Colleges Greener than Ever Despite Economy

Rotten economy? So what?! Colleges around the nation are still going green despite declining endowments, according to the new 2010 College Sustainability Report Card results, compiled by the Sustainable Endowments Institute.

Twenty-six out of 332 schools evaluated for the report card got the highest possible grade of A-minus, determined by a number of criteria in areas like administration, climate change & energy, food & recycling, green building, student involvement, transportation, endowment transparency, investment priorities and shareholder engagement.

That’s up from just 15 schoools getting an A-minus last year. Among the new schools on the list are Amherst College, Arizona State University-Tempe, Luther College, Macalester College and the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Ultra-green list veterans include Brown University, Carleton College, Middlebury College and Oberlin College. A few of last year’s highest fell off the list, including Dartmouth.

Congratulations to all the colleges that made it, and everybody else who moved up a grade for 2010. Keep it up!

Link [Green Report Card] via [Yale Environment 360]

Green College Spotlight: Pomona College

Pomona College, a small private college located in Claremont, California, stands out even in a state with a large number of impressively green schools. Though this college has had an environmental policy since 2003, renewed dedication and enthusiasm for sustainability has led to a wide array of programs and initiatives that take their commitment to the next level.

President Oxby signed the Presidents Climate Commitment, seeking to reduce Pomona College’s carbon footprint. The college has a full-time sustainability coordinator and an advisory committee made up of faculty, staff and students who develop strategies for making the college greener.

Solar arrays, renewable energy credits and a number of energy-saving products and policies help accomplish Pomona College’s goal to use energy resources wisely. The college has committed to purchasing Energy Star appliances, and uses a number of other measures to control energy consumption.

Pomona currently has three LEED-certified buildings: the Richard C. Seaver Biology Building (LEED Silver-certified) and the Lincoln-Edmunds Buildings (LEED Gold-certified). The New North Campus residence halls will also be LEED Gold-certified once completed.

The college is also a supporter of local farms, purchasing produce from 25 local suppliers. They also have their own 2.5-acre organic farm on campus, which is mulched with composted food and landscaping waste. Dining services also provides fair trade coffee and some organic goods, and offers biodegradable utensils and paper to-go boxes.

A fleet of folding bicycles available for rental make it easy for students to get around without cars – they’re perfect for taking on public transportation as needed. Another program provides used bikes for rental and offers free bike repairs. Students also get discounted Metrolink passes, and a rideshare program encourages faculty to carpool.

Learn more about Pomona College’s green efforts at Pomona.edu/Sustainability.

Link [Pomona College]

Green College Spotlight: University of Calgary

Not all of North America’s sustainable colleges and universities are in the United States – far from it, in fact. Canada has quite a few of them, with the University of Calgary among the most impressive. This public university with over 24,000 students has made great strides toward inserting green values and practices into virtually all areas of campus activity.

A signatory of the Talloires Declaration, U of C is working to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 and has begun retrofits to the central heating plant that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 43 percent below 1990 levels. One campus building – the Child Development Center, which is LEED-Platinum certified – uses 100 percent renewable electricity, 10 percent of which comes from solar panels.

All new building projects at the University of Calgary will achieve the highest level of LEED certification possible within budget constraints, and in addition to the Child Development Center, two more buildings are on track for certification. Carpoolers at U of C get premium parking, and students ride on public transit at a discount. A student-run program loans out bikes and provides a place for cyclists to socialize.

Food from over 19 local farms and producers is provided on campus, including local dairy. Fair trade coffee is also available. Students who bring reusable cups get a discount on drinks.

A number of student groups address sustainability issues, including the Sustainability Stewardship Program and many more. U of C also holds campus-wide competitions like the Commuter Challenge held this past spring, which prompted students, faculty and staff to record sustainable commuting choices like walking, cycling and carpooling.

Learn more about what the University of Calgary is doing to go green at UCalgary.ca/sustainability.

Link [University of Calgary Sustainability]

Green College Spotlight: University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota is among the nation’s most sustainability-dedicated institutions of higher learning, with green projects and practices extending into all areas of campus activity. Becoming a sustainable university is a tough goal to reach when you’ve got over 60,000 students, and UMN definitely deserves some major props for all of their hard work.

President Robert H. Bruininks has played a major part in increasing the University of Minnesota’s commitment to sustainability, signing the Presidents Climate Commitment and funding research and development in renewable energy. The university also adopted a sustainability and environmental policy, and a broad-based committee oversees campus sustainability priorities.

The University of Minnesota requires all new construction and renovation projects to meet sustainability guidelines, and has already completed a 50,000-seat LEED-gold certified stadium that is due to open this September. Science Teaching and Student Services Building, and the New Bell Museum of Natural History are also seeking LEED certification. UMN is also powered partially with biomass, and solar panels were installed on the College of Design for demonstration and research.

Students, faculty and staff get around on public transportation at discounted rates, and many also ride bicycles. The university also has 75 E85 vehicles in its fleet, as well as 53 hybrids. UMN purchases B20 fuel made from waste oil and soybeans.

A member of the Heartland Food Network,  UMN purchases 18 percent of its food locally and also gets some of its food from campus’s Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and UMN Cornercopia. The university recycles approximately 30 percent of the school’s solid waste and 50 percent of its debris waste.

UMN is also a great choice for students who want to become the green leaders of the future, from scientists to business people. In fact, several environment-related departments and graduate programs are highly ranked at the national level by the National Resource Council, including Evolution Ecology and Behavior, Geography and the School of Public Health.

The University of Minnesota has many more sustainability initiatives and improvements than we can go over here – learn more about their efforts at the UMN sustainability website!

Link [UMN] + [Green College Report Card]

Sustainability Degrees Growing in Popularity

The world is about to welcome a whole new generation of sustainability experts, bigger than ever before – and it couldn’t have come at a better time. College students are flocking to sustainability programs in droves, graduating with the knowledge they need to help guide the world to a greener, more sustainable way of life.

From Earth 911:

With an emphasis on trans- and interdisciplinary research and teaching, schools such as Stony Brook, Colorado State University, the University of Washington, Arizona State University, the University of Pennsylvania and others are incorporating sustainability into subjects such as business, architecture, biological science, social science and more.

Some universities are even creating stand-alone schools related to sustainability. Additionally, According to the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) most recent count, 66 sustainability-oriented academic programs were created in 2008.

The academic knowledge base of sustainability will likely continue to be needed and expanded as more “green collar” jobs emerge.

With the noticeable increase in academic programs related to sustainability, universities increasingly appear up to the task of educating the next generation of leaders so that they might tackle the pertinent environmental, social and economic issues of our age.

We profiled some of the nation’s best undergraduate sustainability programs earlier this year in an article entitled ‘Becoming Tomorrow’s Green Leaders: Top Environmental Undergrad Programs’. Among the chosen colleges and universities are Middlebury College in Vermont, Warren Wilson College in North Carolina, Northland College in Wisconsin and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Want to learn more? The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has an exhaustive list of schools offering various kinds of environmental programs available on their website.

Link [Earth 911] + [AASHE]

Green College Spotlight: Willamette University

Which college or university engages in the most sustainable activities? That would be Willamette University of Oregon, which beat out 1,067 other schools to take the crown in a National Wildlife Federation survey.

“Willamette is committed to energy efficiency and conservation, greener transportation, environmentally friendly landscaping practices, as well as to orienting personnel and faculty to the sustainability goals of the campus”, said the WWF report.

Willamette’s enthusiasm comes from a solid core of committed students, faculty and staff including President M. Lee Peldon, who signed the Presidents Climate Commitment. A sustainability council oversees the many sustainability activities on campus, and a number of student groups like the Environmental Community Outreach Society help make going green a priority.

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) praised Willamette University last year for its remarkable initiative.

“People at Willamette take their motto and mission seriously and genuinely try to walk the talk,” said Judy Walton, AASHE executive director. “I’ve rarely seen so much honest engagement and reflection on the issue of sustainability. It’s a sincere commitment, not just lip service. The university takes time to make sure its efforts are deep and thoughtful.”

Earning a B on the 2009 Green College Report Card – a full grade higher than the previous year’s – Willamette has a long list of green projects and accomplishments, on campus and off.

All future buildings at Willamette will be required to reach LEED Silver or higher, and a new building under construction is currently seeking Gold certification. Double-glazed windows and low-flow plumbing are among the efficiency improvements that existing buildings have undergone. Solar panels have been installed on one building, and another building will get a 40-kilowatt solar array.

Students can rent bicycles and have their own bicycles repaired at the campus bike shop, and are also given free bus passes. The university uses hybrid campus security vehicles. In the dining hall, organic and local food options are abundant and half of all food waste is composted for use at local farms.

Check out a full list of Willamette University’s notable accomplishments at the WU Sustainability website.

Link [Willamette University] + [Green College Report Card]

Green College Spotlight: Colorado College

Drawing upon the adventurous spirit of the Rocky Mountain West, Colorado College of Colorado Springs has challenged its students to develop habits of intellect and imagination that will prepare them for learning and leadership throughout their lives. That mission has clearly spread to understanding, practicing and sharing sustainability on and off campus as the small private liberal arts college has amped up its green resume in the past year.

Colorado College conducted an environmental inventory and created a sustainability management plan in January of 2008, and in the year and a half since then, they’ve managed to green up campus operations enough to earn a B on the College Sustainability Report Card. That’s a lot of work in such a short amount of time, and everyone involved is to be commended on their efforts.

In May 2008, Colorado College students, donors and staff collaborated to install solar panels that produce enough energy to power the equivalent of one of the campus’ language-themed residential houses. After determining a plan of action for tackling energy conservation and reduction of greenhouse gases, the college has set a goal of carbon neutrality and is working toward meeting strict efficiency standards. Colorado College is currently pursuing a wind power project and is also considering a solar array that would make the campus carbon neutral.

One of Colorado College’s new building projects has achieved LEED certification, the Russell T. Tutt Science Center, which has a shower for bicycle commuters, xeriscaping, wind-generated electricity, low VOC paints and many other green features. The new Cornerstone Arts Center is also seeking LEED Silver certification. Other buildings on campus have undergone energy efficiency makeovers.

The college has biodiesel buses and several hybrid and electric vehicles among its fleet, and students can get downtown via a shuttle program or ridesharing. The campus is also bike-friendly, and first-year students are not allowed to bring their own vehicles.

Food services works with an on-campus organic farm, and the chefs purchase local products from Colorado Springs area farmers including beef and dairy products. Students, faculty and staff have many organic and fair trade options and are rewarded with a discount for using reusable cups and bags.

Colorado College shows how quickly you can get things done when you set your mind to it. We’re looking forward to hearing more about how they’re working toward going green when the 2010 Green Report Card is released.

Link [Colorado College] + [Green Report Card]

Green College Spotlight: Grinnell College

It’s no surprise that Grinnell College has stepped up its game when it comes to being green: this private liberal arts institution in Grinnell, Iowa has a long history of social activism. Grinnell has been ranked among the top 17 liberal arts colleges in the nation since 1983.

Grinnell College has adopted a statement of environmental responsibility and a master plan of sustainability goals, with an environmental and safety coordinator working on sustainability issues. The school has set an emissions reduction goal of 20 percent below anticipated 2010 levels and is constructing a 4-megawatt turbine that will provide half the campus’ electricity. It also has a 15-kilowatt turbine at its Conrad Environmental Research Area, which meets over 90 percent of the center’s energy needs.

All new buildings at Grinnell must meet LEED standards, and the campus already features LEED-certified dorms. The Conrad Environmental Research Area is also LEED Gold-certified. Also featured on campus is the ECOhouse, an off-campus sustainability living project located in a converted older home. The twelve students who live in the ECOhouse try to live as green as they can, exploring ways to improve energy efficiency, reduce water usage and waste, grow their own food and educate the campus.

Local, organic ingredients are used in the dining hall, and food compost is delivered to a local farmer. Grinnell College also has a community garden in addition to two student gardens on campus. Yard waste is composted through the city of Grinnell, and the college collects reusable items at the end of the school year that would otherwise by thrown out, donating them to thrift stores or selling them to new students during orientation.

The Campus Advisory Committee on Environmental Concerns, known as EcoCampus, is made up of students, faculty and staff who work to research and share information on environmental concerns, and find ways to solve them. Grinnell also has a Dorm Environmental Coordinator Program, which hires students to serve as sustainability coordinators within their dorms, as well as student organizations like Free the Planet and the Environmental Action Group.

Thanks to everyone at Grinnell College for doing your part to make the world a greener, better place!

Green College Spotlight: Brandeis University

Just west of Boston, private liberal arts institution Brandeis University stands on a wooded campus with architecture that ranges from sleek and modern to a romantic stone castle. Rated among the nation’s top universities, Brandeis is also starting to get attention for its sustainability efforts, which have steadily increased in recent years.

The Campus Sustainability Initiative at Brandeis aims to reduce the university’s carbon footprint, with many departments, offices, academic disciplines and student groups working together to green the campus. President Reinharz signed the Presidents Climate Commitment, and Brandeis has allocated over $9 million to help reduce energy use. The school is partially powered by renewable energy, and many conservation programs incite students to engage in friendly energy-saving competitions.

Though Brandeis doesn’t currently have any LEED-certified buildings, it will seek a LEED silver rating for any new construction projects and has already begun to implement green features into existing buildings including low-VOC paints and bamboo flooring.  When it comes to transportation, students can easily get around campus by shuttle service or a car-sharing service, and the university offers employees the opportunity to buy transit passes with pretax earnings.

The dining hall is where Brandeis’ commitment to green is really blossoming, with organic and fair-trade options as well as cage-free eggs and discounts for students using reusable mugs. A campaign called “Eating in does not mean take out” encourages students to use real china instead of disposables, and waste from the dining halls is composted. Brandeis also has its own farmer’s market where fresh, local produce is sold.

One area where Brandeis definitely stands out is student involvement. A ‘Greening the Ivory Tower’ course has students taking leadership on sustainability projects like a community garden for local children. Conservation and advocacy events are organized by Students for Environmental Action, and an Eco Reps program was started in Fall 2008. The university has also spread its sustainability message to the local community with donation drives, pollution reduction efforts and children’s environmental education projects.

Learn more about Brandeis’ efforts at the Brandeis University Campus Sustainability Initiative.

Link [Brandeis University]

Green College Spotlight: University of New Hampshire

The University of New Hampshire is home to the oldest endowed sustainability program in higher education in the United States. Its sustainability efforts center around four key systems: the Biodiversity Education Initiative, the Climate Education Initiative, the Food & Society Initiative and the Culture & Sustainability Initiative. All four of these systems aim to unite the spirit of discovery with the challenge of sustainability.

UNH is a signatory of the Talloires Declaration, which commits the university to being world leaders in developing, creating, supporting and maintaining sustainability    . President Huddleston also signed the Presidents Climate Commitment. So far, UNH is going a great job lowering its carbon footprint – it fuels its cogeneration heat and power plant with landfill gas, significantly lowering energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Curious about all the different areas where sustainability has been implemented on campus? Check out UNH’s sustainability map, which is literally covered with little green dots indicating green projects and initiatives. You can click on each dot to learn more about each project, from transportation to the ‘Farm to School’ program. It really gives you an idea of just how serious the University of New Hampshire is about being green, helping to further the cause and spreading the message of sustainability to the community.

Some highlights of UNH’s sustainable efforts include its Climate Change Research Center, which studies the chemical and dynamic properties of the Earth’s atmosphere to better understand how our activities affect it as well as an Energy Task Force , made up of students, faculty and staff who guide UNH’s energy conservation and emissions reduction policies.

Students are heavily involved in sustainability at the University of New Hampshire. Among the student groups are ‘Ecological Advocates’, which promotes environmentally sustainable behaviors on campus. This group leads popular campaigns and competitions focused on waste reduction, recycling, food waste minimization, energy use, Earth Day and more.

The UNH campus is pedestrian- and bike-friendly, with a Cat Cycles bicycle program that allows students to sign out a bike and accessories for up to a week at a time. The campus itself is getting greener, too, having committed to seek LEED silver certification on all new construction projects.

Great job, UNH – we can’t wait to see all the new ways in which you continue to be a leader in college sustainability!

Link [UNH] + [Green College Report Card]

Green College Spotlight: Stanford University

Stanford is among the crème de la crème of American colleges and universities, with an incredibly impressive roster of scholars including 18 Nobel laureates, 4 Pulitzer prize winners and 21 recipients of the National Medal of Science. But, despite the praise heaped upon Stanford for its exceptional quality, this university doesn’t throw all of its efforts into academics. It apparently has plenty of energy left over to be a leader in sustainability, as well.

Granted an A- by the College Sustainability Report Card (the highest grade awarded), Stanford University excels in nearly every category rated from administration to transportation. 13 full-time employees are dedicated to sustainability, including those who work in the Department of Sustainability and Energy Management.

The university’s commitment to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and reducing energy consumption has produced some notable results. After energy-saving retrofits, the Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment + Energy Building uses 56 percent less energy and 50 percent less total water than a similar building with traditional fixtures and systems, and that’s just one example. Stanford’s Energy Retrofit Program has saved over 240 million kilowatt-hours of electricity since it began in 1993, and prevented 72,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

Free public transit and train passes are available to students and employees, and the shuttle system on campus serves the campus and parts of the surrounding community. In the dining halls, students enjoy local grass-fed beef, cage-free eggs and milk from a local dairy as well as fresh produce from Stanford’s community farm. The university composts food waste and converts thousands of gallons of waste oil into biodiesel.

Stanford University has a lot to be proud of. Congratulations for all you’ve achieved – keep it up!

Link [Stanford University]

Green College Spotlight: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, sustainability has quickly become a big priority and a major source of pride for students, faculty and staff. UNC-Chapel Hill is a ‘Campus Sustainability Leader’, meaning they scored among the top colleges and universities in the U.S. on the Green College Report Card.

UNC-Chapel Hill has launched a variety of sustainability initiatives in recent years, including making a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 60% by 2050 and enacting a number of campus-wide energy efficiency efforts. Recently, the university began generating renewable energy thanks to a push by environmentally conscious students.

Check out the cool interactive energy efficiency map at the UNC-Chapel Hill Sustainability website. It allows you to view where major energy efficiency features are located on campus, and click on them to learn more. They include a thermal storage tank, a cogeneration plant and buildings with major energy efficiency upgrades. Similar maps are available for water management, sustainable food and dining and green buildings.

Every single building project at UNC must meet LEED silver standards, requiring 31 of the LEED points as mandatory. There is one completed LEED building on campus – the NC Botanical Garden Education Center, which is striving for platinum – and five more in the planning stages. Green features proliferate on many other buildings including green roofs on the Carrington Hall addition and solar panels on the rooftop of the Morrison Residence Hall.

In the UNC-Chapel Hill dining facilities, students enjoy locally produced foods that come from 28 North Carolina producers. Dining services composts food waste from Lenoir Dining Hall, Rams Head Dining Hall and the Friday Center. Used frying oil goes to a local biofuel producer. 48% of campus waste is recycled.

Many of the university’s 28,000+ students get around on a fare-free bus service that provides over 6 million rides annually, and a car sharing service is available as well. Three hybrid vehicles are available for rent, and a community bike-loan program offers bike rentals for use both around campus and the city.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is setting a great example for other schools across the nation, and we can’t wait to see how far they come in 2009.

Link [UNC Chapel Hill]

College Students Demand Higher Tuition to Pay for Green Projects

When college students rally in support of tuition changes, they’re usually looking for lower fees. But a growing number of college students are actually asking to pay more, as long as that extra money goes toward green projects on campus. Green Inc. reports that ‘green fees’ are on the rise, helping colleges and universities achieve sustainability goals like LEED-certified campus buildings and solar panel arrays.

Among the schools currently charging mandatory student fees for the explicit purchase of green projects are Evergreen State College, the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, Northland College and Appalachian State University.

From Green Inc., via The Huffington Post:

Portland State University is currently voting on whether to establish this kind of fee.

In some states like Florida and Texas, students at public universities have been foiled in their efforts to impose green fees. That is because any fee increase must be approved by the state legislature. The back-and-forth process can easily take four years, according to Trevor Lovell of ReEnergize Texas, a youth coalition pushing for measures to address climate change — by which time the student body will have (hopefully) turned over.

A bill backed by ReEnergize Texas is working its way through the Texas state legislature that would allow university students to impose green fees more easily.

With fees as low as $3 per semester, it’s easy to see why students would support the increases. We’re not talking about hundreds of dollars, here. Sure, college students are poor, but skip a few trips to the residence hall vending machine or one Starbucks mocha and you’ve got the cash to contribute. Even one dollar per student, when multiplied by the number of students enrolled, can be a huge boost to important green projects on campus.

Link [Green Inc.] via [The Huffington Post]
Photo credit: Flickr user agfazzone

Green College Spotlight: Emory University

Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia stands among the nation’s top sustainable schools. This Campus Sustainability Leader has made going green a major priority – sustainability is a main component of the university’s strategic plan and mission, and Emory has a sustainability advisory committee that sets goals like reducing energy consumption.

Not only does the Emory University campus house more square feet of LEED-certified green building space than any other university in the nation, but it’s also made up of more than half protected forested greenspace. Emory has six buildings with LEED certifications, and another 11 that are LEED-registered. Among the green features in these buildings are dual-flush toilets that use collected rainwater. Two new freshman residence halls have rooftop solar arrays.

Faculty and staff at Emory enjoy free public transit passes, and the university also has a free shuttle bus that runs on alternative fuels. The Cliff shuttle system is one of the largest shuttle fleets in the Atlanta metro area. Discounts on bicycles and equipment are available through the Bike Emory program.

Emory University has set an ambitious goal to purchase 75% of their food from local or sustainable sources by 2015, and they’re already making great progress. A dining sustainability director, sustainable food educator and farmer liaison help steer food purchasing decisions and early last year, the Sustainability Committee developed sustainability guidelines for food service purchasing.

Students, faculty and staff all lend a hand in making Emory a greener university. Sustainability is integrated into orientation for all first-year students and the university sponsors energy efficiency competitions. Faculty and staff also submit green ideas for the Sustainability Incentive Awards.

Emory University is also notably home to the Piedmont Project, a curriculum development project that seeks to build an intellectual community to address global issues and local environmental awareness. It’s the longest-running faculty development program in sustainability in the country.

Link [Emory University]

Green College Spotlight: Arizona State University at Tempe

Arizona State University at Tempe is one of the nation’s greenest colleges, gaining a lot of ground since just last year. ASU has been working really hard to green up their campus and get students involved, and all their hard work has paid off – they’re on the ‘Green Honor Roll’ for their B+ grade on the College Sustainability Report Card.

ASU’s President, Dr. Michael Crow, didn’t just sign the Presidents Climate Commitment – he co-founded it. With that kind of initiative in the school’s leader, it’s only natural that ASU has become such a green college rock star.  As part of their commitment to climate neutrality, ASU recently completed the ASU Energy Conservation Project, which retrofitted nearly 80 campus buildings to increase efficiency, reducing annual carbon emissions by 70 million pounds. ASU is also installing solar panels on the roofs of Tempe campus buildings, and will soon install even more on the West campus.

All new buildings at ASU must meet LEED silver certification, and the university already has a whopping 11 LEED-certified buildings including four Gold and one Platinum. The university’s green purchasing policy means that only green cleaning products are used and Energy Star and recycled products are preferred. In the dining hall, you’ll find fresh, local food from 35 local growers and producers and from gardens on campus. ASU also has its own eco-conscious restaurant, Engrained, which features local, organic, seasonal and humanely treated ingredients on its menu.

Students, faculty and staff get around on an inter-campus shuttle, or on bicycles – ASU student government sponsors a half-price bike co-op and a bike-share program. ASU’s fleet will soon be run on alternative fuels, including two solar powered carts.

Arizona State University students are as dedicated to the green cause as the university’s leadership. ASU has seven sustainability-related organizations including a vegetarian/vegan group, and students frequently participate in recycling drives, energy efficiency competitions and other eco-friendly initatives.

ASU even teamed up with environmental site Grist.org to provide students, faculty and staff with the latest environmental news, commentary and advice through a biweekly email. The email newsletter includes not just the latest green headlines, but also news relating to ASU’s local area and coverage of issues relating to the university.

Of course, ASU is probably best known for its world-renowned Global School of Sustainability, which offers undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees that prepare students to become the green leaders of the future.

For the latest news on green goings-on at Arizona State University, check out ASU News.

Link [Arizona State University]

Green College Spotlight: Yale University

Yale University is one of America’s best-known institutes of higher learning, but did you know it’s also a leader in campus sustainability? Yale is among just a handful of colleges and universities that have really proven their dedication to going green, with impressive achievements in virtually every area of sustainability on campus.

Yale signed the G8 University Summit Sapporo Sustainability Declaration, and employs four full-time staff in its Office of Sustainability. The university committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to 10 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, and has already made quite a bit of headway, reducing emissions by 11 percent in just two years. 25% of the Environmental Science Center’s energy needs are provided by a 250-kilowatt high-efficiency fuel cell. Yale also has its own $100 million co-generation facility which has increased fuel efficiency from 35% to 60-65%.

A big part of Yale’s success with lowering their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions is due to changing the habits of students, faculty and staff as well as improving energy efficiency in all of its buildings. Residential energy use contests encourage students to cut back energy use as much as possible, while retrofits in Yale buildings have also had a considerable impact. All new construction projects at Yale will have to meet LEED silver certification, and the school currently has one each of Silver-, Gold- and Platinum-certified buildings.

Students at Yale definitely don’t need to bring vehicles on campus, since there are so many green transportation options. A free shuttle service will get them into town, plus there’s a commercial car-sharing service and a departmental bike program. Yale’s fleet includes seven hybrids and five electric vehicles.

Recycling is one area where Yale definitely shines. The university began recycling efforts 39 years ago, on Earth Day 1970. Recycling contests encourage mindful waste management, and Yale also has a comprehensive desk-side recycling program as well as an e-waste program. In the dining hall, where a large percentage of the food is locally grown and organic, food waste is composted and biodegradable take-out containers are available.

Student involvement in sustainability at Yale is sky-high. There are a number of green student groups on campus, and students are employed by the Office of Sustainability, the Yale Sustainable Food Project and the recycling department.

Yale has set some ambitious goals, and there’s no doubt that they’ll continue to make amazing progress toward becoming a fantastic example for colleges and universities around the world.

Link [Yale University]

Green College Spotlight: Berea College

Berea College has been celebrated as one of America’s Greenest Colleges by The Daily Green, most notably for the college’s impressive EcoVillage residential complex. But, cool as the EcoVillage is, Berea’s sustainability initiatives go far beyond that. This small private college in the foothills of the Cumberland Mountains of Berea, Kentucky has spent the last dozen years implementing green practices into daily life on campus.

President Larry D. Shin has signed the Presidents Climate Commitment, vowing to work toward carbon neutrality on campus. Thirteen full-time employees work on Berea’s sustainability initiatives – a big number for a college with just over 1,500 students. So far, Berea’s efforts in energy and climate have paid off. They set an admirably ambitious goal to cut emissions 65 percent by 2015 and recently upgraded its heating plant from coal to natural gas, reducing greenhouse gas emissions dramatically.

Among Berea’s fleet of vehicles are 3 hybrids and 13 small electric carts. Berea operates a 12-passenger van so students, who are discouraged from bringing cars on campus, can get from the college to local towns. Priority parking is given to carpoolers, and a student-run program called Berea Bikes fixes, rents and builds bicycles for students, faculty and staff to use.

Then, of course, there’s the college’s green crown jewel: The EcoVillage. This eco-friendly complex of 50 townhouse apartments and other buildings houses more than 120 people in sustainable style. EcoVillage has set a goal to reduce water use by 75 percent and waste by 50 percent. It features eco-friendly appliances, heavy insulation, solar panels, wind power, rainwater collectors and more. Within the complex is the partial straw-bale SENS (Sustainable and Environmental Studies) House, which acts as both a residence and learning facility for four students as well as a classroom for the rest of the college community. Students living in the EcoVillage enjoy a free car-sharing program.

Berea College runs its own campus farm, which provides the school with organic produce, beef and pork. Berea also purchases food from local sources including nine farms and two co-ops through a collaboration between dining services and the Local Food Initiative. Berea serves a number of fair trade products including coffee, and 90 percent of food waste is composted at the campus farm.

As you can see in the video above, students at Berea College are pumped about sustainability, and that’s incredibly important. Students can participate in the ‘Helping the Earth and Learning’ organization as well as a number of sustainability-related work study opportunities.

Great work, Berea!

Link [Berea College]

Green College Spotlight: Syracuse University

Add Syracuse University to the ever-growing list of Northeastern colleges and universities pushing their green efforts further than ever before. Syracuse has really stepped up their efforts in the past year, earning a B- on the College Sustainability Report Card and adding many projects to their list of eco-achievements.

Chancellor Cantor signed the Presidents Climate Commitment, promising to work toward becoming climate-neutral. A University Sustainability Action Coalition, which includes students, faculty and staff, addresses sustainability issues like transportation, green purchasing and recycling. SU also has four full-time employees working in the sustainability division.

Twenty percent of SU’s energy is purchased from renewable sources, including wind and low-impact hydro power. Syracuse University is also an active member of the Green Power Partnership’s Leadership Club and was recognized as the Big East Conference Champion for the 2006-2007 College & University Green Power Challenge.

Syracuse University has pledged to meet LEED criteria for all new buildings, additions or renovations over $10 million. The university is currently seeking LEED-EB certification on 16 buildings and has four projects currently underway that are expected to receive LEED silver and platinum certification.

Carpoolers at SU get preferred parking, and the university recently launched a car sharing program. Students can also ride regional transit buses for free in addition to campus buses, and the public safety department uses bicycles and hybrid vehicles.

In the dining hall, students will find locally-sourced produce and dairy as well as organic items. Reusable food and beverage take-out containers are provided, and all post-consumer waste is composted. Kitchen fryer oil is also converted to biodiesel. In addition, SU operates a weekly farmer’s market on campus so students, faculty and staff can purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.

We would love to see Syracuse University students get more involved in sustainability efforts on campus and in the community. There’s a chapter of the Student Environmental Action Coalition at SU, but there is plenty of room for more green clubs. Residence hall energy and recycling contests are a fun way to green up the university, so hopefully SU will plan more in the future.

Great job, Syracuse University – keep up the good work and don’t stop the momentum you’ve been building!

Link [Syracuse University] + [Green College Report Card]

Green College Spotlight: University of Colorado at Boulder

The University of Colorado at Boulder has one of the top environmental studies programs in the country, and it’s also one of America’s greenest schools. One of few schools to achieve an A- on the College Sustainability Report Card (the highest grade given for 2009), The University of Colorado acts as a shining example of how sustainability should be integrated into curricula, campus operations and community outreach.

CU Boulder had a head start on going green: sustainability has been a priority for over three decades. Over a decade ago, in 1997, CU signed the Talloires Declaration committing itself to setting an example of environmental responsibility in teaching, research and operations – and they’ve done just that. Chancellor Peterson also signed the Presidents Climate Commitment, declaring that CU Boulder would become carbon neutral by the year 2020.

Among the efforts CU Boulder has put in place to meet that ambitious goal are the Buff Energy Star Program – which is a comprehensive competition among campus buildings to save energy and reduce waste – and a 1.5 megawatt solar array. About 10% of the university’s energy use has been offset by wind credits and local offsets since 2000.
Four of the buildings on the stunningly beautiful CU Boulder campus are LEED-certified, and the university has committed to achieving LEED status for all future construction projects. And, in fact, it was CU Boulder students who pushed for the first LEED building, the ATLAS building, to be built in 2007. Students are heavily involved in CU Boulder green initiatives, with more than 60 employed as Eco-Leaders and hundreds involved in sustainability-related student organizations.

Students get around campus on a free bus service, car sharing programs, a ride board, a carpool network and a bike rental program. The university also encourages students to go green in the dining facilities by providing each incoming freshman with a reusable shopping bag and an EcoMug. University dining facilities offer a number of local, natural and organic options and buy from five to eight local producers. A comprehensive recycling program is in place, and the university often competes in campus-wide and national recycling competitions.

As green as the University of Colorado at Boulder is, they’re not done. This College Sustainability Leader will continue to push toward excellence and we’re excited to see what they’ll do next. Maybe an A+ next year?

Link [University of Colorado at Boulder] + [Green Report Card]

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