening at the U.

Great Salt Lake Strike Team
University of Utah Researchers are part of the Great Salt Lake Strike Team, a model partnership to provide timely, relevant, and high-quality data and research that help decision-makers make informed decisions about Great Salt Lake.  Reports from the Strike Team evaluate the effectiveness of possible ways to restore the Lake ecosystem.

Everett Cooley Oral History Project
This ongoing oral history project held by the Marriott Library includes many prominent Utah environmentalists.  A few notables are linked below:

• Ross “Rocky” Anderson
  Mayor of Salt Lake City who oppose construction of the Legacy Highway.
• Jaimi Butler
  Biologist and Coordinator of Great Salt Lake Institute.
• Lynn De Freitas 4 February, 2008
  Executive director of Friends of Great Salt Lake.
• Scott Groene
  Executive Director of Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
• Richard Hildreth
  Established the State Arboretum at the University of Utah.
• Amy Sibul
  U of U Instructor of Conservation Biology, and faculty advisor for University of Utah Beekeepers Association.
• Stephen Trimble
  Writer and photographer.
• Terry Tempest Williams
  Author and founder of the U of U Environmental Humanities Program.

More Oral History Resources
Utah Environmental Oral History Project
American West Center Oral Histories

More Resources for Earth Month
Resources at the Marriott Library in Celebration of Earth Day
Caring for the Earth: 6 Movies to Celebrate Earth Day