America's Greenest Campuses 2008-2009
The Most Ecologically Friendly Colleges and Universities in the U.S.
Dec 4, 2008
Colleges and universities generate a good deal of waste and use an abundance of resources, so they're not always the most environmentally friendly institutions. However, in recent years, many schools have made serious efforts to go green and leave a smaller carbon footprint on the environment. Here are some of the American colleges and universities that have been at the forefront of the green movement, along with some of their innovations.
Top Green College Campuses, 2008-2009
In 2008, for the first time, both the Princeton Review and Kaplan ranked the U.S. colleges and universities that they considered most environmentally efficient. The Princeton Review listed 11 schools on its Green Rating Honor Roll, in alphabetical order:
- Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
- Bates College, Lewiston, ME
- College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, ME
- Emory University, Atlanta, GA
- Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
- Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
- SUNY Binghamton, Binghamton, NY
- University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
- University of Oregon, Eugene. OR
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- Yale University, New Haven, CT
Kaplan also listed its own ranking of the Top 25 Green Schools, in alphabetical order:
- Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
- Bates College, Lewiston, ME
- Berea College, Berea, KY
- Bowdoin College, Brunswick, ME
- Carleton College, Northfield, MN
- Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
- College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, ME
- Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
- Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA
- Duke University, Durham, NC
- Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI
- Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
- Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT
- Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH
- Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
- Penn State University, University Park, PA
- Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA
- Tufts University, Medford, MA
- University of California, UC system
- University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
- University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- Yale University, New Haven, CT
Alternative Energy Sources
So what makes a campus green? One step that many of these schools have taken is to find ways to use alternative forms of energy. The College of the Atlantic – which has achieved its goal of becoming a "net-zero carbon emissions" institution – powers the campus primarily through hydro-power. The University of New Hampshire is in the process of converting the campus primarily to landfill gas. At Carleton College, the campus receives about 40 percent of its power from a wind turbine.
Environmentally Friendly Construction
Another green trend on college campuses is new construction that follow the U.S. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines. These buildings are created with environmentally friendly materials and products, and are designed to use energy and resources efficiently. Emory University and SUNY Binghamton are two of a growing number of schools around the country that have adopted LEED guidelines.
Green Cafeteria Choices
Schools are also finding ways to feed their populations of students and employees in more environmentally efficient ways. One strategy is to rely more on locally grown, organic foods that do not need to be shipped in from elsewhere. In some cases, food production takes place on campus; for example, the University of New Hampshire has an organic dairy farm. Another simple and growing trend is to get rid of trays in campus cafeterias, which eliminates the need to use a significant amount of water and cleaning materials to sanitize the trays.
Alternative Transportation
In addition, other campuses are finding ways to decrease the amount of cars on campus. Some schools are adopting the Zipcar program, which allows students to rent cars for short periods of time instead of bringing their own vehicles to campus. Emory University helps students get around with a fleet of shuttles that are powered with alternative fuels
Green Coursework
In addition, many of these campuses also offer extensive coursework that focus on sustainability, and have found ways to incorporate environmental topics across the curriculum. For example, the University of Oregon offers over 200 classes with a sustainability emphasis, including a Sustainable Supply Chain Management Center as part of the business school. However, no school focuses more on environmental studies than the tiny College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, which is an entire school devoted to the study of human ecology.
Green Colleges: A Growing Trend
Colleges and universities across the U.S. are demonstrating that with a little innovation, campuses can reduce their impact on the environment significantly. Alternative energy sources, green construction, and alternative modes of transportation of some of the many ways that higher education institutions can lead the way at environmental change throughout society.
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