Green Colleges: The Quest for an Environmentally Friendly Campus

It's Not Just for Tree Huggers Anymore

With mounting evidence of global warming underscoring our dependence on fossil fuels and with the health benefits of organic foods being touted by nutritionists, America’s colleges and universities are more seriously beginning to investigate how environmentally friendly their campuses are. Once upon a time, “does the school recycle?” was the first question people asked to determine whether a college was “green.” But now that technologies have improved and students are more engaged, faculty, administrators, and trustees are coming on board, helping colleges take a lead on community sustainability.

Green Colleges: Why Colleges??

Because they are not-for-profit entities and because many of them are wealthy enough to take risks with their buildings and procedures, colleges and universities can serve as early adopters when it comes to implementing new technology and new business practices. Campuses are also diverse in their development: they combine residential components like dorms and dining halls with offices, classrooms, laboratories, sports venues, theatres, and all kinds of other spaces. Since young people are often at the vanguard of the pro-environmental movement and since much of the research on environmentally friendly existence is being conducted in academia anyway, it makes sense for colleges to demonstrate their greenness to all.

Green Colleges: New buildings

One question that the green-minded can ask is about new growth: what kinds of materials are used in construction and furnishing? More and more campus buildings are pursuing “Green Building” certification, including residence halls and classroom facilities. Check out the US Green Building Council for more details on requirements (http://www.usgbc.org/). Everything can be made greener – insulation, lighting, heating and cooling systems. Even windows!