England: Cassidy Quandt (Sustainability in London)

Program: UW Global Launch in London

I personally have been blown away by the sustainability initiatives found within London. The most obvious ones when I first arrived were the sustainability initiatives found just within where I live. All amenities, such as the stovetop or microwave, have a switch with them. This turns the electricity going to these different appliances on and off, preventing the usage of unnecessary electricity. 

Another big sustainability initiative within London is the public transportation/lack of car usage. London actually taxes its drivers if they are not using an electric vehicle within zones and parking is hard to come by and expensive. With London’s strong public transportation system, the tube, many people resort to this regardless of socioeconomic status.

Additionally, we have composting bins within our kitchen. This is an initiative I plan to continue on after living here as, to me, it is just as easy to throw inedible vegetables into the compost as it is into the trash. While it may be hard to return to the United States planning to take public transit in less developed systems, I am excited to continue implementing the amount I walk here along with using biking as a primary source of transit. Again, lime bikes and bikes in general are an extremely popular way of getting around in London, one that I have learned to love. The campus at UW-Madison is a perfect area to implement this as one side of campus is not too far to bike to the other. Finally, in colder weather the bus is an option that I never would have considered taking if it had not been for London.  Overall, the sustainability initiatives in London is one of the many reasons I love the city, especially when it comes to its accessible public transportation.