Green College Spotlight: Brown University

Brown University is working toward a more sustainable global environment through three focus areas: research and training, community collaborations, university commitments and a great variety of student groups and initiatives that turn ideas into reality. The Providence, Rhode Island Ivy League school began their ‘Brown is Green’ environmental education and advocacy initiative way back in 1990, with the aim of expanding student involvement in identifying and solving environmental problems on campus, providing a model for other colleges and universities.

The Brown is Green initiative addresses a number of goals including energy conservation, pollution reduction, eco-friendly design, energy efficiency, resource recovery, water conservation and transportation. Brown University now has an Energy and Environment Task Force that assesses the university’s environmental impact and works on ways to improve, as well as an Energy and Environmental Advisory Committee (EEAC) that develops goals and strategies to make Brown more green. The EEAC’s first set of recommendations, released in 2007, led to the creation of Brown’s Community Carbon Use Reduction program which works to reduce the university’s carbon footprint.

Brown University students have certainly proven to be passionate about making their school more eco-friendly and spreading these ideas to the community. Green organizations on campus include Emerging Green Leaders, comprised of students and young professionals intent on becoming part of the green building movement, and the Empower Student Group, which believes that Brown must take responsibility for its contribution to global warming and immediately work to end it.

Students are also leading the way toward better practices on campus. The Sustainable Food Initiative integrates local food and sustainable agriculture into student life through an on-campus, student run farm. The Brown Progress Initiative is a multidisciplinary think-tank for sustainable product design and development, seeking to cultivate innovative solutions that can solve current needs in a ‘green’ manner.

Brown has retrofitted many existing buildings on campus with more eco-friendly lighting, motors and mechanical equipment, and millions of dollars worth of additional improvements are in the pipeline for the next few years.  The university has also set goals to seek, at minimum, the Silver standard in LEED for all new construction and reduce greenhouse gas emissions for all newly acquired facilities by at least 15%.

Other ways in which this Ivy League institution has gone green include a ‘Bike to Brown’ support group, a fleet of university-owned hybrid, natural gas and biodiesel-fueled vehicles, and free bus transportation for students, faculty and staff. The Brown dining hall purchases locally grown and fairly traded food through its Community Harvest program, works to compost or recycle as much waste as possible and provides biodegradable to-go containers.

Read more about Brown’s efforts at the Brown Daily Herald, which frequently features environment-themed articles. Congratulations to everyone at Brown University for all of your achievements in such a short time period -  we’re looking forward to seeing what else you can do.

Link [Brown is Green]

Real Food Challenge: Uniting Students for Just and Sustainable Food

College students across the nation are coming together to demand ‘real food’ – local, organic, fair trade food via college farms, farm-to-cafeteria programs and other initiatives.  The Real Food Challenge loosely defines ‘real food’ as a holistic term they’re using to bring together a lot of different ideas people have about just and sustainable food. Since colleges and universities spend more than $4 billion on food every year, college students have the ability to directly influence a significant portion of the national food system.

From Real Food Challenge:

People are increasingly waking up to the need for change. The situation is dire, as environmental degradation, corporate consolidation, homogenization, and alienation become the hallmarks of our food system. The momentum for change is growing; consumers are demanding more real food, activists from across the country are linking up, and the buzz is growing all around. On hundreds of college campuses all around the country, the momentum has become a budding movement.

This movement, however, lacks common goals, a common framework, and a collective voice. Nor is this movement as diverse and widespread as it should be. If we move strategically and effectively, we can capitalize on the growing energy and bring the many elements of the campus food movement into collaboration, working towards a unified goal of more socially and environmentally conscious food.

We have shown that we have the passion, drive and wherewithal to make real change. Thousands of students are already working to create a more just and sustainable food system, and have demonstrated a commitment to the highest ideals of environmental sustainability and social justice.

Dozens of schools are already participating, including sustainability leaders like College of the Atlantic, Dartmouth College, Evergreen State College, Middlebury College, NYU and Warren Wilson College. Check out the list, and if your school isn’t on it, the Real Food Challenge website has all the details on how you can get involved.  The website also includes resources like a 10-step ‘Guide to Launch’, action ideas and downloadable posters.

This is a fantastic way for college students to exercise their power to make the world the way they want it to be. Why settle for pesticide-laden, mass-produced junk when you can demand better, and get it? This is a really well-organized campaign, and it’ll undoubtedly do a world of good in changing the way college students think of food.

Link [Real Food Challenge]

Green College Spotlight: Portland State University

Portland State University got attention earlier this year for their laudable efforts in purchasing local food for campus dining services, and it turns out that’s just the beginning as far as sustainability at this Oregon university is concerned.  Portland State works to engage directly in the community to harness the university’s creativity, academic rigor and innovative partnerships in solving the environmental, social and economic problems of our time.

Portland State has long integrated their green efforts into the community, working with businesses and public sector agencies to provide students with a rich understanding of sustainable principles. Academic Sustainability Programs offer abundant choices in the study of sustainability, in both undergraduate and graduate programs as well as graduate certificates and professional education. For example, the theme of sustainability is woven into the curriculum in areas like environmental science, urban planning, business, government and education.

PSU has a Facilities & Planning Sustainability Office that coordinates on-campus efforts to go green. It tracks and reports the school’s progress, helps get the word out about their sustainability goals and makes plans for new services. Along with students, faculty and staff, they’ve achieved a lot already.

Portland State University’s ‘Food for Thought Café’ serves organic coffee and specializes in vegetarian, vegan, and locally produced organic food. Meals are served on reusable dishware, and food scraps are composted. The café also serves as a gathering place for discussions about sustainability and environmental issues.

The PSU Recycles program has grown tremendously over the years, promoting waste reduction and recycling through economic incentives to their waste haulers and processors. The PSU Recycles program also coordinates PSU ReUses, which collects unwanted office supplies and redistributes them to others on campus.

In the southwest corner of Smith Memorial Student Union between Smith and Neuberger Hall you’ll find a cob oven and a ‘dialogue dome’, where students are encouraged to discuss sustainability. They’re the first structures on campus to be made of mostly natural materials, using cob and refurbished local materials. The project features an herb and permaculture garden, a cob oven and a dome shelter with an eco-roof. The cob oven and garden are used for baking by the Food for Thought Café.

Walking around the PSU campus you’ll also see lots of native landscaping designed to conserve water and naturally control stormwater runoff while also providing beauty. There’s also a community garden utilizing land previously occupied by the demolished Adeline Hall, which features close to 70 plots and raised beds full of fruit trees, berries, bamboo and herbs.

PSU’s Epler Hall was Portland’s first mixed-use LEED silver building. It features lots of natural light, natural ventilation, solar shades and energy-efficient lighting.  It also has a rainwater harvesting system featuring rock-filled ‘splash boxes’ that catch water and channel it between brick pavers, passing it through planters for natural filtration before storing it in a large underground storage tank. The water is then treated with UV light before being used in public toilets and irrigation.

Eco-friendly greenhouses, dry gardens, benches made of cob, efficient outdoor lighting, an elaborate rooftop garden at the Native American Student & Community center are just a few more sustainable features at PSU. The campus also features two additional LEED-certified buildings, the silver Broadway Building and the gold Engineering Building. Read all about these features and the rest of PSU’s efforts at the Campus Sustainability self-guided tour (PDF).

Green College Spotlight: University of California at Santa Cruz

The University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) has a long history of environmental and conservation programs, so it’s no surprise that they’ve upped their game when it comes to sustainability on campus. The university, well known for its stunning acres of forests and fields overlooking the Monterey Bay, has also received many accolades for their Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems.

UCSC has joined the ranks of dozens of green colleges around the country in creating a Sustainability Office and hiring a Sustainability Coordinator to oversee all of their efforts to establish UCSC as a forward-thinking, eco-minded institution. Since then, UCSC has worked to integrate sustainability into the core responsibilities of faculty, staff and students, initiating many programs and outreach strategies.

The University of California at Santa Cruz has had great success integrating green buildings into the local ecosystem, working hard to limit adverse environmental effects as much as possible. They’ve always taken stewardship of the campus very seriously, and have now committed to meeting LEED standards for future projects.

With a large, spread-out campus that occupies over 2,000 acres of grasslands, oak woodlands and redwood forests, you might think that eco-friendly transportation would be difficult to integrate. But at UCSC carpooling, buses and bicycles abound, and all campus transit and fleet diesel vehicles run on B-20, a diesel fuel that is at least 20% biodiesel.

UCSC is a leader in sustainable agricultural research and training in the Farm-to-College movement, and it shows in their campus food service programs. UCSC Dining Services purchases lots of local, certified organic food and has been offering a wide range of vegetarian and vegan options since the early 1970s. The University Center’s restaurant offers environmentally friendly and healthy options like fair trade coffee, organic produce, antibiotic-free and hormone-free meats and seafood that meets the criteria of Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch.

Singing the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment back in March of 2007 solidifed UCSC’s carbon neutrality goals. The university hopes to return to 2000’s carbon levels by 2014, 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.

UCSC is also getting serious about recycling, waste reduction, water conservation and protecting the diverse ecology of the Santa Cruz area. They’ve managed to do so much over just a few years, we can’t wait to see what they accomplish next. Great job, University of California at Santa Cruz!

Link [UCSC Sustainability]

Green College Spotlight: Sarah Lawrence College

Sarah Lawrence College of Yonkers, New York has really been kicking it up a notch lately when it comes to sustainability. In the last few years, SLC faculty, staff and students have been working extra-hard to green up the college, from everyday living in the dorms to buildings on campus. Sarah Lawrence is already known for having the first LEED certified college or university Visual Arts building, and that’s just the beginning.

SLC was recently in the news for their dormitory’s green efforts. Students were so excited about making Warren House sustainable that they changed the name to Warren Green earlier this year, and they’ve been hard at work doing everything they can to make it as eco-friendly as possible. The dorm was awarded with a $150,000 grant from the college to spend on better insulation, water recycling, solar panels and air source heat pumps.

Warren Green residents have implemented a set of rules that they’re hoping will spread to the rest of the dorms on campus. They include buying house and food products in bulk as a group to reduce packaging, cooking collectively to reduce energy consumption, unplugging electronics when not in use, using only biodegradable soap and detergents, air-drying clothes and using natural light as much as possible. The rules are strictly enforced, and SLC is pleased that they’ll save money, too.

SLC’s commitment to sustainability really got its start when 16 members of the Sarah Lawrence community attended the 2006 Environmental Consortium of Hudson Valley Colleges & Universities’ conference, where they learned about greening up campuses. It was then that they decided to start a long-term plan for sustainability on campus. SLC deemed February ‘Footprint Forward Month’ and engaged in energy-saving competitions to reduce the college’s carbon footprint and increase overall sustainability on campus.

Just last month, Sarah Lawrence College installed a green roof on the Taylor residence hall. The 1,000 square foot system is composed of sedum in modular trays, which will retain water. The Taylor green roof is, in fact, the second green roof to be installed on campus – the first covers a section of the LEED-certified Heimbold Visual Arts Center.  The Taylor roof, which will help reduce energy needed to heat the building and control storm water runoff, was installed by SmartRoofs LLC, a company that employs green-collar workers.

When it comes to sustainability, Sarah Lawrence has already achieved so much – and yet, they’re just getting started. Check out the college’s ‘Sustainability on Campus’ section of their website for more info on campus initiatives, their mission and other green projects.

Link [Sarah Lawrence College]

AASHE Announces Campus and Student Sustainability Award Winners

Congratulations to the winners of The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) Campus Sustainability Leadership Awards! Tulane University, Northland College and College of Menominee Nation have been recognized for their commitment to going green. The schools showed outstanding leadership in their curriculum, research, operations, community outreach and life on campus.

Two students were also honored for their work in sustainability.  Sarah E. Brylinsky, a senior at Ithaca College, received the Student Sustainability Leadership award and Ryan Graunke, a recent graduate of the University of Florida, won the Student Research on Campus Sustainability Award for his paper: “Food and Fuel: Biogas Potential at Broward Dining Hall.”

From Media Newswire:

The winners of the campus and student sustainability leadership awards are highlighted in the October issue of Sustainability: the Journal of Record. The research award winner and honorable mentions will be featured in the December issue of the Journal. In addition, the applications and papers received through each of the awards program are posted on the AASHE website.

The awards will be formally presented at the upcoming AASHE 2008 conference, Working Together for Sustainability – On Campus and Beyond, Nov. 9-11 in Raleigh, NC. With over 1,700 registrants, the conference will be the largest gathering focused on campus sustainability to date in North America.

AASHE received 59 applications for the campus awards, 38 applicants for the student leadership award, and 37 submissions for the student research award. The award winners were selected by pools of campus sustainability experts assembled by AASHE.

Competition for prestigious sustainability awards like this is tightening up big time – so many more people are applying! You can really tell how much the green movement on college campuses is growing every year. We’re happy to see so many new green leaders emerging!

Link [Media Newswire]
Photo credit: Flickr user Authentic Eccentric (Tulane University)

Green College Spotlight: Western Washington University

Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington is another American college leading by example in terms of sustainability.  At WWU, students have seized on eco-initiatives ranging from energy and transportation to food and recycling, creating clubs that coordinate efforts to green up the campus as much as possible.

WWU has joined dozens of colleges and universities across the country in signing the President’s Climate Commitment, setting the school on the path to carbon neutrality by conducting a greenhouse gas inventory and also developing a carbon neutral action plan that will address all of the areas in which WWU can still improve. It’s an important move that will set the stage for even more ambitious green initiatives, to join the ones already in place.

Western Washington University also has a Sustainability Committee, another step that’s becoming more and more popular for colleges that put environmental stewardship at the top of their priorities. The Sustainability Committee will oversee the school’s commitment to carbon neutrality, coordinating efforts on campus to conserve energy and water, decrease resource consumption and reduce waste.

Check out this video, which outlines some of WWU’s green efforts:

WWU has a remarkable number of student clubs, organizations and programs dedicated to environmental responsibility, from Students for Renewable Energy to the WWU Go for the Green residence hall challenge, in which students compete against each other to be the greenest hall.  There’s also a student-led Green Power initiative, which has met the admirable goal of making WWU powered 100% by alternative energy sources.

Students at Western Washington University also enjoy sustainable food service, dining on local food and fair trade coffee. ‘Seafood Watch’ guidelines are used for fish purchases, a ‘recycle mug’ program reduces use of disposable cups, and the WWU Dining Services is one of the three largest recyclers of food scraps in Whatcom County.  WWU also has one of the longest-running university recycling programs in the country, founded in 1971. It’s student-run, and collects 3,800 pounds of recyclables every day.

WWU is in the midst of planning many more sustainability initiatives, including expanding their pesticide-free garden bed program and working to make buildings on campus even more eco-friendly. This college will surely be one to watch in the future, as the competition between schools to go green heats up!

Link [WWU]

Green College Spotlight: New York University

New York University is one of many schools in the country going green in big ways that extend far beyond simple recycling and CFLs. This esteemed university held on to the title of number one campus purchaser of green energy for over a year, and the renewable energy credits it buys account for 100% of its energy use.  That’s especially impressive when you consider the fact that NYU has a large urban campus.  But when it comes to NYU’s sustainability initiatives, this achievement is just the tip of the iceberg.

Located in New York City with nearly 40,000 students, the NYU campus has been home to environmental activism since the 1980’s, when the Earth Matters environmental club was founded.  The 1990s saw the beginnings of NYU’s recycling program, which was one of the first formal institutional recycling programs in New York City. Since then, New York University’s efforts have rapidly multiplied, and today you can find a wide assortment of sustainability initiatives in place and in the works.

Some of the sustainability projects at NYU include a Sustainability Task Force, green grants, environmental assessment, a comprehensive energy saving strategy, a bookstore green initiative and organic meals at the Hayden Dining Hall.

The Sustainability Task Force is at the helm of NYU’s future green projects, and they carry out their ideas through assessments of current practices, recommending a prioritized ‘Green Action Plan’ to improve NYU’s environmental footprint, getting students, faculty and administrators involved in green efforts and finally, awarding funds for green projects. The Sustainability Task Force has a long list of successful projects including wind power purchases, native landscaping, tracking water consumption, conservation contests in the residence halls and composting biodegradable waste in the dining hall.

“Green Grants” are awarded each year to fund the best project ideas that improve sustainability on campus, engage the community and advance applied research and educational goals. Some of the projects that were funded this year include a year-end residence hall recycling drive, a residential energy challenge, a veggie-powered vehicle project and a lighting efficiency project.

One of the most notable green projects to get funding from NYU’s green grants is the Bike to School project, which was featured in The New York Times when it debuted in 2007. Not only does this project provide bicycles for students to get around campus, it saves old bicycles from heading to the landfill.   Volunteer mechanics at a nearby environmental organization called Times Up! rejuvenate abandoned bikes using new parts purchased with the grant money.  NYU also recently announced funding for a bike-sharing initiative.

Other important commitments that NYU has made to sustainability focus on lowering the university’s eco footprint.  President Sexton signed the Presidents Climate Commitment, and NYU is also a member of New York City’s PlaNYC, which commits them to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent over the next ten years – although, NYU expects to meet that goal much sooner than that.  All new construction at New York University will meet LEED silver standards, joining the university’s first LEED certified building, Gallatin Hall.

Check out the NYU Sustainability website for all the details!

Link [NYU]
Photo credit: James Estrin/The New York Times

Colleges Giving Free Bikes to Students Who Promise to Leave Cars at Home

Students are finding a big incentive to leave their vehicles at home when they go away to college: a free bike.  And not a cheapo Wal-mart bike, either: the University of New England, for example, is offering its freshmen $480 bicycles to entice them into an easier, more eco-friendly option for getting around campus. It’s part of a new trend nationwide in which colleges and universities are finding ways to encourage bicycle transportation instead of cars, especially in schools where parking space comes at a premium.

From The New York Times:

The goal, college and university officials said, is to ease critical shortages of parking and to change the car culture that clogs campus roadways and erodes the community feel that comes with walking or biking around campus.

“We’re seeing an explosion in bike activity,” said Julian Dautremont-Smith, associate director of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, a nonprofit association of colleges and universities. “It seems like every week we hear about a new bike sharing or bike rental program.”

“We felt the campus could devolve to asphalt parking lots, and a lot of people didn’t want that to happen,” said Michael Daley, head of the university’s environmental council and a professor of economics.

The bikes are marked with each student’s name.

“I don’t have to fill it with gas, and it doesn’t hurt the environment,” said Kaitlyn Birwell, 18. “With a car, you need a parking permit, gas, and it breaks down. I’m a college student and don’t have the money for that.”

The program at the University of New England has so far been a great success: they handed out 105 bikes in the first week of school, and only 25 percent of freshmen brought cars with them this year compared to 75 percent last year.  Some schools are asking for donations of old bikes to fix up and offer students, while others are purchasing new mountain bikes, helmets and locks or partnering with bike shops to give students a discount.  Still others, like Emory, now have bike share programs that allow students to rent a bike at no charge at various spots on campus.

How awesome that this is catching on: it addresses the parking problem, reduces pollution, increases physical fitness and promotes a community feel.  Hopefully it will continue to spread across the country!

Link [The New York Times]
Photo credit: Flickr user PC Loadletter

Green College Spotlight: Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Aquinas College was the first college to offer an undergraduate major in sustainable business, with a four-year curriculum that combines formal business training with environmental studies, perfect for preparing an army of students for the green-collar jobs of the future.  The interest in sustainable business at Aquinas – located in Grand Rapids, Michigan – led to the creation of the school’s Center for Sustainability, a student-run and faculty-directed organization that provides a web-based source of info for anyone interested in sustainable practices.

The Center for Sustainability is, indeed, a treasure trove of information for consumers, non-profits, businesspeople, students and governmental agencies.  They’ve compiled a comprehensive collection of information about resource issues, government and sustainability, sustainable community design, sustainability in education and much more.  In addition to the online resources, the Center for Sustainability conducts conferences and workshops and maintains an extensive list of publications on sustainability.

But, their work on this impressive resource is far from the only way Aquinas College shows leadership in sustainability.  Their efforts on campus – also orchestrated by the Center for Sustainability – show true dedication to environmental stewardship.  Aquinas College President Balog signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment in June 2008, promising to create a strategy to greatly reduce Aquinas College’s footprint in the coming years.  A comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory is already underway to find ways the college can improve and meet this ambitious goal.

More and more eco-friendly initiatives have been put in place on campus, including the conservation of resources through a ‘Tray-Less Tuesdays’ program and controlled-use paper towel dispensers. The Grace Hauenstein Library is the first building on campus to receive LEED silver certification, with innovations like using locally-sourced, low-VOC building materials.  Students are also asked to submit sustainability proposals for new green programs, and some projects currently in the works include community bikes, electronic waste recycling and non-toxic cleaning products.

The college’s sustainable business program is one that will surely be emulated by other colleges and universities as our world shifts toward sustainability in all aspects of everyday life.  The degree requirements include a combination of business, physical science, environmental studies and sustainable business courses and an internship with a company or organization where students get real-life business experience. There are already dozens of companies eagerly waiting for Aquinas sustainable business graduates, and there’s a lot of promise in this booming field.

Check out the program at the Aquinas College Sustainable Business website for details, and pass it along to high school students who might be interested!

Link [Aquinas College]

Green College Spotlight: Harvard University

This Ivy League college is known for being a leader in many arenas, so it’s no surprise that Harvard University is also one of the nation’s greenest institutions of higher learning.  Harvard began a Green Campus Initiative back in 2000, and has made many great leaps toward sustainability in the eight years since. Not only does the university have a long record of environmental stewardship on campus, they’ve expanded their green efforts into research, education and outreach.

As part of their push toward becoming more environmentally responsible, Harvard University has created a comprehensive sustainability plan [PDF] that includes a number of ambitious goals, from demonstrating practices that promote sustainability on campus to developing the planning tools that have helped them make smart environmental and socially responsible decisions.

Some of the green programs that have since been put into place at this esteemed university include FAS – Green Program, Graduate Green Living Program, FAS – Resource Efficiency Program, Green Campus Loan Fund, Green Campus Building Service, The Green Building Resource, Greenhouse Gas Inventory and more.  They encompass a wide range of efforts, from encouraging residents to adopt more environmentally sustainable lifestyles to tracking greenhouse gas emissions at the school.  Faculty, staff, students and alumni have come together to help Harvard achieve as many of its sustainability goals as possible.

Harvard has worked hard at making campus buildings greener, and 20 of its new construction and renovation projects have been certified for green credits since 2002, more than any other university in the U.S. Last year, the university created green building guidelines for all new buildings on campus, designed to ensure that all buildings get LEED certification. They consider everything from using water-efficient landscaping to using rapidly renewable materials, and it’s easy to see that such guidelines have paid off in a big way: the campus boasts numerous LEED silver and gold-certified buildings like the library, dining hall and grad student housing.

One of Harvard’s most interesting, innovative and attention-getting green initiatives is the Green Campus Loan Fund.  This $12 million revolving fund provides interest-free loans to anyone at Harvard with a plan for a green campus project with a payback of 10 years or less.  So far, Harvard has lent money to 180 projects including environmentally friendly lighting, heating, insulation and onsite renewable energy.  It’s one of the programs that landed Harvard on the Princeton Review’s Green Honor Roll this year.

In the Spring of 2007, the Green Campus Initiative newsletter detailed all of the milestones Harvard has reached in their sustainability efforts.  It’s a long list, testament to all of the hard work and dedication that’s been put into making Harvard greener. Some of the highlights include record-setting recycling collection, using rainwater to wash as many as 250 University-owned vehicles each week, integrating a composting program in the dining hall and achieving its first platinum LEED rating.

Of course, if you take a look at Harvard’s sustainability plan, you’ll be able to see clearly that the university is nowhere near done. Their master plan includes a multi-decade vision for a sustainable campus in Allston, Massachusetts where all future buildings will aspire to LEED gold certification and will be as eco-friendly as possible.  It’s an exciting time for students dedicated to sustainability, and Harvard will no doubt continue to provide inspiration for colleges and universities all over the country.

Link [Harvard Green Campus Initiative]

Green College Spotlight: Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin

Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin is a leader among American colleges in sustainability, and one need only take a tour of the campus to see why. Niles Barnes of AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) did just that, and photographed some of the many green aspects of the school, from solar panels and composting toilets to hybrid vehicles and wind turbines.  Even if you can’t take a tour in person, though, it’s easy to see that Northland puts environmental responsibility right at the top of their priorities.

Just take a look at Northland College’s ‘Environmental Commitment’ pages on the web, where their many green efforts are detailed.  The school’s cafeteria offers a wide range of vegetarian and vegan options, sustainably harvested seafood, and organic and fair-trade choices.  Food scraps are composted and used in the Mino-Aki community garden, where students learn about organic gardening.  Work-study students monitor campus waste and recycling, and chemistry students check area water quality. Students get free bus passes and access to free bicycles, the maintenance department uses electric vehicles and many faculty and staff live close to campus so they can walk to work.

Nowhere is Northland’s commitment to sustainability more apparent than in the vast eco-friendly features of buildings on campus. In fact, Northland College’s “green dorm” – the McLean Environmental Living and Learning Center – served as a prototype for Leadership and Energy in Environmental Design (LEED) standards.  Also on campus are two wind towers, four solar hot-water arrays, two photovoltaic arrays, geothermal heating and cooling, furniture made of recycled materials and an energy education lab made of straw bales.

Last year, Northland’s president, Karen Halbersleben, signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, which provides a framework and support for higher learning institutions to increase sustainability on campus, address global warming and neutralize greenhouse gas emissions.  Northland is currently measuring greenhouse gas emissions from field trips, sporting events, and college-related air travel to develop the best methods to offset this impact.

From the Northland College website:

At Northland College, sustainability is all about people. We believe that environmental change requires more than technical knowledge of renewable energy, ecosystems, and sustainable business practices; it demands an exploration of human nature—an exploration of ourselves. We focus on environmental leadership throughout the student experience at Northland. Our students participate in all levels of our campus life—from volunteering to enhance our “commons”, to work-study jobs that support our green features, to capstone projects that help our college innovate. Students are active in governance, strategic planning, and vision-setting. They are not just tomorrow’s environmental leaders; Northland students are creating a more sustainable future now.

Students at Northland College also find evidence of the school’s commitment to sustainability in their regular coursework. For example, an art class incorporates environmentally-friendly materials.  Curriculum related to sustainability includes Sustainable Business, Introduction to Environmental Studies, Sustainable Agriculture, a Physics course in Renewable Energy, and Natural Resources.

Northland College students work hard at sustainability in their free time, too.  Environmental organizations include the Environmental Council, which works to further Northland’s environmental dedication; Green Fire, which focuses on enhancing the health of the Chequamegon bioregion through activism, education and networking and Sunshine Community, which supports a number of green programs on campus like the Mino-Aki community garden and the Strawbale House.

In fact, there’s much more to Northland’s green commitments that we can’t even fit here! Check out the Northland College website for more!

Link [Northland College] + [AASHE]

Los Angeles Colleges are Going Green

It’s not just a trend – it’s the new way of life.  Colleges around the world are making their best efforts to clean up their acts, from using renewable energy sources and conserving water to composting and recycling.  The latest colleges to jump aboard include a slew of schools in the Los Angeles, California area including East LA College, Santiago Canyon College, Santa Clara University and Stanford University.

From Greenopia:

Last Spring, East Los Angeles College installed 5,952 solar panels, which will create nearly half of the college’s energy.  Placed hanging over 530 parking spaces on a campus lot, the panels are expected to last for forty years, produce 1.9 million kilowatts annually, and save the college around $270,000 a year.  The LA Times reports that “The Los Angeles Community College Districts, which includes East Los Angeles, is undergoing one of the largest green building efforts in the country’s public sector, with more than 40 buildings planned and all facilities set to employ only renewable energy.”

It’s not just the junior college sector that’s taking on a green sheen.  Back in 2004, the UC university system passed a policy determining all new or renovated building had to be environmentally friendly.  Recent reports now reveal this has saved the system nearly $5 million dollars.  Now, building green on campus has become much more mainstream.  Plus, campuses can boast a recent study showing “eco-friendly construction helps lower absenteeism, proves productivity and staves off health problems for students and teachers.”

Santiago Canyon College has vertical perforated solar fins cooling their library.  Santa Clara University boasts a building comprised of carpet tiles made of yarn and also has a student-built solar house for the biennial Solar Decathlon.  And, Stanford now has a building partially constructed from redwood salvaged from old wine vats.

We love how colleges and universities are embracing ‘green’ and making it work for them – so many people are finding that not only can they help reduce their ecological footprint, they can save money at the same time! Colleges are getting really creative about the ways that they make sustainability a part of their campus operations.  Love it!

Link [Greenopia]
Photo credit: Santa Clara Solar Decathlon

New Green College Ratings Website: GreenReportCard.org

Just a few years ago, finding information about sustainability at colleges across the U.S. and Canada was practically impossible.  Now, not only do we get green college rankings from sources like Forbes, Sierra Magazine, Grist and The Daily Green, we can also rely on The Princeton Review with their ‘Green Honor Roll’ as well as a new website, GreenReportCard.org.  Today’s college students have information at their fingertips that tells them how hard colleges and universities are working to be green.

The interactive College Sustainability Report Card at GreenReportCard.org is the first independent sustainability evaluation of campus operations and endowment investments, gathering information through research and surveys.  More than 300 schools have been rated.  Each is given a letter grade for overall ecological sustainability as well as letter grades in categories like ‘climate change and energy’, ‘green building’, ‘transportation’ and ‘investment priorities’.

When you type in the name of a participating university, you’ll see not just those letter grades but also an explanation for each.  For example, the University of Florida – Gainesville received an ‘A’ for food and recycling, and GreenReportCard.org explains:

UF purchases local dairy products and sources produce through two suppliers who, together, buy from 70 Florida farms. Organic, shade-grown coffee is purchased from a local roaster and dining services offers cage-free eggs and a variety of organic produce. Both dining halls use reusable china, and to-go containers are made from 100 percent sugarcane. UF initiated the Tail-gator recycling program for home game days in 2006.

Even better, you can compare schools to see how their efforts stack up.  It really puts power into students’ hands, and beyond that it helps motivate schools to work harder at being green.  The website is free and easy to use, and it even has a ‘get involved’ page where students can learn about how they can help their schools improve their green score.  Pretty awesome!

Link [GreenReportCard.org] via [ReadWriteWeb]

Green College Spotlight: California State University at Chico

California State University at Chico has spent the last decade putting forth a huge effort toward sustainability, reflecting a deep desire to preserve the natural beauty of the city of Chico, which is renowned for its many beautiful parks, greenways and tracts of undeveloped land. As such, they’re working hard to be good stewards of the land, teaching students to be ‘environmentally literate citizens’.

Chico State’s Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development, Scott G. McNall, explains the university’s commitment to sustainability:

We intend to make CSU, Chico the distinctive “green” campus in California and become a national leader in environmental education, science, and policy analysis; the building of environmentally friendly facilities, and practicing and modeling for others sustainable practices. We see civic engagement and sustainability powerfully linked as a way to help students understand that democracy must be actively created and nurtured and as a way to work with others to build and live in the community.

Students, faculty and staff at Chico State have thrown themselves headlong into sustainable initiatives, as evidenced by the long list of sustainability practices currently in place at the school.  They’re actively working to reduce CO2, construct sustainable buildings, implement energy conservation practices, purchase and invest in environmentally and socially responsible products, conducting environmental audits and minimizing the use of hazardous chemicals.

CSU was among the first schools in the nation to sign a long-range commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC).  On campus, they’ve installed a thermal energy storage system and have committed to incorporate LEED-sponsored sustainability practices into all future buildings.  Solar panels on the roofs of Yolo Hall and Acker Gym supply power to the university, reducing carbon emissions equivalent to that produced by 430 commuter vehicles.

Transportation on campus includes bicycles and free bus transit, and the Facilities Management Services has a fleet of 43 electric vehicles. Chico State has had recycling and composting in place since 1996, and so far they’ve saved 632 tons of recyclable and compostable waste from ending up in the landfill.  Students enthusiastically take part in a variety of eco activities, from growing organic veggies at the university farm to going on ‘adventure outings’ that increase appreciation for the natural world.  They even help local elementary school students understand the value of the environment through hands-on activities at the Butte Creek Ecological Preserve.

All that Chico State is doing towards a greener future is a great example of how green colleges are bridging the divide between environmentalists and ordinary citizens.  Hopefully, in the years to come, these kinds of sustainability initiatives will be ordinary and commonplace – a part of daily life.  Eco-conscious colleges and universities are helping to instill environmental responsibility into the very people who will lead the charge toward a greener future – the youth.  Great work, Chico State!

Link [California State University at Chico]

Colorado State University Pledges to be Carbon Neutral by 2020

Colorado State University President Larry Edward Penley announced in his annual Fall Address that the school aims to be carbon neutral by 2020.  Colorado State aims to prove their green power by reducing its greenhouse emissions through conservation and alternative energy sources.  They’re hoping to serve as a role model for environmental stewardship, and plan to develop programs to train the growing green workforce as well as creating alternative energy solutions.

From Today at Colorado State:

The university expects to find significant cost savings through additional conservation strategies, Penley said. Those efforts will begin with a comprehensive assessment of the university’s carbon footprint, already underway. The assessment will include a commuter survey posted today at https://www.fm.colostate.edu/survey and a greenhouse gas inventory.

“A premier research university is committed to the ideal that educated and motivated people can make a difference in the world, and CSU is the Green University, leading the way in research, education and practice associated with sustainable energy and the environment,” said Penley, who celebrated his fifth year as president of Colorado State in August. “We expect our graduates to be active, responsible citizens.”

Colorado State has already gained recognition for being environmentally responsible, making plenty of sustainability efforts on campus and in the school’s academic and research programs.  Some of those efforts include creating a Clean Energy Supercluster, which is a new effort to speed technological renewable and clean energy innovations to the marketplace, and their new School of Global Environmental Sustainability, which properly prepares students to enter the green workforce.  Colorado State was also named among the greenest universities in the country by Newsweek in August.

This is exactly what we need – more college students recognizing the need to be green! The youth – especially those aiming to nab green collar jobs – are the key to getting civilization on the right track so generations to come have a clean, healthy earth to enjoy.  Nice going, Colorado State!

Link [Today at Colorado State] via [AASHE]

Green College Spotlight: Binghamton University in Binghamton, NY

Binghamton University was recognized by the Princeton Review as one of 11 colleges in America that reached the highest score possible, 99, on their new ‘green rating’ system.  It’s a well-deserved honor – Binghamton hasn’t just put sustainability initiatives at the top of their priorities on campus, they’ve also dedicated themselves to researching some of the planet’s most pressing challenges, from green technology to the proper management of precious natural resources.

Binghamton University – officially known as the State University of New York at Binghamton, or SUNY Binghamton – has adopted a wide variety of green programs and projects that encompass all aspects of campus operations, from implementing ‘Operation Green Space’, which transformed over 80,000 acres of paved areas to green space, to its Energy Management System (EMS) which monitors the school’s energy use.

The campus has gotten greener and greener every year, with students and faculty coming together to reduce energy consumption, conserve water, recycle as much as possible, cut down on unnecessary waste and use as much organic and local produce as possible throughout the year. Food waste is composted, a solar hot-water system is being installed and the campus is equipped with low-flow toilets and aerated faucets.  Electric motorcars and bikes are seen all over campus, parking meters are solar/battery powered and janitorial staff uses non-toxic cleaners.

Students have also participated in energy conservation contests, including one between residential halls in which the winning community, Dickinson, offered one-hour ‘blackouts’ and encouraged students to unplug electronic devices not in use. Other efforts include a student bus system, Move Out Week in which food and clothing are donated to charity, Zero Waste Earth Day, America Recycles Day and regular recycle ‘Blitz’ days.  This year’s energy savings was estimated at about 650,00 pounds of carbon.

Several of SUNY Binghamton’s buildings also received LEED certification including Mountainview’s Cascade and Windham Halls.  Green features in and around the buildings include water-efficient landscaping, use of local and regional materials, use of low-emitting materials, storm water management and indoor pollution controls.

Binghamton also offers more than 40 environment and sustainability courses each year, many of which are taught at the university’s 12,500-square-foot greenhouse. The E.W. Heier Teaching & Research Greenhouses functions as a living laboratory for the University’s plant and ecology related courses.  It holds over 6,000 exotic plants, representing over 1,200 distinct species.  Other ‘green’ research conducted at Binghamton University include sensor systems related to environmental technologies, the natural features and human effects on watersheds and alternative energy technology.

One of the things we might see coming out of Binghamton sometime soon is the world’s first affordable fuel cell car.  Right now, professor of chemistry Chuan-Jian Zhong is the lead researcher in a project that aims to lower the cost of manufacturing fuel cells, something that could be a huge breakthrough in the green auto industry.  We’re sure lots of fresh green ideas are going to be coming out of this school, and the world will be better off for it.

Link [Binghamton University]

Frats & Sororities Going Green Across the Nation

It turns out that St. Patrick’s Day isn’t the closest fraternities and sororities across America come to being ‘green’ after all.  These days, eco-consciousness is seeping into all aspects of student life, and the Greeks aren’t excluded.  Greening up frats and sororities is becoming increasingly popular as students seek out new ways to be earth-friendly on campus.  A few schools that have gotten involved include UCLA, The University of Michigan and Dartmouth.

At UCLA, ‘Green the Greeks’ is a fairly new student organization that has been getting together to increase awareness of environmental responsibility among this large part of the student population.  On Earth Day, group members got together to gather recyclables and show students how easy it can be to make the right choice.  Green the Greeks co-founder John Frost told The Daily Bruin, “We facilitate a forum for members of the Greek community to come together and discuss issues of sustainability and to find solutions. We want to do this as efficiently and cheaply as possible. If these changes aren’t financially practical, they won’t last.”

The University of Michigan ‘Green Greeks’ organization was started in fall 2005, aiming to encourage environmentally responsible behavior in the Greek community.  The organization has saved over 60,000 cans and bottles from ending up in the landfill.  A statement on the Green Greeks website says, “We believe that the Greek Community and the fraternity and sorority that represent it can and should be a role model to the rest of the University for eco-friendly living. Green Greeks can act as a helping hand and a resource to chapters who would like to implement anything from basic recycling programs to educational hands-on environmental projects for their entire house, as well as campus-wide fundraisers.  For example, in 2006 we joined forces with Greek Week to run a recycling competition.”

At Dartmouth, efforts to introduce sustainability into sororities and fraternities have been around for nearly a decade, but the ‘Green Greeks Program’ was officially started in 2006. The college employs a ‘Greek Sustainability Intern’, Billy McCarthy, who helps coordinate Greek sustainability efforts with those of the rest of the school.  There are also Sustainability Coordinators in each Greek house, who take on tasks like organizing recycling and composting, reducing energy consumption and increasing general awareness among peers.

It’s encouraging to know that all of the cans, bottles and pizza boxes found in Greek houses nationwide aren’t going straight into the trash! College campuses are certainly getting more and more creative with their green efforts and it’s a hugely encouraging sign that we’re headed toward an all-around greener future.

Grist.org currently has a great roundup of creative green college efforts – go check it out!

Link [UCLA] + [U of Michigan] + [Dartmouth] via [Grist.org]

Green College Spotlight: Tufts University

Tufts University, in Medford/Somerville Massachusetts, has long been a leader in sustainability – since back before many people even knew the definition of the term.  Tufts developed the first university environmental policy back in 1990 and launched the international Talloires Declaration, which is now supported by 300 academic leaders worldwide.  The Talloires Declaration is a ten-point action plan for incorporating sustainability and environmental literacy in teaching, research, operations and outreach at colleges and universities.

Now, sustainability is an essential part of the university’s daily operations.  The school has not only made commitments to a number of regional and international goals to reduce emissions of climate-altering gases, they’ve also incorporated a wide variety of environmentally friendly initiatives.   Tufts has been named on many ‘greenest colleges’ lists including those by Grist.org, Sierra Magazine and The Daily Green.

Tufts’ environmental efforts are nearly too numerous to name. The university has a comprehensive energy efficiency and conservation program involving things like carbon offsets, light bulb exchange programs, hydro electricity, on-site solar power, steam power and occupancy sensors that automatically turn off lights when people leave the room. Check out the ‘Tufts Recycles!’ web page, which details the efforts of the school’s recycling program.  Water efficiency efforts, a local and organic food movement on campus, sustainable landscaping and a fleet of green campus vehicles are just a few more examples.

Tufts University’s newest residential hall, Sofia Gordon Hall, has incorporated a large number of sustainability initiatives throughout the planning and building process – silver LEED certification is pending. The building has been designed to optimize energy performance, and is equipped with water-efficient appliances. Solar thermal and photovoltaic rooftop panels provide hot water and electricity, and the university has also purchased wind power credits in an amount equivalent to the electricity needs of Sofia Gordon Hall and the new Music Center for two years.  Other green aspects of the building include low and no-VOC carpet, sealant and paint, construction waste recycling, recycled and renewable materials, storm water management and real-time monitoring of the building’s energy consumption.

Students at Tufts are given a comprehensive guide to greening up campus life, from energy usage tips to encouragement to eat less meat.  The university’s Guide to Living and Working Green at Tufts includes tips and information on recycling, composting, getting around campus and even how to green your wardrobe.

Check out the details on Tufts University’s impressive green resume at the school’s sustainability page.

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