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Environmental/Sustainability Issues


AASHE Interview Series: Bo Newsome, NAICU

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Website
April 3, 2012

Robert "Bo" Newsome, the Director of Outreach and State Relations at the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), talks to AASHE about sustainability initiatives at NAICU and its members (nonprofit, private universities and colleges in the US), and how NAICU is working to advance public knowledge of affordability at higher education institutions.

Top colleges shunning bottled water

Bloomberg News
March 11, 2012

More than 90 schools, among them Brown and Harvard universities, are banning the sale or restricting the use of plastic water bottles, unnerving the $22 billion retail packaged-water industry in the U.S. Freshmen at colleges nationwide are being greeted with stainless-steel bottles in their welcome packs and encouraged to use hydration stations where free, filtered water is available. Harvard and Dartmouth College are installing hydration stations in new buildings to reduce trash.

(Organic) Food for Thought on Campuses

Chronicle of Higher Education - Opinion Piece
March 11, 2012

Barry Glassner, president, Lewis & Clark College, writes:  It's true that today's campus conversations about food are a world apart from when the main worry was about the "freshman 15" and the grumbling was about the lousy taste of the cafeteria gruel. But I propose we give today's conscientious young food consumers some credit. There is something admirable about considering the consequences of food­ - for oneself as well as the people who grow it, ship it, and prepare it.

Colleges Pledge to Make Washington the Nation’s Greenest College Town

Chronicle of Higher Education
February 29, 2012

On Wednesday, the presidents of nine Washington, D.C., institutions signed a pledge to support a plan to make Washington the most sustainable city in the nation. The pledge's backers say they seek to declare D.C. the nation's "greenest college town"-an audacious claim, given the competition from places like Boulder, Colo.; Burlington, Vt.; and Portland, Ore.

Making Green by Going Green

Inside Higher Ed
December 16, 2011

After releasing a draft of new investing guidelines Tuesday, Hampshire College is poised to join a small list of colleges and universities pursuing "environmental, social and corporate governance investing" -- a proactive stance on investing that favors companies that pursue socially responsible practices -- rather than focusing solely on financial return. Advocates for such a proactive form of investing, including Hampshire, say they are consistent with colleges' missions of fostering social good.

University Solar Capacity Rose 450% in 3 Years

Environmental Leader
October 7, 2011

Installed solar capacity in the higher education sector has grown 450 percent over the last three years , according to research by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. AASHE has compiled a database that details hundreds of campus solar photovoltaic installations. There is currently 137 MW of solar capacity installed on U.S. higher education campuses. Since 2009, the median project size has grown six fold, the database shows. Data shows a 40 percent drop in the installed cost of campus solar over the last four years.

Rochester Institute of Technology to Share Sustainability Program With Institutions in 5 Countries

Chronicle of Higher Education
September 23, 2011

The Rochester Institute of Technology wants to help educate a generation of scientists, engineers, and businesspeople worldwide who can help find solutions to those environmental challenges. The university plans to share its model of sustainability education with institutions in five developing countries, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Peru.

More Colleges Adding 'Green' to School Colors

New York Times
August 16, 2011

While the Obama administration has been pushing green jobs, America's higher education institutions are involved in a related push. Winning the competition for students means green for them in more ways than one. As high school seniors schedule college visits and polish their personal statements, they are paying more attention to a college's green score alongside student-to-faculty ratios, dorms and aid packages.

Washington & Lee to install Virginia's largest solar power arrays

News Leader, Staunton, Va.
August 9, 2011

A Staunton-based solar-energy developer will install two solar photovoltaic arrays on the Washington & Lee University campus. The arrays, which will generate about 450 kilowatts of electricity or enough to power 44 homes, will be the largest solar installation in the state.  As part of the deal, the university signed a 20-year power-purchase agreement with the developer, Secure Futures, to buy the solar-generated electricity.  Secure Futures will actually own the solar arrays.

Liberal arts students try their hand at farming

North Country Public Radio, Canton, N.Y.
July 14, 2011

Land grant schools have long specialized in teaching agriculture. But across the country, liberal arts colleges are adding programs about food, farming, and sustainability to their curricula. They're not teaching farming per se, but instead want students to think critically about food systems and sustainable practices.

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